Chapter Four: Wanting for Lack of Nothing

"A red potion?" The man asked, holding the small bottle to the sun, "Never seen one of these before."

"So, I've been told." Luis nodded and smiled, "We understand the alchemical process in the area are not as advanced as ours, certain elements and qualities are lost and turns the item into a lower grade of consumable. All yours for ten silver!"

The gentleman looked squarely at Luis, "This seems fishy… we don't have that much coin to spare, but it would be nice to have our men at arms well-equipped in case of Beastmen raids…" He shook his head, "Sorry, but I will only be sticking to the weapons."

Luis nodded, "Very well, I understand. The total will be four gold then." Luis placed the potion back in its box, and gestured for the weapons to be placed in the one of the barrels, some axes, a few swords and some dozen arrows, while the other had a dozen bundles of blue-steel chainmail. All of them were of a lower tiered material, but they were still impressive compared to most of the native equipment used. "Thank you for your patronage, we will be departing in the evening, will you join us for dinner before we depart?"

The man laughed, "Will I be paying?" As he slid a pair of gold coins across the table.

"As far as I am concerned; you already have! Please, consider it a part of the deal!" Luis smiled warmly, "The raviolis shall be glorious, I promise you!"

Reynard picked up the weapon loaded barrel and began walking into town with them, "Sometimes I think we're more of a mobile eatery then a trading caravan."

"Oh… can uh he not bring them in?" The village leader requested, "We don't like any of them around, they cause too much trouble."

Reynard was about to suggest he take the barrel's contents and shove them up his dungeon, but Luis smiled and quickly brought a hand up facing Reynard. "I will take them in shortly."

"Thank you." The leader bowed before departing, sharing a fierce glare down with Reynard as he did so.

The foxclan dropped the barrel, before looking back at the prince, "It's a good thing they weren't in Istannice, that kinda talk gets someone a quick trip to the crypt."

"But we're not in Istannice, these are simple peoples with simple fears." Luis hefted the barrel up, "They just don't know anything of beastmen beyond what they've suffered from them."

"Mmm might make bedding one of their women a unique challenge." He smiled deviously at the village.

"Hey, unless you're planning on wedding one of them soon after, no funny business, alright? We shouldn't encourage bad luck with the natives as we pass, they're our neighbors." Luis stared Reynard down sternly. "No premarital sex, understood?"

Reynard felt weak from the prospect, he'd already gone a fortnight already without feeling a woman, how much longer will he have to endure? The thought of it alone made him feel weak! "I… yeah, I get it." Drooping his ears and sighing mournfully.

Luis suddenly felt a bit bad about the order and thought, "Hey! Cheerup! I'm sure we can fill the hole of lust with something else! How good are you at chopping? I can always use a hand in the kitchen!"

"Is that why you don't bed anyone? Or drink? Or gamble? You pour your vices into cooking?" Drooping even further at the tedium of working in a kitchen.

Luis's vision filled with an unseen orange haze as he closed his eyes, thoughts momentarily filled with the image of Felrrin moaning beneath him, "You have no idea!" Walking to the village with their purchased wares.

Reynard sighed and waved a dismissive arm at the Prince as he walked his now depressed and wholly undersexed libido back to the carriage's steeds. "Oh, to be with the bachelors… the sad, sad bachelors…" The hogs huffed back in response. "You bastards are lucky, you get handed gilts back home. Back home, I have to run people over just to smell a woman. The one place I can now get the action, is the one place where they know me all too well." Patting a hog before throwing himself to the ground between them, and like they are so habitually used to, laid down at his flanks, with only his boots sticking out between them.

Reynard napped for a decent amount of time, by the time he woke, it was already dusk, several of the villagers had taken up on the Prince's offer of dinner, hearing them speak not too far away. While the demi-human was more than a little tempted to sleep the night away too, he felt a tug at his boot just as he began to close his eyes. "Oh fur da luv uv da Princes…" Reynard began to curse, "if ya humies don't lay off me boots, I swear I'll-"

"Oi, fox-boy!" Mira called out, "Your master said I can borrow you for a bit."

Reynard kicked out at bare air, "Like hell, and 'my master' wouldn't lend me out to a human that can't tell tits from ass on a halberd, get that batty bitch to do whatever and leave me to my nap."

