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Read this file after completing "Courts of War"

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So far so good, Logan told himself as he crossed the stone bridge leading towards the inner chambers of the fortress. He reflected on all he had endured within his former home. So many memories of the year he spent living among the Scourge as one of them. The theater where they performed opera and plays for the entertainment of their comrades and Garibaldi himself. Plays that Logan himself had sometimes participated in, sometimes alongside Katrina herself. The dining room where he had eaten. The kitchen where the Scourge had their food prepared. Food that was more filling and satisfying to the taste than typical army rations. The training facility where he had honed his skills and where sympathy and compassion within him had arisen that led to the beginning of his relationship with Katrina. Where he and many others had competed to test their skills against each other. Where Revelin himself had claimed many victories, each inflating his massive ego while earning him the ire of many comrades, Logan himself.

So many of his former comrades had fallen before him during the assault on the fortress. Perhaps an enemy spy would not have it so easy being unfamiliar with the place. To Logan himself however, this attack on the home base of the Scourge was an inside job. But beyond the doors before him Logan knew that an even greater challenge awaited him. Beyond was where the Scourge made all their preparations for war. Vital information on their strategies and plans were kept. He is most certain that they would be very closely guarded. Security would be even tighter.
He reached into his pocket for the teleportation charm that Murlock had given him before he embarked on his mission the previous night. Leoric and his guards were ready to aid him when the time was right and the defense of the Scourge had been weakened. An offer he had accepted should the need arise. And judging from how the Scourge now knew he was in the fortress approaching the very heart of their territory, that time seemed inevitable.

He was about to pull it out of his pocket when he heard the flapping of wings and the caw of a raven. He turns around to see the raven itself flying towards him from the opening exposing the sky. Ravens are typically small birds but this one is four times as large as an albatross. Its unusually large size made him uneasy. Fearing the worst, he reached for a gun.

The raven lands several feet in front of him. The two stare each other in the eye for a few moments in silence. And then the giant raven caws once more before it begins to engulf itself in an aura that bathes his surroundings in ebony and silver colored light. Logan can do nothing but watch warily as the raven begins to morph into something resembling a human being. As the light fades away the form of a man is standing before him. A familiar mask covers much of his face.

So, you have come back home.

Draven, Logan uttered.

Raven Dark, the wizard corrected him. Lord Draven and Raven Dark are two completely different individuals.

Yet they are one and the same, Logan replies. The same man.

We have debated this before, Raven Dark said. Draven was a benevolent knight who was the champion of the people. The greatest knight this realm had even known, who upheld a moral code of justice and honor. He pulls off the raven mask to reveal a face contorted with mournful anger. But the higher one man is revered by the people, the farther he has to go when he falls from grace. When their champion fell, he rose again as a completely different man. Raven Dark knows no compassion for those who looked up to him previously, just as his disciple did. Now it only seems fitting that the people of this world would need a new champion.

Since Lazarus cannot be the hero the world needs now, someone has to take his place! Which is why I am here. He puts a clenched fist to his own chest.
A cruel sneer curls the corners of the lips of his enemy. Hero? He snickered. 
If only the people knew the truth about you, that you was once one of our finest soldiers. Among the best my disciple ever trained.

But how else would they feel if the truth were revealed? This was something Logan kept asking himself over and over again. Janus words back in the courtyard of the castle in Arcanius played again in his head.

What will the people of this land think when they discover that their hero was once one of Garibaldis most loyal followers? Who was once allied to the very army invading this realm? The moment they discover the truth they will come to see you as their enemy as much as the Scourge see you as theirs.

Raven Darks smile fades as his lips purse. You disappointed me Logan. Why did you turn your back on us? You had such a bright future in the Scourge upholding the honor of being judged worthy to help lead humanity into a new age.

Youre right, said Logan. I just could never live with myself. Neither could Katrina.

But could you live with yourself for the role you have played in the final days of humanity as it is now? To betray the Scourge would be considered by humanity as true heroism. But to betray the very people who depend on you...?

