No one's POV
(Flashback)
Tiona remembered it all too well. The look in her sister's eyes. The moment she began to lose her way.
The day Tione reached Level 2, Tiona had leveled up, as well. It was by the same method—killing one of the girls in their shared chambers. However, Tiona's mind hadn't been nearly as developed as her older sister's, and even when she realized she'd killed one of her beloved roommates, she'd barely felt a thing.
Tiona: Oh, poo. I killed someone again.
She liked to fight. Kali and the other Amazons had always congratulated her when she'd won. And yet, every time she was forced to kill one of her sisters, she got a funny feeling in her heart. Tiona had been too young to know how to put it into words, and so it had just built and built and built.
So long as she focused only on the excitement stirring in her blood, things would be fine. She could still be like the other Amazons. That's what she'd believed. That's what she'd understood innately. But the funny feeling in her heart brought all of that to a halt. As a young girl who acted on instinct rather than reason, the more her blood churned in excitement, the more she was troubled deep within her heart. The line between the two emotions was paper- thin at best.
When she returned to her stone room on the day of her fifth birthday, Tione had already been there. Alone in the corner, her weapon and mask tossed to the floor and her face buried in her knees.
Tiona: Who did you fight?
Tione: Seldas.
Tione didn't even look up upon her approach, voice no more than a whisper. Seldas. Tiona, too, had thought warmly of her. Besides her sister, Seldas had been easily the most generous and kind of anyone she'd ever known. But the rites didn't end until someone was dead. And both Tione and Seldas had had no choice but to fight to the death. The funny feeling in Tiona's heart grew even stronger.
Tiona: That's great...
She replied. And the word had been genuine. Tiona might not have been able to truly feel the connection in their blood, but that didn't keep her from understanding that Tione was someone special to her. She was relieved that Seldas had died and Tione had lived.
"I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad you weren't killed".
That had been what Tiona had meant with her word. But all she'd been met with was a fist. It was heavy with unadulterated ferocity.
While the two sisters may have argued often, none of their fights had ever been this extreme; Tione was aiming to kill as she shattered Tiona's jaw. Pain flared across Tiona's face. She saw red and, with an enraged howl, prepared to leap upon her sister... only to come to a stop at the sight in front of her.
Tione was crying. Her body was shaking, her features contorted in a strange mix of rage and despair as giant tears rushed from her eyes. Tiona's fist loosened, her arm falling limply to her side. And then she'd simply stood there, in silence, watching her sister weep.
(Timeskip)
Tione grew even wilder after that. She'd never been the most eloquent of girls, but now her words had begun to border on the obscene. She became aggressive toward everyone and everything. Even her sister wasn't an exception to her abuse. With every day that passed, her eyes grew more stagnant, more clouded, indicative of the turmoil in her heart.
Tione wasn't the only one, either. Everyone in their room had felt it now that their numbers had dropped by more than half. Now that they fully understood the truth behind the rites, not a one of them spoke. Some feared forming any more of an emotional connection with their peers, while others worried about being killed themselves. There were also those who reached a sort of understanding, surrendering to their own instinct and awakening as the "warriors" their country so craved.
Their days of fighting sped by.
Those who survived the rites rose up in rank and were eventually selected, one by one, by their more senior Amazons. It was an acknowledgment of their own strength and abilities, and a binding relationship as teacher and student.
Tiona was chosen by Bache. And Tione was chosen by Argana.
The two sandy-haired sisters were ten years older than the five-year-old girls. As they were also twins, it could only be assumed they'd thought pairing up the two sets of siblings would lead to some sort of benefit. Argana was the older of the two, and both had already made quite the name for themselves. At the time, they were ranked high among the few candidates in the running for the familia's next captains.
The training was grueling. Not a day went by where the young girls didn't see blood in their vomit, and there were even times they left with broken bones. Merely surviving from one day to the next meant desperately stealing every move, every technique they could from the two Amazons deemed their instructors.