"Luis said in case you wouldn't comply…" He heard the pop of a cork off a bottle. "Hmm?"

"YOU USELESS FOX!" Reynard nearly shat his pants hearing the voice of Minister Argos, "I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF AN IMPORTANT DINNER WITH THE ALPHA PACK OF HUMANS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO INTERUPT THIS IMPORTANT PRECEDING?!"

Reynard stood straight up and saw the appiration of mist erupting from a golden bottle, the cloud taking the shape of the one woman he truly and deeply feared. "Um uh um…" Reynard stuttered out, not having any lies loaded for this encounter.

"YOU WILL DO AS THE PRINCE COMMANDS! DO IT NOW!" The minister briefly transforming into a her more bestial, canine form.

"AYE!" Reynard yelled back on terrified instinct, where a smugly smiling Mira then replaced the cork on the bottle.

"We will be finding herbs for potions."

Reynard nodded, "Yes!"

"And I won't be hearing any complaining as I use your beastman senses to their fullest."

"Of course!" Almost in tears from how wrong this day has become.

"Good!" Mira smacked his rear-end and pointed into the forest, "Thata way!"

Mushrooms, medicinal plants and some poisonous ones that Mira suggested would be important in combating monsters with powerful regenerative abilities, specifically trolls, all of them blurred together as Reynard turned his brain off and followed the human's orders.

Since the carriage wasn't too far off and was where Luis decided to serve supper to the village leadership and their families, the humans were well within sight of the whole thing. The Seraph smiled as they gossiped and laughed between themselves, either due to the humorous tone of the whole thing or the fact that it may have added a dollop of sympathy for the poor man, whipped into action by a harsh mistress.

"How much would you like to sell this recipe for?" One of the humans inquired, breaking Luis out of his reverie, holding a Ravioli up half eaten with a small dinner knife.

"No king would be even able to afford it." Luis grinned hautily, "And if you think this is good, wait until dessert!" Standing up from his stool and yelling out to those who continued to feast, "And now! The final dish for tonight, I pray it pleases your senses before you depart for the evening…" Walking to the door of the carriage, opening it widely and expecting to see trays of cream and fruit filled pastries, instead witnessed the voluptuous, bountiful, brown breasts constrained in a strapless black corset closely hugging the woman's figure.

His vision was nearly blinding in orange flare.

"Can't have you being the only waiter here, can I?" Felrrin purred, the desserts filling the two trays she had balanced on the palms of her hands.

Luis's condition gives him enough clarity of thought to look up, seeing the Sand Elf having combed out her long hair and wearing a pair of bunny ears. The glare of orange returned, just as bright but lasted half as long, "Ehm, what are you doing?"

"Hmmm showing the glories that my prince and master possesses from his City-Eversweet…" Dancing around the petrified angel, and earning the equally as lusty stares from those males present and the burning ire of the women at both the elf in question and their husbands or lovers. The lewdly dressed woman went over to ever table, placed a plate of dessert for them before leaving in a frolic of laughter that bordered on erotic.

"My Prince." Azimuth said from the carriages opening to his back, where his whole body seemed to follow the scantily clad creature, and as he turned to the Aldrikkni, Luis gave a confused look at what stood before him, not seeing the mask and leather donned scout, but instead a pale creature, face small but round with large brown eyes, a tiny nose and two massive bat ears that climbed the flanks of her head and almost hidden from the wild, unkempt brown hair on her head, clad in similar attire as the temptress that fermented many desires and future arguments between spouses, save that the corset was no where near as full of female features and in her arms she carried a single tray that had an array of mugs of ale. "I fear I might be suffering from the effects of peer pressure."

It took the seraph a moment to rationalize what he was seeing, "Felrrin is making you help her, and so that you don't scare the humans, cast somekind of humanization illusion or disguise spell on you?"

Azimuth looked barely old enough to be able to wear the clothes she had, and lifted a dainty hand up, "She is an accomplished enchanter," Showing a silver ring on her free hand, "I dread this might be a repeated event, if she didn't wish to cast a single spell for this night."

