The number of times the Slayer has been impressed he could count on one hand. That wasn't to imply he was an asshole or a person with absurdly unrealistic standards, but he'd never been in a position to judge someone else in any way. But now, as he watched his friends who would be fighting with him against Doom for what he believed was the final time, he had nothing to tell them to better their fighting against the simulations while in their suits; it was top notch.
"Hey!" Angel Dust called out as he put a few well-aimed rounds into a charging Hell Knight's skull, "You didn't forget how to talk over there, did ya? It'd be a real shame if we couldn't hear that masculine voice of yours~" He teased.
"No..." The Slayer responded.
"You sure? You could only be speaking with one or a few words. Come on, big guy, no reason to feel embarrassed~" Cherri also teased, right as she turned a small group of Imps into meat chunks and blood paste.
"Do you want me to turn things up?..." He asked as he crossed his arms, "Because I can have the attendant turn every demon in this arena into a Baron...maybe throw a couple of Archviles at you..." He warned.
"Guys, please stop." Moxxie begged, "We may have trained all day yesterday, but we CANNOT handle that." He said.
"Aw, come on, Mox! I'm sure we can handle a bunch of those tomato-looking fucks and whatever the second things are!" Blitzo argued.
"No, sir. I don't think we can-"
SNAP
Without warning, the Slayer snapped his fingers, telling the Sentinel to do what he said a few seconds ago. Following their king's command, the Sentinel ended all current simulations, only to replace them with a total of FIVE Barons and two Archvile demons in the back.
"Uh...Will...there's not a whole lot of space left for us to move..." Millie mentioned.
"Blitzo said you could handle a bunch of Barons...and whatever the second thing was..." The Slayer replied as he rested his back against the arena wall, "The likelihood you'll encounter this kind of situation in the Gore Nests is non-existent as the demons will be aware of the space issues...but since all of you seem to be having such a laid back time to where you can tease me and so on...why not make today's training one to remember?..." He asked.
Everyone IMMEDIATELY turned their heads to give death stares at Blitzo. But could do and say nothing else before the Barons charged while the Archviles erected walls of fire in front of themselves.
"He just had to go and run his mouth." Husk said from the stands, sitting with the others minus Gabriel.
"Azrael, you're the angel of death. Are any of them about to die?" Nifty asked as she watched Blitzo BARELY dodging an onslaught of green fireballs.
"Hmm...possibly Blitzo, but that demise will come from the others, not the demons." She answered. "I can see that," Stella said.
"Ditto." Verosika chimed in.
"Hey, I've got a question for you." Husk said, surprisingly speaking to Stella, "No jokes, no bullshit, just an honest question, I swear. Don't you want to go see Gabriel before everyone leaves to go fight an army of demons?" He asked.
"The thought had crossed my mind, but he's undoubtedly busy, and it'd just be a distraction." She answered.
"I dunno; I think you should send him off with good luck and all that," Loona said, agreeing with Husk.
"Yeah! You guys might not be a couple or anything super serious, but you're still great friends. I bet he'd love a sendoff from you AND Octavia!" Nifty exclaimed.
"I don't know, I would like to see him, but I don't want to be a disturbance." She replied.
"If my brother isn't happy to see you and your daughter come to wish him well before he flies into battle after all the time he's spent in your company. Then I will smack him as many times as it takes to fix whatever's wrong with his head." Azrael promised.
"Well...what do you think, Octavia?" She asked while looking at her daughter.
"It couldn't hurt. We can go to the forge, ask to see Gabriel, and if he's too busy, then we come back here. No harm, no foul." Octavia reasoned.
"Go on, girl!" Verosika encouraged her while giving her a light slap on the back.
"Hmm...I...suppose just checking won't cause him any trouble..." She muttered before standing up, "Very well. Octavia, let's go say our goodbyes before it's too late." She decided.
"Be back in a bit," Octavia told the others as the two of them walked out.
"That was a nice thing you did, Husk," Azrael said as she turned towards her boyfriend. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He replied, looking away from her.
"You know as well as I do that Stella wouldn't have gone to see him if we hadn't nudged her. And YOU got that ball rolling." She pointed out.
In response, he grumbled something that neither she nor anyone else could hear. But she took that as a victory and hugged him to make him feel better, which it did.
"Hey, Loona." Nifty said to get the Hellhound's attention, "When is your stuff from Vox and Pentious supposed to be done? I know they told us at breakfast, but I was wondering if they said anything else to you." She asked.
