Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this complicated time… especially for the one who continues to hurt.

~保護者~

"Caged"

~保護者~

It was shortly after daybreak when a portal opened. A man was all but tossed out of it, and the portal immediately closed. Before he could hit the ground, he executed a neat flip and landed lightly on his feet with his arms held out to his sides. "And he sticks the landing," he joked idly to himself, lowering his arms. He turned to look at the now empty space where the portal had just been. "Need to teach that guy a lesson in manners later… Sheesh."

He turned his attention to his robe, which he brushed off with his hands. Only after that did he lower his dark hood, revealing himself to be a platinum grey wolf with piercing yellow eyes. His ears swiveled to take in the sounds around him, but what he paid most attention to was his nose. All wolves naturally had keen senses of smell but, with him being a vampire, his was especially powerful. As such, it was able to tell him a lot about where he was at.

Definitely smell a lot of cats in that town nearby… Some bears, raccoons, and ferrets, too. Must be Mobius, then. These guys aren't found anywhere else. He inhaled again, eyes closing. …Definitely Mobius. I smell hedgehogs and Tokarians. They don't coexist anywhere else, period. Opening his eyes, he squinted up at the sky. It's a good thing the sun doesn't hurt me, or else that guy'd have actual hell to pay.

Still, he did have a bit of a problem. While the sun caused him no harm, he was sensitive to it in a way. It just made everything too bright and too warm for his liking. Enough so that, like clockwork, he was driven to seek shelter from it at the dawn of every new day. And therein lies the issue. Where to go from here? Looking around, he further assessed his surroundings. There was a diminutive woodland that started not twenty feet to his right, and the town was dead ahead. To his left were open fields and grasses. Behind him was more of the same. Only the first two options had any merit - the former more so.

"I do so hate sleeping in trees," he sighed as he pivoted on his heel and began walking. "Perhaps I ought to conjure myself up a hammock of some sort." Rifling through one of his pockets, he pulled out some twine and cloth. "This should do the trick, I think."

He focused first on the twine, which he duplicated using a minor spell. A different spell made it all larger, large enough to be made into rope. A third spell did just that for him, and then it was again duplicated. Now he had the two ropes needed to suspend a hammock from tree trunks. That just left the cloth. It was enlarged to the proper size, then magically attached to the ropes. Then, once he'd found a suitable spot, he once more used his magic to do the work for him. Everything was soon tied up and he was able to lay down in relative comfort.

Both arms moved behind his head. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I suppose this is nice enough." He freed one arm and pointed straight up. "Or it would be, if I wasn't being spied on. A magic mirror, is it? Not sure if that's you, Nareish, or one of your lackeyes, but I don't appreciate being stalked. Do me a favor, yeah? Piss off."

A small, concentrated beam of magic shot from his finger. Despite its size, the attack was powerful. It struck the seemingly empty space he was pointing at with great force, creating a short-lived shockwave through the air. Seconds later, there was the distinct sound of shattering and glass falling, though nothing physical was truly there. After that, he simply returned his arm to its former position.

In an instant, with a small burst of rainbow-colored magic, a finch appeared in front of him with a defensive stance, only to realize there was no actual threat followed by his body relaxing. "Oh, hey. Was that thing just now you?"

"If you mean the attack, then yes," the man said. "Otherwise, no idea."

"Yeah, I felt the magic in it. Figured I'd check things out with how dangerous it's been lately. Glad to see you're not trying to hurt anyone." The finch sighed in relief. "I'm Cyril. Nice to meet you."

The wolf hummed thoughtfully before replying. "You can call me Akol. It's not my name, you understand, but I don't make a habit of giving the real thing away." He sat up and got out of his freshly crafted bed so as to properly look at Cyril. "Nice to meet you as well, I suppose. It's not too often my kind sees a friendly face."

Cyril smiled. "I like to think I'm friendly. You're obviously not someone to be worried about, so I feel good being nice to you."

"There are multiple things that might change that opinion, but to each their own I suppose." Akol crossed his arms, thinking. "Well, that you are indeed a friendly sort, that changes some things. For instance, it does mean you deserve the benefit of a warning. Though my control is far from lacking, few feel safe in the presence of my kind. I am a vampire. If you should choose to depart now that you know, I would not fault you. But I won't harm you if you remain."

"Oh wow, so vampires are real? Kath wasn't kidding." Cyril didn't really seem that off put by this new information, now becoming more contemplative. "I don't really feel any different, honestly. Am I supposed to?"

"Not strictly speaking," Akol answered. "Regardless, most people are rather afraid of us for a variety of reasons."

Cyril shrugged. "I don't see why I should be."

"Fair enough." With an unspoken spell, Akol dismantled his bed and returned all the parts to their previous states and quantities. He then tucked it all away in his pocket. Once that was done, he settled into the grass in a cross-legged position. "So, tell me something. I heard tell of a new governing force over magic and its ilk. This is a mere hunch, but I suspect that that force is you. Am I correct?"

Cyril snapped a finger and a number of magical plants sprung to life out of the ground and trees around them. "God of Magic, apparently. I wasn't really aware of it until recently, either."

"Yet your control is evident," Akol murmured. "Not many could make such a claim in your shoes. You had some form of magic prior to this role, then, correct?"

The finch grabbed a card from one of the cases on his belt and tossed it up, encasing the thing in magic as it exploded into a ball of flames. "Card magic. And on the claim, that's just what people call me." He chuckled a little, rubbing the back of his head.

"The claim I was referring to was your control," Akol countered lightly. Then he added, "Tell me about your magic. Of all the magics I've encountered, none have been based around cards in the same manner as yours is."

"Well, it seems to have different effects based on what kind of cards I'm using. Regular playing cards have some varied elemental effects while Tarot cards, the kind that people use to do fortune telling and such, have profound effects on me, such as temporarily giving me access to different powers I don't normally have," Cyril explained. "It's weird and has a ton of rules."

Akol gave that some thought, then reached into the opposite pocket to the one he'd gotten in earlier. From there, he pulled out a pouch and tossed them to Cyril. "Sometime, you should try using these. They are my cards, part of a form of tarot card reading favored by some of my kind. Though it's nothing dark, I can assure you. But if you find there are good benefits to your magic from any of them, I can acquire your own set for you."