Logan found himself at a loss of what to say. He knew Raven Dark was correct. By playing a part in his return, he had delivered into the hands of his enemies a powerful ally. And if this wizard had indeed granted his powers to Garibaldi, then the Scourge once more could return to Earth to resume their war on humanity. And how could people call Logan a hero after what he had done to make this possible?

You may be the hero humanity needs, but whether or not humanity deserves a hero is another matter, said Raven Dark. I know in my embittered heart and soul that humanity does not deserve protection. And when it discovers your secret and your part in its destruction, so shall you understand as I do. In spite of everything you have accomplished, you will forever go down in history as the most hated man who ever walked among mankind. People can be so judgmental, cant they Logan?
When the day comes that they turn their back on you, we will be waiting for you. As much as your former comrades hate you, surely they would forgive your treachery should you realize where you truly belong. As one of them just as they realized that it was among the Scourge where he truly needed to be.

What is this? Logan asked himself. Is he making me an offer to rejoin the Scourge? Fat chance!

At the same time, Logan found himself wondering what exactly could cause a noble knight to forsake the people who looked up to him and murder in cold blood. What changed him from being a benevolent man to a hateful sorcerer of the dark arts. Anyone alive who remembered him as who he once was would not even recognize him as who he is now.

What exactly do you mean by claiming I would understand as you do?

Raven Dark smiles. Ah good! You have been paying attention! I suppose you deserve to understand the truth for to know your opponent is only half the battle. You, I, Garibaldi, and many within the ranks of the Scourge have one thing in common.

And what is that? asked Logan arching an eyebrow. He refused to believe he had anything in common with Raven Dark or even Garibaldi.

We are all links on the same chain that holds us together, said Raven Dark. We are all motivated by one thing: a great wrong that we seek to right. But there is a fine line between mindless revenge and justice, something you and I understand very well, something Garibaldi did not.

Go on, Logan said.

As you already know, Garibaldi went mad after the people of this world rejected him out of fear because of what he had done trying to win the favor of a fair maiden. His desire to be loved by her and all the people in trying to someone his father could be proud of was so great he was willing to sacrifice everything that made him who he was, including his own soul. Instead he lost everything: his status, the trust of the people, and all hope for being respected and loved. In the end, it destroyed him long before the night I killed him. I on the other hand had all he desired: respect, love, and the pride of my father. As you can see, the differences between the two of us is striking.

It was first among the Scourge when Logan found respect. Although his mother loved him, he himself found true love within the ranks of the Scourge. Penelope herself had succeeded where he himself had failed in earning the respect and pride of his own father. 

Yet that is not the only difference between myself and Garibaldi. No. You see Logan, the woman I loved truly reciprocated how I felt towards her. She loved me as much as I loved her, just as you and Katrina loved each other. Garibaldi on the other hand loved a woman but she did not love him in return. If anything, she only grew to despise him just as much as the people did after all the terrible things he had done.

Listening to Raven Dark tell his story stirred up feelings of empathy and sympathy within Logan. And as much as he also sympathized with Garibaldi for being rejected in love, that empathy was tempered with disgust at one who was so deluded, believing he could win a woman over with power.

So what happened? asked Logan. How does any of this tie in to what you have become?

See for yourself, said Raven Dark as he stepped forward. An eye-shaped rune began to glow upon his forehead as he lifted one finger. Logan already knew what he was about to experience as the finger touched his own forehead. Everything in front of him faded to white and all he heard was silenced.
					#
After a few moments of silence and seeing all white, he found himself standing within a crowd of people in the square of an unfamiliar city under a sky colored by the setting sun. His ears register the sounds of shouts and jeers. He wanted to ask someone, What is going on? only to remember that this was a moment in history that he was witnessing through magic, an event that he would be unable to tamper with in order to maintain the balance and flow of time.

The question he would have asked is answered by the sight of a wooden stake atop a three foot high slab of stone in the center of the square like an obelisk. Three men toss faggots onto a growing pile surrounding the wooden obelisk. Two more men are tying a beautiful woman to the stake itself. She shows no resistance as if accepting her fate yet the look on her face betrays her sorrow. She is wearing nothing more than a simple black dress with her long red hair draped over the shoulders. Watching her being tied to the stake stirred a memory within Logan of seeing his beloved Katrina secured to a stake before the firing squad that would snuff out her life.