Luis gave a murderous glance at the Sand-Elf, "You will go back inside," Taking the tray off her hands, "and put on something decent."

"But your Eminence, I was promised that this shall extend the prestige of our-"

"Now." Baring his teeth staring back at the Aldrikkni and taking a mountain of restraint not to yell from his rage, his scarf, however, did levitate a moment above his arms and shoulders, as if threatening to show more of his true form to woman.

Azimuth's face was unmoving in its features, neither expressing displeasure nor joy at the order, instead nodding once and returning to the carriage's depths to change.

Luis rubbed his forehead with a thumb, "She made my brother's NPC dress like a sl-" Stopping himself from saying it aloud. As free as he is from the eyes and ears of the Church, some habits do indeed die hard. "Prostitute." Finishing the out-loud thought. Turning back around with his customary smile he's well practiced to showing his customers, no matter how bad a mood he was in, he went around tables and made well several dry mouths, many with full mouths with frosting or whipped cream edging their lips. And as he gained ground near Felrrin, he leant over and whispered, "You will not do something like that again, do you understand?" He spoke low and harshly as way of expressing the intensity of his anger.

Felrrin looked aback before nodding herself, "By your word, my Prince." No sign of flirt nor of humor for a moment as she knew, fully, that she had made an err that damn well nearly sent her back to Istannice, if not by Gate, then by her Prince throwing her, before she donned that delicious smile and continuing on serving and seducing the locals.

[]

"That useless, good-for-nothing…" Argos wafted the magical cloud from side to side before turning around to see both the Shiehk and the human-queen waiting in confusion. "Boys." She shrugged and chuckled awkwardly.

Shiehk had that itching desire to backtrack where the magical mist led to but she took the hint that the Prince didn't wished to be found by her, her eyelid twitching briefly as she tried refocusing on the issues. "As you can see, beastfolk are often more… um… passionate, yes, then is typical for most humans. More so present company it seems." Shiehk explained as happily as she could.

Queen Calca eyed the two wearily, "That passion has led to the death of thousands of my countrymen, and slavery of many more. Knowing something is there doesn't bring me closer to finding something to cure it." Queen Calca crossed her arms. "If I can help it, we would have no issues with the beastmen of your city, but my people will not be able to truly discriminate between the two and cannot advise you joining us for supper. Many of the nobles have had their lands raided, razed or otherwise damned or damaged from beastmen hands."

"By that reasoning, none of the graeci should eat either." Argos placed her hands on her hips, "Don't tell me you've had a peachy relation with all human nations on this world."

Queen Calca scoffed, "I will not have you, please return to your ship or your quarters." Detecting the icy blues of sheer hostility with her ring. "I implore you; this isn't personal. We can't jump from horse to horse and be surprised when we eventually taste dirt, the people have been very receptive of you and yours because of how you saved many people, but that goodwill can only stretch so far, this has to be done carefully."

Argos stared at the Queen, tempted to argue further, but with a glance from Shiehk, knew such would be both futile and remarkably frowned upon by her. "As you wish." Departing from the dining hall with as much dignity as she could muster. "Human slattern is lucky I got all my yelling out on the damn fox…" As she pressed through another set of doors, came upon two human women coming her opposing way, to the dinner she assumed, both were brown haired and looked similar, but one was taller, had a bob cut and was clad from neck to toe in armor, with a sword at her hip. The other, however, had long hair, had on the black, blue and whites of the local magical-priests. The sisters stared at the beastwoman, and the beastwoman stared right back. "Uh, hello?"

The armored one slowly placed her hand on her swords grip.

Argos leered at the woman, "Don't threaten me with a good time, human, I am in an absolutely foul mood."

The priestess walked slightly ahead of the knight, and rose a hand, "I'm sorry, we weren't uh… expecting beastmen here."

Argos scoffed, "Well, surprise." Walking past the pair muttering lowly about the weak, intolerant natives and how dreadful her own kind must be on this world.

Remedios stared as the minister nearly stomped to bed, "We shouldn't leave her to wander the estate unguarded."

Kelart shook her head, "We'd be treating her like a prisoner, she's a foreign diplomat, not an enemy."

"She's a beastman." Remedios replied stiffly, raising a hand, "We shouldn't risk that this is somekind of trick, for all we know they've a whole lot of humans enslaved in their own city."