"Nah, what they said then is all I know, too." Loona answered, "But...if I'm honest...I'm kind of...sort of hoping...it'll be a mech or some shit like that..." She confessed.
"Do you like mechs?" Verosika inquired.
"No, I mean YEAH, they ARE badass. But the reason why I'd want one is because I've seen what the Sentinels' mechs look like, and I think it'd be cool to have something similar. But on a MUCH smaller scale." She explained.
"I'm sure whatever Pentious and Vox have in store will be amazing!" Nifty exclaimed, having total faith in them.
"I just wish they'd hurry up so we could give it a test ride..." She sighed, referring to both her and Daisy.
Meanwhile, In Urdak...
"Pentious, do you think we were...too on the nose about this?" Vox asked, having taken a step back to look at what they've created.
On the left, you had Loona's mech. And the best way to describe what it looked like was to imagine a werewolf, five times bigger than a normal one and was a robot. Its features were arms and legs strong enough to destroy damn near anything they came in contact with. A tail that was designed to function as a giant mace, allowing Loona to swat or crush any demons at her backside.
And finally, the head, which had two separate versions. The first one that everyone could see was the "exterior skull," which would allow her to bite down on her enemies and fire a laser from its mouth. The second one, the "interior skull," was meant to protect HER head from all damage and help keep track of what was happening on the battlefield as well as her suit's multitude of features and functions, all of which were easy to understand. Of course, many other things could be gone into great detail about; enhanced senses, an inventory system like the others' suits, a spot on the mech's back for Daisy to ride on comfortably, but it'd take far too long to do that.
This brings us to the one on the right meant for Daisy, and it...was a mech suit for a rabbit. But you see, calling it a mech suit was being insanely generous; it was more akin to a high-tech exoskeleton for her than it was a robust robot-like vehicle for her to control. It didn't have any special features, weapons, or anything else because, you know, she's a rabbit, but it did enhance what she could accomplish by running into enemies, jumping off of them, biting them, animal stuff. Look, Vox and Sir Pentious were geniuses, but even they struggled to think of a way to empower Daisy without potentially angering the Slayer in some fashion, so they played it safe.
"Would you have preferred if we gave them each a super-powered jet plane?" Sir Pentious countered with a question as he finished up their work on both.
"No. That'd be a waste of our creative abilities AND our intelligence." He answered while putting a hand to his chin, "But still, I think we kept things too simple." He said.
"We HAD to. We'll have a few minutes, maybe an hour if we're lucky, to explain to Loona how she pilots this thing without blowing herself up. And as for Daisy, I'm not about to strap anything explosive or otherwise to WILL'S bunny. It'd be less painful to kill myself by eating staples." Sir Pentious replied.
"Even though you currently don't have a body?" Vox questioned with a slight smirk. "I have a wrench near me, and I know how to throw it." He warned.
"Duly noted," Vox surrendered while holding his hands up in front of himself.
"Alright...that...should...do it..." He said quietly before slithering away from Loona's mech, "I'll start running the system checks on this one. You run tests on Daisy's." He instructed.
"How many tests can I run on it? It's practically a more advanced version of what a suit of armor for a rabbit would be." Vox asked.
"Make sure it won't fall apart the moment she puts it in on? I don't know. I've never had to make a technological marvel for an animal." He answered with a shrug.
As they conversed, both noticed a group of Maykr drones move past them nearby. No doubt heading to the same place most of, if not all, the Maykr angels and drones currently were.
"Those Blood Maykrs must be a huge deal." Sir Pentious commented as they went by.
"Think of it like a new member of your family being born. That's what it's like for them whenever new Maykrs are created." Vox said, "Plus, this breed is meant for combat only. Something that to my knowledge is a first for their kind." He added.
"Not trying to shit on them or anything, but are they even needed at this point? We'll have Will, Gabriel, both the Sentinels AND the Authorities, Charlie, who is God's granddaughter, ourselves, the others, Samur, Will's grandpa, and one of Doom's demons fighting. I think we have MORE than enough firepower to win this." Sir Pentious pointed out.
"Counterpoint, another extra set of hands could be what determines our victory. Who knows, the Blood Maykrs might play the most important role in this battle." He suggested.
"Heh, sure." Sir Pentious replied with a scoff, not believing that for a second.
Meanwhile, At The Sentinels' Forge...