A man dressed in a regal robe and wearing a fancy hat to match is reading from a scroll to address the surrounding crowd. Logan surmised that he was a judge or a member of the clergy. Lady Fiona of the Vurpumil family has been found guilty of the crime of sorcery. As he continues to read, Logan hears a voice from another man in the crowd. Charles? Is that your daughter? Another man only snorts with contempt and replies disgustedly with, I have no daughter! Logan himself is appalled at this statement. What kind of father would disown his daughter just to save face? To preserve his reputation in the public eye? 

It matters not if she has ended the recent plague or saved the life of my son, he hears another voice retort. She is one of them!

What is this? Logan asks himself. She used her powers for good and they condemn her for it? And what do they mean by 'one of them'? Will people react the same way should they find out I used to be one of the Scourge?

History has only taught us that users of magic or their descendants cannot be trusted or deemed worthy of respect! another voice shouted.

History? Perhaps I should consult with Murlock about this?

Through it all Fiona has lowered her face, her eyes refuse to glance at the crowd crying out for her death. Even her own family had turned against her. As much as he sympathized with her, Logan also felt sick to his stomach with disgust at the spectacle.

The man with the scroll rolled it up again and nodded to a nearby man holding a torch. The man nodded back and climbed the steps leading up to the stake. At that moment the woman finally lifts her face to gaze upon the man who would light the flame to snuff out her life. There is no pity upon his own face. The crowd watches with silent anticipation. Finally, without a word he tosses the torch into the pile of wood. The crowd erupts with cheers and shouts of triumph.

Watching the fire slowly spread and grow brought Logan back to the execution of his own true love. Katrina herself had been shot repeatedly by a squad of the finest Scourge soldiers including Bellatrix and Revelin. He could still hear her cries and screams with each bullet and blast of buckshot. He could still picture her own blood staining her clothing and the ground at her feet. But even her suffering would pale in comparison to the agony this young woman tied to the stake before him was about to endure.

Another terrible memory stirs within his mind. It was the death of Agnes father Geoffroy back in Arcanius when Revelin used the power of the Sword of Fire after setting fire to the inn. King Iconoclast IX and his wife Elizabeth had suffered a similar fate the night Garibaldi and his minions from another dimension had laid waste to the realm.

The smell of smoke fills his nostrils and grows stronger as the fire continues to grow, inching towards Fiona. She coughs and chokes as dark smoke slowly embrace her. The flames feed upon the oxygen in the surrounding air, robbing her of the precious gas she needs to breathe in order to survive. Logan could only hope she would pass out before the fire actually consumed her body. No one should ever have to suffer such a horrible fate.

Mercifully, thats exactly what happened. Fionas head hangs low mere moments before the fire ignites her dress. Seconds later her entire body is engulfed in a pillar of flame. Except for the cackle of the fire a dead silence hangs over the town square. No one bows their head in mourning or respect.

No! a suddenly scream shatters the calm. The voice echoes in the air as the crowd turns to see man clad in knight armor mounted upon a whinnying galloping white horse with a golden mane. His bronze colored cape flaps behind him. No! No! Fiona! No! He is frantically screaming.

Seeing that there is no sign of his horse slowing down, the panic-stricken citizens in his path hastily part. Without even pulling the reins of his horse he leaps off its back to the ground. Logan could only guess as to the knights identity.

Lord Draven, stop! a clergyman stands in his way, blocking his progress. Its already too late for her!

But the knight will not allow himself to be stopped. He throws his human obstacle aside and slices the nearby barrel containing water with his sword. He scoops it up and throws it with all his strength onto the fire. Though it is not enough to completely extinguish the fire it is enough for him to safely approach the stake and cut free whats left of Fiona. Much of her lifeless body is charred beyond recognition, the burns reach down to the muscle and bone. The sight is enough to make Logan gag as he struggles to choke down his nausea.