Kelart sighed, "You didn't read the knight's report, did you? There were humans serving alongside the angel that rescued them, in no sign of bondage or hostage, nor did they seem culled or meek."

"They're not to be trusted, end of story." The paladin rolled her jaw, "We should check the food for poison, if she can wander into the kitchen-"

Remedios rolled her eyes and groaned, "Enough of your paranoia, can we just eat already? I'm starved."

"Fine!" The paladin threw up her arms dramatically, "But if we all start dying at the table, I'm throwing you under the wagon."

Her sister grimaced, "Seems… fair."

The dinner had begun in what could be considered a moderately smothered atmosphere. Talk was abound of the she-hound that now prowled the estate, with terrible gnashing teeth and horrible claws, wearing the furs of long dead adversaries as trophies. The Queen promised such a thing was wholly inaccurate, but of course, none believed her, which she saw with the Ring, but took the time to carefully reassure them that Argos dismissed herself, not wanting to make anyone uncomfortable until they were ready to accept this new variant of beastmen.

Of course, a few cursory glances told Calca much. Maybe a bit too much. How many nobles she know conspire in one manner or another, desiring change, maybe even violently, while others showed lust unknowingly, or shame at serving her, maybe even fear of the future and what it may hold. It was a useful curse that the Seraph has given her, one she may in time be unable to remove. How much more will be flayed of the minds and souls to her?

As soon as she turned her head to see Remedios, she instantly read her distaste for the greens on her plate, reminding the queen of the old days when they were all children, their families often visiting each other when her Calca's father was king. She even stuck her tongue out in the same way, and it made the Queen give an uncouthly guffaw which drew many onlookers, slapping a hand in front of a smiling mouth to quiet herself. "A-apologies."

This did actually draw the attention of the three Graeci that sat at her table. While those who were invited in were rotated out, never seeing the same faces twice, the trio of foreign, swarthy humans with thick bushy eyebrows and curly beards typically just sat, plate filled with food and did nothing. Their mind's so incredibly bare the only thing the ring could tell her was that they were bored. She couldn't tell if they were simply highly disciplined or simply... simple, told to attend meals in shifts to keep appearances but not willing to go any further then that. However, as Calca made eye contact with one of them, their was a flux of emotion brief but noticeable. Shortly after he broke sight with her, he looked down to the plate, reached out with a hand to pick up the silverware, a fork. Taking it up only several inches, but stopped, looking to the other, near identical graeci to his flanks, whom did not seem to be judging the man or condemning him for this sudden burst of action, but seemed intensely interested in what he'd do next. The man stuck the fork into the meat, before taking his hand off the fork, leaving the item inside the impaled food as he resumed his idle alongside his fellows. The whole interaction was astonishing to the queen, fascinated by increasingly strange people who only became more odd the more familiar she became with them, but it did bring her attention to her own meal.

The meal was fairly typical, nothing as extravagant as when the outsiders first arrived, some ham, carrots and potatoes, despite how good it smelt, she had barely touched her plate, not too unlike the human creatures she shared the table with. When was the last time she'd eaten? Or drank? Or even slept for that matter. Recently she caught up with paperwork, mostly signing the consent to repair this section of the wall or garrison more troops in some town or village, and now only recently has begun to get around to other issues. Notably, the list of the people she planned to send to Istannice with her. "Minister Shiehk…" Gesturing for the servant that held the parchment in question, all twenty of them hand selected and pruned by both herself and Remedios. "…these are the names of the people I wish to accompany me to your wonderous city."

The overly clothed woman took the note harshly from the man, while giving the queen a brief leer before looking over them. A second later, "Half."

The queen blinked, "What?"

"Choose half of those on this." The shapes above her forked and branched, filled with both disgust and uncertainty, but of what, it did not show.

Remedios put her fork down before smacking a fist on the table, "I won't have my queen go guarded by a mere skeleton crew!"

"If you take these others," Looking to the paladin, the shapes, daggerlike and severe, but most of all, brimmed with honesty, "I pick whom I wish, turn the rest into skeletons to accompany those who are left out of my city."