Bache: C'mon... get up.
As Bache looked down at her, icy and unfeeling, on the cold stone ground, Tiona felt fear for the first time in her life. It wasn't until later, once they'd both escaped, that she'd learned Tione's training under Argana had been even more arduous.
Between the rites and their training, the time they spent in their room inevitably grew less and less. As did their roommates. In fact, by the time they realized it, they were the only two left in their little stone room.
But they weren't allowed time to despair. The constant training wore down their bodies and minds, their emotions all but dulled, and their only happiness came from their victories in battle. Tiona found herself lost, drifting aimlessly through her day-to-day routine—the same routine Telskyura had used already to mold most of its warriors, stripped of everything but their will to fight.
It was an entire year before she reached her turning point. She'd been crawling about the empty arena like a cat, having stolen a moment's peace before her training was to begin, when she'd found a balled- up scrap of paper that had been carelessly tossed away down one of the empty aisles—a piece of a story. The epic. A fragment of a story Flash.
(Timeskip)
Bache had been training her that day, same as always, in the arena's training room. Her face covered in blood, Tiona rummaged for the paper she'd hidden in a corner of the room and held it out to the older Amazon with both hands.
Tiona: Bache... Can you...read it to me?
It was the same scrap she'd found in one of the arena's aisles shortly before practice. Though presumably dropped by one of her peers, it wasn't of Telskyuran origin—she had never seen these Koine letters. Considering she didn't even know how to read and write in the Amazonian language, the words on the paper were positively indecipherable, no matter how much interest she had in them.
Tiona would never forget the look Bache gave her. The ever-taciturn Amazon was clearly taken by surprise. Rather than respond with her typical emotionless apathy, she seemed deeply flustered, and after standing there for a good couple of moments, body swaying, she took the scrap of paper and left the room with nothing more than a simple wave.
Tiona:...Bache?
Bache: Uh... wait there.
It wasn't until a few days later that Bache returned, and once their training for the day was over, she read the contents aloud.
Bache: Guess I can read it for you.
She shouldn't have given a second thought to the whims of an inquisitive child, and yet, somehow her pride wouldn't let her move on. To think she and a girl ten years her junior would be on the same level, unable to read the same characters! It had been enough of a blow to her dignity that she'd gone to Kali herself, red-faced as she'd asked the goddess to teach her the meaning behind the words.
Bache: I want to know...what it says...
Though Kali had guffawed quite heartily at the request, she'd diligently translated the Koine words for her.
Bache: Realizing that not a single person would believe a word he said, he declared 'Just you wait! I'll definitely find proof! Proof that there was Lightning bolt inside my house!'
Tiona: What happens next? What happens next?
Tiona urged Bache on beneath the torchlight, sometimes kneeling, sometimes sitting cross-legged on the cold stone floor and not even bothering to tend to her wounds. Bache herself seemed bewildered, this being her first time in this sort of position, but slowly she worked her way through the entire text, relaying the story bit by bit after each training session.
But like every story, this one eventually came to an end. Especially considering this was only a scrap torn from a larger book, the ending came all too quickly. Though this meant concluding their secret post-training story time, the "damage" had been done, and Tiona no longer saw Bache as the terrifying authoritarian she'd once been.
Bache: Lead your enemy's attacks. Draw them in until you can feel the wind against your skin, then parry.
Tione: Parry how do I do that?
Bache: Just parry.
The rigorous training sessions became more than mere pain and suffering. In fact they became almost...fun. At the same time, the young Amazon who'd been taught to know nothing besides combat found herself dreaming of other, bigger things. —She wanted to know how the story ended.
With every day that passed, her desire became stronger. Then, one day. Upon completing another rite, Kali happened to ask her if there was anything she wanted.
Kali: Is there anything you wish?
Tiona responded immediately.
Tiona: I want to know the end to this story.
