She watched them leave and held up her hand, silencing Chong before he could say anything. A flick of her wrist sent him leaving the room in a single bow and step backwards.

After they were out of her sight, she turned and approached a small little round table with a most peculiar map of strings and marks. Little glass beads of various shapes, sizes and color, each with a soft inner glow, randomly laid about.

Of all of them, six shone brighter than the rest....but it was the one that flickered that had her eye.

"Of that fact my Garet Jax, I am most certain of and rest assured your mistress does not doubt you at all in that manner, or for that fact so many others, if you must know."

"Of course, my Lady. I am thankful for that, as you no doubt are aware of."

"Of course Garet and here we are, you and I speaking in circles again, hmm?"

"I apolo—"

"Garet Jax....My Garet Jax, we are past apologies for such smallish matters, you and I. We have been through far too much, have we not' So do not worry on such things, besides—- I admit to enjoying it somewhat when you become unnerved. Especially, when you somehow manage to 'revert' to that young man that first walked into this hall with no true idea as to what he was getting himself into."

"....."

"Precisely, my point."

The Mistress of Shin'Ka, turned more so to the man she had recently titled her 'hand', as a hand of her own lifted to allow fingers to caress that cleanly shaven cheek of his. The eyes of Myllyanna, looked to those of Garet as her lips curved into a slight smile. The caress ending as that hand lowered once more, while the Lady turned to the table again. "Tell me, Garet...Tell me what you see here, please."

Garet had frozen right there, somehow. The man could not explain it, but she had done exactly as she said. She unnerved him and thoroughly enjoyed doing so, quite obviously no less.

The question asked by the Lady drew Garet from his rather frosted state as the man then moved tableside with her, his dark eyes taking in the scope of the table a moment before answering. "I see what looks to be a map of some type" Marks, and are those strings" Several beads as well, some glowing more than others, do they represent something?"

"Look closer, Garet. Look sharper, my hand. Tell me, what you see."

Garet did exactly as she asked, and after a few moments, those eyes of his widened at the realization, of what he now saw"what had finally come to light. Those were not beads the dark knight saw, instead it was" "People, those are people and they are bound by the strings. Strings of fate, they are all bound together, back and forth and some more so than others. That's why they glow?"

The Lady smiled, "Very good my Garet' Especially given, that this is the first time you have seen my little relic here. You are right this is a map, a map of Rhy"Din and its people. A map that is a mirror reflection of time and space here, as it actually occurs. Those beads are in fact people, and they are bound by those strings as you stated. Those strings are indeed those of fate and as you said before, some of those people are more so bound than others."

Myllyanna turned to Garet with an approving nod, and then looked back to the table as her hand reached over the table in a somewhat sweeping motion. "This Garet Jax" My Garet Jax, is a phase of Suikoden."

"Suikoden?"

"That is what I said, was it not' However, I will answer for you since your reply was not for lack of hearing, but understanding."

Myllyanna leaned a bit towards the table whispering softly to the relic, which cause a near instant reaction as the table came to life, in the form of a sweeping storm of what looked to be a glittering dust that enveloped the map for a few moments. As the Lady became upright once more, the dust settled on the map, eventually fading from view. In its wake were several symbols of Kanji that began to shift back and forth between the various beads that represented people, and the strings of fate between them. Myllyanna smiled once more.

"These beings"these stars are tied by fate, Garet. For good or bad, they are bound and have been since the beginning. They revolve around one another, and will continue to do so, until fate deems it is no longer to be. Which would mean the end of certain beings of course, but where one door closes, another will always open. When one of these fade, another will shine and reveal itself and the cycle will begin anew."

Garet simply listened intently to the Lady's words, with his eyes glued to the relic map before them.

"Ancient texts tell of one hundred and nine of these "Stars of Fate", fated to assist in the shaping of the world with their actions, be it good or evil—- chaotic of what have you. These stars gravitate and revolve around one another creating such amazing events that affect not only themselves, but the entire world around them. Some have been hailed as saviors, others harbingers of doom. Of course, I am simplifying a bit, so forgive me."

"Do you see the kanji, Garet' Those beads that now bear names?"

"Ravenlock, Jax, Al"Tuatha, Angelique, Renna, Jacyn and—-"

"There are many others as well, Garet. That Tiefling / Drow I mentioned before, the Shimmerscale Dragons, our own Onyx Lotus, and even myself. Not to mention the little baker with the darkness that carries a saddened case of self pity, the Scathachian sisters, the "Avengers" along with many of the Bristle Crios as well. Of course there are many others, but these here have our current attention, and are tied to one another in some way, shape or form."