Cyril snatched the pouch out of the air and expertly flipped through the cards to look through them. Not a standard number… Now that I'm holding them, I can feel the magic radiating off of them. Does that mean any cards I get ahold of can suddenly be part of my arsenal? He set the deck back into the pouch and began tying it to his belt, nodding. "I'll certainly test them out soon enough. It's bound to be different from what I'm used to."

"Most assuredly. Given that, it may be prudent to test them somewhere that a touch of destruction will not be minded." Akol glanced around their surroundings. "Certainly not here. People tend to be attached to their trees and flowers."

"I wouldn't dream of testing it here. I'm more fond of places like deserts where the life present is limited," Cyril answered. "Though… technically I do know what each card is before I go to use it, so I can always plan with that knowledge in mind, too."

"Good. That aside, I have one more question for you. I've never set foot on this planet before and as such know where nothing is." Akol glanced up at the canopy and the growing amount of sunlight above. "Where is the darkest place you know of? I would like to be away from the light."

Cyril blinked a few times at this question. "I… frequent bright places the most. Woodlands like this may be one of your better choices, or maybe some sort of cave?"

"A cave would more than suffice. Do you know where one is?"

"Absolutely. Want me to take you to one?" Cyril asked, eyes shining brightly.

"Please," Akol sighed.

Cyril wasted no time in teleporting them both to an old cave he knew about. The bird slipped between two rocks and motioned for Akol to follow. Akol did precisely that, all too eager to enter the darkness. The finch created a ball of white, glowing magic in hand to light Up the area, revealing a surprisingly clean cave. There were a number of different things here, including some game consoles and a generator. "This is a place I used to come to as a kid to just be off on my own when I wanted. I think it's better if you use this place now, especially since it's already been magically maintained."

"I won't remain for too long," Akol told him, "but your offer is appreciated all the same. The darkness this cave can afford is more than enough to alleviate my discomfort."

The finch smiled brightly. "Glad to hear."

Akol sat down against one wall. "You don't have to remain on my account," he said, closing his eyes. He wasn't preparing to sleep, however. "I won't object to you doing so if that is your choice, but don't feel forced to stay."

"I'm gonna do one more thing," Cyril said, waving a hand slowly. The cave expanded a little, Akol moved with it to keep him against the wall, followed by a bed appearing nearby. It was an exact copy of the one Akol had made just minutes before.

Yellow eyes opened to glance about the expanded space. "...Thank you."

Cyril nodded. "Not a problem. I'll head out and give you some personal space."

"Mm, one thing before you go. Are you aware of how to call for other magic users with your powers?"

The finch blinked. "Huh? I can do that?"

"Indeed, you can." Akol opened a hand and motioned for Cyril to sit. "Have a seat for a moment so that I may teach you. If you have need of aid, this simple technique can alert magic users from all across the land to your location."

Cyril nodded and took a seat, eager to learn about this ability. It would have been so useful during that situation with Nareish… potentially. "Certainly."

"Firstly, do whatever it is that you need to in order to gain focus," Akol instructed. "Many choose to simply close their eyes, but do whatever it is that works for you. This first effort will require great concentration from you."

Cyril took a deep breath and surrounded himself with his magic, allowing a deepened focus to overtake him. "Got it."

"Turn all of your focus on your magic and the person or people whose attention you seek. For now, direct it at me. You should feel a shift in your energies, similar to how it may feel when one's powers flare in response to combat. That is the call. Only you feel it, and if done right only those you call should sense it."

The finch nodded and conjured an image in his mind of Akol and pushed for his magic to seek out the vampire. "Like that?"

For the first time since he'd arrived on this world, Akol smiled. "Precisely like that. Well done. It would seem you are a rapid learner."

Cyril chuckled. "My friend Wave says the same."

"She knows what she is talking about. You should listen to her." Akol lightly nudged Cyril with his own magic. "You may go now. While I am on this world, reach out whenever the need arises, if it does. I will aid you where I can."

"And I'll do the same for you if it comes up," Cyril agreed.

"Fair enough." Akol closed his eyes again.

Rather than bother him, Cyril said a friendly farewell before teleporting away.

~保護者~

Kaden's head was killing him. Being as emotional as he had been lately was no doubt the cause, and he knew it. Right now, however, he felt numb again. So much so that he couldn't muster up much of a response to the fact that the triplets and Zareil were there… or even the fact that they had apparently been purified. He was just… out of it.

On some level, he knew that to be the case. That he couldn't focus his vision or his thoughts certainly lent credence to the idea. But the thought only vaguely crossed his mind. Beyond that, the only real things that held any degree of his attention were memories and emotions. Recollections of the monster he had been, feelings he couldn't even begin to describe… There was just so much. Guilt, shame, self-loathing, anger, despair, hopelessness, and probably more all plagued his heart. And everything ran so much deeper than anything he had ever felt before. It was all too much.

Vaguely, he was aware of sinking a fang into his bottom lip and subsequently tasting blood. It did nothing to help him focus or regain awareness of his surroundings. Not even the feeling of Darkness carefully enveloping him did. Still, a voice managed to somehow distantly reach his ears. Though it took time, he did eventually recognize the voice as Zenith's. "Calm yourself, Zareil, as much as you can. I will return him to you soon. This must be private."

Things went quiet. Eventually, Kaden realized he was no longer sitting on the mattress he'd been sleeping on sometime earlier. Instead, he was sitting on the floor somewhere with his back against a wall. Something about feeling such a solid object at his back dragged him back to reality to some extent, and he found himself looking around. He was in another dark, isolated room, only this one had a door. The other one, he seemed to recall, didn't. Probably to prevent him from escaping like he so desperately wanted to. So why had he been taken here, of all places?

The answer came soon enough, as a familiar face stepped in through the door, scythe and all. Ylden looked over to him and called out a gentle, "Hello," as he approached and took a seat. The door vanished.

Kaden felt his ears flatten. Some emotions stabbed through the numbness, none of them good, and he quickly looked away without a word. Why is he here again? Why won't he just give up and stay away?

Ylden watched Kaden before saying, "Talk to me, please. We haven't spoken as friends in… a long time."

It took a substantial amount of time, but Kaden eventually managed to force words out. "You cannot pretend that we can just go back to being friends after everything that happened." Not after everything I did.

"I'm not going to pretend. There's no way I can ask you to do something like that, either," Ylden replied. "But we can still talk. Besides, there's something to talk about already."

No there isn't. Kaden opted to keep that thought to himself, having immediately decided that that was the safest course of action.