"Mom, you okay?" Octavia asked with an amused smile as her mother seemed to be fidgeting ever so slightly.
Upon reaching the forge, Stella and Octavia were lucky to find a Sentinel standing guard outside the building. This allowed them to ask the Sentinel to see if Gabriel would mind speaking with them rather than going into the forge themselves. But as they waited for either the Sentinel's return or Gabriel to appear, Stella seemed to be getting more nervous by the second.
"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm just...thinking is all..." She answered while looking away, "I've never...said goodbye to someone in a situation like this...how should I say good luck and come back safely without...sounding like an ass?" She asked.
"Just tell him exactly that?" Octavia suggested.
"No. It has to be something special. Something that will stick with Gabriel as he soars through the sky, dealing death to those monsters..." She argued, now lightly biting her thumb to help her think.
"Well, you have five seconds to come up with something," Octavia informed as she pointed at the doors.
Hearing that made Stella panic for a brief moment, but she quickly composed herself before Gabriel appeared exiting the forge a few seconds later.
"Hey, Gabriel. I hope we're not disrupting anything." Octavia greeted as her mother calmed down.
"Worry not, Octavia. All we're doing is getting our bearings on everything. Making sure nothing has been overlooked or forgotten. The two of you are in no way a bother." He replied with a smile, "If anything, I am beyond flattered that you came here to speak with me." He admitted.
"Of course we did. We wanted you to know that although we won't be fighting with you like the others, we still give you our best and hope everything goes the way it should. Right, mom?" She said, turning the conversation over to Stella at the end.
"O-Oh! Yes, that's precisely it." Stella agreed as she cleared her throat, "It...is truthfully hard to imagine you going off to fight in this larger-than-life battle that could decide the fates of everyone and everything. Not because I don't think you can handle it or anything insulting like that. It's more so because we've spent so much time in simpler contexts. Such as having lunch to talk about the reform, watching the others train in the arena, or when we walked through the Sentinels' market.
And now, while I stay here, which is COMPLETELY understandable, you'll be off risking yourself for everyone's sake. I...I just want you to know how much that impresses me. How after everything I've learned about you and all that you've done for my family and me, you still manage to be the noblest and most wonderful person I've ever known." She told him, "And, I'm sorry if that was a bit much. I had a lot to say and felt it was best to get it all out." She apologized.
In what was a surprise to be seen from Gabriel, the first thing he did was walk up and hug her, making Stella's eyes shoot wide open.
"As odd as it may sound coming from someone so steadfast as myself, I needed to hear something like that." He confessed, "Although this isn't the first battle I've ever fought in, and it isn't the first time the Slayer has confronted the Dark One face-to-face. All of us are going into this with the assertion it is for the last time. So even I, someone who has lived a long life and has both seen and endured many hardships, feel nervous. And I am grateful to hear all that you have said." He explained.
Watching this happen from the side, Octavia had to do her best to stifle a laugh as her mother's white feathered face became pink due to her immense blush.
"Y...Y...Yes..." She stuttered out, her brain currently cooking because of his response, "I...I'm happy to have...yes..." She said, unable to form any coherent statement.
"Oh no, looks like the heat's getting to her." Octavia intervened on Stella's behalf, "I should get her to the dining hall so she can drink something to help cool her down. Again, good luck with the battle and everything, Gabriel. We'll be waiting for you." She said before pulling her mother along by the hand away from him.
"Thank you, Octavia. I look forward to seeing the two of you after the fighting is finally over." He replied as he waved at them, before then turning around and going back into the forge.
Elsewhere, In The Wraiths' Sanctum...
Out of everyone's training for the battle ahead, Alastor, Stolas, and Velvet's were by far the least stressful. Some may say it was actually Charlie's, but she still needed to learn and master many things to be a valuable asset on the battlefield. But the trio of spellcasters mainly needed to learn a
few key abilities essential to their survival, as what they could already cast was beneficial thanks to the Argent now present within their souls. So now, as they stood before the Wraiths for possibly the last time, they were curious as to what their mentors had to say to them.
"You have done well, given the short amount of time presented to master these techniques." The Wraiths began, "We're regretful we were unable to show you more. But we have no worries or fears that you won't be capable of supporting your allies and contributing to the combat." They continued as suddenly the floor of their sanctum started to glow.
