Chapter 78 - The Exorcist's Struggle

[rhapsody blue]

Chapter 78 - The Exorcists Struggle

Hey Guys! Sorry about the wait again! I guess I have punished you guys alot this summer, causing you guys to wait in anticipation. All I have to say is that I really enjoyed everybodies chapters this time around ans Steph is evil for making me think that I.A did dirty things to the lovely Stephanie. Okay enjoy!

Lione's eyes shot open, he observed his surroundings and found himself in a decrepit room with a single cot. He pushed himself up, and as the floorbards creaked he heard a clamor outsode of the door. He creeped to the door and pressed his ear against the clammy surface where he heard the voice of a young man.

"There is pandemonium on the deck Hans!"

"Wha' aboot Remy?" an older raspy voice replied

Remys voice fell to a whisper "The box she had was empty!"

Hans gasped in shock "Shou' we prepare for Defcon 1?" his voice held very copius amonts of fear and Lione was able to see the power that this woman exuded over her men. He felt a twinge of jealousy that she ran a tighter ship than he did, well now that he thought about it he could barely control a couple petulent teenage exorcists. He leaned up against the door and begin his self-deprecation, a new routine he had started ever since he had lost his fight with the Noah Jacques, and had resigned himself to a life in a wheelchair.

He heard some ruckus above his room and he closed his eyes, Remy said they there was pandemonium on the deck and when he closed his eyes he could feel a gentle rocking which meant one thing he was on the ship. The mysterious stranger, Anlen, was a Noah. He had to reconsider a few things, were his feelings real? Did he really love this...Noah? Of all the forbidden and half-cocked things that could happen this had to be one of them. Lione let out another sigh, he better not think about it, but he couldn't. He recounted the events that took place at the bar, well at least the things he could remember: The kiss, the kick, the walk to the port and the...the...the walk to the port? Walk to the port? Maybe it was just a dream? He was apprehensive at first, of setting himself up for a let down but there was a definite twitch in his leg muscles. Elation swept over Lione this meant that there was a chance for escape.

It was raining, the city of Boston had a look of dreariness that was reflected on the face of a young girl looking through a window of a dusty and abandoned church. "Its been 2 days Rin."

"I know, I'm worrying about this alot too but it doesn't help us sitting here waiting for them Tabs."

The girl briefly turned towards the woman, since everyone had gone she had been more comfortable, like being in the leadership position suited her better. When she turned back she began watching the passing townsfolk going along with their busy little lives. "I forgot how it was having a life that wasn't so complicated."

Rinvak turned on her heels and began to walk toward the pulpit where the controls were to go back down to the base "Tabitha, you shouldn't worry about what you don't have just be glad for what you still have."

Tabitha felt a burning in her eyes but she quickly choked them back she was right there was too many things that were lost, that she needed to hold onto the few precious things she had left.

"Are you coming?" Rin said from the pulpit

Tabitha took one last look out of the window and the people walking with their quiet lives and turned around walking down the aisles of dusty pews and walked up to the pulpit.

<Knock Knock>

Rinvak looked annoyed and then stepped down and went towards the door. When she opened the door there were several figures standing in cloaks that were billowing in the rain and wind.

Rinvak stood tense "Who are you?"

One of the figures threw the hood over his head "Hey Rin!"

Rin looked at the figure his long wet hair was blocking most of his face and she couldn't figure out who it was "I'm sorry?"

He pulled his hair back in a look of somewhat aggravation "Its me! Daniel!"

Madeline was sitting at the window in their cabin, she was awake both Lyra and Eny had fallen asleep from the lull of the moving train. They had just went through a storm and suffered an 8 hour delay due to the conditions. Now the sun was breaking through the departing rain clouds as she stared out the window, in her hand her Innocence rolling it around in her fingers.

[Flashback]

"Madeline Price"

Madeline's hands were trembling from the pressure. "Y-yes"

"Daughter of Julia Shefield, conformer of the same Innocence you possess the Spectrum Ring."

Madeline stood shaking the rest of the council baring their judgement on her.

"I'm sure you know why you are here?"

"Yes Father"

[End Flashback]

There was some stirring on the bed and Eny was cuddling with her pillow, a ray of sun broke through the clouds and fell on Madelines face accentuating her piercing blue eyes, eyes that belonged to her mother. She stopped playing with the ring and put it on her fingers, the gray jem emitted a glow.

The woods ran thick and the stink of animal feces was potent. Jacques walked through though as part of his daily routine. He had already ran his 5 miles, taken a shower in the river and now he was on his way to his little playtoy.

