Come, my people [Chapter VIII]

[Miracle]

"Wh-what are you doing!?"

Miracle's eyes widened in horror when Maricul took her by the hair and bit into her neck. She could feel the Seductress' hands wandering her body which grew weaker with each drop of blood that was robbed from her veins. The High Priestess was violated and time itself stood still as such an unholy thing occurred with God and Arashi as Maricul's witnesses and there was nothing she could do to stop her.

"Eli! Eli!"

Miracle cried out for her god to come and save her but nothing happened as she felt her link with him and Aper weakening. The moment the High Priestess looked into the Seductress' eyes and saw her own blood drip from her lips she felt a surge of power drop from her and then she gasped, but it was not by the hand of Maricul but another that struck the final nail into the coffin for before she knew what happened Miracle felt her body fall limp to the ice cold ground underneath her, staring up at the heavens as the dark clouds resumed covering the dual suns, shielding God and Aper from her. Blood drew from her body and formed a puddle where she laid and as she felt herself slipping away from this very life Miracle used the last bit of her strength to draw a card from her pocket. The card given to her by Jaden. Honest. She looked at it, the card that she could not bring herself to destroy, and called out to him to save her life.

"Honest!"

[Sparda]

That poor, simple fool of a girl, mindlessly carrying out her precious god's will like the puppet she had allowed herself to become.

No blood of theirs would be shed by his hands, but Sparda would make very sure that Miracle and her soldiers made no further headway in their "divine" mission. As Maricul closed the distance, sinking her fangs into the child prodigy's neck - seeing this, the Dark Knight very much hoped she knew what she was doing - he interposed himself between them and the soldiers who had rushed forward to her aid.

"Now then," he shouted across the ranks, his sword raised readily; then stopped himself as the hellish bark of a high-caliber gunshot rang out from behind. The demon cast a glance over his shoulder, looking past Maricul and her opponent at... a girl? Clad in a western-esque garb, this child whom he had never seen before clutched a large rifle in her unwavering hands. Whoever she was, she seemed to have a bone to pick with the lot of them, and had chosen now of all moments to pick it.

"Who's this joker?" the Dark Knight grumbled to himself. Reaching around with his free hand, he pulled Ombra from her holster; casually raising the weapon, he spent a mere moment aiming before clicking off a single retaliatory shot at the gun-toting kid, aiming to blast her rifle out of her hands before she got off another shot at the grievously wounded Miracle.

That aside, and with Miracle in the Paradox's hands, Sparda returned his attention to the massed soldiers before him. Any who came forward to strike at Maricul would be promptly smacked back into the ranks.

[Alex]

The warm light of Yahweh shined down upon Solomon's form alongside his brothers in arms and his leader Miracle, feeling the Holy Spirit grant him with powers that no mortal man could hope to gain on their own without the Lord. With the strength of twenty men on his side the knight of Aircano charged forward after Miracle and swung his blade down towards the mass that now opposed them.

As the battle waged on Solomon would hear the cries of Miracle and retreat from arms length from the deadly mass of warriors and seeing that Miracle has fallen not only by the hand of Maricul but by the hands of another child who arrived in the Crystal Expanse. Crying out her name Solomon ran over to the High Priestess side and knelt down beside her as she held onto a mysterious card he's never seen before but then his eyes would go towards the girl out in the distance from where Miracle and Maricul was shot. Anger in his eyes as he stood up and yelled, "Brothers! Behold the one who dare strike down the anointed one! May she meet the same fate ten folds! Attack!" While some of the soldiers kept on their advancement of Utopia's Champions the other half went after Sincara with their blades ready to smite her for attacking their leader and instrument of God's divine punishment.

[rick]

"Do a barrel roll!" Richard hugged the dragon's neck he was riding on and it rolled as commanded. The warlock couldn't suppress a childish "squee" of delight when it understood him. He had taken the dragon from its owner, a very brash drunken fellow, in a gamble that Richard had lost. It was acquired after the owner's sudden death. Yeah..."sudden". Regardless, he felt the dragon liked him a lot more and that was that. "Where's a saddle when you need one? Why did my saddle have to be a cat? Blasted cat. Blasted elf. Blasted troll. Blasted...oh wait he's dead."

