Author's Notes

I don't really know what to write here... there's no reviews to answer, no-one new has followed or favorited the story. So, I guess I won't take any more of your time. On with the story!

Oh, and sorry it's a little late.

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3rd Person POV

Obscured shapes sat around a burnt spot in their shelter. The cave was lined with netherrack and colestone, its entrance dark as the moon rose higher into the sky. It wasn't full, nowhere near it. Tonight there was no brightness other than that of the stars, the new moon hanging almost invisibly on the sky.

An armored monster revealed itself, getting up from its croutch at the edge of the small cave. It placed a hand on the cobblestone forming their shelter's entrance. "Almost," it reported. The fiend's voice was hideously bubbly and nasal.

A wither skeleton clad in black armor stood and walked up to the pigmen. "Indeed."

A woman raised her head. She wore tattered maroon clothes, had filthy red hair, and displayed a grimace. "How much longer? You said it would happen last night, and yet here we are again."

A second wither skeleton wade his way over, towering above the cross-legged woman. "Do not question us, blaze. The only reason we have not fed you to the troops is that our leader deemed you of competence."

The dark-haired woman huffed, turning away without answering. Unnatural light began a slow crawl into the cave, bright and dark at the same time, as if it carried a shadow within. The pigman at the entrance squealed, and the other monsters rose to their feet with a clatter of armor and bones.

"It is time," the first wither skeleton said in expectation.

The second one nodded, standing at the ready before the burnt spot in the cave. He roughly pulled the woman to her feet, ignoring the complaints and threats that came after. The strange beam wandered further into the cave as the new moon rose. The monster's and the woman stood in absolute silence.

The not-light touched burnt ground, and the sound of falling sand followed. Black dust seemed to flow from the beam as it consumed the darkened area. It circled, lazily at first, before picking up speed. The black dust was lit aflame by an invisible force, creating a light-consuming inferno. The spectacle singed its bystanders, but most gave no notice.

The beam retreated slowly from the scene, and the burning dust followed. Lying on the newly-burnt ground was a pale shape, clad in a black jacket and grey jeans. A frown twisted its lips, and the demon slowly rose. Opening jet-black eyes for the first and umpteenth time, it looked around. The monsters waited, some nervous of what could happen.

The demon rolled its shoulders, giving them all a smile. It carried poison and malice, even if that wasn't the being's intention. Its bystanders let out cheers. Or rather, squeals, hisses, roars and rattles. The wither skeletons took a bow.

"Welcome back, my liege," one said.

"Thank you for carrying out my instructions, general," was the demon's only acknowledgement. It looked around at the small cave. "Is this all that's left of my armada?"

"No, my lord," the other skeleton answered. "The rest awaits for you in the nether. We have built a portal just outside your spawning cave."

The demon smiled. "Perfect. Let's go see how much we have to work with."

All the monsters bowed before exiting the cramped space orderly. The woman stayed behind, watching the demon. It stared back, unimpressed. "Trudy."

The woman gave a small bow. "My liege," she answered curtly.

Rolling his eyes, the demon walked after his troops. "Come along."

The blaze woman did just that, following the unholy spawn out of its cave and through a black-framed purple sheen.

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Thomas' POV

We spent the rest of yesterday, after visiting Stocks, settling into Javer's house. With the help of Nadir and Harris, we moved J's bed back in place and made one for me. It wasn't as good as I remember the ones back at our valley home being, or the ones at Veridon. That was probably due to the fact that it was filled with straw bundled in cheap cloth rather than quality spider silk.

After that, the alchemist-in-training and I went off to have dinner with Sophie and the Healer at his house. We spoke in between bites of mutton roast (which awoke memories of a certain endergirl) about many subjects. "And how have you been doing?" I asked at one point.

The elder looked out of the corner of his eyes without turning away. "You know it's never been easy, Thomas. But we've managed, with varying degrees of dependence on wandering traders." He took another bite of the roast.

I frowned. "But... we- you, have grown your own food since forever. You have the orchard, and the mines."