"Eeeergh, Monsieur Jacques I don't see why we have to do this everyday! Its already been 3 months can't we just kill him?" Michael complained as he had just stepped into a heap of dung

"I'm not complaining..." Belial said under her breath

Michael threw his shoe thats bottom was caked in dung at Belial who ducked and it hit one of the trees thick trunks. "I don't have time to deal with you trying to be a suck up!"

Belial reached for the baton on the belt of her pants but a pebble pierced her hand causing her to scream in shock.

In a cool and deliberate tone said "Enough of this tomfoolery, I receive enough of it from my insipid siblings."

Both of them looked at each other frowned and continued following Jacques. The woods continued to thicken, but then they came upon a clearing and at the center was a stump. Jacques walked over and placed his hand at the center which caused a compartment to flip open on one of the trees. Belial walked over and flipped the switch which made a depression in the ground around the stump, then the depression formed a set of stairs spiraling down into darkness.

"Where is Michael?"

"He went to go get the spear." Belial responded robotically in order not to incur Jacques wrath.

"Here he is."

Michael walked through the clearing to the head of the stairs where Jacques had moved. He was drenched.

"Watch what you're doing Michael! I don't want to get wet."

Michael shot Belial a deathglare, then he looked pleadingly at Jacques similar to the look Magier gives him except without the girlish coyness. "Monsieur Jacques, Do you really have to keep that spear at the bottom of that lake?"

Jacques began his decent down the stairs and his two henchmen followed after him. "The reason why I surround the perimeter with animal feces, why i hide the spear under the lake, and why I made an elaborate contraption to keep my hostage underground is because unlike my siblings, I don't underestimate him or the others."

They came to door and they walked into it. In the room was full of scrubs and medical utensils lined the walls. In a corner there was a place with discarded suits and some of them were splattered with blood. The 3 men went to put on the medical scrubs and Belial saw a huge bite mark on Jacques' leg.

"Monsieur Jacques, I know it isn't any of my business but where did you get that mark?"

"Your right it isn't any of your business." Jacques stood up dressed in scrubs and walked over to another door in the room, it led into a long hallway where there was another door that held a horrible beast. But before he even walked through the first door he turned to Belial and said "I got bitten by a werewolf."

He then turned and walked through the door.

Lione snuck out of the door when the 2 pirates named Remy and Hans dissappeared to prepare for Def-con 1.

[Flashback]

"Lets go Hans!"

Han's voice lowered a few decibels, but Lione was still able to hear him "I'm not suppos'd ta leave 'im 'ere alone y'know"

Remy sat there thinking for a few seconds, then he made a noise that sounded like a snap and said" He doesn't have to know your gone."

Lione could actually hear the enlightenment dawn on Hans face. "Yerright Remy! Lets Go!"

[End Flashback]

Lione found himself running around crazily, dodging glances and hiding from the crew. He was walking down the hall and he heard Hans yelling

"Def-con 1! Def-con 1!" and he was heading in the direction that Lione was walking up. He ran into a room and locked the door behind him. Hans passed by yelling loudly and he could hear the crew heading to the deck. He looked around and surmised that this might be the captains quarters. Books were splayed about and there was a giant map with planned out sea routes, and candle lit wicks everywhere. As if he didn't have enough evidence, the floor was full of empty bottles or rum that the pirates must of pillaged off of countless ships and towns.

"I knew she had an affinity for rum, but this much is a little ridiculous..." Lione walked about the room snooping in every place to find something that maybe he could use, until he heard a crashing at the door and a figure burst into the room.

"Remy! I found 'im!!" It was Hans he was as old, but not as old as Lione had pictured him. His skin was literally falling off his bone revealing the akuma skeleton beneath. Lione thrust forward his tattoo moving to his hand and he destroyed Hans, but as his body fell Remy cut through it with a twin pair of schmiters almost decapitating Lione. Lione hopped into the air to dodge one of Remy's swipes to his legs and he landed on the blade and he kicked the other schmiter out of his opponents hand and it landed in Liones. Remy pulled the blade out from under Lione and the two began dueling with swords. Each of them matched the others strike the swiftness of their moves blowing out candles and chopping books caught between their blades to mulch. Then Remy made a mistake and Lione jumped on the chance like lightning and disarmed Remy and placing his blade on his throat.

"Hehe Lione, Lione my friend you can't kill an akuma with a sword not endowed with Innocence!" Lione took the sword and cleanly cut Remy's head off.

Lione picked up the sword and pulled the ink back onto his body and threw the sword aside. "You can when you have Innocence like I do...friend."

"Daniel! Is that really you?!"

"Yeah it is Rinvak! I look alot more powerful don't I?"

Tabby stood in shock, the scrawny boy that was here about 7 months ago was nothing like the man that stood in front of her today. The Daniel in front of her had long untamed red hair and his hazel eyes were set on freckled skin. He looked more muscular like he had been training this whole time he looked... "Dreamy..."

