Astharoshe knew her eyes were wide and mouth open. That entire battle had been something straight out of a myth of the emperor. She had never seen one man take on four Methuselah as if it were nothing. Abel hadn't even attacked once until the very end. Despite this, his movements told her he could have easily torn apart any of them, including the founders.

It was no wonder the emperor was regarded as the founder of the imperial style of swordplay.

"With any other swords you would have snapped them, Abel." Alexander was looking at the way "Only One" and Barack's swords were entwined. "Solomon!" the pilot called. "Do you think these two need tune ups? It's only been a few centuries since you last looked at 'Only One.'"

Abel straightened on the ground, still grinning. "I doubt they degrade, Alexander."

"Well, ask Solomon."

"They don't," Solomon stated from where he had been watching the battle beside Astharoshe.

Astharoshe regarded the founder. He didn't look the least bit shocked at the outcome of the battle. It was almost like this was something he would have seen several times. She looked back towards Abel as he helped Barack remove "Only One" from the other man's sword.

Solomon strode over to join the other founders while Baybars removed the cat ears and tail as he retreated back over to them. He paused a looked over at the founders as Athina raced over to join them.

"I can't believe it," Ion whispered, his voice wavering a little.

"Get dinner ready," Baybars ordered as he moved over to the rest of the yeniçeri.

Astharoshe glanced at the guards to see they had been staring at the founders as well. A few of them had tears in their eyes. She knew how they felt. Watching them now, understanding who Abel really was, this entire scene had been something straight out of the legends of the emperor. Her gaze slid back over Abel.

He had held back so much in all the fights she had been with him in. She had thought him terran. Yet, now she thought on it, most wounds he had received or she had dealt to him personally would have killed a terran. The power he had just shown, was more proof than she ever needed to know he was really Emperor Nightlord.

"Damn," Leon muttered, eyes wide as he stared at Abel. "Hey, Four-eyes, what the hell was that? Since when can you fight like that?" The wild man stormed towards Abel, almost growling like the lion he seemed to resembled. He reached for Abel's collar as if to shake him like Astharoshe did so many times. His fingers brushed the cloth.

The next instant he was shoved away from Abel by Barack. The man's dark eyes flashed with rage as he glared down at Leon. "Don't even think of it, terran," he had enough sense to snap this in Latin as if knowing Leon hadn't understand a word which had been spoken earlier.

"Barack, it's only Leon," Abel stated.

Barack glared at Leon.

"What is going on?" Leon demanded. "First, you start acting all weird, Four-eyes, now you have a bodyguard? What the hell?"

"Language, Dandelion, you're still in the presence of a cardinal," Abel reminded the other agent.

"Father Leon is right, what is going on?" Esther asked. Her blue eyes were stretched wide with her confusion. "Everyone has been talking in the imperial language since we regrouped," she trailed off and looked around at all the Methuselah in the space.

William moved over to Leon and placed his hand on the other man's board shoulder. "It's rather complicated, Dandelion."

"I don't care if it's complicated or not! Someone needs to fuc—" He cut off with a glance at Caterina and coughed. "I mean, freaking explain what's happening. No more talking shit in imp language either! I mean Latin or one other normal people speak!"

"The imperial language is 'normal people speak,' idiot," Alexander muttered under his breath.

"What did you just call me?" Leon snarled, facing Alexander now.

"An idiot, idiot," Alexander huffed. "You're sure dense." His eyes narrowed as he looked at Leon.

"Oh, you're so on, pretty boy." Leon cracked his knuckles, a wolfish grin on his unshaven features.

"Just try it." Alexander's hand fell to his now sheathed sword.

"Barvon!" Abel snapped.

"Leon!" Caterina called her agent to order in the same heartbeat Abel had with the founder.

Alexander backed off then blinked. "Hey, wait a second. Abel, did you say there's a Cardinal here?"

Abel sighed and shook his head. "Yes, Caterina is the Cardinal of Foreign Affairs."

"Wow." Alexander turned to Caterina. "Sorry for not knowing that ahead of time, Lady Cardinal. It's the fact you are in normal clothes and all."

