https://youtu.be/7EOHDYeiUTI

As our heroes followed the directions given to them by Luc, they arrived at the wooden staircase, and as they laid eyes on it, it was plain to see that this was where their destination would lie. The wood comprising the staircase seemed natural - its blue hue was plainly not the result of paint - that was its regular colour. Ashbel, aestheticist that he was, took great joy in examining it, while Viera looked up the stairs, trying to hide how daunted she was by the steep climb.

"...ah, it's all coming back to me, now." Sly smiled, looking up and admiring the view. "Didn't miss the stairs one bit, that's for sure."

"...hmm..." Ashbel hummed, moving closer to the stairs and running his hand along the bannister. "It's all wood. How's this place not been burnt down yet?"

"You're not the first to ask that." Viera looked over at him, deciding not to question why he was groping a staircase to begin with. "Every inch of this temple - even the path leading to it - has been bolstered by white magic, protecting it from the elements, magical or otherwise."

"For a place protected from the elements," Sly raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of moss."

"You may have noticed by now that there's a lot of greenery in Seiryu." Viera explained. "The god they worship governs over the Wood attribute. All plant life is sacred to these people, so they strive to preserve it."

"Hmm...better not tell them about that tree I burnt down earlier, then." Ashbel chuckled, looking back at the other two.

"...it was for a higher cause." Viera pointed out. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"As long as you don't find a way to burn these stairs down, too. We kind of need them." Sly added, smiling.

Ashbel nodded, pointing up to the top, which didn't seem to be in visible sight. This truly was the closest thing he'd ever encountered to a stairway to heaven. "Well, guys, shall we?"

Viera swallowed her doubts. It was just a set of stairs, she told herself. She'd faced greater trials in the past - just the other day, she'd taken on a hobgoblin and won! Stairs were nothing to her. "Yeah. Let's go."

"And so we begin the great climb." Sly mused, watching Ashbel beckon the two of them to come along. Viera followed immediately, but Sly himself stayed behind for a little bit to pull out a few empty bottles. His hands glowed blue as he used magic to conjure up some ice inside them, and then hopped up to the salamander's level, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, can you hold these for me?"

Ashbel and Viera both looked at all the bottles in his arms, eyeing the ninja with a look of confusion, though in Viera's case it quickly became frustration. "We don't have time for whatever game you're trying to play, Sly."

"Oh, but this is a very important game, indeed." Sly responded. He would've wagged his finger if his hands weren't completely full. "It's called 'I Don't Wanna Die of Dehydration'. See, that's a tall staircase."

"Evidently." Ashbel chuckled.

"We're gonna get tuckered out eventually. That's where these bottles come in." Sly explained. "Ashbel will thaw them out more quickly thanks to his natural fire demon heat, but they'll stay chilly in due time for us to get the proper effect. Drink it, splash it on your face, it doesn't matter - it'll refresh you right away."

"That's...actually kinda smart." Viera mused, placing a hand on her chin and eyeing Sly closely. "Good on you."

Ashbel, humming quietly, took the bottles and stashed as many of them away as he could. "If I'd had someone like you with me last week, I'd have found Central Tali much nicer."

"Please, continue to tell me how incredible I am." Sly grinned impishly, beginning to march ahead, which the other two took as a sign to follow. The climb had officially begun, with much less Sly praising going on than the man would have liked. Oh well. Maybe next time.

.........

https://youtu.be/if2wekRykF0

After much struggle and strife, and many bottles of icy water and watery ice, the trio prevailed over the great trial that was prolonged uphill travel. At the end of it all, Viera and Sly found themselves absolutely drained, while Ashbel, though still possessing some energy, was somewhat more capable. Still, as they reached the top, none of them could bring themselves to suggest the break that they all wanted to take right now.

Sly had begun to smell the blood from about halfway up, but as it grew stronger, he began to worry. Ashbel and Viera weren't quite so aware, but as they gazed upon the corpses bathing in a large puddle of crimson blood waiting for them at the top, they realised exactly what had gone on - the Deliverance had beaten them here. And yet, the entrance door seemed to be closed - on closer inspection from Ashbel, it was locked, too.

"That's...terrible." Viera murmured, her mind flashing back to the pile of bodies next to the hobgoblin's throne. She wasn't unused to seeing dead people, especially not the freshly-deceased, but it was never a pleasant sight, regardless. "Guys, expect to fight when we get in. The enemy has minions in there, no doubt."

"If we get in." Ashbel raised a finger, pointing it at the door. "It's locked."