"Whoa!" Velvet exclaimed in wonder, immediately enthralled by whatever was happening. "Um, Wraiths. Are you casting a spell or something?" Alastor inquired.
"No. But we are doing something that has never been done before." They responded, the sounds of approaching footsteps reaching the trio's ears from outside the sanctum, "Then Sentinels are warriors. None have ever sought to learn our arcane knowledge and become arcanists. You three are the first ever to accomplish this. Thus we believe that you should be awarded." They stated.
Before the trio could question their meaning, Sentinels entered the sanctum, and in their hands, they held breath-taking objects. There were three in total, and each one was a staff made specifically for one of them. The first was made from the horn of some unknown beast, with several branching sections at the top carved to resemble a deer's antlers. The second comprises sturdy and ancient-looking bark, clearly taken from a tree whose lifespan might've been as long as the world itself.
Then there was the third, made to look like a giant metal spoon, the kind one might use to stir ingredients in a cauldron, for example. Some may find it strange how DRASTICALLY different the last staff was to the previous two, but the Wraiths believed that its recipient would find it amusing, to which they were correct.
"I LOVE IT!" Velvet shouted with glee as she ran over and took her spoon staff from the Sentinel carrying it, "THINK OF THE POTIONS I COULD BREW WITH THIS! I'LL NEED A BIGGER
CAULDRON! BIGGER BOTTLES! BIGGER EVERYTHING!" She carried on, bubbling over with excitement while hugging her present as tightly as she could.
"My word, this is gorgeous." Stolas said beneath his breath as he took the wooden staff into his hands, "It's so smooth. There are faint runes carved into the wood only to be revealed when activated. And the wood itself radiates magical energy as if it were alive and responding to the wielder." He described, marveled at every detail.
"Oho! Now I have TWO!" Alastor exclaimed, taking the bone staff into one hand while the other held the radio-themed cane he always had, "Those demons won't know what hit them!" He added.
"We take it you like your gifts?" The Wraiths inquired. "THAT is a SEVERE understatement," Stolas replied.
"YES." Velvet said, staring at them with eyes that threatened to pop out of the sockets they were in due to the joy she felt.
"Hm, it's alright." Alastor responded with a shrug, earning immediate glares from his companions, "Joking! I was only joking!" He quickly told them to avoid a stern talking to.
However, what they heard from the Wraiths next was something new, something that they didn't think they'd ever hear come from the cosmic gods. They...were chuckling, maybe even laughing
but at a low volume.
"May we confess something?" They asked when they were through, continuing to surprise the trio.
"Uh...yes. By all means." Stolas answered while his companions nodded their heads. All three of them were caught off guard by this new side of their mentors.
"Never in all the time we've spent in this sanctum have we been so amused. Respected, revered, and sought out by others, yes. But the three of you have breathed new life into this ancient place. And in doing so, it has given us relics of an age long passed in our universe, some much-needed levity. We thank you for this. And we will miss it when you are gone." They shared.
Oh, right, once they fight and hopefully win the upcoming battle, they'll have no reason to come back and spend more time with the Wraiths. That honestly wasn't something that occurred to either Alastor, Stolas, or Velvet. They were so focused on improving their abilities and learning new techniques that only when the Wraiths mentioned it did they realize this was the end.
"Hmph, well, it has been an honor." Alastor said as he bowed to them, "In addition to these staffs, you've given us so much. We're grateful." He told them.
"Again, a SEVERE understatement. You, your knowledge, everything that we've received and been exposed to has been life-changing. Thank you so much." Stolas said, bowing as well.
"I don't want to say goodbye!" Velvet exclaimed with a pout as she stomped her left foot, "We can always come back and visit! This doesn't have to be the last time we see you guys!" She told them.
"Now, now, Velvet. We always knew this was a temporary situation. Once the demons are all dead and the Dark One's gone, we'll have no reason to return." Alastor explained.
"Yes, we do! Because we want to!" She argued.
"Velvet, there's no need to be so dramatic." Stolas said as he walked over to her, "The Wraiths are gods; they have an entire world to oversee on top of being worshipped by the Sentinels. We won't be bothering them once this insanity is through." He told her.
"I'll come back here if I damn well feel like it!" She responded with a huff.
Suddenly, several shadowy arms rose from the ground and wrapped themselves around her, restraining her limbs and covering her mouth.
"Act like a child, be treated like a child, I'm afraid." Alastor said with a sigh, yet retained his trademark smile, "We're sorry for her outburst. Even with only a few days spent with her, you know how she can be." He added.