The battle engaged below caught his eye just as he heard a gunshot blare out. How is it that he always got so lucky in finding where the fights were taking place? Goggles dropped over his eyes, he hunched forward and picked up a sling shot. "Fox one!" A poor, screaming fox shot down at the battle only to harmlessly bash against someone's head. That didn't work, now did it? Maybe he should have set the fox on fire.

"I'm out of foxes..."

Richard pushed up his goggles, frowned and decided there was only one thing to do: "FWOOSH!" The warlock pointed his flaming hands towards the sky and fiery arrows began to rain down on Miracle's army. "I'm siiiiiinging in the rain. I'm siiiiinging in the rain! What a glorious feeling I'm kiiiiilling again!"

[Ayen]

Maricul's body fell limp alongside Miracle's, blood of The Paradox beginning to stain the frozen ground of The Crystal Expanse as Ranko ran over to her side through all the commotion. A strange and very foreign device which appeared to be a part of the tower fell from her pocket and laid on the ground just beyond her reach as she tried desperately to grab at it while bleeding out from her chest.

“Maricul!” shouted Ranko as she knelt down by her side. “W-why aren't you healing?”

“Can't.”

“What are you talking about? Of course you can. You've done it before.”

“I can't!”

Maricul gave up trying to grab that piece, realizing she was too weak to move. AoD, Kedara, Jenesis, Ra Constantine and Jill Valentine all fell back from their current position to guard Maricul. Kedara picked up the device from the ground and looked it over while walking over to Maricul to give it to her before Ranko snatched it from her hand and held it up to Maricul.

“What is this?”

“I don't have time to explain right now. Just give it to me.”

“No. Not until you tell me what it is.”

“I said give it to me!”

Kedara snatched it back from Ranko and handed it over to Maricul who proceeded to press it to her chest, soon after the device seemed to have vanished as the blood returned to her body and the wound caused by the bullet began to heal itself over.

[Sparda]

Watching this unfold rather confused the Dark Knight. Why had Maricul been incapable of healing such a trivial wound? Could the absorption of Miracle's blood be giving Yahweh himself a means to cut the Paradox off from her powers? Whatever the case, the obsidian object that fell from her pocket soon rectified the situation as she pressed it to her chest and it disappeared, allowing her healing factor to return to her.

"What just happened there?" echoed Sparda's voice in Maricul's mind. He turned back, admittedly somewhat worried for the Seductress - just in time to see another wave of soldiers rush forth, seeking to swarm Maricul and her champions while they were grouped together.

They would do no such thing. Snarling, the Dark Knight reeled his weapon arm back before unleashing a mighty swing of his namesake blade that sent a great conical shockwave of concussive force roaring forwards. The soldiers broke against it like water on rock, flung backwards through the air into their massed brethren.

His scowl of contempt returning, Sparda returned to a defensive, ready stance, waiting for the next foolish soldier of Yahweh to come at him.

[The Supreme King]

In a single Moment Honest appeared. Standing firm. He had always been there. Even though ever fiber of logic suggested that Honest not appear in her hour of need he did. He appeared by her said as he slowly took the sight at hand into his mind before laying his eyes on her. Miracle.

Some seemed hesitant by his presence, still there were those foolish enough to try. A quick slash of his wings sent gust powerful enough to knock them back, but not harm them. His object was not bloodshed. A wall of fire shot up discouraging others from trying to charge them for the moment as his eyes started to glow as Miracle would slowly feel herself regaining her strength.

He gave her a level stare as the battle continued on around them. He said nothing, he didn’t need an answer or an explanation. ”You can stop this.” he simply said. Nothing more than that as he focused on healing her still.