"You passed on the role of God of Death to me, but are you sure you want me to take this?" Ylden asked quietly. "I feel as if I'm not ready. It's so much to take in all at once."

"I cannot keep the role," Kaden murmured after a long pause. "It went extinct twice because of me, and I could never devote enough attention to the realms to maintain them."

Ylden frowned in response. "Are you sure you want me to be the God of Death?" he repeated, quieter than before. Kaden just nodded. The cat let out a sigh. "Beyond that, how have you been lately?" He didn't get much of a response beyond a shrug. "You've been sleeping, right?"

Eventually, Kaden's focus (which had been starting to drift away again) returned enough for him to mumble a small, "Yes."

Concern welling into Ylden's heart, the cat idly fidgeted with the necklace Tempest had given him. He wasn't sure why he wore it, but it brought him some comfort to simply have in his possession. "I think I heard about Zareil being purified."

Kaden nodded again and, at first, left it at that. However, he did give a verbal response at some point. "She was."

"I assume that's because she wants to be with you," Ylden pointed out. A weak shrug was the only external reply he got. "What about the triplets?"

"They are with her," Kaden mumbled. Belatedly, he added, "They are purified as well."

"That's good to hear," Ylden said. "Han was recently attacked."

Kaden's ears perked and, for the first time since their impromptu reunion the last time, Ylden truly gained his full attention. "What?"

"He was attacked," Ylden repeated gently, to emphasize the point. "By someone who works for Nareish. He was corrupted, and his memories were stolen." Kaden was silent upon hearing this, unsure what to make of this turn of events just yet. There were so many potential reasons behind her doing this, and the more of them that crossed his mind the unhappier he became. Ylden continued. "We were able to reverse the corruption, but only memories of who people were could be given back to him at the time. So… he knows who his family members are, his allies, and beyond that… nothing."

Damn it all. "He knows nothing else?" Kaden pressed. And, for just a moment, he managed to sound like his old self. Calm. Focused. Rational. It wasn't destined to last, but it was promising nevertheless.

"As far as I am aware, yes," Ylden said. "There are some things I taught him, but in most cases it was nothing of note. Ah, he also remembers his name, his knowledge of his magic, and how to fight."

That… does not bode well. Even without the corruption, he could be swayed to fight for the wrong people too easily due to his lack of memories. And it would not be his fault, but rather hers.

"We're thinking the same thing," Ylden murmured. "I'm worried about it, too. I can't fight him."

Kaden closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What exactly did you teach him after this happened?"

"First and foremost, I explained everything about this war that I could, who Nareish was, what she was trying to do, who our allies were," Ylden answered. Kaden inclined his head. "After that, I proceeded to explain to him how long we have known each other, what we did, and who exactly I even was to give him information to work with. He seems to trust me well enough."

Well, that was good, at least. "Does he understand what corruption is?" Kaden pressed. "Does he know to avoid it?"

"Yes," Ylden said. "I made sure he knew how dangerous it was, and I believe he would avoid it if only because it caused him splitting pains."

"Does he know how to avoid it?" Kaden further questioned. This was equally as important as the last thing he'd asked. Corruption could occur from the smallest touches, the mildest of attacks, the briefest of contact with the wrong energies. If Han didn't know that, then he was still in potentially grave danger.

Ylden thought this through before shaking his head. "No," he admitted.

"Why?" Kaden quietly demanded.

"Time, the desire to not force information on him constantly, the work I've needed to do," Ylden listed. "It has… been difficult to make time."

Kaden resisted the urge to curse. It's happening again… but to someone else. Why? Shoving those thoughts aside, he said quietly, "Nareish will not give up on her plans for him so easily, Ylden. Her attention may flit from subject to subject on a whim, but that will not be the case here. Not when she put so much effort into getting the matter started to begin with."

"I will be checking on him here directly. I will inform him then of the danger," Ylden said immediately. "I am attempting to keep him from being trapped in the Realms of Death for days at a time."

"Understood," Kaden muttered. This decision made sense to him, given that Han was a Hexan… and a teenaged one at that.

Ylden nodded. "Aside from that, I believe he is doing well despite it all." Kaden murmured a vague reply of some sort, but didn't otherwise reply. The cat moved on to another subject. "The new God of Demons made a display by having my daughter kidnapped. He corrupted her and tried to use her against the da Asani."

Emerald eyes blinked slowly. …I should have warned them that he was active. That's… my fault.

"Luckily," Ylden said suddenly. "Cere beat him half to death and we were able to save Armaris. I now believe that we have a new Immortal coming into being as well."

Some of his focus returned. Kaden glanced at him, but not into his eyes. "What?"

"Rose," Ylden explained. "She died purifying Armaris, but revived moments later with renewed strength. The power she now possesses is not of a normal semi-Immortal."

"That is not possible."

"I agree," Ylden said. "Yet, I felt it."

It is not possible. Kaden didn't say so a second time, at least not aloud. There was no real point.

Ylden sighed. "I will not pretend to understand it, but I simply know it to be the truth. I would be disappointed if I was wrong about such a thing."

"I would not. The balance of this era is precarious enough as it is. Bringing more Immortals in than is natural will only further harm things."

"Maybe this is an attempt to bring balance back," Ylden proposed. "That is the job of the Immortals, is it not?" Though they both knew the answer to that was an unequivocal 'yes', Kaden just shrugged. "Regardless, I have every intention of watching her. It was not long ago that she attempted to murder someone we were trying to keep alive. I don't understand what could have caused such a sudden shift." Kaden shrugged again. He was barely listening anymore.

Ylden shifted topics once more. "I think Shadow might be carrying a baby."

Once more, Kaden's attention was pulled back, this time much more forcefully. "What?" he asked yet again, this time out of shock and utter confusion.

"It makes less sense than new Immortals coming into existence, if you ask me," Ylden said. "I think he's having a kid, with a chameleon."

"Toru," Kaden mumbled when the name came back to him. But that wasn't what was keeping his attention at the moment. This should be impossible, as well. "Why the hell would you think this is true?"

"I only know of one way for a person's abdomen to extend in the way his has, even if it isn't that visible" Ylden explained. "If he's not carrying a child, I'm suddenly far more concerned."

Kaden's mind raced, trying to come up with any kind of explanation for what the hell might be happening and, more importantly, how. Then he suddenly hit upon a realization and straightened somewhat. "He is part Black Arms. Perhaps even mostly so."

"I'm going to ask you to explain to me what the hell that means," Ylden said. "I know what they are, but nothing about them."

