Just pick one!

I found myself more inclined toward seeing someone else's memories; even if he wasn't my mortal enemy anymore, it was preferable to reopening such freshly renewed wounds. I peer intoi the fire, and the crackling inferno spreads onto my being within the Seknium. The dream begins to shift, and change...

I find myself in a grand, gilded space; so gorgeous is the scenery, it's almost painful. The area is comprised of a combination of gold, and... clouds? Pillar of gold hold aloft a cloudy sky, with the sun beaming down in a gentle, warm embrace. Near where I find myself, there is a collection of eight seats; each being used by a group now familiar to me after my lessons on the Gods back in Saltmoore. The seven Gods of Light, and their Lord of ****, Ihsrom; each sit in their thrones, after what appears to be some sort of meeting.

I see Ariel in the lowest seat, twiddling his thumbs as he looks down at... Fawks, in the center; who in turn is looking up to a throne, marked by a smattering of smouldering rubies.

"I choose him!" Says a childish voice. "You, foxy man. You will be my Chosen friend!"

"Father, is this truly a good idea... the Light are already tipping the balance..."

I look over to see Mortigan, standing next too her father's... throne? A hot pink couch, just like the one he sat on when he spoke to me that same night in Saltmoore.

"It's fine, sweetie. I think this will work out; just watch, and learn." Whispers the pajama-wearing reaper of souls.

Fawks bows down before his goddess as she speaks. "I'm giving you this birdy, she is the best birdy. Now, go fight the bad-monster-man who hurt you, and make him apologize!"

A flaming creature then erupts from the throne the diminutive Pyurus sat upon, swooping down, and impacting Fawks. The fire begins burning away the king of nothing, as bells begin to ring through out what I assume to be the Heavens. Once all that remains is ashes, a hand emerges; far younger than that of the man I killed.

"Young Ariel..." Says the calm, deep, and collected voice of Illustu. "You said you know know of this creature he hunts. Why do you protect it?"

It seems Illustu was one of the three who voted to have me killed... that leaves one other Light God who hates me. Who?

The Martyr God looks to the embodiment of enlightenment, processing her question slowly.

He answers, looking at the newly risen Fawk with a hint if dread. "Because... he doesn't have to be a monster. Tomoko taught me that when she helped Runa, and it would be an insult to her if I gave up on him now."

The heavens burn away in a blaze, and I find myself on a hill; next to a newly dressed Fawks. He is now adorned in his red silken attire, with that new thrusting sword of his already in hand. I see what he is now looking over; an encampment of some sorts, with a large grouping of ominous figures. I spot a scorch mark just a few paces behind him... this is where he was resurrected then.

"My lady, why here of all places?" Fawks mutters to himself; he sounds... sad. "I suppose to test me..."

Sliding down the hill, the Chosen of Pyurus approaches the encampment slowly at first; at which point I begin to hear loud shouting. A sale, of sorts.

A greasy, gruff voice beings to announce. "And to who does this little monkey go to?! She's a hell of a spy ****, if a little damaged! She still screams, at least!"

Now close enough to see the masses; Orcs, Men, Elves, and even a Minotaur, all surrounding a disgusting slug of a Goblin standing up on a stage of sorts, holding the chain of a woman in rags. While the rags cover most of her body, I spot a long, furry tail poking out; a golden band affixed near the end.

"I'll pay two human men!" Yells an Orc female, waving an axe in the air.

"Two human males, we've got two humans... going once!"

"I've got two human females, and a goblin!" Shouts the Minotaur.

"Anyone else? Anyone else!?"

A cloaked figure raises their hand; resembling the claws of a lobster. "One elf female! Virgin!"

"Ooh, has anyone got any better than that?!" Asks the Goblin Slaver.

"I do!"

They all turn to the voice that announced such possible bounty; Fawks, who charges the Minotaur with his sword.

"Your lives!"

A flame swing severs the beastly creature up the middle; both halves sent flying upward in a blazing display of gore. The crowd panics; some fleeing, others charging into battle, but none of them survive the engagement with the king with no kingdom. A pile of burning corpses begins forming at the base of the stage, with only the clawed man remaining.

Throwing away the cloak that surrounded him, the clawed man shocks me with his silvery blonde hair, and emerald eyes. None other than one of Cilla's many siblings. He bares the markings of several beasts; a hard shell-like skin, matching his claw, the teeth of a shark, and the now exposed tail of a whale.

"Come to die, hero?" Asks the Worgenfaust; drawing an axe with his other, non-claw hand.