---

Tag: Person to Post Next

Song: ” Honoo no Tobira (Door of Flames)” by FictionJunction YUUKA

Key: Thoughts, “Jaden’s Dialouge”, “Honest’s Dialouge, ”Yubel’s Dialouge”, ”Professor Banner’s Dialouge”, “Neos’ Dialouge”, “Winged Kuriboh” (Note: Anyone beside Jaden can only be seen if that person can see Duel Spirits or ghosts.)[/center]

[Linx]

Amidst the heat of battle, the three warriors heard the shot ring out, and it grabbed all their attentions. Disengaging their current adversaries, they all readied themselves for fire from the more modern weapons some seemed to favour. Leon was the first to spot the fallen Priestess, and his eyes filled with horror. "Miracle!" he cried out, fury pushing him to newer heights as he carved his way back to her, dropping to his knees beside her, blade forgotten as he calls upon his magic, readying his most powerful spells. He could already feel the healing magic at work from the man who appeared beside her, and he looked up at him, gratitude plain on his face. "Thank you. I don't know who you are, but thank you." he says softly, before launching into his spell. Within moments, his spell of pacifism was up, meaning no harm could be done to those in the area by others in the area. He rises to his feet, as he hurtles out more spells towards Maricul as well. Spells that would help them regain their strength and stamina, to make them feel well rested as a long nights sleep as well. Once done, he retrieved and sheathed his blade, standing protectively over Miracle against the soldiers from other side that would seek to do combat here, and every wary of another round from a gun, his hands were raised in defense form, as sunlight danced around his form, ready to harden instantly into an impenetrable shield.

Dante sidles up next to Sparda, grinning at the other warrior. "Howdy, mind if I stand with you?" he says, not bothering to wait for a reply as he brings his own blade to bear, a seemingly simple greatsword made from an alien material, but those with power would be able to sense the tremendous strength within it, just as he could for Sparda's blade. "Name's Dante, by the way. Sparda, right?" he asks, before deflecting an attack to the side, placing his boot firmly in the soldiers backside and sending him flying over the battlefield. He didn't use such obvious displays of force as the Dark Knight, but a low whistle displayed his thoughts on it. "Neat trick by the way, might have to get you to teach it to me sometime." he says, flashing another brilliant grin as he cast his own spell of regeneration over them, doubting they'd need it. Better safe than sorry however.

Linx himself slid into place around Maricul, much as Leon did for Miracle. "Are you alright my lady?" he asks, an annoyed glare sweeping over the soldiers around them. He'd reigned in his bloodlust and hatred since the presence of the Arashi had faded from the area, and he quickly set about raising earthen walls around them, to funnel the attackers into narrow formations to be easier to dispatch. She seemed well on her way to recovery, and he didn't let on that he'd seen a piece of the tower fall from her grasp, or that she'd been so desperate to retrieve it, immediately regaining her strength when she did. Most always underestimated the Draconian, and he didn't bother to correct them. Let them assume he didn't see something, or was less powerful or intelligent than he was, made it more liable that he could tinker away in peace. He gives his own reassuring smile to her, silver eyes flashing with amusement. "Take all the time you need, you'll be fine here." he says, before returning his gaze forward, awaiting someone foolish enough to come down his funnel of death.

[Miracle]

Miracle closed her eyes and enjoyed a brief moment of serenity as she felt the angelic healing powers of Honest fill her up and cast out the evil that has been inflicted upon her by the Paradox and the unidentified girl. Hearing his words reach her ears she sighed regrettably.

"I cannot. Please try to understand; I have devoted my life to do his works. To turn my back on this means to turn my back on Him. I would sooner endure horrible torment at the hands of man before I do that."

Once healed Miracle stood up and looked towards both Honest and Leon before speaking.

"Thank you for everything."

As soon as she spoke those words the ground beneath them began to shake and Miracle was lifted up through the air by what appeared to be a seemingly endless amount of tendrils of the same design used by Aper in the Battle for Aircano. Hoisted way above the air the High Priestess held both her short sword and the holy white staff of Yahweh pressing them together shaped like a cross as her connection with God and Arashi was restored and eyes of burning righteousness looked down towards Maricul and she would feel a large weight on her very soul.

"Deceiver!"

With her sword and staff Miracle drew a horizontal line so thin and narrow it was nearly impossible to see. It shot through the air towards those that opposed Aircano and continued it's way to the tower. As the temple of Yahweh, so was the tower cut in half straight through the middle and those on the field opposed to such a deed would look on in sheer terror as the top part of the tower fell and crashed into the ground of the Crystal Expanse as only the bottom half remained.

"History renews thyself before the eyes of the wicked. For thy opposition is as hopeless now as it was then."

[Ayen]

“Had better days, Linx.”

Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse she would feel a great strain on her soul as she watched with horror at the sight of Miracle once again merging with the power that for a short amount of time she was able to cut her off from.