"We've closed off most of the mineshafts," Sophie informed. "They wore down. It was too dangerous to send people in. And so far, nobody has wanted to dig new ones."

"Plus," the Healer added grimly, "there's something malignant in the orchard."

Javer almost choked on his drink. "Really?" he croaked.

Sophie nodded. "The Healer doesn't know for sure what it is, but nobody wants to go there and find out."

Her words sent a chill down my spine, and yet I was intrigued by what could be stopping the village from gathering resources. My friend's eyes flicked over to me, widening a little. "No you will not," she said firmly.

I blinked. "What?"

"I know that look too well, Thomas," she answered. "We only just got you back. You are not going into the orchard under any circumstances. Tell him, Healer."

The elder tried to hide amusement with only partial success. "I'm no longer his leader, child. He can go wherever he wants." The elder then turned to me. "But she is right. Stay with us awhile, and keep away from the orchard. I fear that whatever lives there is more dangerous that any monster."

I woke up lying on the edge of the uncomfortable, scratchy bed. Javer was sprawled all over his own, muttering something in his sleep. It was a little past dawn, with warm golden sunlight bathing us through the window. I got up and stretched, still feeling groggy. Wandering over to the glass opening, I placed my forearms on its windowsill and watched the rising sun.

The village looked peaceful from here. Only the grass and flowers surrounding every home waved. Nobody stirred in their houses. Smiling, I opened the door and stepped out. Wind caressed my face gently, warmth flooding my being. I liked this. Just standing here by myself, bathed in morning sunlight and dew, only accompanied by the elements.

A couple hours flew by with me simply enjoying the morning spectacle. One by one, everyone got up and out of their homes to start the day. Sophie emerged from the house where she and her family lived, walking over when she caught sight of me. "Morning."

I smiled. "Good morning."

"Where's Javer?" she asked, leaning against the wall beside me.

I tapped the window gently. "Knocked out cold. I calculate two more hours until he wakes by himself."

Sophie snickered. "Was he muttering potion recipes in his sleep again?"

"He was muttering something," I answered.

The blonde shook her head. "Then he'll probably be sleeping another three hours before he wakes up."

I peeked inside. The alchemist-in-training was dangling precariously from the edge of his bed. "It'd be a shame if someone were to wake the sleeping beauty," I murmured mischeviously.

Sophie smiled, her blue eyes twinkling as she walking around me and up to the door. Flashing me an evil little grin, she kicked it open. "Wake up, sleepy-head!"

Javer practically jumped, his eyes opening widely. "What th-" his words were drowned out by an 'oomph' as he hit the floor on his side. Our friend let out a groan, the sound only rivaled by Sophie's giggling.

I stepped into the house, smiling. "Doesn't this awaken old memories, J?"

The alchemist-in-training huffed, rolling onto his back. "And old wounds..." he muttered. I chuckled, bending down to help him up. "Thanks," he gasped. "Good morning to the both of you, devils."

Sophie released a happy exhale, getting over her giggling fit. "Come on, guys. Miron told me yesterday that he wanted to see you."

Javer rolled his eyes. "That kook probably just wants to ask if we found any gold on the way here, knowing him."

Sophie shrugged. "Well, you are still his apprentice, so..."

The alchemist-in-training huffed, following the blonde out the door. We walked to the center of the village, greeting early risers on our way to Miron's place. Javer knocked on the door three times, taking a step back. Several clicks signified the turning of locks on the inside, and seconds later the door swung outwards.

A man of average height stood there with a smile. He had a head of dark-grey, gold-framed goggles with red glass wrapped around his head—shielding his eyes from, presumably, failed experiments—and a satchel hung across from one shoulder to his hip. Over a green long-sleeve shirt with yellow trim, he wore a dark brown vest. To wrap up, he had simple beige pants and muddy boots.

Miron raised his goggles to rest on his forehead, revealing emerald eyes that had more than a tinge of crazy in them. "Good morning, all! I'd invite you in, but that'd be terribly hazardous to your health, yes, let me just step out."

Taking off and throwing his satchel inside, the alchemist shut his door behind him. I caught a short glimpse of the little house's interior, but all I saw were creepy green lanterns giving the only room a dark and gloomy shade. Javer nodded. "Morning, teach."