"Did you say something Tabs?" Rin asked

Tabby blushed furiously and then shook her head.

"Well where the hell have you been? Lione has been worried sick! You've missed alot!"

Daniel looked solemn and lifted a pistol into the air, it glowed with the power of Innocence

Rin looked shocked "Are you kidding? Your an exorcist too!"

Daniel nodded and threw off his cloak revealing the exorcist uniform then the rest of the entourage threw off their hoods and stepped inside from the pouring rain.

"Daniel, who are these people?" Rin was on the defensive she stood up straight and was prepared for a fight.

"Calm down Rin, we're the Decomissionment Committee. We're here to reassign the exorcists, finders, and researchers at this base and clean up any evidence of our presence in North America. We actually spent the last month cleaning up the wreckage of the old base."

The people in cloaks threw them off now casting them to the side and moved about the base freely among the many bodies Rin saw only one other exorcist who was wearing a blindfold and he walked over to Daniel and gave him 2 folders with the word 'Reassignment' on them. Daniel perused through the 2 and walked forward and handed one each to Rinvak and Tabitha.

"Here you go." Daniel handed it to them and walked away Tabbitha looked at hers and seen that she was being sent to the Asian branch she looked up at Rinvak who showed her that she was being reassigned to the European Branch

"Thats not fair! Your splitting us up!" Tabitha screamed at one of the passing members of the DC who ignored her and walked by.

Rinvak sat helplessly together as the Decommissionment Committee gave out reassignments and tickets for boats, trains and all other forms of transportation to the NA branches members. While Tabitha fell asleep on Rinvaks lap the other exorcist walked up to Rinvak.

"My name is Zane Dannover, a member of the European branch and I have a few questions for you."

Rinvak was already bored with this guy, he seemed like a typical military man. "Go ahead."

"I'm already aware of the deaths of the Exorcists Stephanie and Flames and the death of the Bookman Blade but what is the whereabouts of Lione and Lyra the Bookman Enpitsu, and the fugitive Madeline?"

Rinvak sighed inwardly and began the explanation of Liones Dissapperance and the pursuit by Madeline, Enpitsu and Lyra. The look of worrry spread across the mans face, as he sat there and absorbed the situation.

"Pursuit is necessary." he finally said "You and Daniel will come with me the child will stay. We leave immediatly, I'm going to prepare the horses grab a cloak before you leave, the raining is torrential."

"Wait a second! Why do we have to pursue them?"

Zane turned around "Madeline is a fugitive and we can't afford to lose anymore bookman or exorcists." He continued walking and left Rinvak alone.

Daniel showed up a minute later carrying a spare cloak for Rinvak. "Zane paged me, come on Tabitha will be ok by herself."

Rin walked outside in the arin and saw several steeds there and Zane sat on top of them with a strange shaped hump under his cloak. She put up her hood and walked toward the toughest looking horse. She couldn't get up by herself so she asked Daniel for some assistance. As Daniel helped Rinvak on the horse she asked about the hump on Zanes back.

"Oh that, thats Zanes Innocence its a guitar, cool huh?"

Daniel ran to his horse and mounted with the fluidity of an experienced rider. "These are the fastest horses I have! There bred for speed and not for comfort so be prepared for a rough ride!"

The train was stopping at the station in 2 minutes and Lyra was still in the bathroom, Eny tapped her feet and shot deathglares through the door. She then went over and slammed her fist on the door "Hurry up Lyra! If your in there any longer we'll miss our stop!"

Lyra swung the door open knocking Eny over "Okay jeeeez I'm done." Lyra walked past Eny and to the seat next to Madeline. "Hello Madeline, are you ready?"

Madeline glanced at her hand with the ring on it and she grabbed her bag and headed for the exit. The other 2 followed her to the exit where the train was just screeching to a halt. They stepped out into the platform and began their search

They questioned storeowners, barmaids and other townsfolk who would possess information. They stayed out and rendevoused at a local inn and exchanged the information they recieved.

"I heard from a tavernmaster that there was a group traveling by ship who made off with a whole months worth of rum." Eny began

Lyra's ears perked "Tavernmaster? Who let a pipsqueek like you in a bar?"

At that remark Eny reddened "I followed a drunk lady in and said she was mother."

"And thats all?" Lyra said her eyes narrowing

"Well I kinda said that I was looking for my daddy who was a criminal..."

Lyra stood there and then broke out in laughter, in between the fits of laughter she managed to ask Madeline about her intel.

She stood up and with a look of authority demanded their attention. Lyra quickly stopped laughing and she turned serious again. "I have some news I have obtained from a shop owner about a group of nomads who came through here and bought alot of supplies. Except I doubt it was the group we are pursuing."