"So it is." Sly commented, placing a hand on his chin and immediately looking at the door. He'd contemplated patting down the bodies, but figured doing so in front of company was in poor taste. Reaching into his cloak, he began fiddling around. "Luckily for you, you've got a master lock-picker on your side-"

While he was talking, Viera stomped right up to the door, lightning crackling around her body, and tightened her fist, punching the wooden door with all her magically-enhanced might. The locks failing to hold against the power of her fist, the door flew open, one side blown clean off the hinges. The two men watched with wide eyes, silent for a little while as Viera looked back at them. "Come on, let's go."

Ashbel and Sly stared at each other briefly, making a nonverbal agreement to not get on her bad side too much, and followed her as she walked through the open door, approaching the enormous pagoda building on the other side that was surrounded in neatly-trimmed shrubbery. It was peaceful, quiet - a nice bit of calm, with the blue floors and walls mostly untarnished unlike what had come before them.

Right now, they were alone. Ashbel stepped ahead of the other two and cleared his throat, offering a smile. "Well...once we're in there, I don't think we'll be leaving until we achieve what we came for." he told them. "Now, I know we aren't exactly in the best shape right now, so...if anyone wants to have a short rest, I don't think we'll get a better chance than this."

"We should be careful, Ashbel. The enemy might get the drop on us while we're waiting." Viera pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Oh, quit being a drip. What are a few minutes?" Sly rolled his eyes. "If you're so sure we can storm the castle now, surely we can survive an ambush."

"He has a point." Ashbel nodded in agreement. "It'll only be a little while. We need to be in top fighting condition."

"I...guess you're right." Viera sighed, watching as Sly went to lean against the wall with his arms folded and his head down, as thieves were wont to do. "Only a few minutes. I won't wait for you if I'm ready before you."

"Yeah, no, it's fine." Ashbel took this chance to pull out a few buns from his pocket, each one neatly wrapped in paper, and held one out towards her. "Bun?"

"...when did you get that?" Viera eyed him suspiciously. The paper in question was blue, so there was no way he'd kept that from Suzaku. And they hadn't had any time to visit any stalls after breakfast, so...

"I saw them lying around while we were split up." Ashbel explained. "The shopkeep was too busy bleeding to conduct the proper process, so I helped him out - then helped myself, too."

"You didn't steal his food, did you?"

"No, of course not!" Ashbel shook his head, smiling casually. "I just made a little deal with him so he'd let me have them in exchange for my help! It was a perfectly consensual affair!"

"It was done under duress, I'm pretty sure it doesn't count." Viera deadpanned. Ashbel sighed, placing a hand on his neck as he looked down at her.

"Well, I didn't hear him complaining..." he murmured, looking around. "Sly, do you want this?"

"I didn't say I wasn't taking it." Viera spoke up before the ninja could, taking the bun and gently unwrapping it. "But the Torchbearer shouldn't be extorting people!"

"I, for one, get it." Sly hummed, tapping his fingers against his arm. "You can take Ashbel out of the merc life, but you can't take the merc life out of Ashbel."

Ashbel hummed, pulling out a bun of his own and beginning to eat it, all the while thinking about everything - his christening as the hero the world needed, even if not necessarily the one it deserved. How many of his old ways would he need to shed in order to be truly worthy of the mantle, he wondered. It was certainly worth asking her about later on.

.........

"You two, time's up. Let's go."

As Viera spoke up, Ashbel and Sly finished off their buns and looked at her, deciding they were just about rested enough to mosey on. They got up, regrouping in an instant and facing the temple that laid before them.

"Sly, you've been here before, right?" Ashbel asked, slowly making his way over while everyone else stood close by. "Any traps we need to be aware of?"

"Well, no. This is a place of worship." Sly shook his head slowly, placing a hand on his chin. "Normally, I'd advise you that the security is pretty tight, but..."

At that, he looked back towards the entrance, the smell of blood still rather strong to him. He returned to looking forward, chuckling a little. "...I have a hunch we won't have to worry about that."

The other two nodded in agreement, looking ahead with more serious expressions. "You're right." Viera nodded as they came up close to the thin sliding door at the foot of the temple, made of a tough, opaque paper. "Everything we need to worry about is behind that door."

Ashbel nodded, reaching out to open the door, but before he could, it slid open, and an elven man unfamiliar to him stood on the other side. He was dressed in green, with curly green hair and grey eyes that went wide as he examined the party. His skinny frame was just about visible beneath his viridian cowl, and his beret was carefully placed atop his head.

As Viera and Sly laid eyes on the elf, they immediately reacted, the former's eyes lighting up with rage while the latter gasped in surprise. Ashbel raised an eyebrow, remembering Viera's description from earlier, and spoke up first. "...hey, are you-"

"Oh, my!"