Sophie and I repeated his message, with even less enthusiasm. "It's nice to meet you again, sir," I added.

The strange man nodded. "Likewise, young man. I wanted to see you with my own eyes. Sophie told me that you were busy yesterday, so I waited until now to witness such a miracle."

The man poked me a little, walking in circles. "How did you do it, Javer?" he asked after a moment. "How did you bring him back? Did you find another totem? Is he undead?"

Our friend chuckled. "No, sir, he's not a zombie, nor did I use another totem. All I did was follow his instructions. 'Gather the sun'."

Miron frowned, examining me. I remembered now why I didn't like spending time with the crazy alchemist. "And how did you gather it? I've never taught you such a thing."

"You didn't, teach," Javer agreed. "I learned it from a book I got off a wandering trader."

The alchemist's eyes gleamed a little. "Could I perhaps borrow the book?"

"Sadly, no," his student answered. "I lost it while looking for Thomas. I'll explain how everything happened, if you want."

Miron looked over his shoulder, back into his house. "That would be much appreciated, but not here. Shall we visit the library, then?"

Javer nodded, turning to us. "You guys can go ahead and do something, alright? I'll catch up with you once we're done."

I knew Javer still had the book somewhere in his house. The alchemist-in-training had shown it to me twice so far. Once in the taiga, when I woke up, and again during our journey here. I wondered why he kept it hidden from his teacher, but decided to ask later. "Alright. Have fun retelling the story, I guess."

"Yeah," Sophie added. "Bye, J. Bye, Miron."

"Good day to you both," the alchemist answered. He turned around, with Javer tailing him. "Come along now, then. Tell me everything."

Sophie and I walked in the opposite direction. "So..." I began. "What do you want to do?"

The blonde made a face. It was very common for her features to take this form; tilted frown, hand leading a strand of yellow hair to her lips, blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully. She looked pretty cute whenever she made that weird face. "I'm not sure... we could see if the Healer needs any help."

I nudged her. "Come on. The Sophie I remember wanted to go explore every inch of this world. She used to be so much fun. What happened to her?"

Sophie hummed. "It was pretty traumatizing to watch a friend die and then turn to dust. I guess that spooked old Sophie away."

Guilt stabbed at my heart. "Sorry," I muttered.

My friend smiled. It was a sad little thing. "Don't worry about it. That's in the past. What matters is that you're back."

'Not for long', I thought to myself. The guilt carved a deeper hole inside me. What would she think when I told her me and Javer would leave the village? Would she want to come with us? Would she hate me? "Yeah," I muttered.

Sophie noticed something was off, but she didn't press it. "So, then, if you want to do something fun..." she made the face again, this time holding her left elbow with her right hand, tapping it lightly. A smile crawled onto her face. "I know something we could do."

I smiled back. "Lead the way."

We turned left, walking all the way out of the village. We were heading west, through the dense forest lining that end. I tripped multiple times, but Sophie tread swiftly over and around underbrush, indicating that she passed by often. After getting stuck in a rosebush and then stumbling on a vine wrapped around my foot, we finally broke through.

What lay in front of us was beautiful. Wide plains stretched further than the horizon, waving politely at us. Sunflowers and tall bushes nodded in our direction, along with the knee-high grass. Clouds chased each other far above, concealing the sun in their playful game of tag. I don't remember even our valley looking this magestic and large.

Sophie placed her hands on her hips, a proud smile brightening her features. "What do you think?"

I blinked, felling my jaw drop. "It's amazing," I breathed.

She took my hand, leading me further into the plains. I could see a grand mountain range to our right, but there was seemingly nothing in front of us. As if the world stopped there. Once we neared, I noticed that my assumption was not that far from the truth. The world did sort of end, in a tall cliff overlooking a massive ocean.

Sophie took me close to the edge, but still a safe distance away. I gave it another look around. The cliffs curved towards the ocean in the direction of the mountain range. In the opposite direction, they began a lazy descent towards the water, ending in pristine yellow sands. The entirety of it was most likely ten kilometers long. The water below crashed into the cliffs, an exhausted, calming motion that had probably been going on since forever.

