Wrath Reincarnated

JULES

[The Sound and the Fury — Quest Objective ADDED: Find the missing piece in the Riftwatch Outpost Shrine.]

Asad, whom The Nomad had possessed back on the sand dunes, escorted Jules out of the sandstone building. At some point, the sun had risen, and Jules reflected on the past events. I've been through a lot, but never tortured like that—not even training back in Aquilantis was that bad. I hope Sera is doing OK. Can't even bear to think about what all she's going through right now.

Sand whipped in Jules' eyes as he took in the surrounding sights. Sandstone buildings seemed to be built into the sand dunes that shifted with the wind. Riftwatch Outpost is practically a moving city. I heard Hinomura is a lot like that, too.

Asad hurried Jules through the heart of the barracks. Warriors and Fighters glared at Jules as he walked by, and it grew impossible to shake the lingering effects of his torture and captivity. The sooner we get out of here, the better. Then again, everywhere we go—or I go—there will always be people looking at me this way. Especially when my Bounty keeps growing everywhere I visit.

Rukia cantered happily by Jules' side. Every once in a while, she'd sneeze when too much sand built up in her nose. By the time they reached Jules' home for the night, a nice little hut tucked into a bedstone-cut wall with a canopy overhead, likely to protect it from the elements—And from being buried overnight—her eyes were practically streaming out tears.

"This will be your room for the night." Asad motioned to the door.

"For the night, eh? When do you think my friends will join me?"

"The Nomad gave explicit orders: You're to stay apart from them." Great. Don't know why I'd expect anything less. Asad flipped his cloak and scarf back around his neck, and began to take his leave. Jules grabbed his arm.

"Wait. I am sorry—for almost killing all of you yesterday. Or whenever that was, I was out for a while."

Asad's cold brown eyes, no longer gold from The Nomad's possession Script, squinted at Jules. He placed a hand to his heart, then bowed deeply. I'll take that as your own form of apology for trying to kill us. After Asad took his leave, Jules entered the single-room structure with Rukia.

It was quiet inside and somehow deafened the growing sandstorm that raged outside. A small fire had already been set in the middle of the room, which only boasted a single cot and table. The room was rounded, without corners. No chairs, no windows, just one door. And probably a dozen guards on the other side.

« Summon » [Jules]

"Alright, you two. Time to prep for the Shrine. We leave tonight."

Kaizen materialized from the Shaman Beads around Rukia's neck. Like always, he hovered in the air, with legs crossed, but unlike any time he'd been summoned in the past few days, he didn't yawn. He was completely focused on Jules.

"You should sleep on it, kiddo," Kaizen said. Rukia collapsed on her side next to the bed and panted. Jules nodded his head without speaking, in a mixture of pure rage and reflection. I didn't listen to Kaizen last time. Better give in this time. He's not giving me much thread to pull on, but he's also no outright telling me I'm not ready.

"Well," Jules began, "let's just lay it all on the table. Why'd you stop me back there?" Jules sat on the bed, and Kaizen scratched his chin. His face twisted into one of deep thought. Or perhaps not too deep, knowing this guy. "You knew that The Nomad was here—or you at least knew someone was here that would help us. How?"

Kaizen glanced at Rukia, who kept panting deeply, a little too deeply, in Jules' opinion. Then he snapped in her face to bring her back to attention. "Hey, foxy lady! I could use some backup here."

Rukia rolled over on her back, from one side to the other, so she couldn't face either of them. OK, that's weird. She usually jumps on any opportunity to discipline Kaizen. But if he's also being weird about this…

"Is The Nomad one of the Magi?" Jules couldn't think of any other explanation. Surely Kaizen had them in his world, and the coincidences in Jules' world were just stacking up too much. However they were related to the Apocalypse, Jules was sure he was bound to cross paths with them eventually.

Kaizen lifted an index finger in the air, as if he was about to say something important, then lowered its direction at Jules. He wagged it up and down a few times. "You mentioned prepping for the Shrine. Start with some Inked Arts." Kaizen glanced back at Rukia, as if he thought he'd be scolded soon. "You'll want some speed, healing, and fire Scripts."