"MMF!" She shouted, but of course, it was muffled.
"We'll take her to the dining hall and try to get her to calm down. Once more, thank you for your gifts. We'll cherish and use them always." Stolas promised before they took their leave.
Watching the trio depart for presumably the last time, Velvet squirming against the hands that held her to try and break free. The Wraiths let loose one final chuckle when they were out of hearing range.
"Revisit us? A delightful thought, but nothing more." They whispered before all light that illuminated them, and their sanctum disappeared.
A Few Hours Later, At The Arena...
"Alright...I think you've had enough for your last day...take a breather before we head out to lunch..." The Slayer told his friends from the sidelines.
Ha, that's funny; he spoke to them as if they weren't already taking a breather. But, thanks to Blitzo, who they would kill later, their final day of training was, no joke, HELL. Even Katie, who didn't have a physical form, meaning she couldn't be at a loss of breath, felt winded due to how much those Barons and Archviles demanded of her. Thus even without lungs, she experienced a similar sensation of lightheadedness as her companions.
"I...have been fucked...several times...in every hole...for several hours...full days sometimes...and yet never was I this tired..." Angel Dust wheezed as he held up all of his hands to give Blitzo six middle fingers, "Screw...you...you fucking dumb bastard..." He said.
"If...we still worked...for you exclusively...I'd quit..." Moxxie told him. "I can't feel my everything..." Millie mentioned.
"..." No words came from Cherri, who just laid face down on the floor. "...I think Cherri died..." Katie said while weakly pointing to her.
"Oh my, I think this is what they call deja vu." Azrael spoke up while blinking her eyes, "I remember the first day when all of you were mauled by Imps." She recalled.
"And yet...here we are...still getting our asses kicked..." Angel Dust replied.
"...Blitzo?..." The Slayer questioned as he nudged the lanky Imp with his foot, as he was also not moving like Cherri, "...I think he's passed out...took one too many fireballs to the body..." He said.
"Do I need to get the first aid kits again?" Nifty asked, ready to run off at the drop of a hat.
"Nah...we just need to get him and Cherri to the dining hall...the smell of good food will perk them right up..." He answered.
"Will...pick me up..." Angel Dust requested as he held out his arms, "I can feel my legs...carry me..." He added.
"...Verosika?..." The Slayer called out while turning to look at her, "Do you have any issues with me carrying him, or is that fine?..." He asked, wanting to avoid a scene.
"Yeah, I'm cool with it." She answered with a shrug, which earned her shocked expressions from Nifty, Husk, and Loona, "What? He's MY boyfriend. Who cares if he gives that chick a lift?" She told them.
"Again, I AM NOT A CHICK!" Angel Dust shouted at her as the Slayer lifted him into his arms, "And, we've MET before! The concert, remember?!" He asked.
"Yeah, I KNOW what you've said. But until I have some proof that you're not bullshitting me, honey, I'm not listening." She replied.
"If I weren't so worn out that I needed Will to carry me in his big strong arms, I'd come up there and fucking strangle you." He told her.
"If you don't want to be left to walk on your noodle legs...don't start fights while I'm carrying you..." The Slayer advised before walking out of the arena.
One by one, the others would follow; those in the stands came down to the arena to lend a helping hand. Thankfully Azrael was freakishly strong to carry Cherri and Blitzo independently with no strain or help, something that impressed the hell out of Husk, even though it made sense that she'd be so capable. Even with most of their companions being paperweights at the moment, it didn't take them long to reach the dining hall. Now, you'd think that seeing the Slayer and the others walk into the hall with half of their group seemingly dead would be the weirdest thing, but below and behold what waited for them at their usual table.
First, you had Octavia, who seemed to be comforting her mother to some capacity, as Stella had her face buried in her arms, all of which rested on the table. Next, you had Velvet, who was bound and gagged by shadowy arms as Stolas tried to calm her down while Alastor watched on in amusement.
"Hey, guys..." The Slayer greeted as he walked over to set Angel down, not surprised at all by their strange behavior.
"Hello, Will. Something wrong with him?" Alastor asked while pointing at the spider demon.
"Blitzo fucked us..." Angel Dust answered for himself, a bit sad that his ride in the Slayer's arms was over.
"Ah, say no more." He replied.
"Why do you have Velvet suppressed like that?" Azrael inquired as she and the others reached the table.