Not allowing Ashbel to finish, the elf shut the door abruptly, leaving the trio bewildered as they all looked at one another. Ashbel, once again, spoke first, clearing his throat. "Van, right?"

"That's the one." Sly nodded, crossing his arms with a small frown. "I guess he really is one of the bad guys."

"What are we standing around for?" Viera snapped out, shocking Ashbel and Sly with how atypically emotional she sounded. "Hurry up and open that door!"

"Sheesh, Viera. I'm on it." Ashbel frowned, raising a hand in easygoing defence and returning to the door. He reached out for it again, but just before he could reach the handle, the door slid open again, and the elf, looking more composed this time, regarded the trio with a smile.

https://youtu.be/-XGyXQZU0mo

"Welcome, travellers!" he exclaimed cheerfully, taking a bow. "Do forgive my discourtesy. Everything has been put into place, sure, but I, personally, was not ready for your arrival just yet."

"Well, if it isn't the worst of the Deliverers." Viera spat, immediately pulling her staff out and aiming it at him threateningly. "You can beg the Beginning for forgiveness, Van! You'll never get it from me!"

"Welcome, Viera!" Van grinned, arms spread out wide. Ashbel and Sly exchanged a glance. To them, it looked like the rivalry wasn't mutual in the least. "It's been far too long since our last meeting! I see you've brought the Torchbearer with you."

"Wait, how did you-"

"Because you just told me, my salamandine friend." Van cut Ashbel off, wagging his finger playfully. Turning his attention towards Sly, he hummed, placing a hand on his chin. "So it's as I expected. You are here to stop us. What a shame - I thought we had something good going on back there."

"I guess the whole 'destroying the world' thing puts a dent in that." Sly shrugged casually. "Shame."

"Shame indeed. We'll have to settle for 'frenemies'." Van smiled, pulling out his violin and beginning to play on it, stepping further out of the building. "So, I trust the climb treated you well?"

"Stop talking, will you?" Viera held her staff out towards him, halting his progression with a harsh glare. "I've heard enough of your fluff. Can we get to the part where you try to kill us already?"

"Kill you? Right here, right now? Why, I would never do that! What a disgusting anticlimax that would be." Van shook his head, his violin playing becoming more gloomy. "Besides, I could never take on the three of you at once."

Viera frowned impatiently at that, already primed to attack, but Ashbel smiled slightly, facing the man who seemed rather respectable for his objectives. "So, you and Viera have history? She seems to really hate you..."

"Yeah, I'm curious. How did you meet?" Sly raised an eyebrow, hands in his pockets. "If you don't mind sharing."

"Focus, guys. The enemy is right in front of us." Viera scowled, lightning beginning to run up her staff.

"Enemy? Hardly! We're all friends here!" Van shook his head, and while Viera brought down the staff like a hammer, he jumped up, landing daintily on the tip and giving her a little wink. Immediately after, he jumped up and over her head, landing behind the trio and spreading his arms out. "I see no reason we can't have a friendly little chat, no? Maybe over a nice song?"

"Guys, don't let him do that! He's a bard!" Viera snapped. "Damn bards. As long as they can make music, we're not safe!"

"Huh. I've always liked bards." Ashbel hummed. "But we can't let an evil one sing, can we?"

"Oh? Trust me, I am exceptionally talented." Van smiled proudly, tapping his foot rhythmically on the ground and putting his instrument away. "Fine, no songs. I can just talk."

"Better." Sly nodded. "Now, I believe you had a story to tell."

"Of course - if you're okay with me taking up your time." Van responded. "The Beginning isn't ready yet, so I figure this might pass the time well enough."

"So, you're just trying to occupy time?"

"No, no! Perhaps I ought to be clearer." Van chuckled, his movements slowly becoming more vigorous. "I'm bored, so I want something fun to do. And what's more fun than telling stories?"

"Never been much of a storyteller, but I sure can listen." Ashbel nodded slowly. "Alright then, why don't you start us off, and then we can stab you?"

"Haha, you're quite fond of stabbing, aren't you?" Van wagged his finger. "Why, Raina told me all about your stabbitude. I'm quite looking forward to it."

https://youtu.be/wk7xOKXw5wA

He cleared his throat, his tapping becoming a straight-up dance as he faced the trio. "Now, then, the story." he said. "It all began five years ago, with an elf aged nineteen. Having recently been promoted, he had a simple mission that took him to the south. 'Be my eyes', quoth his master, and he was determined to obey."

As he narrated, Ashbel and Sly listened closely, curious to know where Viera came into this. Viera, knowing exactly where she came into this, simply eyed Van in annoyance while he danced around, continuing his story. "So, obedient servant of the dawn that he was, he observed everything. He recorded, he reported, and eventually, he came across something that might threaten their operations." he said. "An acolyte of the Torch - a devout, powerful one, at that. He grew curious, and knew then and there that he had to get close to her."

