Phantom Pain (trilogy)

In Sheep's Clothing

Chapter 29: In Sheep's Clothing

The first thing I noticed was how empty the hallway was. There was only one other person aside from Lucas and myself.

The second thing was who that person was.

"Stop him!" I yelled, to Kera.

I remembered. I knew what the fur was. It was something with which I had had no personal involvement, but after spending as much time with Penemue and his scribes as I had, there was no piece of biblical history that I had not at least briefly discussed.

A riotous man named Jacob had once worn that fur. He had used it to impersonate his brother. What the bible had failed to express was just how powerful that piece of animal hide was. Anyone who wore it could take on the appearance of another. Where I saw Lucas, the others saw Javan.

"Javan?" Kera asked, obviously confused.

But she did as I asked, stepping into Lucas's way, preventing him from passing. I caught up, ripping the fur from his shoulders. Kera gasped, her jaw going slack.

"What the hell are you doing?" I turned Lucas roughly around, reaching for the horn.

He held it out of my reach. I was infuriated, going for my sword. Suddenly Kera was between the two of us.

"Back off, Ramie." Her voice was a low hiss.

"What are you doing?" I was genuinely shocked.

I knew Kera and I were not exactly on the best of terms, but it was so obvious here that Lucas was in the wrong that I was left baffled.

"But he's stealing the artifact."

"No." Kera shook her head in firm denial. "You're just jumping to conclusions, again. You're just looking for an excuse." She got angrier and angrier with every word, but I was lost.

Kera turned to Lucas, expectantly.

"Think about it like this." In stark contrast with Kera, Lucas was calm, a hint of a smile even pulling at his lip. "The man intrusted with this horn almost lost it. It was this close to being destroyed. What was he doing with it before hand, huh? It was just sitting in some chest somewhere."

Kera just nodded, looking at Lucas with what could only be described as reverence. I was missing something: a piece of the puzzle.

"And how did he get it?" Lucas asked me, giving me no chance to answer. "Passed down through his family. If we've learned anything from the dark ages it's that family dynasties don't work. Who decided that he was more fit to care for this than me?"

I looked back over at Kera, still perplexed.