Her wish was granted, and a complete, undamaged book was sent for. Tiona may have been an idiot at times, but she wasn't stupid. And the pliable mind of a child was a powerful thing. Her interest sparked a flame inside her head, and soon, with Kali's help, she was reading Koine with ease. She could still remember the looks Bache gave her—dejected, almost. In the cheerless world of the arena, she had discovered another type of excitement, one different from fighting, and Tiona found herself instantly enamored.
From then on, every time Tiona won a fight, she would ask for another book to add to her collection as a reward. It became a sort of bait, but also drew favor from Kali. And so, Tiona devoured more and more and more stories. She carted them back to her stone room, lost in their pages, rolling around in her bed as she pored over them late into the night by candlelight. With every day that passed, her collection grew larger, until Tione finally kicked the giant mountain over in a huff. This, of course, led to one of their habitual fights, and Tiona retaliated with her fists as tears welled up in her eyes.
The pieces of the story—the fragments of the epic—were changing her. First and foremost, they acted as a catalyst for her idiocy and carefree optimism. She began to laugh more. Her laughter was childlike, imbued with bottomless joy.
She couldn't even imagine how she must have looked in her sister's eyes. It was probably just one more reason for Tione to be mad at her. After all, while Tione was slowly descending into her own personal hell, Tiona's eyes were sparkling before the pages of books as she laughed and smiled like the village idiot.
Though raised under the same harsh conditions, the two sisters had diverged into light and dark—and all because of some story written on a little scrap of paper.
It was an abnormal thing for a happy-go-lucky soul to last long in this world of fighting and bloodshed. "Crazed warrior" indeed—before anyone had even realized it, the young girl was already taking full advantage of her title of "Berserker." So much so that the other Amazons came to wonder if this emotionally stunted girl wasn't touched in the head, far as that was from the truth.
Anytime anyone spoke to her, she laughed. In fact, she was always laughing. She'd been saved by a simple story.
(Present)
Aiz:...
Aiz stared at the silent Amazon. Tiona was completely motionless, watching the young girl disappear down the alley with her copy of the epic. Finally, she opened her mouth.
Tiona: You know, Aiz, Asuna...
Asuna and Aiz: Hmm?
Tiona: You don't think I'm...weird, do you? Laughing all the time?
Aiz was quiet for a moment. Then she shook her head.
Aiz: It's thanks to you and everyone around me that...I'm able to have as much fun as I do now.
Asuna: As for me, I'm glad that you always laugh. Seeing you laugh sometimes make my heart at ease.
The words may have been few. But they were enough to convey her message. Tiona turned around with a smile, her cheeks flushed.
Tiona: Thanks you!
And yet, despite her gratitude, something about her seemed off. Rather than leap upon Aiz and Asuna with her arms outstretched as usual, she simply look out towards the window.
Aiz and Asuna:...
Loki: We're tight'nin' our search.
Loki proclaimed first thing once the group had gathered around the breakfast table that morning.
Loki: I wanna concentrate our efforts on three things: Njord Familia, the Guild, and the old Murdock estate. Now, we don't want any of these folks to know we suspect anything, so we're just gonna act like it's a continuation of yesterday. Make it seem like we've still got nothin' and secretly sniff around for anything suspicious.
Hearing this, the residents of the hotel's first-floor dining hall quickly descended into chaos. Loki, however, simply continued.
Loki: Having said that, ol' Njord know somethin's up the moment we start pokin' around, so I'll handle that one myself. But y'all have to take care of the other two.
Asuna: And what of Kali Familia?
Loki: Ignore 'em for now. But if they do try and stick their noses in where they aren't wanted again, stay together. No heroics, ya hear?
Loki instructed, throwing a glance in Tiona and Tione's direction.
Loki: Tiona, you're with Aiz and Asuna. Tione, you'll stick with Riveria. Those two sisters of theirs are somethin' fierce, but so long as you're in pairs, you should be fine...even if they do pick a fight. By the way, I'm officially vetoing any right to object at this point.
Tione: Wha?!