"They are genderless aliens who reproduce through blood," Kaden said slowly. "I don't claim to know how. But their lack of gender and method of reproduction mean any member of their race can carry a child. The same goes for the infamous 'Black Doom', despite most referring to the creature as a 'him'."

Ylden crossed his arms. "I don't… So he's actually carrying a child in the same way that their race does?"

"I don't know. All I am saying is that it may be possible."

"I feel bad for him, with all that's been happening," Ylden murmured.

"...What… else has happened?" Kaden forced himself to ask. He tried, but ultimately failed, not to think about the pain and stress (to put it mildly) he himself had caused his son not so long ago.

"I am sure you've become aware of Gerald's return. Since that happened, Shadow has acted in ways that garnered concern from others. And he's being approached by vampires. I'm fairly sure he's been turned into a vampire as well."

A vampire? Kaden decided to question Ylden about that in a moment. Right now, he was focused on the first issue, especially as he recalled the panic attack he had overheard his son damn-near having when he'd still been trapped in that barrier in Hyale. "How exactly has he been acting?" he asked.

"He has barely left his home," Ylden revealed. Kaden listened in silence for now, wanting to hear anything and everything Ylden had to share on the matter. Ylden didn't say anything for a short time before eventually just murmuring, "It's been impossible to monitor him beyond that. Something is protecting his home."

Somehow, that knowledge managed to relax Kaden to some degree. Knowing at least one of his sons was relatively safe eased his fears to a large degree. "And the vampirism?" he eventually asked. "Where did you hear such a thing?"

"I didn't. But it's unusual for two different vampires to visit his home, one of them coming multiple times and bearing prestige of her own in her name alone," Ylden said. "I hardly believe that woman would visit him without some prior reason."

"And this leads you to believe he has been turned?"

"That and his apparent sudden ability to perform necromancy," Ylden murmured.

Kaden's ears perked and he risked another glance at Ylden. …Shadow has never displayed any magical abilities before, he was forced to silently agree.

Ylden didn't meet Kaden's eyes, for his friend's sake. "Shadow revived a number of demons and turned them on a spawn of Malevolence. I firmly believe he might have been able to kill it had Sonic and Toru not taken him away."

The mention of Sonic caused Kaden a pang. As had been the case with today's first mention of Shadow, he abruptly recalled every awful thing he'd said and done to and around his son, but he did his level best not to think about them right now. "...If this is… true, and he has been turned…" He trailed off, but soon continued. "Do you know how he has been doing? If he is adapting alright?"

"I don't know much," Ylden said. "As I said, I can't really see much of him right now. His house is protected, and he doesn't leave often."

Kaden took in a breath, let it out slowly, and asked one more question. "Does Black Doom know?"

"Probably," Ylden admitted. "Assuming my guess here is correct."

"Explain your guess."

"That particular Black Arms, now that you mentioned it twice, is probably his other father," Ylden answered. Kaden gave a small nod. "In that case, I venture to guess he has spoken to Shadow, considering he was there."

You could stand to have mentioned that before. Kaden decided not to say this, wary of starting any potential conflicts. He'd earned himself no small amount of irritation from the cat last time, and he wasn't eager to experience that again.

Ylden decided now was the time to make a move. "Hey, there's something we need to talk about." Stifling a nervous sigh, Kaden waited to hear what he had to say. "We're both fathers, and we've both made mistakes. I was recently forced to learn to confront my mistakes."

There was no mistaking where this was going. Kaden was already shaking his head, his ears lowering again. I can't see them again. Not after everything I did. They don't deserve that.

"They want to talk to you," Ylden said. "They want their father in their lives. I had to learn that look with Armaris when we got into an argument, and I don't want that to be how you see your kids the next time. You've made mistakes, but they're willing to forgive you, I already know it."

"Nothing I did can be forgiven," Kaden suddenly argued, pressing himself back against the wall to expand the distance between them. "Nothing."

"You're wrong," Ylden said firmly. "I abandoned my child, gave her to a new family, and avoided her for most of her natural life. You were forced into your situation. You didn't have a choice." The cat sighed a little, not wanting to get too worked up. "The things you did, we all know you wouldn't have done them if you weren't corrupted by Amnikaribah."

"I still did them," Kaden retorted dully. "That alone makes it my fault."

"You're holding onto this," Ylden murmured, "because you think that you don't deserve love and care. I've been there, and I can't sit by and watch one of my closest friends suffer through it too."

After everything I did, this is the least that I deserve. Kaden didn't say so, just turning his head away further.

Ylden let out a sigh. "You're lying to yourself, but I don't want to upset you by pressing it. When you're ready, tell me. I will more than happily bring them to see you, okay?" He didn't get an answer that time. Though, it went without saying that Kaden's sharp ears easily picked up his words. Ylden left this subject after a few choice words. "Your sons are worried. Please try to not keep them waiting long, okay?" With that, Ylden stood, moving to where the door had been before. It reappeared as soon as he was there. He opened the door and walked through quietly, hoping his words had an impact on Kaden.

As soon as he was gone, the door vanished. However, another one suddenly appeared at Kaden's back and started to push open due to his leaning. He caught himself and quickly moved out of the way, turning in time to see what the door led to. When it opened enough, it revealed the room he had been in previously, despite that space having previously been far away. Now the two rooms were connected somehow. He could see the triplets from this angle and the fact that they were asleep on the bed, but with the door not fully open that was all he saw.

Soon Zareil poked her head around the door, blinking once at the sight before her. "...Kaden?" she asked softly, concerned. "What the hell is happening?"

"...Nothing," Kaden sighed. It took effort to work up the willpower, but he eventually forced himself to stand up. As he did so, a new bed appeared in the room, this one large enough for two. It had fresh blankets as well. He barely paid it any mind.

Zareil walked in and gently closed the door. "This is a space Zenith created, right?" Kaden nodded. She walked over to the bed and took a seat, motioning for him to follow. He eventually did so, but not without a moment of hesitation. It had nothing to do with her, though, at least not specifically. He'd just needed that moment to decide if he was even okay with being physically close to another person yet. In the end, since it was her, he decided it would be alright. She reached slowly toward him, hesitant to try and touch him with how he'd been feeling lately. "Can I…?" the woman asked.

Although he initially flinched, Kaden gently caught her hand in his own without further nerves. "It is fine."