Caterina raised her brow.

"I will take that as a hint not to keep talking."

"You're a baron, are you not?" Caterina asked.

"Dear God, I hope not anymore." Alexander's eyes grew wide. "The only one among us that needs to get back their old rank is Abel."

"Pass."

"You are not passing!" all of the founders almost shouted at Abel.

Abel looked at them, his expression even. Silence seemed almost unbearable; then, Abel turned away. He walked over to Mirka and passed her the ears and tail. Abel moved off to guard on of the passages.

"Well, that upset him," Alexander muttered, still speaking in Latin.

"What we need is Arthur," Barack said with a small breath. "He was always the one who knew just what to say and how to say it."

Alexander snorted. "Bullshit to that one. Being called 'president' or 'emperor' was Abel's button."

"Still," Athina started, "even you have to admit dad did have a way to push Uncle Abel in the right direction."

"More like shove," Alexander stated. Then he let out a long almost sad breath. "Damnit," he muttered. He turned away from the others. "Who I am kidding? We must have appeared to be coming back from the dead to Abel. We can't just pick up where all of us left off." Alexander moved off. He seemed lost in this final note.

Astharoshe watched the legendary pilot move off. He turned and started back towards the fire. "Need any help?" he offered.

"W-what?" the yeniçeri who was cooking the meal stuttered. "No, sir!" he looked horrified that Alexander had offered. The same expression he had warn when Barack had made the same offer not too long ago.

Alexander gave the man an odd look before he retreated way.

"Wait a second," Leon started. "Did you call Four-eyes a president or emperor? Four-eyes?!"

"Who's Four-eyes?" Barack asked.

"That idiot!" Leon snapped as he pointed towards Abel.

Astharoshe followed his gestures to see Abel was now engaged in conversation with William and Caterina.

Barack frowned. "Why call Abel 'Four-eyes'?" The founder seemed to be growing more and more confused over this matter.

"He used to wear glasses," Astharoshe explained.

Barack glanced at Solomon who just returned the look with a blank one of his own.

"But his eyesight was the best in the empire. Or so I assumed. I never asked Seth how far she could see." Barack looked at Solomon once more. Then to Alexander. "Alexander!" he called.

The pilot frowned and returned to them. "You know they really don't want us helping them?" He jabbed his thumb towards those preparing the food.

"Never mind that, did you ever ask Seth how good her eyesight was?"

"Err, no, wouldn't that be rude?" The pilot frowned. "Never pegged you as being too rude there, Barack." Alexander smirked.

Barack scowled.

"Moving on," Solomon stated as he stepped between the founder of the yeniçeri and the pilot. "We don't need to understand the reason Abel wore glasses, only that it is why," – he looked at Leon – "Leon, correct?"

"Yeah." Leon folded his arms across his chest.

Solomon bowed his head to him. "—Gave Abel the nickname 'Four-eyes.'"

"So," Leon growled, sounding like a lion, "why the hell did you call Four-eyes a president or emperor?"

"Well, because he was first our president then when we returned to Earth our emperor."

"Returned to Earth?" Leon frowned.

Astharoshe shook her head. "You're losing him," she stated. In all honesty, she didn't much like telling this terran everything about their history.

Soon dinner was ready. Astharoshe joined Mirka around the fire. A few of the yeniçeri moved to take up guard positions at either end of the passage. Soon the terrans joined them at the fire as well. Abel was the only to have not done so.

Solomon sighed and stood. He moved to Abel's side with some of the food the yeniçeri had prepared. Astharoshe watched as the two of them settled away from the fire. It didn't look as if either was talking, but neither looked uncomfortable either.

Esther had followed her gaze. A small frown creased the young nun's face. Her blue eyes were deeply troubled. She turned her gaze from Abel to the remaining founder. "If you don't mind," she started in polite tones, "why are all of you so loyal to Father Nightroad?"

"Who?" Barack asked.

"Abel," Caterina clarified.

"Ugh, it's headache he changed his surname," Alexander muttered and rubbed his temple. Then he shook his head. "You know, I've never really thought on that question." He smiled at Esther.