Before Tione could open her mouth to protest.
Loki: And unless y'all wanna get shipped back to Orario, I'd suggest you behave like good little girls, yeah?
Tione scowled, sitting back in her chair with a huff. Asuna, Aiz and Riveria simply nodded, accepting their duty to watch over the twin Amazonian sisters with their deep connection to Kali Familia.
Loki: All right, then! Any questions? No? Then y'all are dismissed!
(Timeskip)
Lefiya and her small team were conducting a diligent investigation of their own.
Lefiya(mind): As far as I can see, it looks like peaceful fishing town. If the Guild really is involved in this whole affair with the violas...we could be in for a mountain of trouble! Well, the same would be true for Njord Familia, I suppose...
Elfie: Lefiya, Aiz, Asuna and Tiona are handling the Murdoch estate, so we're doing a survey over here!
Lefiya: Sounds good!
The Guild here may have just been a branch, but it was still an administrative authority. If it was colluding with the remnants of the Evilus, it'd be more than a problem—it'd be a catastrophe! Lefiya hadn't been able to shake the feeling of dread in her stomach since Loki had announced them as one of their three targets that morning.
Despite her inner turmoil, she did her best to keep a straight face—Riveria, Asuna, and Aiz would do their best to get to the root of things— focusing, instead, on her current task of information gathering.
???:Hey, Miss?
Lefiya: ?
Lefiya turned around, only to find herself face-to-face with a young girl with light cocoa skin. Her immediate reaction was to brace herself but almost instantly, she relaxed her guard.
Lefiya: Kali Familia?!
Having received the gods' blessing herself, she knew not to let herself be lured into a sense of safety no matter how young or how small her enemy was, but the girl in front of her now didn't have the aura of a familia member. She didn't carry herself like someone with a Status on her back. There was no way she could have had anything to do with the adventurer or warrior professions.
Also there was the fact that the girl in front of her was decidedly human— not Amazonian. Height-wise, she came up to only about Lefiya's abdomen, and from the lightweight clothes on her back, one could immediately recognize her as a resident of Melen. Her shoulder-length black hair gave a tiny tremble as her dark tea-colored eyes gazed up in Lefiya's direction.
???: Are you an adventurer?...From Orario?
Lefiya: I am, yes. Is something the matter?
No doubt, Loki Familia's presence in the port town the last few days had made them a topic of conversation among the populace. As Lefiya bent over, the girl seemed to gather up her courage before leaning forward to whisper in Lefiya's ear.
???: I—I keep hearing this scary scream. In the place I like to play.
Lefiya: Scary scream...?
???: Yeah! It...it sounds just like those looooooong monsters that came outta the lake...
Lefiya: !
Lefiya's senses snapped into focus. "Long monsters" could only mean— the violas.
???: I'm not supposed to tell any grown-ups. But...but I'm scared...
Lefiya: Where is it you heard the scary scream?
???: From...from over there...
The girl pointed down the alley behind her.
Lefiya: Rakuta! Elfie!
Lefiya called out, head snapping upward. The rest of her group, currently scattered about the area conducting their investigations, quickly gathered around her.
Rakuta: You really think she...heard a monster?
Lefiya: It doesn't seem to me like she's lying...
Elfie: It's not like we have anything else to go on. Let's see what we can find out.
Lefiya listened to the Level-3 hume bunny and her human mage roommate back in Twilight Manor, then came to a decision. She glanced down the little back alleyway, quite a ways away from the main road, before returning her attention to the young girl.
Lefiya: Do you think you could show us the way?
The girl nodded.
Lefiya: My name is Lefiya. What's yours?
Chandie: Chandie.
And thus, the girl named Chandie began leading the group down the alley. The tangled mix of throughways and byways behind the city proper was quite different from the main road, and Lefiya could imagine it would be all too easy to get lost if one wasn't familiar with its twists and turns. Nevertheless, their young guide seemed well at home as she led the group along, navigating the narrow streets with ease.