Remedios stood, planting both fists on the table, but before she could bring a threat to her throat, Calca rose a hand and yelled, "Stop!" Staring at her paladin and friend, "Sit!"

Remedios looked to her lady before looking back at the smugly sitting minister, then sat back down.

"We will choose them soon and gather them tomorrow morning." Queen Calca was returned the parchment, overlooking the scant chosen. Paladins. Priests. Wise men and scholars and two of the Nine Colors.

"Morning?" Shiehk questioned, "We were planning to do this a mont-"

"Well, if there's fewer in the party, then there's less to prepare for, no?" Queen Calca lifted her chin back to the woman.

The queen swore she heard her hiss before she waved a hand dismissively to the subject, "As you wish."

Smiling to herself for the victory, Calca was instantly with Remedios in concluding who was the best to bring. Of those, were the Colors of Black and Blue, with no them intending with their selection, she wished to hold at least her most intimidating of warriors, as weak as they might well be compared to their guests. Remedios huffingly took off several members of her order, until they were left to the bare bones of eleven. "This one…" Pointing at the name, "is a rookie, practically still a kid and we might not want her relation to the Night Watchman to be exploited, if this trip turns sour."

She studied the name, not having any face or recollection of it, other than it being the same as the family of the famous Platoon Sergeant that defeated Orlando, years prior in battle. "Right now…" She rapped the side of her fist lightly on the wooden table, "I think we should focus on looks rather than experience, if this goes bad, there isn't much we can do. They'll either send us back home or throw us in the sea."

"Or feed us to the demi-humans…" Remedios commented off handely.

"But, I theorize that these Istannice-folk put a lot of stock in family, that minister will rattle on and on about hers, and what conversation one of the Paladins was able to raise out of the she-dog some days ago mentioned how she was the proud creation of a 'golden bull'. Maybe having a father and daughter serving the same function will show them we carry similar traits."

Remedios was thinking about arguing, but did know the queen was most definitely smarter then her in these things and let it go, "Alright," She agreed, "but just to warn you, the poor brat took too much of the likeness of her father. If you want looks, both of them combined could boil steel plate by staring at it." Smiling to herself as she scratched off the other paladin, leaving them with Enrique Bellse and Pavel Baraja of the Nine Colors to insure that the queen is safe, the others two priests, a couple smarties and the last three are other paladins, including the Color of Black's daughter: Neia Baraja. "Still think you should bring me."

"And I still think you should eat your veggies; tonight, is fraught with disappointment." Calca smiled at her friend who simply scowled back.

[]

Luis stared ahead as dawn finally reached past far hills and lit through the trees that bordered the village. It was strange on what he was able to pick up on the senses he was able to retain; smell being the most entertaining of the few. He wasn't sure how it worked, but when light touched the dewy greens of grass, trees and bush, the smell became… crisper somehow, more floral. 'Is this breakfast to me?' He laid back on his hands as he continued to stare at the dawn, unblinking. 'A replacement for a morning routine? Instead of getting my fat ass out of bed, offer my thoughts in prayer, going to the eatery, pray harder that coffee was cheap that day and buy a bagel?' He wasn't sure how he felt not being obese. He took the Rights of Celibacy back home for a reason, he wasn't much a looker before, but after he fell in love with the kitchen, he was definitely not in the pool of potential husbands. Besides, it allowed Maxi to get married and have a kid much easier, less of one family contributing to an already overbred habitat. Now he could see his penis if he wanted to.

And he did, but only once. He never had to use the bathroom and had to make sure the angels of YGGDRASIL were or weren't 'lacking' in the department, and would explain why his libido wasn't even existing past those brief moments of utterly human weakness which were quickly quashed by his new nature.