"Mostly for my amusement at this point." He admitted.
"AND." Stolas interjected, so they wouldn't seem like lunatics, "Because she was making a scene in the Wraiths' sanctum." He explained.
"Is that where you got...these?" Loona asked as she looked under the table, finding two staffs and a giant spoon.
"Yup. And I'm glad you guys are here, so they'll finally tell us. I asked them about it when they showed up, but they wanted to wait until everyone was present." Octavia answered instead of her father.
"What's up with her?" Husk asked while pointing at Stella as he sat across from the two avians, Azrael joining him once she set down Blitzo and Cherri.
"I'm dead..." Stella's voice responded, greatly muffled as her beak was shoved in-between her arms.
"Oh no, did things go wrong with Gabriel?" Verosika asked with genuine concern as she sat down next to her.
"Quite the opposite, actually." Octavia answered with a smile, "Gabriel was so moved by mom coming to see him and by the nice things she said that he ended up hugging her out of appreciation." She revealed.
"That's incredible! Normally my brother HATES physical contact!" Azrael exclaimed before smiling as well, "Good for you, Stella." She said.
"No, NOT good for me. I made an absolute ASS of myself my going on and on about such pointless things in the midst of a war spanning all of creation..." Stella argued, still keeping her face buried.
"There are worse things to talk about..." The Slayer said as he returned, having left to go fetch two plates of food for Cherri and Blitzo after setting Angel down in his seat, "In fact, you were there when Blitzo opened his mouth and subjected himself and the others to a world-class ass-kicking..." He reminded while setting them down the plates.
"Will, could you get our food too?..." Katie asked, too tried like the rest of them to leave the table. "Already planning to..." He answered before walking away.
"Thank you..." She called after.
As for Cherri and Blitzo, after a few seconds of having their food in front of them, they came back to life. Just as the Slayer predicted.
"Oooooooooh, that smells soooooooooo good..." Cherri groaned, willing herself to sit up so she could start eating.
"Before anyone says anything..." Blitzo began, knowing well he was in for a world of shit, "I am sorry...I can admit when I have fucked up hard...I promise I'll stop opening my stupid fucking hole anytime our asses can get beaten..." He apologized.
"...Holy shit...he's done it...he's finally growing as a person!" Moxxie exclaimed in disbelief. "Whoa there...let's not get crazy..." He replied.
"Yeah, that's just insane." Verosika agreed, which Blitzo couldn't determine was a good or bad thing.
"Order up..." The Slayer said, returning with plates for Angel Dust, Katie, Moxxie, and Millie. With two of them being impressively balanced on his arms.
"You, sir, are a saint," Millie told him as each took their plates from him.
"It's the least I could do after putting you all through the meat grinder right before we fight for real..." He responded as he finally took his seat.
"...Wait, a second..." Alastor muttered as he looked around the table, "Where are Charlie and Vagatha?" He asked.
"They left a short while ago to check on the dragons Charlie brought back with her..." The Slayer answered.
"...Wait...she did what?" Cherri questioned.
"Oh...right...most of you weren't there for that..." He realized, "Want to hear the story while you eat?..." He asked.
"Even if we didn't want to, not like our legs are working right now." Angel Dust joked. "Alright...best prepare yourselves...it's a wild story..." He warned.
Meanwhile, In Urdak...
"And...that'll do it..." Vega said as he finished the final blessing.
It was done; after several hours, all of the Blood Maykrs were given a soul and blessing. Each of them was fitted with armor and had a long spear-like weapon in their hands. Now, all that was left was to release them and allow them to move freely.
"Would you like us to handle this, father?" One of the Khans asked. "Do you believe I'm overwhelmed?" He questioned.
"Not at all. But it has always been the duty of the reigning Khan to welcome and initiate all new Maykrs. So with there being seven of us, it makes the most sense." Another explained.
"Hm, that's true. But I don't want to burden you given how many there are." He said.
"Nonsense, father. We can handle this; why don't you go and check-in with Sir Pentious and Vox?" A third suggested.
"It has been a while since anyone's done so..." He hummed as he thought about it for a second, "...Alright. I'll see how those two are doing. I'll come to rejoin you as soon as I can." He told them before leaving.
Nodding their heads to show they understood, once he was out of their sight, the Khans and the angels present set to work on getting the Blood Maykrs ready. Unaware that another force was already doing just that.