Lefiya:...?
As Lefiya followed immediately behind the girl, her long, slender ears suddenly twitched, almost as if they'd picked up on a slight, faint tremor.
Elfie: What's wrong?
Lefiya: Someone's...watching us?
No one else seemed to have noticed. And, in fact, had Lefiya not participated in various adventures with Aiz and the other first-tiers, Lefiya wouldn't have, either. Uncertain as to whether she should say something, Lefiya found that the girl responded first—almost as if picking up on her hesitation.
Chandie: Those Amazons are here...aren't they?
Chandie asked without even turning around.
Lefiya: What?
She asked, when. From directly overhead, the mysterious presence landed behind her without a sound.
???:...
She didn't even have a chance to turn around. With terrifying speed, the figure came at her with a dagger, slicing into the back of her neck with pinpoint accuracy.
Rakuta and Elfie: Lefiya?!
The world around her shook, and a dizzying sense of vertigo overtook her. Knees crumpling, she slumped to the ground. Rakuta's and Elfie's dissonant screams swirled around her as the sudden intense sounds of fighting pounded in her ears. The cobblestones in front of her spun and warped as she fought the urge to vomit, what was happening, what was happening— Chandie's voice cut through the confusion above her.
Chandie: There are those among the gods capable of suppressing their divine will.
Though the voice itself was still childlike, her manner of speaking was dignified, like someone much older. Lefiya's azure eyes widened with a surprised start, even as her vision clouded.
Chandie: Zeus and Odin and the other great kings of the gods are not the only ones. They disguise themselves as children, blending in among the populace unnoticed...reveling in their own versions of merriment in the lower world.
With what little strength she had left, Lefiya raised her head, just in time to see the young girl remove her wig. From beneath her black hair cascaded waterfall of crimson locks. And from within her clothes, she retrieved a demon-like mask adorned with two long fangs. Lefiya gazed up into the two open holes of the mask, where the goddess's eyes, the same bloodred color as her hair, stared back down at her.
Kali: You learn something new every day, child of Loki.
All too quickly, the tables had turned. The girl had become the goddess, radiating an almighty authority, while Lefiya had become the child, unenlightened and ignorant. Even as her consciousness began to fail her, she felt shame wash over her, and she cursed her ineptitude.
Kali: I hope you don't mind if I borrow that body of yours for a while. I won't do anything...too uncouth with it.
The sounds of fighting behind her had stopped. A sandy-haired warrior, Bache, stepped forward to stand beside Kali, completely unharmed. That was the last thing Lefiya remembered before she completely blacked out.
(Elsewhere)
Tione: Argana...!
Tione screamed. The woman in question simply smiled, her lips curled upward in snakelike amusement. They'd been on their way to the Guild Branch Office when the Amazonian warrior had appeared in front of them, and she clearly had no intention of letting them pass.
Tione: Didn't you have enough already...?!
Tione growled, fists clenched and liable to jump forward at a moment's notice.
Riveria: Tione, fall back! Calm yourself!
Riveria shouted the warning, stopping the enraged Amazon in her tracks. Her weapon was being worked on like Asuna's, Aiz's and Tiona's, so the magic user's only equipment for offense was a substitute staff. Still, she stepped forward, unafraid to face the Amazon in the road, even as the rest of her group shrank back in fear.
Riveria: If there is something you want, then speak. Otherwise, you will step aside.
Argana:...
Argana simply stared at the unflappable high elf. Eyes narrowing, she tore her gaze somewhat reluctantly from the dauntless high elf to lock eyes with the Amazon behind her, still staring daggers in her direction.
Argana: Rhada fa arhlo. Nahaak jhi deena, noy phæ garaahdo sol die Hyrute.
Tione:...
The words brought time to a screeching halt. Riveria's brows furrowed as the rest of the group looked around in confusion, none of them able to understand the words, but Tione snapped.
Tione: And just what is that supposed to mean, huh?! Tell me!!