"And so, he did." Viera crossed her arms. "Eventually, anyway."

"She didn't make it easy, that's for sure." Van chuckled in reminiscence, shaking his head. "But he was quite the clever man, and settled for casual acquaintancehood. He'd show up every now and then, helping her out of a pickle or telling her an amusing story!"

"I didn't take you for the type who'd be into bards." Sly grinned mischievously, earning a gentle kick to the shin from Viera.

"It occurred over the course of...almost a year. Having gathered information on her, he deemed her enough of a threat that she simply had to disappear." Van bowed his head gently. "He, nefarious man that he was, lured her into a trap, following from the shadows as she was attacked by zombies, Deliverers and eventually, a ferocious beast!"

"It was then that I connected the dots. Van had tricked me."

"And the man behind the curtain revealed himself. The jig was up, and a tense confrontation began." Van placed a hand on his heart. "And...I barely escaped with my life!"

He laughed lightly, breaking into a pirouette before smiling. "Our friendly acknowledgment of one another's existence had changed. She had gone from a secret enemy to an open one!" he beamed. "And that brings us to today."

"Yep. After that, my life wasn't the same. In addition to trying to get close to the Torch, I was evading the cult and killing whoever they sent after me." Viera frowned, eyebrows twitching. "So here we stand today."

Van nodded, ending his dance with a bow and tipping his beret, while Ashbel and Sly looked at him, then back at Viera. "Ah...no wonder you hate him so much..." Ashbel murmured, feeling slightly sympathetic. "You good, Viera?"

"I'm fine." Viera sighed. "Can we kill him now?"

"Yes, I believe stabbing me was on your agenda." Van hummed, raising his arms and stepping closer. "If you can, that is. I just have one question, though."

"Sure, ask away." Sly said, while Ashbel and Viera eyed the elf suspiciously. Van let out a chuckle and closed his eyes, and at that, a green light emerged beneath his feet.

"Aren't you the slightest bit curious about the tap-dancing?"

There were a few seconds of silence before Viera connected the dots, quickly firing a spear of golden lightning at him, which he quickly twirled out of the way from. "Damn bard!"

"...wait, you can cast spells by dancing?" Ashbel raised an eyebrow, finally getting it. "Is that fair? That's gotta be unfair, right?"

Sly laughed out loud as a rumbling could be felt by everyone currently standing outside the temple - a small earthquake seemed to overtake the area, and through the empty doorframe at the other end, Ashbel, Viera and Sly could see that same green light shining over the corpses as they rose above the floor, joining together as one.

"No way, really? So that's what you meant when you said you were talented!"

Van took another bow at that. "Foreshadowing is a literary device in which-"

"You, shut the fuck up!" Viera growled. "And Sly, stop laughing! There's nothing funny about this!"

"Right, right, sure." Sly cleared his throat, pulling out a pair of daggers while Ashbel drew his sword. "Guess we're fighting this guy, then?"

"Looks like it." Ashbel nodded, looking at Van with an uneasy smile. "It's been fun, bard. Shame our meeting couldn't end on a high note."

Van smiled at that, wriggling his fingers around before shaking his head. "I think I'm going to like you, Torchbearer." he said. "But I did say I couldn't take the three of you at once. I'm a jester, but I'm no fool, so why risk that when I can leave the dirty work to my little friend?"

As he said that, the light erupted like a volcanic deluge, and the trio watched it closely while Van smiled calmly. From the light leapt an enormous beast whose emergence smashed what remained of the doorframe into rubble and stood behind the elf. It was a giant wolf, with emerald-hued eyes and silver fur lined with foliage, its paws tipped with bright white claws. As it gazed upon the three, it remained entirely serene, a melancholic air in its eyes.

In frustration, Viera slammed her staff on the ground, unleashing a wave of lightning that Van dodged before rushing ahead. Ashbel went up close to him in an attempt to cut him with his sword, but Van gracefully evaded the first two strikes before flourishing his rapier to parry the third. Their blades locked for a while, but Van quickly found that Ashbel was the stronger of the two, and immediately disengaged just in time to avoid the knives that Sly threw in his direction.

Twirling past their formation, he found himself by the entrance to the pagoda and smiled at the three of them. "Such coordination!" he declared, sliding open the door and slipping inside. "With teamwork like that, the Direwolf will only be a speed-bump for the likes of you! Slán agat, my friends!"

He closed the door once again, and all Viera could do was shake her fist angrily as the three were left alone with the threatening canine, who seemed to assess them closely. Weapons drawn, they all faced it and did the same, knowing that the time for battle was upon them.