"Hmph." Luis huffed, "I really have to get out of the habit of thinking back to that stuff." He didn't hate what he was now. Quite the contrary, he very much thought it was the best thing to happen to him, but he did very much give his character a backstory just like the other NPCs he made. A bad one. Luis had a very poor opinion on angels from the Old Testament. But! Their stats as a paladin were one of, if not the, best and his race complimented Maxi's own transformation into a demon when he finished that particular quest, and if his NPCs, his entire city, is controlled or driven by this element, why isn't he? He would have likely destroyed every civilization he came across for being too corrupt, meaning that it could have the occasional pickpocket and the Seraph he wrote would have smote the entire nation. Is he being controlled right now? By how much? Is thinking about this evidence that he's not? "I need a hobby… or ten." God knows he has the time for them now. "Maybe after, I'll see if coffee somehow exists on this world and cultivate it." Coffee, drink of the devil but blessed by the Church. 'Kindred, this beverage and I- WHY DO I KEEP THINKING WITH THESE OLD TIMEY WORDS? I'M NOT A GRANDPA!' He grasped his own head in exasperated thought.

The Seraph removed himself from his observation, prepared the caravan breakfast, crepes specifically, having bought some fresh milk from a villager and Reynard's foraging with Mira having bour fruit, literally, he gained that rush of success from the happy faces and hums his compatriots made, and as they reveled, he distracted himself from his ever growing envy by taking a look at the map for their next destination, laying it out on the wheel tables and thinking it over, "So we're here…" Nearly fourty kilometers out of Hoburns, proceeding east by south east, "The next town here is maybe a day or two…" Before looking up from the table and seeing the approaching Garuda, "Knight." Luis acknowledged his presence before looking back to the map and pointing to the town, "What's this place called?"

"Jocinero." Garuda stabbed his massive falchion into the ground, only now seeing the sheath discarded some distance away.

"Anything you can tell me about it?"

"Ale's good." Resting both his hands on the pommel, "Gets the occasional issue with trolls and demi-humans, good place for making coin." He shrugged, "Also a witch in the area practicing black magic. Says she protects the town but I dunno…"

"Anyone needing supplies, armor, weapons?"

"You just described most of the kingdom." Garuda scoffed, "But they might be able to afford a bit of what you have."

Luis nodded, "Good. We head out in an hour, are the others ready?" Looking back up at the falcon-knight, at one moment resting, instantly the next took the sword at out the ground and was swinging it down at him!

'What?!' Luis was able to easily dodge the attack by quickly jumping back, standing on another wheel table as the knight's sword plunged into the one he just stood at, the blade sticking firmly into the furniture. "Hey!" Luis was mixed between beating the HOLY HELL OUT OF THE PRICK and pretending to be a weak albeit wealthy merchant. "I'm taking that out of your wages!"

The knight took the sword with with practiced ease, "You already paid me!" Glowing a brief red before attacking again, swinging his sword far faster then before, but as he swung down, Luis gave a dealthy look at the man before extending his right hand out and pointing out his index and middle finger in a faux peace sign. The blade collided with the tender flesh between the fingers, enough so that it sent a gust of wind out behind him.

Garuda gawked, his beak clanging against the inside of his helm. 'I was just doing this to say that there were lots of stronger monsters where he's going… I thought this grey shrimp would be…'

Luis's eyes narrowed as he hopped off the table, "I do not…" Walking towards the knight, pinching the edge of the blade between the two fingers so tightly that the sword began to slowly but steadily warp near the tip, with Garuda failing to pull back his own weapon! "Like…" The scarf on his shoulders began to float being affixed above his limbs almost like wings, his eyes glowing a terrible and luminous yellow. "dissent in my kitchen."

Garuda paused. "Eh?"

As the others of the party tried to find the source of the commotion, where they saw the two are they were, but the now smiling Luis looking at his fellows, "Ah! Good morning, had a pleasant meal?"

"What was that?" Mira demanded, "I felt a terrible presence in the area! The killing intent was so potent I don't doubt even the villagers had bore it!"

The three citizens of Istannice looked to the situation, and gave stoic, unemotional expressions to their Prince as Azimuth, now normal once more, began to remove her dagger, Reynard cracked his knuckles and Felrrin held a tiny globe of poisonous gas, with Azimuth being the closest to Mira and focused on her steadily, just waiting for the word to end her life.

"Garuda!" Hare yelled out and approached both the Seraph and Falcon-Knight, having run past the tense Istanni and looked closer to the area, "What happened?"

"He damaged my property!" Luis said, still smiling as he closed his eyes but carried a deep menace as he gave the smallest shake of the head to the trio of his subjects, whom immediately relaxed. Luis then quickly waltzed up to the knight, still in shock over the show of power, and retrieved Garuda's coin purse right off his belt, opened it, and took out two gold coins. "I think this should cover it. Felrrin, how long would it take to repair the wheel?"