“The monster of God.”

Still in awe of it all she looked over to where the angel called Honest stood. The one who had so foolishly and willingly reversed Miracle back to her previous state of health and dooming them all as a result.

“You fool!”

Maricul turned in time to see the horizontal line coming her way as flashbacks of The Battle for Aircano flooded her mind as she shouted out to her people, “Move!” and through a stroke of luck not only her, but the guards around her were able to evade the line only to watch it cut the Downward Spiral in half. Quickly returning to her feet The Seductress held out her hands and through the will of the Witch Within stopped the top piece of the tower from falling to the ground and causing it to instead hover through the air as she struggled with the weight of it.

“Not... this... time!”

The top piece of the tower returned to the place it was cut down and quickly restored itself to become whole again after The Seductress returned that piece to its proper place. Having dodge a giant bullet Maricul turned around and glared up towards the High Priestess she once called friend. Rage filled her eyes as she flew up into the air and began battling her way through the tendrils that separated her from Miracle.

“No, Miracle. I'm not the deceiver! Your god is! He's been lying to you from the very beginning!”

With her bare hands she cut through the tendrils like knife through butter drawing from the power of the Downward Spiral, the Witch Within and the No Life King all at once.

“He did not create the world in six days and rested on the seventh, he did not drown the world for forty days and forty nights and he did not send down his one and only begotten son to die for the sins of man! He was a mortal pig with delusions of godhood from the very beginning and who objectified women! He was ascended into godhood by The Creator and is soon to be taken away from his position over Jherra!”

Maricul finally cut through the tendrils and made it to the child, her hands prepared to strike her down.

“You serve a temporary god!”

[Sparda]

"Dante, eh?" Sparda's tone was calmer, almost flippant, as one of the newcomers took up arms beside him. "What a coincidence. That's my youngest son's name..."

That would be all the small talk the circumstances allowed him, though, for Yahweh and Aper would raise their ugly heads once more, further empowering the mortal-turned-god's willing puppet - and allowing her to unleash the same disembodied blade upon the Downward Spiral that the Second Aspect had used to demolish Aircano.

Maricul was quick to both repair the damage and mount an enraged counterattack; and as she battled her way through the ink black tentacles that had hoisted Miracle skyward, almost the selfsame tendrils manifested by the Second Aspect when they had faced him down so long ago, the Dark Knight's own power came to her aid. From within his very shadow, a mass of skeletal limbs burst forth, clawing viciously at the child prodigy's jet tendrils with razor-edged fingers and unhallowed strength.

The demon himself snarled with a renewed anger. Countless more limbs sprouted forth, rocketing down towards the advancing soldiers to beat them back and keep the throng at bay.

"You idiot, Miracle... Are you so damned dependent on him that you'd do everything he says, no matter how twisted and wrong?"

Before the massed troops, the black limbs of his vampiric power melded together, stretching upwards and forming a wall of solid darkness that reached out in either direction to hem them in and keep them away. Slowly it crawled forth, shrugging off blade and arrow alike as it forced them back. Miracle would answer for her false god's self-serving malevolence, and no one here would protect her.

[Linx]

Dante starts in surprise at Sparda's words. "You have a kid!?" he exclaims in disbelief, recalling another Dante he'd met in a far away world at one time. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he'd be damned if he'd thought of any of the fighters out here in the roles of parent, husband, wife, son or daughter. That made it all that much harder to fight. They were all soldiers on the field, no sense at looking at it any differently. "Well! That certainly changes things! Can't let you old men do all the work then, can I?" he asks with a laugh, aware that he was much more ancient than Sparda was, but for appearance purposes, it certainly didn't seem that way. While Sparda looked an aristocrat in his fine clothes and regal poise, he looked to be in his late thirties, early forties. Dante still looked like an untried and untested twenty-something old guy, and his careless attitude certainly didn't help matters. He watches Sparda's display of power and grins. Drawing upon an ocean of mana he creates a wall of flame within the wall of shadows Sparda had crafted, black flames that were all but invisible to normal eyes. Those that encountered the wall would find it impenetrable from the shadows, and disintegratingly lethal from the flames. He twirls his sword once in a dramatic flourish, before a heavy two handed sweep, like a baseball player almost, batted away another couple dozen soldiers, keeping it clear for the time being.

