"Weak....They are weak.....You are strong.....KILL THEM...."

Sakura's feet were touching on top of the surface of water as if she was wakling on top of it. Each step and vibration waved in echoes with every step. The insides of Rainoric's inner conciousness was surprisingly calm except the voice that talks of evil deeds and bedeviled glory. In front of Sakura she saw what looked like a small lounge of sorts with a luxuriously crafted chair, a table filled with Dust Water goblets and a carpet made off an animal's skin. Seeing as the only point of interest, Sakura walked towards to the collection of items.

As she got closer to the small lounge set up, she noticed that the table also has a letter whose seal was broken off by a knife which was none other than Rain's own Seax that he uses for almost every practical purpose.

Out of sheer curiousity, Sakura grabbed the letter and read its contents and every word she read from that letter she could feel a sense as if someone is stalking behind her.

If you have received this, you have already seen my body pass through this plane. I never knew I would pass this soon yet I knew very well that I will most likely die killing the Queen and the Cultists (or at least died trying)

Their have been many people, many titles...

Men who rose from nothing to achieve greatness...

Men who risked all that they love and held most dear to lead by honor and virtue, to inspire the common man.

Do you think you are different?

Somewhat chosen?

I and your forefathers before you fought so that you may call this land of snow and fire your home. Yet who gave us Eadwulf's to rule? It wasn't the people, it wasn't Godan....

It was you....

(End Letter)

"You shouldn't look at other people's letters...Sakura..."

Sakura turned around in surprise and saw none other than Rainoric behind her. Exterior wasn't it's noble and clean self but rather, torn, damaged and looked overall like someone tossed him into a giant blender and turned it on. His sword, Ulfberth, which was impaled in his chest, was pulled out and the Gimaelic pointed the blade directly at Sakura menacingly.

"Rain! What is this letter means?" Sakura asked.

Rainoric didn't bother respond but dashed towards Sakura. She straffed to the left and quickly pulled out her Nonorite Blade which she was able to conjure a figment of inside Rain's head. The sword was used as a mental totem that represents Sakura's will to fight back.

Sakura lifted her Katana-like sword and attacked Rainoric. He was rather sluggish in his attacks and defenses as he fought more like a puppet being played around by drunkard who was told to make the puppet look like he was fighting.

"Snap out of this!" Sakura swiped her blade at Rain's torso causing him to recoil back. In a shocking counter attack, Rainoric stepped forward and screamed loudly infront of Sakura's face while puking out a grey like substance on to her.

"He expects everything! Can I? How?"

Sakura recovered from the shock and ear rupture of the scream and stood back up and fought back. She managed to sneek in a few cuts into Rainier which he retaliated by screaming again.

"Do you think you can fufill your fruitless quest? To live happily ever after? To finally return home?"

Rain began to swish his sword faster at Sakura which she blocked with her blade. She could feel the pressure within her as she fought back. She tumbled down to the ground and noticed that the 'water' she was standing on soon became crimson like blood.

"I will not sumbit to no one lesser than me!"

Rainoric ed his blade down at Sakura's direction. She rolled away causing the sword to land on air. She quickly stood up and repeatedly hacked Rain with her sword. Rain, caught in the open in his defense tried to block the blade but the repeated strikes knocked him to the down yet the Gimaelic stubbornly didn't let up in his defense.

"What do you see to gain from taking my glory? For your own selfish needs? I will become greater than my father and Merovech combined. I will become the Merovingian King to rule and make example to all before me!"

Rainoric grabbed Sakura's blade and dragged her down to the ground with him. He firmly grasped Sakura's neck with his wrist in a grounded sleeper hold. Sakura in the other hand, instead of trying to break free, she put into thought what was Rainoric telling her.

"Greater than my father and Merovech combined? Rainoric has an inferiority complex! I get it how was Enogant controlling him. He is making him think he is inferior and pushes him to be more reckless and destructive like his father and grandfather." Sakura thought inside her.

"I will kill you now... then I will become the Emperor of the Galaxy and my reign will last for eternity. I will caress the throats of weak mortals and bind them to my will."

"Sahlo...Krent...." Sakura tried to utter the words that would weaken Broken Lords but Rainoric covered with his hand.

"NO YOU DON'T!"

"Mulnu!" Sakura yelled despite her voice being muffled by Rainoric.

"NNNOOO!!!!!"

Rainoric let go of Sakura and writhed in the ground. He grasped his head in pain as the words of incomprehensible weakness  echoed in him. Sakura slowly stood up an looked at Rainoric. She felt sorry for him. He had always been this entire time, struggling to get out of his father's shadow and he constantly doubts himself every step of the way. She drew a sympathetic and caring look on her face and raised her hand near the writhing Gimaelic.

"Take my hand, I can help you." Sakura said.

He stopped his writhing for a moment and the two stared at each other in the eyes. Sakura was nervouse if doing this to him would do any help as she risked getting attack with herself wide open. She couldn't dare see what Rainoric would do next.

Then the weight and shape of a hand grasped hers gently.....

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(Back in the Real World)

Rainoric woke up, he felt as if something was torn from him forcefully. He found himself on a chair and was facing an injured Sakura.

"Sakura!" Rainoric said.

He removed the bonds that tied Sakura down and caringly held her head as she opened her eyes.

"Rain? Is that you? Are you going to hurt me?" Sakura asked.

"What? Why woudl I do that?" Rainier asked confused.

"Then I did it! I broke Enogant's grip on you!" Sakura said. She stood back up but her weakened legs made it hard for Sakura to stand upright. She collapsed down again but Rain caught her and hang her arm on his shoulders.

"I felt something within me. I was not myself, as if someone made me into an animal and played me like a puppet." Rainoric said.

"But I freed you and soon the rest of the Gimaelics... where are we?" Sakura asked.

"Guaita Sakura. Below the dungeons of my castle." Rainoric said.

"Wait really? Then that means we can get to the place I saw with the Aurora Borealis."

"Your right! And with the winter, we can just walk there since the ocean freezed up. We need to leave now." Rainoric said lifting Sakura up.

"But what about my friends?"

"We can't right now, it will only slow us down. Once we find this 'Weapon' we kill Enogant and rescue your friends if they.... if ...." Rainoric began to stutter.

Sakura new what Rainoric is struggling to say and she placed her finger on the engraved lips of his helmet/head.

"If they die, then we will avenge them." Sakura said.

Rainoric felt emboldened by Sakura and they slowly got out of the torture chamber.

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(Meanwhile in Vanoran)

Takamina was in patrol at the outter walls. She and Churi were their during a cold winter night looking out for any approaching masses of people. There were reports of Gimaelic raids at smaller towns and they have become more violent as time passed. Takamina insisted she and a detachment of men investigate and help the outposted villages but the generals insisted she stay here.

Their shift in the wall watching was about to be over when she heard chanting.

"Those are Gimaelic chants! It's a raiding party!" Churi said.

Takamina looked over the horizon. She coud see an orange dot of light which signifies a group of people approaching. Then she spotted a second one, then a third one, a fourth....a dozen....a hundred.....

"Oh no... it's an entire invasion force!" Takamina said.