"You haven't?" Ion asked.

"Nope." Alexander shrugged.

"Not shocking," Barack muttered.

"What was that?" Alexander scowled.

"I said 'Not shocking,' Barvon," Barack snapped. "Get your ears cleaned out."

Azul smiled. "I never had to think on the question. Abel's my father, the man who both saved my brother and I from certain death as well as the man who raised us." He sighed. "Though, I suppose just saying he's my father suffices there."

Athina snorted. "No shit."

"Language, Athy," Alexander reminded her.

"I'm not religious, why do I need to watch my language?"

Alexander tilted his head in Abel's direction. "Because the Cardinal here is Abel's friend too."

Athina gave a small smile to Caterina. "I suppose, mine is close to Azul's. Uncle Abel helped raise me." She let out a low breath. "Though, it is far more than that. Yes, he was there for most of my life. He helped me when my father greatly disapproved of my wishes to join the military. Helped me find a way I could do so without ever having to fire a gun.

"I was born during the civil war," she continued, "I guess growing up in a small space where war raged, made it so I associated guns with the darkest moments of my childhood." She shrugged. Her gaze locked Astharoshe, emotion shimmered in brown eyes. "The Sword of Gae Bolg wouldn't be in the Asran family if Uncle Abel hadn't given it to me in the first place."

That was right. Astharoshe lifted the weapon which had been passed down through her family since Athina. It had been recorded the emperor had given the weapon to her as a mark of trust. It sounded as if this weapon was far more than that.

"After my father was killed at the start of the Terran-Methuselah War, I took his place as one of the heads of the military at Uncle Abel's side." Athina smiled. "It's hard to explain why I'm loyal to him. I guess, when it comes down to it, he's like an uncle to me, family, even if we're not actually related. Just like these two are." She gestured to Alexander and Barack.

"That's sweet of you, Athy." Alexander wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Athina shrugged him off. "Get off!" she snapped and glared at the pilot. Her features softened a little as she looked back at Astharoshe. "I'm glad you become Uncle Abel's friend." Her eyes gleamed a little. "After all, what is a Nightlord without an Asran at his side?" She winked, grinning. "His words, not mine."

"That is true," Alexander nodded. "Out of everyone who found Abel when he wanted to get away from Barack it was always Arthur or Solomon." He looked at Barack. "You could have just placed trackers on them and not me," he complained.

Barack scowled. "You were sometimes close to him."

"That one time!" Alexander held up one finger.

Astharoshe wasn't listening to the founders argue. Her mind whirled with what Athina had said, "What is a Nightlord without an Asran at his side?" Sure, she hadn't always like Abel. He had annoyed her more times than she cared to count, but there had always been something in his demeanor around her she could never place.

Arthur Asran. Her ancestor had been like a brother to the emperor. There wasn't much detail in history on this. She knew Arthur had gone to the emperor as a friend and not a ruler, spoken with him as such.

Her eyes widened. It made sense then to why Abel had asked how Arthur was remembered in history. "What is a Nightlord without an Asran by his side?" It wasn't a question, rather a truth. Arthur had been at the emperor's side through the civil war and the very start of the empire. Then, Athina had taken her father's place after Arthur had been murdered.

Astharoshe looked towards Abel.

Despite everything, she was an Asran. She was no Arthur and was certainly not Athina, but was that why his demeanor had changed a little around her? Why had teased her?

Astharoshe bowed her head, shaking the thoughts from her mind. She would never stand on the same level as Athina did with the emperor, with Abel. She had known Abel for over a century. What was three years when compared with a century? Nothing, a blink of the eye when compared to the great age Abel was currently at.

The founders had known him for over a century. He trusted them, viewed them in a light Astharoshe had thought she once understood, but perhaps, just perhaps he knowledge of this was too small to comprehend.

A feeling of being extremely small washed over Astharoshe.

(Author's Note: I am back. Life has been crazy, so updating gets lost. Also, what a pain it was to find some of the old music I listened to while writing Trinity Blood!

This ended up just being an Astharoshe chapter.)