What They Saw

**What They Saw** is the second side-story of the Universal War. It is the first entry in The Blood of Von Shaft trilogy.

The story takes place on Omega after the departure of Alvera Runehartz and Klein Klemens. It follows a group of guards that work for Goemon Von Shaft. One of the guards is the brother of the man that Reid Lancaster entwined with in Act II.

## Plot

The story follows three guards, Augustus Brinch, Nelson Pinkman, and Edison Bukkav. The three guards are sitting in a watch tower in Lyonus and Edison is drinking. Edison is still mourning the death of his brother after he was found in Death's Fury by General Hansen and his men. Edison's brother, Chase, is the man Reid Lancaster entwined with after Warren was killed by Vanitas, and he has been missing since the dragon Xerxes attacked the castle and Romulus was killed.

Edison has not been able to get over the death of Chase. Augustus and Nelson decide to go speak to General Hansen, who recommends that Edison be put on leave due to the incident in the plaza the day before. A gentleman refused to pay a fine for loitering and Edison brutally bludgeoned the man with the hilt of his sword until the man was unconscious. Hansen has his men take Edison to a private floor high in the castle of Lyonus where they will keep him until he can get his mental health properly evaluated. Augustus and Nelson know they can't let this happen due to the wealth of knowledge he possesses, and once a guard is put on leave they are sent to Fifth Ward, a notorious asylum in New Tides. Most guards that are sent to Fifth Ward die there. So they plan to break him free and put him on a ship to Upsilon so that Edison can live with Nelson's brother in Pinacho until he recuperates.

With the help of a Olo Ashworthy, a bard with extensive knowledge on the tunnels below the castle, Augustus and Nelson are able to break into the castle undetected. Olo leaves them to collect his payment for the break-in, which turns out to be a lute. Before leaving he mentions an elf (Zelda Amastacia) that broke his old lute and how badly he's needed a new one.

Augustus and Nelson make their way through the castle, and outside the War Room they hear the King arguing with General Hansen about an unidentified object crashing into the Abysmal Waters near New Tides. Hansen implores the King to cover up the incident, but the King wants to investigate it further.

The two guards continue through the castle and arrive at the room where Edison is being kept. (Ironically, this is the same room where Vanitas killed Warren Ironblood) They wake Edison up and tell him about their plan to bring him to Upsilon, and after convincing him that dying will not bring his brother back he leaves with them.

As they are passing the War Room once more, they hear a female voice chanting a spell repeatedly. They peer into the room to see a woman in a beatiful red dress with her hand extended, putting a charm on the King. General Hansen looks over and sees the three in the doorway, and he calls the woman's attention to them. The woman chases them down the hallway and blasts them with orbs of fire until they escape through the palace gates. General Hansen stops the woman from pursuing them further, saying that, "If they're smart, they won't ever come back here." The woman, revealed to be Anastacia Runehartz, relents.

The three ex-guards get on board the ship to Upsilon, where Nelson tells his brother what they saw. Nelson's brother, Ortega, is the man that once helped the Fools of Lyonus gain entry into the city of Pinacho to murder Xavier Runehartz. Ortega is a radical supporter of Goemon Von Shaft and decides that they must find out if the King is being controlled by another entity.

As the sun rises, Augustus wonders if General Hansen will pursue them. In the distance, he can make out the vague shape of the unidentified object in Abysmal Waters, as smoke billows from the wreckage. As he looks at the object, he blinks, and suddenly it is no longer there. He doesn't notify his friends due to Anastacia's voice in his headtelling him not to tell anyone. (He has been charmed)

Edison smiles for the first time as they approach Upsilon, and Nelson reassures him, saying, "As long as we stick together, we'll be fine." This is the exact same phrase that General Edwin De Lais used as the Fools of Lyonus and Vigilantes of New Tides approached Praxin to defeat the Disciples of Carnage.

## Characters

* Augustus Brinch
* Nelson Pinkman
* Edison Bukkav
* Iago Hansen
* Olo Ashworthy
* Goemon Von Shaft
* Anastacia Runehartz
* Ortega Pinkman