As Miracle spoke and rose, her voice that of more than just the young child prodigy speaking within her, Leon felt a horrible sense of finality within himself. Her words made it seem as if she was going all in, for a final all or nothing gamble. And that, more than anything before, snapped the Paladin. His weapon drops to the dirt, ignored as he falls to his knees, staring around him with a rather distant, and catatonic, look to his face. Death, violence, bloodshed, hatred and chaos reigned on the battlefield. The screams and moans of the dieing filled the air, already the land reeked of death that would last for years to come. He'd seen war, he'd fought in countless battles, he'd never backed down, never surrendered and never retreated. But his world had been much more black and white than this world of greys. An agonized scream tore it's way free from his throat as he tried to deny it.

He was a killer, even if in a righteous cause, and the countless deaths and horrors of war he'd witnessed were returning to haunt him. Gamaliel was thrown from his conscious mind from the shock and pain the young man was experiencing as he cried out to the child he considered a dear friend. "Miracle! Please, I beg of you! I beseech you in the name of your Lord and the Light! Stop this war! Show mercy and compassion!" he cries out, a lone voice amidst the roiling sea of death and hell on earth beneath her, as the dark powers of Aper flooded her, doubting she'd even hear his pleas. This was his breaking point, and Gamaliel only watched in terror as he realized what was happening to his host, his friend. "Miracle! We were your friends! Look around you! Your friends and follows, the people who looked up to you for mercy, compassion and guidance are dieing because of this stupid war! Please! Just end this!" he cries out, pleading with her to return to the child that was once loved by her people for her compassion and true devotion, he ruled them in peace and protected them.

He knew not if his words would have any effect, and he cared not anymore. He knew he could no longer raise his blade against her. Despite everything he'd ever seen or experienced in war, this had broken his spirit. A young child, twisted so far from her nature, her true nature as far as he was concerned, to become nothing more than a mortal Arashi, destroying everything that stood against her. It was wrong, the worse atrocity he cold envision, a child forced to take up arms and the power of a dark god against the very people she counted as friends once, who'd fought beside her, protected her and comforted her in her times of need. He couldn't do it, not anymore. He refused to fight against her. "Please. Have mercy." he begs in a smaller voice, no longer the cries of an anguished soul torn between friendship and his beliefs. He refused now to choose one or the other, and sagged against the ground. "If it's a sacrifice of blood that is needed for the cleansing, to appease your Lord, Miracle, then take mine. I freely offer my life to you if you'll just have mercy on the rest! We were never your enemies, ever were we your friends." he finishes sadly, tortured eyes staring at the child so floating like a god on high. If his life could end this war, he'd gladly trade it to save those thousands dieing around him.

[Miracle]

Miracle's eyes flared up at the blatant blasphemy that had reached her ears, little did she know however that the words of the Seductress rang true in reality. Refusing to believe even for a moment that her Lord would lie to her she blocked the Seductress' arms with her weapons and held her in place mid-air as the child practically growled towards her in her response.

"Liar."

The tendrils began to shoot out on their own accord, breaking through the walls being held up by Sparda to allow her holy warriors of light to continue their advancement for the tower, remaining empowered by the Lord their swords and arrow broke through Maricul's front line before flooding the Downward Spiral itself as Miracle's voice spread throughout the entire Crystal Expanse.

"Liar!"

A bright holy light shot from her body, consuming both Maricul and her own form within it as Maricul would begin to feel her own power draining away while Miracle's power only grew to impossible lengths. The tendrils slammed themselves into the crystallized ice of the expanse and cracks filled the ground, breaking apart and threatening to take the remaining Utopia presence underneath the cold expanse where they would be sealed away forever, never truly dying as Miracle's voice continued to echo through the air.

"LIAR!"

[The Supreme King]

Honest gazed over to the newcomer his eyes narrowing as he started running a list of scenarios that could occur. The one that did was rather low on his list. The other had not come to fight, to declare that Honest was a fool for doing such a thing, instead he had come to help him. He merely nodded at his words not having much to say. Miracle’s response however was not something he could approve of.