"If I must..." Answers Fawks; reading his blade. "...but you first."

The spawn of Maxwell moves first, charging blindly like a savage beast; swinging his axe pointlessly as he moved toward Fawks. The Chosen moved to stab through the pointless thrashing, only for the beast to suddenly swing with a surprising amount of skill, clashing axe to sword with Fawks; a fakery of incompetence. The sudden change in tactic had launched the sword out of the Chosen's hand; at which point, the claw of the Worgenfaust slammed into Fawk's chest, stabbing deeply, and poking out the other side.

"Haha! A new head for my wall, and a new **** for free. Thank you, hero."

Fawks looks shocked at first, but then; despite the gushing blood from his mouth... he begins laughing. "Hahaha... Hahaha!"

"What are you laughing about, scum..." Asks the unnamed Worgenfaust.

Fawks, with eyes alight with joy; stares down his second murderer.

"Burn."

The Chosen's body erupts into enormous flames; instantly engulfing Cilla's brother in an deadly inferno. The poor monster had no chance to yelp, nor scream; only to gape silently as his body was reduced to dust. From the ashes of the aftermath, a hand arouse; Fawks, climbing from the remains of his old body. He was dressed once more in that same flamboyant, red silk, although it soon was dirtied by the soot of his previous self. His hair had shortened, and his face had grown even younger; yet that sadisitic smile remained all the same.

He dusts himself of his own ashes."That's the last of them. Good. Now to get to work hunting him down..."

Sobbing can be heard, from on the stage; the **** who was being sold just minutes prior, was now looming over the corpse of the goblin slaver.

"M-master..." She says in a dead tone, shaking the burnt body. "Master..."

"You're free now, girl. Go home." Says Fawks, finding his blade amongst the blood-filled mud, and beginning to clean it using the clothes of one of the bodies.

The girl didn't move, still shoving the body pointlessly. Seeing this, the Chosen of Pyurus walks over to the girl.

"What are you doing, girl. Go!" He shouts, pulling the rags aside from her face.

The familiar visage of Fuusong; or Dolores, was hiding beneath those rags, yet... something is wrong. Her eyes are vacant; broken, even, as if her soul had been torn from her body. Fawks shuffles back at seeing this, his breathing and heart-rate suddenly spiking; he's seen this before... but where.

"No... not again..." He says, his booming voice now akin to a scared child; sword hand shaking. "Goddess... not again. Don't make me..."

A red glows appears over Fawks's ears, and a steady stream of tears pours from his eyes.

"Thank you, my lady... thank you." Says the quivering king, placing his hand upon the Simi-Ong girl's forehead.

As he speaks, the voice of his Goddess joins him.

"A grace now given."

"Corruption riven."

"A mind once broken."

"Your prayers unspoken."

"Your demons, I tame."

A childlike, and innocent smile forms across the face of Fawks; his tears drying away.

"By my Cleansing Flame."

A scarlet fire pours from the Chosen, and begins to enter the eyes if the poor **** girl. After a few quiet moments, Fuusong begins looking around, confused.

"Where... am I?" She asks, her grasp of the mainland tongue just as loose as I remember; then, she see's the man before her. "Did... you save me? I remember being on boat... Monsters took us from temple... did Master Thuu send you?"

"I'm sorry, I have no idea who that is." Says Fawks, looking at the goblin corpse with; does he think that's Master Thuu? "I have to go treat the others. Do you know how to get home from here?"

"Where is here?" Asks Fuusong, once more looking around. "This doesn't look like Yokong..."

Fawks looks puzzled for a bit; as though he didn't understand what his spell had just done. He stands up, heading toward one of the tents, when a pair of hands grasps him by the arm. Turning, he sees Fuusong, holding him close.

"What are you doing?" He asks, raising a brow to this affection.

"You saved me. You are Master now." She says, smiling. "I am Fuusong, and you are Master."

"I'm no slaver." Fawks says with disgust, pulling away quickly.

Now it's her turn to be confused, if seems. "Slaver? No, you are Master."

In a huff, he says. "Fine! Come along and help free the others... but I need an easier name to call you. That foreign one you use is a mouthful..."

"Oh. Well... the name Fuusong means sorrow. Is there a mainland name for sorrow?" She asks.

Thinking on it for a second, Fawks answers. "Yes. The name Dolores..."

The newly named Dolores does a small 'squee.' "Very good name! I like it."

The blaze returns, burning away my frenemy's memory; placing me back into the waking world of flesh and bone.