She slowly wrapped an arm around him, letting out a gentle sigh. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," he eventually admitted. It took time before he continued. "Nothing feels okay, yet there are times when it is almost bearable and times when it simply isn't."

"What happened?" Zareil asked.

"Ylden wanted to talk," was all Kaden initially said.

Zareil didn't like that. "What happened beyond that? What was said?"

"He informed me of a recent event," Kaden revealed slowly. "The new God we met made his first act by corrupting Armaris and loosing her on the da Asani. Or at least attempting to."

"Holy shit," Zareil murmured. "The Messenger wasn't wrong. Did they have to kill her, or were they able to purify her?"

"I assume she survives. He would have said otherwise." Kaden then gave her a puzzled look and added, "...The Messenger should no longer have any desire to aid either of us. Why did it contact you?"

"It's probably still loyal to you, like I am," Zareil murmured. "Er… was. I suppose this transcends loyalty, me and you."

Kaden inclined his head and looked away again. I gave the Messenger life to begin with… Does that not make it my responsibility to ensure that life is not taken by the new God? He let that thought drift away again and returned his attention to her. "He also spoke of Rose, I believe. He mentioned a being of Light that tried to kill someone they wanted to keep alive. I can only assume that that someone was you."

Zareil grumbled under her breath. "Using Eona's Light no less. Jet himself had to stop her."

Lovely. "Ylden claims she died fighting Armaris, but revived as an Immortal."

"What?" Zareil questioned. She avoided being harsh in her tone, if only because she was concerned about upsetting him. "How in the hell did she become an Immortal?"

"I don't know. He neglected to explain that part." Kaden considered his words, then amended, "He likely does not know, either."

That can't be good. "And he's sure?"

"Quite."

Zareil groaned a bit. "Why does it have to be her of all people?" Kaden shrugged. "Anyway… ignoring that potential danger, what else has happened?"

"You are more ancient than I," Kaden said slowly, "and more well-traveled through this reality as well. Have you ever come to know a race known as the Black Arms?"

"I'm aware of them, but it was often best to avoid them. They're a hive. Challenging one could incur the wrath of whatever millions they had," Zareil murmured.

"Shadow is a member of their race," Kaden suddenly revealed to her. "He was created by an ancient enemy of Sonic's, and was born to Black Doom while sharing some of my genetics as well."

"...What the hell?" Zareil asked. "Is that even possible? I thought that children were born through sex?"

Kaden huffed and gave her a mild shove. "Ordinarily, yes. Their race is not ordinary. All they require is blood. A combination of my blood, long after I had died in ancient times, and blood from Black Doom was forced on him. Eventually, the result was Shadow."

Zareil blinked a few times. "That's absolutely fucking insane, but I don't get how any of that works. Just… continue before I get more confused."

"Ylden became aware of Black Doom and several vampires coming and going from Shadow's home on Mobius," Kaden told her. "He believes Shadow may have been turned and that they are going to him as a result of that."

The woman blinked once. "What the fuck? How? Did he get bitten?"

"I don't know," Kaden frowned. "He didn't say."

Zareil let out a sigh. "This doesn't make sense. How the- Wait, I don't think vampires turn Black Arms," she stated, frowning deeply. He gave her a puzzled look. "Vampires and Black Arms made an agreement to prevent Black Arms from being turned and vampires from being hunted. I don't know why, but they just don't do it. A vampire wouldn't be stupid enough to attack him."

"Something else must have happened, then," Kaden said, "but I don't know what."

"Couldn't it have had something to do with Nareish?"

"It is possible, but I do not know if this is an ability she has. Even with all the contact I had with her in the past, I never saw her grant others powers beyond general strength and the like."

None of it made much sense. "Damn. Do you have any plans to find out somehow?"

"If I am able, yes." Kaden was quiet before saying, "Ylden said something else as well."

"What is it?" Zareil asked.

"He firmly believes that Shadow is carrying Toru's child."

Zareil blinked. "What the fuck?"

"Shadow is mostly Black Arms, unless I am mistaken," Kaden said.

"Fucking hell," Zareil muttered. Kaden offered a weak shrug, unsure what else to say. "That's absolutely weird," she added after a moment.

"Yes, it is," he agreed with a sigh.

"Was there anything else?" Zareil asked after a moment. He shook his head. She frowned a little. "This is all… so unusual."

"I know."

"What now?"

"I don't know," Kaden admitted quietly.

"Do you want to rest?" Zareil asked after a moment. "The kids should be perfectly safe where they are."

"I suppose," Kaden conceded with another, weaker shrug.

Zareil frowned a little, but she didn't ask any questions. "Let's sleep. We can talk more when we wake up." Kaden nodded a little and moved to lay down. Zareil shifted to lay beside him, attempting to snake an arm under him to hold him close. Kaden just curled up a little (as he always did when sleeping) and closed his eyes. Zareil curled around him and held him. She was glad he was here, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't want to be. It bothered her… a lot. I really hope you're not hiding anything from me.

~保護者~

Blood and gore was how most of her life went, so it went without saying that she found a way to get involved in it once more. In most cases, the metallic taste of blood was welcome. It left her with more of a desire to tear things apart and fueled her bloodlust.

Her hands wrapped around the head of a demon and she split it's skull in two, revelling in the way blood spilled onto her skin. She used the body as a weapon, battering other demons that challenged her into a pulp.

Even as some of the stronger demons raged toward her, Tempest didn't back down. They all received the same treatment, the same fate. When she decided she'd had enough, a hellish explosion of Storm magic destroyed enough of them for her to simply teleport away.

Tempest landed on some uninhabited planet, brushing some of the gore off her body with her hands, walking along to a lonesome home. It was quiet here, and Tempest liked that. Nobody to bother her as she walked in and headed for the shower. As much as she enjoyed being covered in the maimed bodies of enemies, she didn't like the blood coagulating. A push of her magic, and she was doused in water, washing the remains from herself.

She always liked the way water ran off her body and jewelry, forming into varying streams of blackish-reds. Her necklace glowed in response to the blood and water flowing over it, and she had to remind herself to take it off.

All of Tempest's jewelry was magical. Never once would she make something that couldn't also be used in a fight. Even Ylden's necklace was magical. The necklace in particular responded specifically to her magic. If it went off, well, it would be entirely possible for this home to be blown off the planet. She'd rather that not be how she lost a home.