Tione shouted, unable to keep herself under control any longer. Argana just kept smiling. At any second, it seemed Tione would lose her cool completely, when suddenly...
Loki Familia member: Lady Riveria!
The shout came from the opposite direction. Everyone turned around to see an out-of-breath elf running toward them.
Riveria: What is it?
Riveria inquired, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
Elf: R-Rakuta and the others...Lefiya...They're...!
The elf tried to explain, looking very much as though she'd just seen a ghost. The color drained from their faces. Startled, Tione whirled back around, only to find that in that tenth of an instant, the sandy-haired Amazon in front of them had disappeared.
Tione:...!!
Tione's eyes dropped immediately to the ground, where a certain something had been left in Argana's place. Snatching it up, she hurried after Riveria and the others, her body still shaking.
(Elsewhere)
Loki: Whoa, what?
Loki deadpanned at the sight in front of her—her followers, covered in cuts and bruises with blood staining their clothes.
Rakuta: Sorry, Loki...They were too much for us.
Rakuta apologized, her voice hoarse. Loki had practically sprinted from Njord Familia's home the second she'd heard the news, arriving at the port's entrance only to find her followers looking very much worse for wear. None of them had escaped serious injuries. And the wounds were clearly from combat—almost as if fists hard as steel had bludgeoned them a hundred times over. They'd used bits of cloth to staunch the bleeding, but those were already stained a dark red. Rakuta was the only one who was still conscious.
Njord: Rod! Could you lend me a hand? Quickly!
Rod: Roger that! C'mon, you good-for-nothings! Get your asses in gear!
Njord called his captain, who was quick to respond. Rod shouted to his men, spurring the temporarily stunned fishermen of Njörðr Familia into a flurry of action.
Loki: Who did this?
Rakuta: Kali Familia...They just...suddenly attacked...
No doubt they'd thought this group would be easy prey given its lack of first- and even second-tier adventurers. And from Rakuta's tearful account of the events, it seemed Bache alone had been responsible for taking them down.
Rakuta: They...they took Lefiya...!
It was humiliating. They had made a completely unexpected attack in broad daylight, rubbing dirt in their faces and making a complete fool of the normally peerless Loki Familia. But it was the damage they'd done to her precious followers that really made Loki's blood boil.
Loki: That damn midget...Pickin' a fight with me, is she?!
Loki's normal indifference had all but disappeared, and a fiery hot flush of unadulterated rage had taken its place. As the rest of the familia began gathering around the scene after hearing the news, even those who'd been with Loki the longest—Aki and Alicia, to name a few—found themselves fearfully hesitant in the face of this new side to their goddess.
Njord: Hey, hey, let's not start a war right in the middle of the city, shall we...?
Njord grimaced wearily. He knew all too well how dangerous Loki could be when she got this look on her face. But his words fell on deaf ears. Despite the fury boiling within her, her eyes were as cold as ice. As she watched her followers being attended to, something caught her gaze, and her scarlet eyes narrowed.
The familia emblem had been torn off one of her followers' clothes.
Loki(mind): Tearing off the emblem...Is she declaring war here? But no, when they ran off with Lefiya, they would have...Ah. So that's what's goin' on.
Loki scowled upon realizing just what it was her opponent was thinking— the atrocious, detestable plan Kali was currently concocting. She raised her gaze toward her followers gathered around her.
Loki: Get Tiona and Tione back here. We can't let them out of our sight!
Loki ordered, though in the back of her mind, she feared she might already be too late.
(Elsewhere)
Aiz: Is somethin' happening?
Asuna: Let's go!
Around the time Loki was giving her order to find Tiona and Tione... Tiona, Asuna and Aiz were already on their way back from their infiltration mission at the Murdock estate. As soon as they heard that members of Loki Familia had been attacked, they took off, practically running full tilt the rest of the way to the pier.
Tiona: !!
First Aiz, then Asuna, then Tiona shot past the trade pier, about to continue on to the fishing quarter, when...
