"Where is he?" Aldarn grinned falsely as Julian sighed the words: Julian already knew where he was, and Aldarn felt sorry for the man who'd have to face Caleb later.. Even Aldarn wasn't welcome anymore, and Caleb was on a rampage of self-destruction. Everyone was back to square one, the only literal difference being that Earth was no longer a 'go' zone.

"He's.." It was different though, somewhere in the murky waters of Caleb, because Caleb was quiet. He'd let things go, and he was saving more people from dangers -though most of those were necessary positions in the castle and Caleb was slowly breaking down their rebellion forces without intention- and he wouldn't deny things anymore, and he'd not stopped Julian's pestering yet, and in time he would calm down.. He would get better.. He didn't need Will.. He jut needed to remember that other things used to make him happy; even if he never showed it. "He's running again."

...

"Ilíthia passling.." Blunk could hear the muttered words, and pouted as Caleb pushed him into the town's sewers. He'd never thought that Caleb meant it, but Caleb had left the girls without blinking twice. And now he glared at Blunk, and pushed himself away. "Now, go hide."

Blunk didn't bother to wait for any further instruction, and ran through the system, looking to find something to eat hopefully. Caleb forgot about meals now, apparently, and would only go back to the City to unload an-

"Ooh?" It took Blunk several seconds, to realize he'd tripped, and the passling squinted at the golden metal, "OH SHINY!"

Blunk scrutinize the object for a few seconds, before slinging it around his neck and beginning to skip, but then he heard a roar and found himself staring at several hundred large, fur-less rat-like creatures.. And Blunk knew from experience; Blunk eat rat, but troopers eat Blunk..

"NOT SEWER TROOPERS!" Blunk's feet pounded over the slimy ground, and it crossed his mind, whether Caleb would have done this on purpose.. But Blunk had been a goner in the castle grounds: Caleb could've just left him.. Blunk stopped when he got to a dead-end, and his eyes became wildly panicked as the sewer troopers climbed atop each-other's backs - that was how they worked; they created a wall arund their victim, and Blunk waved his arms about, pulling the necklace from his neck, "Have shiny! Don't eat Blunk! Have shiny give Phobo-"

Blunk stopped, and thanked his luck as a portal opened almost directly in front of him, and didn't bother to wait before jumping through.. He'd find his way back to Caleb later.. After a meal.

...

There were five guards behind him, and Caleb thought that Prince Phobos would be getting picky, if there had only been twelve guards in the first place. But that only made things easier for Caleb, and he took a turn through the woods, wondering how long before they realized he was going back to the castle. That they had wasted their time chasing him, and that they'd be better off turning back now.. Because Phobos certainly wasn't going to congratulate efforts. "Now you're on my turf."

It didn't take much acceleration, before he'd lost the guards, but Caleb knew that it was open plains from here. So he took several running strides forward, and then retraced his steps in the thick mud; pulling himself up the nearest tree as they finally caught up.. He knew it wasn't worth doing, but Caleb was desperate. Phobos' books were better than the rebellions.. And if he could just find one that held information that he could read.. But half of it was in a language that had never been intelligible and Caleb supposed that it was one of the few things he didn't inherit from Phobos, and it was one of the few things he could have used.. And Caleb refused to stoop so low as to play the same game as Phobos exactly.. Seduction had never been an interest to Caleb, and never would again because it was a cruel game that few perfected like Phobos; very few could catch someone in the palm of their hands, and remain undetected until the moment she wanted to tear away the facade and stab him in the back and banish him from everything that he- But then again, perhaps even Phobos wasn't as good as Will.. Though good was not the word. "Phobos!"

Caleb's eyes darted to Elyon, who stood with pained features next to the Prince himself, and he knew he didn't mean it.. Will wasn't anything like Phobos and Caleb was the one who was basically the Tyrant, but with a different face. Will had just been smart enough to see that. "Didn't you receive the order!"

Caleb felt his teeth grind together, and had to grip against the bark to stop his hand from darting to the dagger in his belt right then and there.. Too many.. There were to many for him to fight off with Elyon's power there, and Caleb could only remind himself to breathe, as Elyon's hand reached for Phobos'. In search of protection. Phobos was playing games with her.

"How dare you violate this pristine forest!" Caleb shook, at the word violate. If anyone were to look up, they might think him a lunatic, as he dug his fingers into the bark, and let his eye water, because he wanted to jump him. He wanted to rip Phobos skin off with his bare, muddy fingers, and he wanted to scream at him. He wanted them all to see, for Elyon to know exactly what happened in Meridian, and he wanted to snarl at her that she could thank her fucking prince. And he just wanted to die, rather than having to look at the stupid, fake frown that made the prince look uglier. How dare he look at Elyon. How dare he look at Will. How dare he look human, and Caleb seethed, because he knew he looked just as human to the world.

"Thank you."

"It's a pleasure to help you beautify our kingdom Elyon." Caleb's eyes stung, and he thought of the sun. It had been rising for days, apparently before he'd even gotten here, and that was back while Julian was hugging him, and back while Drake was staring grimly... But Drake was still staring grimly. Because Caleb hadn't said anything.. Couldn't say anything. And Julian had been so happy, and Caleb didn't like that he couldn't wake up to fresh milk, and what was his right to feel that way, and everyone was so perturbed and unsettled by the sun and yet delighted simultaneously.. But it just looked sad to Caleb. Because Earth had lights, and fires and so many stars and even the moon was brighter than the Meridian's poor excuse for a sun. And their sun burned with so much fire, and during the summer it had even heated the Earth.. And he'd had to ask Hay Lin what it was, because he'd never seen a sun before, unlike the Meridian's who'd merely forgotten.. He'd had the faintest recollection of an image in his mind, but this was no sun.. But he didn't really have a right to ruin it for them. Drake knew. "No one is to harm any living thing, in the Princess' new nature preserve!"