Now that she felt clean enough, Tempest chose to begin drying herself off with another bout of magic. It was far easier in her opinion than any traditional method she'd tried, though it was far colder. After that, it was time to go again. She had a feeling that something was coming, and as such her body tensed. Still, she needed to rest as well, if only because she'd been expending so much energy lately fighting. As such, she decided to go to Calypso's home. It was time to sleep.

~保護者~

Gerald had been reviewing the information collected by his robot and subsequently watching over the one mirror that was currently left to monitor the vampires. It was Ryint's, the one he was told was mainly skilled in physical matters. Ghune and Akol had noticed theirs and destroyed them at some point.

That wasn't concerning enough to care about. The robot had performed well, though it hadn't succeeded in killing anyone. It put the heroes in a dangerous situation and survived for another day. That would do. It seemed the robot really couldn't do much when faced with magic other than protecting itself, which he'd predicted, but it didn't have a single defense against the radiation power Tails had used.

He wasn't sure what he could do to offset damage from either of those sources. Making that sort of tech would be bulky and hard to implement into something like what he'd built. He didn't want to attempt right now, especially since the robot might surprise him and come up with something on its own.

Sometime shortly after this thought crossed his mind, Nareish appeared close by on the ARK and began walking toward the room he was in. She didn't bother hiding her presence from the many security cameras, thus giving him plenty of warning (for once) that she was coming. As such, her arrival into the room couldn't have been said to be surprising or unexpected at that point. "I hear your robot performed acceptably on its first test," she said by way of greeting. "Although, I did also hear that one of Sonic's allies managed to succeed in causing it damage. Quite an unusual show of force from that fox, I must say."

"Which? The one with twin tails, or the other?" Gerald questioned, taking his attention away from the monitors to look at her.

"The one with two tails," Nareish said. "The woman did not make much of an impression on me, I fear."

"I would agree, though I was not under the impression she had any form of strength. She launched a lead ball at least thirteen times faster than she should have been able to," Gerald replied.

"Mm, that is true. Although I will say that it was far from enough to garner my interest." Nareish shrugged. "She did not utilize the power well and was immediately harmed. Her lack of battle prowess makes her boring to me, I'm afraid."

"In return, it seems that magic and unusual powers are something the robot cannot handle as it stands," Gerald said. "I do not know if it could encounter them safely another time."

"If fighting them is what you desire, then I will shield it," Nareish told him. "I will take great enjoyment from your robot wreaking further havoc."

"How much could you shield it?" Gerald asked further. "Others have now noticed what happened. They are being watched over."

"Indeed they are," she agreed. "I can shield it more than enough to prevent any further damage by beings such as them."

Gerald thought this over for a moment. "I have the robot under inspection at the moment to ensure the radiation did not ruin it. I will make a decision shortly."

"Understood. In the meantime, I do have a question for you." Nareish conjured up an orb of energy in her hand that showed an image of a common Black Arms type. "This small creature was the only Black Arms you ever managed to get your hands on, correct? The rest, including their leader, were only observed from afar."

"Correct," Gerald answered. "Why do you ask?"

"You seek to perfect your weapon, do you not?" Nareish smiled, allowing the orb to vanish. "And your weapon takes very closely after those beasts in many ways. Ways you had no way of fully understanding in the distant past."

"This is true," Gerald replied.

"I have a proposition, then. If you would be so inclined to learn, I can gather subjects for you to work on." Her smile grew. "Of course, I would keep them alive and restrained so that you may do as you wish to them."

The man thought this through before saying, "I see no reason to not take you up on this offer."

"Very well. I will see to it that different types are gathered and transported here for you, then." She crossed her arms, thinking, then suddenly gained a much more visible and devious smile. "For that matter… it would certainly be possible to do the same with Shadow's father as well. I imagine you would get the most useful intel from him."

"That would also garner a lot of extra attention, would it not?" Gerald asked.

"Indeed it would. But I would not leave you undefended, Gerald. Now that I am familiar with all of Sonic's allies, I can plan accordingly with ease."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed. But I will not do so if it is not what you wish for."

"I would certainly appreciate the defense. It is… growing increasingly obvious that I may not be able to defend myself fully," Gerald admitted.

"Very well, then. I will deal with that promptly." She canted her head very slightly. "And what of Black Doom? What is your decision there?"

"If you are able, then do it," Gerald answered.

"Understood. I will return with your new captives momentarily." Nareish smirked. "For now, I will deposit them all in the large empty room I discovered near this one. From there, do whatever you wish with them." She promptly vanished.

Gerald nodded slowly, returning his attention to the monitors. I foresee this somehow going south, but in the end I will live and my work will continue... so long as Nareish wishes to keep me.

~保護者~

Ghune was in her room, poring over various papers on a table. Her bed and furnishings had been whisked away to make space for her plans. She also expected Black Doom to visit, as she had so 'politely' requested, so for once she chose to wear something that wasn't a robe and dressed more simply. This meant that she was wearing her leather armor instead.

With that mirror that had been watching over her gone, she was free to make her plans without being compromised. It was another reason to get involved. Some time into this process, Ghune could sense someone approaching her room, so she stood up straighter and glanced to the doorway, watching for the visitor to appear.

Black Doom faded into view shortly thereafter, glancing about in silence as he did so. After having been dead for so long, everything was new and different to him. That caused it all to hold his attention to some degree, though not so much that he became unaware of anything else. Once he was close enough to speak without having to raise his voice, he said, "I came as you requested, Ghune, but I stand by what I said before. My kind will be of little use to anyone in organized warfare."

"We don't need organized warfare," Ghune murmured. "Leave that to my people. We are mages, warriors, and so much more. If your people are involved, the fight is intended to be a bloody mess of torn limbs and organs." He made a vague sound of understanding, offering no words. Ghune pushed a paper toward him, listing a variety of types of spells, labeled under categories such as 'defensive' and 'offensive'. "Do you think I have been thorough enough? I worry I missed something."

Black Doom blinked and took the paper. Unlike most of his kind, he actually knew how to read and so the information the page contained wasn't lost on him. "I believe it is fine," he soon said, handing it back.

Ghune nodded slowly, taking the page back. "I see. That tells me everything I need to know," the vampire murmured, beginning to write away on it. "You have changed a lot."

He frowned and retorted, "I have not."

"You are unaware?" Ghune questioned.

He just kept frowning at her for the moment, only for something to abruptly click. "You are basing this off of how I was closer to the beginning of time, prior to Shadow's birth," he realized aloud.