The knight carries her back down to the street and removes the visor on his helmet revealing the face of the man Logan now knew as Raven Dark. No...! he moans to himself holding the body of his beloved close to his body. Logan begins to force his way through the crowd to approach the grief-stricken knight. Seeing Lord Draven in this position reminded Logan of Katrinas final seconds. Even as he had held her in his arms after cutting her free he was lucky enough to share at least one final kiss. But for Draven there would be no such sweet sorrowful parting. Fiona was already dead. She had passed out before being subjected to the horrible agony of being burned alive but cruel fate had denied her a chance to have a final farewell with the man she loved. Any pain from the flames would have been barely felt over the greater pain of dying surrounded by people who hated her.

Draven lifted his face to the crowd before him. Logan watches as his sad eyes steel with anger. What have you done? he whispered, the hatred in his voice is obvious. He gently lays the corpse of Fiona upon the street and rises to his feet. What have you done? He yells with a tone that grows in anger and volume with each word. No one answers. The crowd stares upon him in unified surprise and shock at his anger. None of them had ever seen him like this before.

Logan felt his heart skip a beat to realize the irony of the situation. Both he and Draven had arrived too late to save their beloved. Both became overwhelmed with sorrow and grief before suddenly lashing out in rage at everyone present. It was like staring at himself the evening Katrina died.  The more he understood his enemy the more he came to understand that they were so alike in many ways.

You not only killed the woman I love you killed one of the most benevolent of her kind to have ever existed! She used her powers for good and saved the entire kingdom! Yet this is how you thank her?

Lord Draven   a nearby voice speaks up Draven refuses to let him finish.

This woman is dead all because of your own ignorance and cowardice! he continues to yell in fury. Can you not understand that she was capable of doing great good. Or to love from her heart as I loved her from my own? What about the anguish I feel over her loss? What about the pain of my broken heart? Have you all no shame?

All we did was honor the law Lord Draven, said the man who threw the torch to ignite the fire.

What honor? Draven hissed at him. She had more than any of you ever did! Draven turns away from him and once more stands before the corpse of his lover. 
In failing to prevent this senseless death, I have failed to uphold justice and honor. He lowers his mournful face and shuts his eyes as he clutches the hilt his sword in its sheathe. I now know what I must do to atone for my failure and redeem myself. Gasps of shock are heard throughout the crowd as he unsheathes his sword. Logan knew what everyone was thinking. Was he going to kill himself right here in front of all these people in order to reunite with his beloved in death? Logan already knew otherwise but in a way Draven had died that day. The noble knight the realm knew was no more, dying with his fair maiden, just as a part of Logan had died with Katrina.

The clergyman came up from behind and laid a hand upon his shoulder as if to stop him from carrying out what everyone believed he would do. But what happened next came as a complete shock to everyone present, including Logan.

Without warning, Draven wrenched himself free and whirled on the clergyman before thrusting his sword with lightning-quick reflexes through the mans chest. Cries and screams of horror from hundreds of lips pierce the silence. The clergyman gasps and struggles to speak but all that comes out of his throat is a gurgling sound. Without even pulling out the sword Draven seizes him and hurls the body into the lingering weakened fire. The flame grows strong once more as it consumes the clergymans corpse like a pack of vultures.

Draven watches for several moments before turning to the horrified crowd. Everyone near him steps back in terror. Parents seized their children and pulled them back. As he once more scoops up Fionas lifeless body, he glares hatefully at all who present. Tell his majesty King Rolondo that I am finished! he speaks with an ominous voice as unforgiving as stone. Someday you will all come to regret what you have done this day! He begins to carry her body out of the town square. People hastily step away, no one tries to stop him.

Every word he spoke in that last sentence reminded Logan of the threat Garibaldi had spoken the events of the evening Minerva had spurned him. Then everything faded to white.
					#
As his vision slowly returns Logan found himself once more staring before Raven Dark. He had withdrawn his finger and the rune that had drawn itself upon his forehead vanished.

Now you know, said Raven Dark with a smile.

Logan did not reply. The event was now etched within his own memory. Anyone else would only read about such an execution but to actually be there was another.