The sand-elf gave a quick look to said object and replied, "Maybe a half hour?"

"Excellent! Would you like any help?"

"No, but thank you." Felrrin smiled, ran a hand up his arm before taking out several components to mend the wheel.

Luis's gaze flashed yellow, but this time it was different, he was not only resisting his growing rage but also having his lust suppressed. "Garuda… a word?"

Luis didn't check to make sure the man was following him, instead, stiffly walking into the forest out of sight of both Hare and Mira. When they were at least a mile deep, Luis looked back and saw the man not too far but not too close behind him.

Then the Seraph scanned for a tree, trying to find if any had any kind of life living on them, birds, squirrels, anything at all. Finding one he was satisfied with, Luis groaned in fury, punching a fist straight through it, the wood shattering into toothpicks, and before the foliage began to even fall, his fingers dug through the bark, and he threw it straight up into the air. So far in fact, neither he nor Garuda were able to see it.

Luis looked back, the once terrified Garuda was now replaced by a petrified one, taking tiny steps back from the display, hands up defensively, the man was a hair's bredth away from screaming his lungs out and running as far and as fast as he could.

"Now…" Luis stated, "what you did was a terrible mistake. You won't do it again, will you?" Smiling eerily as he walked towards Garuda.

The beak went side to side so fast and so many times it was a mere blur to the seraph.

"I need your intelligence of the area, that's what I hired you for… you're my guide, not my knight, not my protector, not even a warrior, you're a weak little human that knows just that," Pinching his fingers together, "much more then what my intelligence network has shown me. I can find others, and I will if you, the mage or you 'son' walk a toe out of line in the slightest. Am I clear?" Before pointing his finger onto the man, the digit only just touching his left shoulder, making a visible dent as if it was grazed by a mace or hammer.

The blurry beak stopped, "I just wa-"

"Good! Now, while the carriage is being fixed, we'll see the village smith to see to your blade, I'm sure what you're paying him will be incentive enough to finish it on time, yes?" Holding the gold coins between his fingers as he walked back to the clearing, and the tree he threw landed in nearly the exact same spot as before, scattering the wildlife with its crash.

Garuda was screaming inside his own mind the entire time from between when this… thing caught the blade and up till they found the smith to repair his sword. He didn't think birdclan could sweat, Garuda found that it was entirely possible.

'God, why do I still want to kill something?' He verbally punished the fool, intimidated him into compliance, but he felt bloodlust. He could yearn to rip the life out of someone? How is that holy? Luis bit his lip harshly, frustratingly. He had no true way of dealing with these moments, which only seemed to be happening in greater frequency and intensity. 'I take it back! This is the worst thing ever! How long can I take this before going insane?! Do all angels feel this?!' He had to be alone. Now. Vehuel took Garuda's arm, shoved the coins into his armored palm and ordered a strained, "Fix it!"

Before quickly dashing as deep into the forest as he could and declaring, "「All Flesh Is Grass」!" Returning back to his angelic form actually relaxed him greatly, almost as if the greater mass allowed more of his souls to be cooled by the air, but the desire to simply fight and kill was less of a crawling evisceration on his mind and more like a startling burn, a sensation one gets when a hand is put on a hot surface, but it is the more terrible from his inability to move his hands away from the stove, beating his mighty wings and beginning to hover just above the ground.

"Why did you do this to me?" Vehuel asked quietly, the forest startingly silent as if hearing his words patiently. "You take me from my life, my family, give me a new one, at first filled with wonder and joy, but strip me of what I love and give me a desire to harm my others such as I have never felt. Why, oh God, did you condemn me?" Pointing straight up to the sky, "Because I doubted you even existed? I lived and breathed in a world that exclaimed the staggering might of mankind's mind being that of God's Will and when such might was needed, it was found wanting! I doubt you, no, I hate you because those days, those moments where we needed God, we needed salvation, I felt and knew death! Death! Death of all our futures! Now, you give me the demented urge to give such death to others for slights and tragedies I know I can avenge without malice, dread nor arms! Damn you! Damn you, you goddamn bastard! If I were you and you I; you having known nothing but jealousy and petty hate for what you have made, I would strip such feelings from you and give you the desire to mend! Heal! To understand! Because you would see such benevolence as a curse upon all that you have aspire! I would make you a Hell where you are forced to be a saint!"