"How often do you come here?" I asked Sophie absently.

"As often as I can," she murmured, seemingly in the same trance.

We stood there for a long while. At some point, I noticed that we were still holding hands. I let go sheepishly, pretending to be interested in a rock on the floor. I bent to pick it up, avoiding Sophie's puzzled gaze. "Now what?" I asked her, hoping the slight blush on my cheeks wasn't noticeable.

Sophie shrugged, staring back at the water. "Sometimes I just come here and sit down. I read here, too. It's just a lovely, peaceful spot to rest."

I nodded, enjoying the view once more. "Have you ever been down there?" I asked, nodding at the beach in the distance."

"Once," my friend answered. "I was curious. It's a pretty little spot too. There's turtles and dolphins near the shore, plus a coral reef far into the water."

"Wow," was my only response to the beautiful image her words conjured.

Sophie smirked after a while. "Dare you to jump."

My head snapped in her direction, an incredulous smile taking place. "What?"

"Dare you to jump," she repeated.

I peeked over the edge. It would be like falling from the top of our tallest mountain in the valley onto the plains below. Swallowing, I took a few steps back. Such a fall was surviveable, surely? Plus there was water at the bottom. I'd probably be alright-

Sophie yanked me further away from the edge, one hand covering her mouth. "Don't actually do it!" she said, mildly alarmed.

I blinked at her, taking another step back. "Oh."

"I forgot you and Javer are complete boneheads," she added with a melodic laugh.

"Bonehead yourself," I said playfully. "Who believed Javer when he said the potion was 'completly harmless' that one time?"

"Oh yeah? Who almost took a flying leap off the cliff?" she countered.

I hummed, defeated. "Truce?"

Sophie suppressed a giggle. "Sure."

"Let's make fun of Javer instead," I offered.

My friend shook her head with a smile. Yellow curls bounced at the motion. "Alright, then. Remember when Miron used him as a guinea pig for that swiftness potion?"

I smiled at the pleasant memory. "He kept tripping on himself. He couldn't even take a single step without falling over!"

Sophie nodded, giggling. "And when he started making his own potions, how he almost burnt his house down?"

This time I laughed, remembering our friend's terrified face, running around and dumping water buckets on the flames. "Or when we searched the jungle temple, and that he triggered every single trap?"

"Oh, lords!" Sophie exclaimed, smiling widely. "I thought that clutz would get us killed for sure!"

We kept laughing together, until we ran out of tales to remember. We were all laughed out, sitting at the cliff's edge, smiling faintly at the horizon. "I wonder if Miron's finished with J," I asked her.

Sophie turned to me. "Wanna go check?"

I nodded after a moment. "Yeah. And we could find something else to do."

My friend got up slowly. "Alright. Let's go get him, then."

Something caught my eye as I stood up. Standing proudly despite its current state was a grey tulip. Its leaves had holes in them, and its petals were bent out of shape, as if an insect or something had bullied it. The sight reminded me of her. "Wait, Sophie!" I called.

My friend turned, curious. I signaled for her to give me a second, bending down to unearth the flower. I held it up with a mound of dirt, its pale roots poking out here and there. Careful so as to not damage it, I walked over to Sophie. "Do you know where I could find a flowerpot around here?" I asked.

Sophie sighed, amusement in her features. "We'll have to go back through the forest."

I remembered the treacherous underbrush, suddenly fearing for the tulip's safety. I looked around to see what I could use to avoid the many horrible scenarios in my head.

Sophie must've seen the panic in my eyes, because a giggle escaped her. "Let me carry it," she offered.

"Thanks." Slowly and carefully, I transferred the precious flower from my hands into hers.

"Alright, let's go," she said once the operation was completed. I followed her into the forest, immediately tripping on a tree root.

I looked up at a giggling blonde, red and dirty in the face, infinitely thankful that I gave her the tulip.