Quite a useful spell, Raven Dark went on. Mostly for use in court to prove the guilt or innocence of the accused. First used by one of the original seven wizards who long ago lived in this world. They were the first of their kind.

The nausea of the burning is beginning to drain away. Even just picturing the charred corpse of Fiona is enough to make him sick to his stomach.

Original seven? he asked.

All users of the magic arts are descended down from one of the original seven. But what do I care for ancient history when the days of humanity as it is are numbered? Even now as I speak the Scourge are preparing for their final invasion of this world. And I shall deliver into their hands a new vessel for which they shall use to traverse the rift between this world and Earth and continue where they left off before your meddling. I will locate my father and reunite him with the power Lazarus stole from him. The plan  we shall set in motion together cannot be stopped by any stout defender of humanity.

All that is left for me is to reclaim the sword I wielded during the great War of Wizardry. With it once more in my possession I will once more have the power to slay the brother who sided against my father and I. I will not need the power of the Obsidian of Souls in order to achieve my vengeance.

Logan felt his blood chill. Is he referring to the Sword of Judgment? Did I do the right thing in removing the sword from the Arcanius monastery? What if he finds it?

Even if you do succeed in freeing the prisoners we captured and recovering the elemental swords together with the Sword of Darkness, your greatest trial awaits you. All you have endured cannot compare to the challenge of what the future holds for you.

Goodbye for now Mr. Logan. I trust that when we next meet you understand where your true loyalty shall lie. Raven Dark replaces the mask back onto his face as his body once more is bathed in an ebony and silver aura. His body once more morphs into a giant raven that caws as it outstretches its wings and flies back into the sky.

Your greatest trial awaits you. Those words echo in his mind. What trial did he spoke of? And would Raven Dark ultimately discover the Sword of Judgment? Had Murlock concealed the sword in a location where it would not be found?

I should consult with Murlock. He removes from his pocket a small octagonal shaped topaz stone. Carved atop it is a rune with the appearance of a mouth. This charm had been given to him by Murlock before he left on his mission. With it in his possession Logan could contact the wizard himself no matter how great the distance that separated them. All he had to do was utter his name to activate it.

Murlock, he uttered a single word.

The stone began to sparkle as a small pillar of transparent golden light began to shine about a foot above. The face of Murlock began to materialize upon its top. 
What is it Logan?

Murlock, I have delved deeply into the fortress of the Scourge. And so far so good.

Wonderful, said Murlock with a beaming look on his face. I knew you would not fail.

But in a way I have....

Murlock, I have bad news. The Scourge have already revivified Raven Dark from the Sword of Darkness.

Murlocks smile fades away yet his face shows no fear. I was afraid that you would be too late to stop them and my worst fear has come to pass.

Murlock, are you certain that the Sword of Judgment is safe?

I can only hope. You, I, Leoric, Minerva, and Claudio are the only ones who know its whereabouts. It should be kept undiscovered where it is now.
Well that is reassuring...I think.

You must recover the Sword of Darkness and its elemental bretheren! said Murlock. I believe the final victory in the war to come will be ours only if we reforge the Sword of Iconoclast.

Logan nodded. And I believe I shall need the air of Leoric and his finest very soon.

I understand the urgency of your need, said Murlock. Simply drop the teleportation charm on the ground and they will come. I believe the odds of their survival will be guaranteed further is I join the battle. I may specialize mostly in magic charms but I do know certain spells of destructive power.

I believe you.

Speaking of Leoric....

Murlock, how is Penelopes condition?

There has not been much improvement in her spirit. We all believe the poor woman blames herself for what happened to Albrecht. Some of us are debating whether or not he is still alive.

The prisoners are all alive. I am certain that Albrecht is among them. Please make certain Penelope is informed of this news.

Of course. I will make the necessary preparations for the battle to come. Be careful Logan. With that final statement Murlocks face dissolves away and the light shining from the stone fades away.

He tucks the charm away into his pocket and removes the teleportation stone. He gently lets it drop to the floor.

With this preparation complete Logan approaches the twin doors before him to begin the next phase of his mission.