"One of those that have my attention is set to fade this very evening, granted I believe another that has risen to shine will interfere with that fated fading. Still in the end it will fade, my Garet Jax. Because that is fate, and it simply shall be."

"Jacyn" He will fade, correct' But his bead"his star is so dim."

"That is correct my hand, Jacyn Ravenlock will fade and that will be at the hands of his own sibling. Yes, his star is dim, and has been for quite some time, now. That is because of what Brian, and Jenai with the help of so many others made possible. It is because what is left of the man is a mere shadow of what he once was. Because he is a simple husk with the mind of a child, and no true recollection of what was, before that evening when he fell. If you look at Brian's you will see that he carries a much brighter hue, even if it is a darker one. That is because he carries more than he should—- a fate bound to two individuals, yet reserved for one. He carries more than, that which is allotted."

"The Gauntlet' Jacyn's—- Brian carries what Jacyn?"

"That is correct Garet, and we made that possible—- I made that possible, my hand. Because, it was in my best interest, and the interests of all of you that I hold ever so close to me, that I saw fit to personally intervene and bend the flow of this phase of Suikoden to my advantage. Of course that was fated to be as well, or it would have never been allowed. What Brian Ravenlock carries is fated to be mine, and that was agreed upon long before the events of "Raven" had sorely spun out of control. To certify that end, it had also been agreed upon by Brian himself, just as it had with Jenai—- via a slight case of deceptive bargaining, I am afraid. But rest assured Garet, that I bear no ill for the Clan of Ravenlock or their allies. In fact I am thankful because it was Brian Ravenlock who led you "my hand" to me, not to mention that wonderful "Ark of the Covenant' that he convinced that kind soul Scotty to leave in our care. So you see, we are all fated to gravitate to one another—- to revolve around one another, until that day comes when fate somehow deems otherwise."

"Jacyn's star, it's location' I know that place, why is he there?"

"It is because I placed him there, Garet. Those who watch over the fallen Raven, are in my employ and care for him at my sole discretion. They had done so at my request, and a considerable payment arrangement. I had other locations in regards to the placement of him, but issues of motivation and control came to mind and I do not deal in any control save my own, as you no doubt understand. So Jacyn had been placed there with those monks watching over him, awaiting the day it would all come to an end. An end, that I admit to having sped up the process leading to, but with everything that had occurred recently in regards to the recollections of Brian, and Jacyn one could hardly blame me, for assuring that what is promised to me is delivered with all due course."

"So you had given Jacyn who has the mind of a child, to be watched over by people in your employ, to be served up to his own brother, much like a baby calf set to be slaughtered for veal?"

"That is correct, although it was not my original intent. Personally I wanted him cared for and in truth—- rehabilitated somehow, perhaps to my own ends. However with this flux in balance between the brothers, and Jacyn somehow recalling what was, as Brian also had, the process had to be abandoned and we are left with no recourse, but to end Jacyn Ravenlock's life, thus allowing the Gauntlet or what?s left of it, to be surrendered to me. Because if Jacyn Ravenlock is allowed to retain fully what was, that cycle of chaos and destruction will no doubt begin anew and we do not want another Raven, Garet. I know personally my hand that you do not want or need another Raven."

"So yes, I have arranged for it—- and in doing so, I am also eliminating a future issue with those monks."

"Because Brian will have to deal with them to get to Rav"Jacyn?"

"Brian and his guardian Lupinius will do whatever they have to do to see that end met, Garet. Jacyn Ravenlock's death will be a benefit to a great many, and at the same time to me. Raven will never be allowed to move against the Clan of Ravenlock, or anyone else and Darkin's Gauntlet will finally be at peace and in my care. Those affected by Jacyn Ravenlock before will also benefit, and those ties that were once diminished and or severed may somehow find a chance for renewal."

"Will they truly have that chance?"

"Of course my dear Garet, it is fate?"

"And the other Raven, there on the map" That small star there, is that related—-"

"Yes and no Garet. It is related, and it is not. The sentiments may ring close to home, and the machinations may yet involve Brian Ravenlock, but that is not related to Jacyn Ravenlock. But as I said, my hand" When one star fades, another yet rises. So perhaps, when one Raven fades, another may find light' But that may be a tale for another time, yes" In any event walk with me, my hand. Let us talk you and I, of things unrelated to all of this that I have shown you, even if for a brief time."

"Of course, my Lady."

"In circles are we again, my Garet Jax" Of course you would say "of course", after all it is fate."

adapted from live play, and a special thanks to Garet Jax