Tione: Tiona. Over here.
Tiona: Huh? Tione?!
Tione appeared from out of nowhere, grabbing Tiona's wrist and yanking her away. She didn't stop until the two of them were separated from Asuna and Aiz and in a dark alleyway a short distance away, where Tiona finally shook off her sister's grip.
Tiona: What the hell are you doin', Tione?! Didn't you hear? Somethin' happened! We need to be out there seein' if we can—!
But Tione didn't let her finish.
Tione: Rhada fa arhlo. Nahaak jhi deena, noy phæ garaahdo sol die Hyrute. (We've taken a hostage. If you want her back, you and your sister will
come to the shipyard tonight—alone.)
Tiona: !
Tione: That's what Argana said to me earlier. Rakuta and the others were attacked and...Lefiya was taken hostage.
Tiona's eyes widened.
Tione: Those...those bastards! Using the rest of our familia to lure us in...!
Tione hissed. She was having trouble holding back the tumult of emotions, both a relentless rage to rival her goddess's and a sense of responsibility for involving her companions. Tiona, however, kept her cool.
Tiona: What are you gonna do?
Tione: You even have to ask?!
Tione's sharpened gaze met her sister's honest one. From far off, practically in a distant world, they could hear the commotion taking place on the pier.
Tione: We're going to settle this. Once and for all.
To take responsibility for what they'd done and ensure this never happened again. As Tione's words swelled with unwavering conviction, Tiona remained silent. Finally, she looked away.
Tiona: Tione...
Tione: What is it?
Tiona: Can't we...ask for help? From Asuna and the others?
Tione: You—?! Just how thick can you possibly be?! It's our fault that Lefiya and the others—
Tiona: But we're a familia, aren't we?
Tiona raised her gaze, interrupting Tione's tirade.
Tiona: We're different from how we used to be...aren't we?
Now it was Tione's turn to squirm. Brows furrowed, she bit down on her lip, masking her lack of response by chucking the item Argana had left behind at her sister.
Tiona: What's this...?
Tiona glanced down at the strip of cloth in her hand—the Loki Familia emblem. The smiling face of their mascot, the Trickster, had four large gashes across it.
Tione: It's a warning. We're to come alone. If we go to Aiz and the others... those guys will never leave us...and them...alone.
Tiona:...
One of the gashes was vertical while the rest were horizontal, laid out across it. It was a symbol of the rites they'd suffered day in and day out back in Telskyura, used to represent the monsters they'd faced over and over in battle during those competitions in the arena. If they were to go to Aiz and the others for help and use their combined power to save Lefiya, Kali Familia would continue their attacks in that same way. They wouldn't stop until they were once again able to reenact those rites—and have their showdown with Tione and her sister.
Tione understood all too well the warning they'd received.
Tione: If we don't go there and reenact the rite, they're gonna keep on doing things like this. As many times as it takes. They won't let anything get in the way of their little game.
Tiona:...
Tione: We're the only ones who can finish this. We can't go to Aiz and the others...or the captain.
Silence settled over the two sisters. Tione knew she was being stubborn. Her aversion to involving the rest of the familia could very well be taken as a lack of faith in them. But she wasn't going to fold on this one. This was something they had to do themselves, to sever their ties with Telskyura once and for all.
Tiona: Okay.
Had she gotten through to her? Another moment, and then, ever so slowly, Tiona nodded.
Tiona: I don't like hiding things from everyone, but...it really seems like we don't have any other choice.
Tione turned her eyes downward at the sadness visible on Tiona's face. At length, the two of them began to walk, backs to the main street, away from the sounds of civilization. Saying nothing to Loki and their companions, they simply vanished into the dark alley.
Tiona: It feels like before somehow...
Tiona murmured, staring upward at the shape of the sky formed between the rooftops above their heads.
Tiona: It's just the two of us again...
The words felt like a punch in her back. Tione said nothing.