Jules obeyed, and got to work. This will take a few hours, so I've got plenty of time to ask questions. But where to start? Jules cut his arm and drained the blood into an alchemy bowl. After the Coralhaven Shrine, he'd found he could cheat making Ink by using his own blood. Something about Arcanic blood must be Enchanted to some degree. Or maybe just Sins'. I'll have to test it out on Patience for the Virtues…

"So when was Kat cursed?" Jules asked. "Back in Marina Veridia, with either the Holy damage, or getting her Vessel, or when I stabbed her Seal in Shinsora?"

Kaizen lowered himself down to the ground, and sat next to the fire. Rukia continued to avoid them. "I'd bet my chi that it was when I stabbed her Seal." Thanks for sharing the blame on that one. "I don't know about The Iron Maiden's magic. That could have contributed, but my Envy was never cursed by her Third Eye."

Jules abandoned letting his own blood for Ink, and looked at Kaizen, who stared back at him with intense focus. So you're finally sharing some information. Jules' Regeneration healed his arm and the blood draining halted. So Kat's Vessel is tied to The Iron Maiden's and Djinn's Third Eyes somehow. I'll make sure to tell her that later.

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"Are her nightmares connected to mine?"

Kaizen stoked the fire with his bare hand. "Not likely. You have your own quest to follow in your nightmares, Jules. It's a long one, and when you learn the truth…" Again, Kaizen gazed off to Rukia for some unspoken reason. It made Jules' stomach lurch more than the self-blood letting did, which he continued.

"Is my Seal tied to Wrath, or to the Apocalypse at the larger scale? I don't like that I'm carrying this Unlock Rune. Especially not with that Quest I have." Jules' Regeneration healed his arm again, and he pulled his armored shirt sleeve back over it. He moved on to selecting the Script's he'd use for his Inked Arts.

"You asked me about the others before. They are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. When you all—the Sins, that is—open all of your Seals, the Triad will initiate their summoning."

"The Triad?" Another fucking name in the mix. Jules resisted knocking his bowl of Inked Blood over.

"There's a hierarchy, kiddo. And The Triad are at the very top. Below them are the Horsemen, then the Magi, and last, us folk. Bottom of the totem pole. It's a long way to the top."

Jules wrote a few Scripts on his body, then infused them with his own Ryoku. He'd spare nothing tonight, and hoped that he'd be fully recouped by the morning. When he finished a few, Jules tossed the brush back into the bowl.

"So as long as I protect this Unlock Rune, the Apocalypse can't happen? I could just hide it somewhere no one would find it."

"The Triad are smarter than all of us, Jules. They are the hand of god, and they influence everything. There is no way you could keep that Rune hidden."

Jules' heart skipped a beat. He wanted to lay down on the bed. He wanted to go to sleep now, and never wake up, but he picked his brush back up and carried on. The flickering flames shifted shadows along the wall with the bed and table. Everything else was exposed to the light.

"So I have to open my Seal? Will this be before or after I meet these Magi?"

"You will meet them all, and soon. Hopefully, before you—"

"Enough," Rukia snapped. Jules stared at her, whose back still faced them. Kaizen never glanced in Rukia's direction; he just lifted his hands up to the fire and stared into it. "Focus on the Sound, Jules."

Well, at least you're not killing the conversation. But still, it's odd that Kaizen is so forthcoming with answers, and you are… Not yourself.

"What's wrong, Little One?" Jules asked her. She let out a heavy, passive aggressive-sounding sigh. Jules walked over to her and laid down next to her, face-to-face. She opened her eyes, then quickly shut them and dragged her snout along the floor to face away from him. "Are you worried about me going into the Shrine?"

"Yes," Kaizen answered for her. "She is very worried. You barely survived last time, and this piece of the Sound is the most difficult to attain."

"Really? Why not the last one?" Jules scratched Rukia behind the ears then returned to Inking himself.

"You'll see, kiddo. You'll see. I will say this, though: You'll be more callused next time, is all."

"Ominous. Well, to lighten the mood, which we're in severe need of, what new abilities will I gain this time around?"

Rukia wriggled her hind legs in circles excitedly until she finally got to her feet. That was easy. "Oh maaan! You get to put me inside your body after this go-round!"

Kaizen cracked a smile and laughed. "You can also shove both of us into the Sound at once."

Jules lunged at Rukia, and she ducked down deep into a playful bow, ready to strike him back. Her lone tail wagged back and forth relentlessly.

"Well, this is nice, guys! I ask a question, you give me a straight forward answer. I'm happy, you fulfill your roles as my guides. This definitely makes it all easier! So what about the next piece?"