Instead of taking heed and thinking about all of this she went back to the fight having both of her connections restored. A frown crossed his face. So much death and for what? For something that wasn’t absolute. He could not however predict what was about to unfold. He watched as she destroyed the tower and then Maricul put it back together. He heard the cry on the battlefield as his wings unfolded as he said a single word. “Enough.”

His eyes started to glow a brilliant blue and the area around him started to glow a brilliant light one that was all to fimilar. It grew until it touched all those on the battlefield. He heard the rejection Miracle made. Still the light pushed outward touching the minds of all those already touched by their God canceling it. Neither would gain an advantage. Honest plunged into the orb after Maricul and Miracle that same light now touching her mind.

Shards of doubt might enter it, but try as she might she would find no difference between the two lights and neither would drive the other out. A single thought could be heard throughout the battlefield, one he had discovered while reading their Bible. “While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’

On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” he said. Even their God had eaten with those already commended to death. Those judged by God. He had come to give him hope. If they truly wished to serve him this was not the way to do so. Even Abraham bargained with God for the lives of the uncleanest cities on Earth. His eyes fell on Miracle. ”This isn’t the way.” he said as it finally became apparent that these lights were no different except in his world it was called The Light of Destruction. He would repeat another one phrase to her before letting it sink in. "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." he said reminding her of the very words her God had said.

---

Tag: Person to Post Next

Song: ” Honoo no Tobira (Door of Flames)” by FictionJunction YUUKA

Key: Thoughts, “Jaden’s Dialouge”, The Supreme King's Dialouge, “Honest’s Dialouge, ”Yubel’s Dialouge”, ”Professor Banner’s Dialouge”, “Neos’ Dialouge”, “Winged Kuriboh” (Note: Anyone beside Jaden can only be seen if that person can see Duel Spirits or ghosts.)

[Sparda]

"Be silent, spirit..."

The voice that rose to quell Honest's attempt at reasoning was blackened and resonant. Though Miracle's power rose to impossible heights, Sparda's rose with it, refusing to be supplanted. Waves of ungodly demonic strength rolled off his body, challenging the child prodigy's might; and within the tower itself, his familiars sprang forth from the darkness to do battle with her empowered soldiers.

"There is no reasoning with this fool now," the Dark Knight spoke up again, his eyes aflame with anger and resolve. "All that remains is to prove to her the truth about her false god..." He stood back, reversed his grip upon his namesake blade and drove it into the ground. As it made contact, the demon was engulfed in a dome of seething demonic energy, through which Miracle and her soldiers would find no passage. Separated from the battle, Sparda placed himself in a meditative stance; feet apart, head bowed and eyes closed. All manner of demonic runes flashed into life around the inner wall of his protective dome as he readied a spell he hoped would put a stop to this once and for all.

Off in the depths of Utopia, no doubt embroiled in a battle of her own, Amoura Ethelia would feel the faintest preternatural tugging at the corners of her mind. From the wastes outside the Spiral, Sparda was subtly probing her mind for a very specific memory; her journey into the deserts of Jherrazad with Chloe and the Genius, where they had uncovered not only the truth regarding the Trial of Fates, but also awakened Yahweh's opposite number, Beelzebub. Another faint pang in the back of Amoura's mind; the Dark Knight had succeeded in wresting a copy of that fateful memory.

Now to throw it at Miracle and hope for the best.

The Dark Knight raised his hands, staring intently up at Miracle as she floated overhead. Before his gloved extremities, a translucent disc of energy materialised, flashing with still more runic symbols… and upon the child’s forehead, a similar, smaller circle appeared. This was the steadfast link which Sparda had created with Miracle’s mind; and through this connection, the memory he had copied from Amoura would be imprinted upon the High Priestess in its entirety. From start to finish, the party’s entrance of the cave to their inadvertent release of Beelzebub, Miracle would bear witness as if she had been there herself.

”Do not insult your own intelligence with blind denial, Miracle,” came the Dark Knight’s chilling voice, clear above all other sound. ”What you’re seeing is no fabrication; you can feel that intuitively, can’t you?”

The demon lowered his hands, casting a quick glance about his shield and channelling still more power to keep it standing strong against the soldiers outside. He hoped against hope this gambit would finally open Miracle’s eyes.

”I show you naught but the truth.”