Vehuel found himself panting after his outburst, suddenly exhausted but also relieved. The itch… gone? No, simply not as inflamed. It was unmistakably there, merely diminished and banished from the thrones of his mind. 'What if my condition was activated and constant?' He considered, 'That I can somehow be slighted from something that may not exist? Be slighted by an idea alone?' He sighed, "Would explain why I couldn't control myself the first time with the beastmen on the beach." But how long would it last? He'd undoubtedly encounter others of unsavory professions, but nevertheless wouldn't deserve a stabbing if he could help it. He pondered if other NPCs had feelings like his? Or maybe this effect is all they know, they wouldn't know any urge besides what they recognize as themselves? Vehuel nodded, deciding to to see for himself. "Vanniel," Standing straighter, trying to ready himself for whatever may come from this encounter, "I call upon thee."

Vehuel nodded, "No turning back now." Releasing a breath, he didn't know he was holding.

He rubbed his palms together after several seconds of nothing happening.

"Okay… that's weird." Vehuel lifted his palm up to the air and summoned his Guild's NPC list, "Says here you're alive and well…" But as he rubbed his chin, he swore he saw the menu glitch. No, specifically her name, as the glitch, a momentary phase of red echoed over the name, pixels flaring out, her name disappearing from the roster entirely before in a not even an eyeblink, she once again appeared, same place she was before.

He narrowed his gaze to it, fully feeling worry and very much shocked his aura didn't flare up. 'At least I can care.' "Rulthiel, I call upon thee." The blue angel instantly shot down from like a pillar from the sky to the front of the seraph.

The Archangel of Knowledge laced his fingers together and bowed lightly at the waist, "What is thy will, my Prince?"

"Um," Vehuel nodded, "Ehm," He 'coughed' into his fist, "I don't want to be rude, but I summoned you to find out where Vanniel is."

Rulthiel bowed his head again, "Nothiel seeks the same, she has remained a missing in action for a day or so."

The glare of orange washed over Vehuel, and the facsimile of feeling that had washed over to him was foreign to both the angel and the human mind, that rush of bizarre and utterly primal protectiveness of those who trusted him, and he briefly regretted leaving the city for this expedition, while born to seek information, Vehuel knew he pursued it out of pure eccentricity. Last he saw, Vanniel was with the human man and child, only remembering briefly as she escorted them along with the other refugees out of the ship.

"I may have an idea." Vehuel nodded, "If she is not in the Holy Kingdom capital, we will search where I saw her last, message Felrrin that I will find her and the carriage on its way to the next town and they should head that way as soon as that little sh-" He refrained from cursing, turning his head away from Rulthiel for a second until he said, "the knight gets back."

"Shall I also Gate us as well?" Rulthiel asked after he was done casting Message.

"Please." He nodded back.

Waving open the giant white door of a Gate, bowed slightly.

They instantly were hovering over the waters near the dock of Rimun. It drew more than a few eyes of those workers and fishers whom were going about their business.

"Hey! It's one of 'em angels that was here when they dropped those people off!" A man yelled out as he stood up and nearly dropped his fishing pole in the water.

Vehuel smiled, looking to the angel at his flank. "Let's not disturb them too much." Floating to solid ground and hovering over to a human dock worker. Both angels were giants compared to the humans, and more so as they flew over place, and all elements of their physique were equally large, so when Vehuel pulled a silver coin out of his palm between his fingers and presented it down for him to grab, it took a turn or two to see the coin's glint. "Bring forth one who can recall faces very well…" Holding up his other hand, having four more silver coins in between his massive fingers, "you and he will be well rewarded."

[]

Gunna have to cut this one off here, work is getting bad and I haven't been able to focus on these projects in particular and would rather give ya something rather then nothing, and I am sorry it is so minuscule.

Hopefully this whole disease thing will heal over quick-like, it became far worse then even professional cynics could have predicated.