Rukia's tail halted, and she plopped down to a seated position. Her face dropped along with her mood. "Hey, Jules…" He waited patiently for her. Whatever was on her mind, he'd let her figure out the way to say it. "About the Shrine tomorrow. I think—that maybe you should—"

"Rukia." Again, Kaizen just stared into the fire. "I think it's time we get some rest."

The golden throne room doors transformed into the decrepit prison door of his dreams. Odd. I don't remember being here the night before I went into the Coralhaven Shrine. But at least I'm not getting smeltered to death in a volcano, like the past few nights. Jules raised his arms up to his side, then free-fell backward into the water.

SPLASH!

The ice cold water wrenched him awake, and he got to work unloading the ship.

"Hey, …, we're all done." Never can remember that damn name. Is it mine? "Let's go check out the parade."

Jules finally broke his gaze with the castle. "Let's get paid first."

After they collected their coin, Jules and Envy strolled through the war-torn city. Most of the bodies had been removed, but blood stained the cobblestone streets and building fronts down in the lower quarters.

"Survived another siege," Envy said.

"We fought well. Together, as a unit."

"I can't believe the royal family survived."

"What other royalty do you know that fights on the front lines?" Jules had witnessed the king himself fight down near the docks just two nights ago, in the final bout of the war.

"You idolize them too much. They're still nobles, they don't give a rat's ass about you. And victory was eminent, everyone knew that."

"Apparently not the other side—Wait, here they come!"

The king, on horseback, led the procession, and was followed by the princess' palanquin. Jules took in the sights—the king's crown, the princess' sword, the commoners who bowed in turn, like a wave surging through the crowd. But his eyes rested on the castle, high above. Entranced, he walked toward it, into the middle of the street. He bumped shoulders with a guard.

"Aye!" The guard wrenched Jules' shoulder behind him, and they locked eyes. "Oh, I remember seeing you las' night. Fought bravely, saved one of me men. Step back in line, and I'll let you off without a lashing."

"Right, of course. Thank you." Jules rubbed his upper arm and made his way back to Envy, through the crowd.

"You're an idiot!" She whacked him on the back of the head, and dragged him through the streets that were slowly opening back up in the procession's wake. They made their way to a shady alleyway lined with merchant tents, and Jules halted when saw a familiar face.

Amber eyes. Angular face. Brown cloak. You have something for me, don't you?

The penniless man sat tailor-style on top of a box crate. Above him, a marvelous sword hung from a display.

"How much?" Jules asked.

Envy tugged on his shirt sleeve and tried to pull him away. "…, that's a royal sword. You can't—"

Jules repeated his question. "I've got to have that sword." Look at it. The finest forging I've ever seen up close, if you don't count in the heat of battle. After all, that guard said I saved some of his friends and fellow soldiers. I should have it. I need to have to. I deserve it more than anyone else.

"How much ye got?" the man asked. His wicked smile matched his cruel, unblinking eyes. Jules withdrew all of his gold and silver, and counted it out for him. Envy kept trying to pull him away, but he shrugged her off.

"Meh, seems enough." Just as Jules handed him the money, three guards rounded the corner. The merchant hopped off his crate and backed away, but Jules reached for the sword.

"Halt!" The guards sprinted to them. One tackled the merchant, another detained Envy. The third and largest guard cornered Jules, who clutched the sword in both hands. "That don't belong to you. Put it down, and we won't have to—"

"No." Jules said. Envy shrieked at him to give the sword up, and the merchant cursed him to let it go. "I earned this sword in the battle. And I've bought it—"

"On the black market—Pah!" The guard spit on Jules, then drew his sword. "Gave ye a chance."

The fighting ended just as fast as it erupted. Jules lied on the ground, sideways, facing Envy. His vision lost focus and eyelids began to slowly close while he watched the guards bring her to her knees. A guard lifted a sword high into the air. Blood pooled all around Jules; he figured it was his own. Just before his vision faded, Jules watched them execute Envy, in the middle of the streets.

Jules bolted out of bed so fast he woke up Rukia. Kaizen still sat crouched by the fire, and even he looked surprised.

"Holy shit!" Jules yelled. "The Desert Mouse—that Jafar guy. He's Greed!?"

[Inner Vices — Quest Objective COMPLETED: Find Greed.]