Ghune nodded again. "Correct. You have changed since. In a way, I miss that side of you." She chuckled a little. "You're easier to talk to now, however."

"The constant violence and hatred had to change for his sake," was the simple reply. "There are times when it is still warranted, but that could not continue to always be the case."

"So I see," Ghune said. "It seems we've both changed for the better, then." Black Doom executed a noncommittal shrug in reply. "You certainly remember my violent streak, I am sure."

"That would be rather difficult to forget."

"Good," Ghune murmured. "I would have been disappointed had you forgotten."

Black Doom huffed at her. "I frankly doubt that I could have."

Ghune chose to change the subject. "How much of this place did you see before coming into my room?"

"I viewed some of the city from above, then phased into this building," Black Doom answered. "I did not look at much."

"Mm." Ghune stood, her armor seamlessly shifting into her robe. "I wish to take a short break. Follow me." Without waiting for his reply, she left the room and began walking. He followed after her silently, idly glancing about all the while as he'd done when coming in. She spent the next several minutes showing him around the castle they were in, explaining how this place had come to be a safe haven for other vampires. In doing so, she also showed the multitudes of families living within, and how comfortable and safe they were here. A rare expression of pride and happiness showed in her eyes as she gave him this tour.

The whole time she did this, Black Doom listened without interrupting or questioning her. That he was interested in what she was saying was clear, given that he would have stopped listening early on otherwise. Once she finished, she took him out to the courtyard, exerting her presence in such a way that everyone understood to give them plenty of space. They all followed suit. "What do you think?" she questioned.

"It has progressed immensely since the last time I saw it," Black Doom murmured, still looking around. "It is impressive."

"I am pleased to hear this," Ghune said softly. "I take great pride in my care of my people."

"As you always have," he acknowledged. Black Doom was quiet for a short time before sighing and saying, "I should have taken Shadow here when he was young. It would have been good for him to spend time in a place such as this, not just within the hive."

Ghune shrugged. "We all have decisions we wish we did not make in the past. I find it best not to focus on them."

"Has he any interest in coming here now that he has met you?" he inquired, more out of curiosity than anything else.

"I believe he does," Ghune answered. "He has been busy, and laden with a future spawn. The time is not yet right for him to come. He did say he would like to some day." Black Doom nodded his understanding. The woman took a moment to take a long, deep breath. "What do you think of his current situation?"

"I am not overly concerned about the vampirism," Black Doom said, "considering the fact that he has been adapting well enough. But with the spawn… I cannot pretend to not be troubled. Blood should never be forced on any Black Arms. To say that the fact he suffered such a violation makes me angry would be a vast understatement."

Ghune nodded. "It infuriates me that suchva thing would be forced on him, even ignoring the method. It remains that he was forced to carry a child without warning, and I daresay he didn't consent to such."

"From what I understand of the situation, neither he nor his mate did," Black Doom answered. "I do not fault them for choosing to keep the spawn, but that does not mean it is not impacting either of them."

She agreed, that went without saying. "One of the children bears an illness. One already living. I am working on a cure. I was given new information on how to handle it, potentially. It only affects a certain type of Black Arms hybrid. She was an unfortunate one."

"Keep me informed as you are able," he said. "I can do nothing to help, but I do not want to be kept in the dark."

Ghune frowned softly. "I intend to, though this leaves me concerned."

"As it should," Black Doom told her. "I know little of this illness, only that it is a rapid killer. It claimed many lives before Shadow was created. He was the only child to survive aboard the rotund man's spacecraft."

The woman glanced over, a hateful expression flaring to life on her face. "What?" she demanded.

Black Doom was looking away, gaze distant as memories filled his vision. "When Shadow was still a baby, there was an incident where Gerald managed to steal him away. I located the man's spacecraft and stormed it in search of my son. In the process, I found the discarded bodies of many other… 'experiments', as the man called them. They had all died of illness. The stink of it was all over them. Almost none were older than perhaps an hour."

The people who had merely given them space were now rapidly leaving the area as Ghune bared her fangs. She refused to speak, wholly aware that doing so might cause her to abandon what control over herself she still had. Some would consider it a miracle that she retained control to begin with, even more so as she slowly composed herself once more and bit out, "That insolent bastard, tampering with the cycles of life and death and showing no care for the consequences of what he has wrought upon beings he brought into life!"

Her speech slipped into another language entirely, magic threatening to respond to what was almost the incantation of a spell. She soon returned to the universal language, brushing off her robe in an effort to calm herself down further. It seemed to be working, somehow. "Given the chance, I will torture him to death in the slowest and most painful way possible."

"Indeed," was the dark reply.

"In other news, I have also learned of a Light being that managed to learn much of my kind's magics. I am unsure how they managed such a feat," Ghune murmured, changing the subject. "I doubt they could have ever used any of it, however. It would be nothing more than knowledge for them."

"No Light user seeks out dark magics," Black Doom frowned. "That is not their way."

Ghune shrugged. "It is the truth."

"It is not normal," he answered.

"I did not say it was," Ghune agreed. "I am confused as well."

"How did you discover such a thing?"

Ghune crossed her arms. "Shadow came into possession of notes that simply reeked of being handled by a being of Light. The scent was not particularly strong, so either it was old, or the being is… weak."

His frown deepened. "Weak Light… Such a thing has not been witnessed since roughly the fourth generation of Immortals."

"Yet, the notes are not of such an age," Ghune countered. "There is hardly the capability for them to be that old. I estimate them to be far younger, with how varied they are. They cover magics that were discovered during the twelfth generation of Immortals."

Black Doom crossed his own arms in thought. "The generation of the hawk Shadow is allied with, then," he murmured. "I am not aware of anyone in their company who has such weak Light."

She thought this over. I had not thought of the possibility of an ally. "I may have a lead, thanks to you." He tossed her a somewhat quizzical look. "I was made aware of at least three beings of Light within the midst of Shadow's allies in a recent battle I took part in. One… she is far too strong to be the source, but I did not investigate the others. I will start there once I am given time to search." After a short pause, he nodded his understanding. Ghune decided once more to change the subject. "On the matter of us, what is your position?"

The quizzical look deepened to a degree. "'Us'?" he echoed, uncertain as to her meaning. It could be taken a couple very different ways, after all.