"Why's that?" Eny asked

"Because when they were here they saved the shop owner from a bunch of bandits. Well Lyra what about you?"

It was Lyras turn to stand and she pulled out a map and she pointed to a mountain about 50 miles west from the town. "I overheard a camper telling his neighbor about a recent trip of his to the mountains, when he was there e could hear howling from a wolf."

"That could be anything! Wolves live in mountains you know!" Eny shot out.

"I thought of that too and I went to the library to do a little research, it turns out that mountain is home to Wildcats and there aren't any wolves around here in the south."

Madeline sat pensively for a few minutes " I guess its the only option we have" then a giant explosion erupted through the floorboards knocking the girls to seperate corners of the room. From the hole 2 level 2 akuma appeared and they seemed to be twins.

"Hello exorcists!" one of the twins said

"Welcome to our lovely Inn we're here to accomodate you!" said the other.

Flames eyes shot open, but all he saw was absolute darkness, a door opened and a sliver of light shone into the room. His eyed blurred, and a voice echoed
throughout the room. It sounded like it was close but its noise was muffled. Flames tried moving his body but it wasn't reacting.

"So your finally regaining conciousness?" The blurry figure bellowed as he paced around the room. Flames followed the figure with his eyes starting at the light. He followed him until the figure appeared at the light again which led Flames to believe he was in the center of a room.

"I wonder, why is it that you wield 2 Innocences? I think I've figured it out finally, but I think I might want to do a little more...experimenting on
you first."

Flames eyes, were still blurred as he tried to comprehend what he was hearing. He was lost in the fog of his brain as he tried to get up he went to lift his
body up with his right arm but it wasn't responding. Then through the haze the moment when he lost his arm shocked through him like electricity. He went to
scream but his vocal chords were worn and sore so only an inaudible cry escaped.

"Oh Sorry! I meant to flip the other switch haha" said a different more demented voice.

In another moment the lights were on, and Flames eyes squinted in the surrounding light. The room was large and he was at the center in a cage.His eyes burnt in the intense light. The room was white and a few feet away from his cage was an operating table. Flames ran his left hand on his body and felt stitches in places, tears rolled down his cheeks as he imagined what horrible things they had done to him.

"Oh scared huh? You should be, I don't see any hope for you or your friends. If I tell you the truth I think you might have it the worst. Hehehe You know while you were unconcious you bit Monsieur Jacques on the leg? I have to admit you have quite a set of jaws." another voice said

Flames looked up his vision clearing he saw 3 sets of silhouettes and one of them came close to the cage and started rattling it

"Oh look at him Monsieur Jacques! He really is an animal!" The person rattling his cage was the same person who possessed the demented voice from before, and from what Flames could remember his name was Michael.

"Enough of this! Belial hand me the spear!"

Belial twirled the spear in her hands a few times before she gave it to Jacques. Spear in hand he approached the cage, he was being careful but he still moved with authority. With each step he took Flames could feel his Innocence Lycanthropy breaking free of the binds that the ancients put on him. The hair was growing rapidly out of his pores and he could feel his teeth elongating and sharpening, eventually he began to grow a snout.

"Michael flip the switch!" Jacques screamed

Electricity was flowing through Flames moving through his body it felt as if it might cause his blood to evaporate but then Jacques plunged the spear he held deep into Flames chest cuting deep. The electricity seemed to channel into the spear and eventually Flames passed out.

Jacques pulled the spear out of the natives chest. "The unification procedure is complete" He took the spear and discarded it to the side and he and the others left Flames in a pool of his own blood in his cage.

[Raijatsu]

wow it's always good to have a new chapter after a long and boring friday evening/night ^^

esecially if it's that good.
Daniel wa that guy from the Thundergod-plains was he?
and a new character and he's blindfolded and has a guitar!!!!
thats sooo cool

[rosalefay]

Oooo, spifftastic. Daniel's back, and he's an Exorcist! Coolio.

[rhapsody blue]

Okay, now I can write my comments without worrying about an automerged doublepost!

Great chapter! I liked how it included the three storylines in one chapter so everything is advanced. Even though he is the smartest of the three Noah when it comes to his prisoner, Jacques is really cruel towards Flames though I suppose that he is still alive because ummm... yeah. lol

Too bad it looks like Lyra, Mady, and Eny have a lot more traveling to do and fighting too. That sucks but I guess Rin and Taby had a sucky time dealing with the newcomers even if they included Daniel.

Amazing chapter and email me if you want to claim another one ^^

[Schwindelmagier]

Great chapter and as you already said, snooge...every part is included (except of Legno's part, but I guess it's the best when Koenosaki deals with this @__@)

Woah, how dare these damn sailors and Lione to fight in Anlen's cabine? She will keelhauling them although it's a wonder that they had been able to fight in such a mess xD.