"There was a time where we appeared to feel a certain way about one another," Ghune said. "I know times have changed, we have changed, and our circumstances have changed, but I wanted to know how you feel about it." He managed to hold her gaze for only a moment before abruptly looking away. The reminder had caught him off-guard and he wasn't sure what to do about her very correct assumption. "If you do not have an answer, I will give you five days to think on the matter. I believe something will happen in that time, and you will be given the chance to freely consider your thoughts."

"Dret'a vei'han," Black Doom muttered in his native tongue before saying, "These are not things I know how to discuss. You know this." His answer stemmed, in large part, from his language and culture. There weren't words for love and only so many ways to act on feelings of endearment or more. This was all foreign territory and it left him at a loss.

Ghune stepped away from him, glancing back with a smile. "I am aware. You need not discuss. Simply make your choice. If this is not something you wish for, I will more than happily respect it." She thought for a moment before adding, "I understand you will be unable to give a direct answer, but if you approach I will understand."

He muttered a few untranslatable things in his language before doing as she'd asked and giving the matter some thought. Eventually, he forced himself to swallow his uncharacteristic hesitation and floated somewhat closer to her. An almost imperceptible small smile broke onto her face and she began walking back toward the castle. He began to follow after a short delay. "Understood." Ghune tossed an object back over her shoulder to him. "Use this any time you wish to speak to me. You'll see its usefulness."

Black Doom caught it in a hand and nodded. "Very well."

A thought came to mind, but she chose not to ask. It was rather soon after all, Ghune decided. "If I do not answer, know I am working on something." He nodded again. She continued moving, adding one more thing. "If you wish to return home, I would not blame you, but you can stay here as well. You are welcome here, and you have permission to venture anywhere you wish."

"What will you do?" he asked her.

"I must resume planning," Ghune murmured. "Your presence was a welcome distraction."

After tucking the object he'd caught into his tattered robe, Black Doom murmured his understanding before saying, "I must return home. The hive is still somewhat in a state of chaos after all the revivals, though things have calmed immensely by now."

"I figured such was inevitable. I must say it is good to see your kind return, however," Ghune answered.

He inclined his head. "T'chalik is of the same opinion, and was unusually vocal about it."

Ghune chuckled. "I see."

That reminded him of something, which prompted an explanation. "He knows, at least in part, what happened to our kind that initially set us on the road toward extinction."

"Continue," Ghune replied, looking back at him. "Mark me curious."

"The Night embarked on an entirely unprovoked hunt through the hive," Black Doom muttered. "T'chalik says untold thousands were lost during that time, and he was among those who wound up dead."

Ghune frowned deeply. "I do not understand why it would do so."

"Nor does anyone else I have spoken to," Black Doom began with a deep frown, "but… one piece of information was consistent from those who survived long enough around the creature to hear. It was searching for my son. He was not there, and it lashed out further as a result."

"Why would it care about him?" Ghune pressed.

"I don't know. Anything it has an interest in, it does so for reasons that are never remotely benign. That is among the only things I know about the beast. We may live at the edge of this realm and its own, but we have not ever had contact with it."

Ghune frowned. "I will attempt my own research to deduce that reasoning once the child is safe."

That was something he could certainly agree to. "Very well."

"I am surprised you did not warn me about meddling in something to do with Malevolence itself. Most would have," Ghune chuckled.

"I could not have convinced you otherwise no matter what I tried," he huffed. "It would have been a fruitless effort and we both would have wound up annoyed, if nothing else."

"Ah, so you remember," Ghune teased slightly. "Glad to know I have made an impression."

"And no small one, at that," was the unusually mild reply.

Ghune rolled her eyes. "I leave large impressions, always." He bared his sharp teeth for a second in a vaguely teasing manner before deciding it was likely time to leave. He'd kept her here long enough. She returned the display without hesitation before waving and vanishing.

Black Doom likewise vanished, reappearing in the hive's dark core where he personally resided. However, no sooner than he'd arrived, violent energies encased his wrists and wrenched them behind his back. With no legs to speak of, he wasn't otherwise restrained. Still, it was enough. The moment that energy touched him, he felt his powers sealed away. He barely had time to let out a curse before he was whisked away and dumped into a bright room.

About half a minute later, Gerald walked into the room and looked directly at Black Doom. "It's been quite some time, yes?" A furious growl erupted forth from the alien, sharp teeth baring hatefully. "I don't believe that type of behavior will get us anywhere. How about you use the words I know your intelligence allows, or should I treat you like the beast you are?"

Dark eyes quite literally aglow with rage, Black Doom cursed him in his native language. He didn't do Gerald the favor of translating. "In that case, you will be treated like a caged animal. I will prepare for such. Now, onto business. You're going to help me perfect my weapon."

"I will do nothing for you," Black Doom snarled.

"You're mistaken," Gerald said. "I don't need your cooperation. I need your body."

Another snarl escaped, but whatever further response Black Doom might have given was cut short when he suddenly saw other Black Arms appearing with similar restraints. One of every type appeared in short order, more than filling the room even with many individuals dumped uncomfortably on top of one another. There were many subjects for Gerald to choose from.

Gerald looked over them all before murmuring, "Just to note, the further along this goes, the more pain you will be in. You will suffer, and I will have revenge for what you did to me all those years ago. Is that understood?"

One of the more bestial, airborne creatures with leathery wings opened its mouth and let out a jarring shriek that rattled the walls. Other creatures followed suit with howls and screams and other horrendous sounds. The cacophony continued long enough to send cracks splitting along the floor, walls, and ceiling before Black Doom snapped, "Silence!" Just like that, it stopped, and he directed his attention back to Gerald. "You believe yourself to have more power than you do. It will spell your end."

The man watched Black Doom with vaguely irritated eyes. "Is that so?"

"The past speaks to the future," the other man muttered. "What happened before will come again. You brought about your own demise once. You will not escape that fate this time, either."

"Perhaps if that is true, then I should take you down with me," Gerald bit out. "I am tired of being told this."

"You tire of reality? Pathetic. Pretending I am wrong will not aid you in avoiding it." As Black Doom spoke, several creatures chittered and rumbled with what almost seemed to be dark laughter. "You are welcome to try to end my life. I will not die as easily as filth like you."

"We will see, now won't we?" Gerald asked, a wicked grin on his face. "I do so wish to test the limits of your life." He earned himself another growl, nothing more. This gained no response from the old man, who simply began moving the Black Arms kept captive here to where he needed them. He had experiments to do.

~保護者~

11,460 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support, and happy holidays to you all. Posted (at about 11:30 a.m.) 12-23-21.