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3rd Person POV

Miron walked into his house, quickly shutting the door behind him. The chat with his apprentice had only awaken further questions in the alchemist, but he knew that asking too many would arouse suspicion. So far, all he had learned was that the boy—Thomas— was some sort of spirit, and Javer had somehow brought his memories back, along with a very special ability.

The man brought out a piece of paper filled with barely comprehensible notes, adding more. A shape stirred in the corner, catching the alchemist's attention. "Miron," the shape began. "What did you learn from the boy?"

Miron turned back to his notes. "Not much, I'm afraid. Javer told me of a book, I assume from the ancients, that taught him to gather pure sunlight. But he no longer has it."

"According to what you saw," the shape said thoughtfully. "Sunlight means... gold."

Excitement tugged at the alchemist's lip slightly, translating into a vigorous nod. "Do you think he could be hiding the book from you?" the shape asked.

"I don't think so," Miron answered. "Javer has never hid something like this from me."

"And the other one?" the shape pressed. "What have you learned about him?"

"Javer told me that neither he nor Thomas know what else he could do," the alchemist answered. "All I know is what I saw that day."

"And even that is enough," the shape said, walking up behind Miron. "But it would be best if we knew the full extent of the potion your apprentice gave the boy, right? The potion that grants the golden touch."

Miron's fingers twitched. Oh what it would be like to turn everything you touch to gold, and at will... "We must find the book, Miron," the shape urged.

"Yes," the alchemist answered. His mind was running rampant with possibilities... "I'll make sure Javer isn't withholding it from us. If his words are true, then we will have to find another way."

"Approach the topic carefully," the shape advised, turning the alchemist over. The green eyes before him reflected the same craze as his own, although the man had no way to know. "We do not want to arouse suspicion."

"I'll tread lightly," Miron promised. "But I need some time to think about how I'll bring it up."

"Good," the shape whispered. "Then think. Quickly, Miron," it urged again. "We have it within our grasp."

"Golden touch," the alchemist agreed, mystified. "Don't worry. I'll find us the book. In the meantime, perhaps you should keep an eye on Thomas. In case he reveals anything new."

The shape sighed, rolling its emerald eyes. "Very well. I'll spy on the boy."

Dark-green smoke surrounded the shape, and yet its eyes did not vanish until later. The smoke carried it out the chimney and into the sky, before heading south towards the orchard. Miron watched, intrigued by his companion's abilities. Then he turned back to his notes, and started thinking.

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Adrian's POV

I took a look around, waiting for the rest of my patrol to finish up. We were patrolling the southern edge of the city, arguably the most dangerous section. Of course, crimes commited by mobs or foreigners were scarce. In reality, what all the patrols were for was to make sure no monsters got in from anywhere. And yet here we are, waiting for Bert to finish his burger.

The low crime rate in most mob cities was due to the fact that every street, alleyway, nook and cranny was lit. Even the wall, on both sides, had torches and redstone lights attached. People didn't feel all that comfortable doing wrong under the spotlight, which made everything that much safer. Except, of course, when monsters crawled in.

While such an occurrence was rare, the area with the most monster sightings was the southern edge. Yes, the streets were lit, but torchlight wasn't quite enough to keep the whole sector clear. The occasional zombie or spider got through from somewhere, but they were swiftly dealt with.

I straightened my armor, glaring at my patrol. "Are you simply going to stand there all night or are we going to get something done?"

Three of my men complained about Robert, who wolfed down the last bite of his burger, standing at attention. I kept the smile tugging at my lips from surfacing. "You done at last, soldier?" I asked him.

His response was a muffled 'sir, yes sir'. I signaled for the patrol to follow me, continuing our journey. The biggest reason they followed my lead was the fact that I just barely counted as older than them. The difference between nineteen and eighteen wasn't that great, and yet it kept them from arguing against my orders.

Sarah's leadership was completely different. The skeleton's patrol consisted of two people her age and two older, yet they wouldn't dare step out of line. I witnessed her training, and the way she treated her patrol. She barked orders, threw insults, worked them until their breathing was ragged, and never once gave them a chance to contradict her.

We kept wandering the streets, checking for dark areas where monsters could've sneaked in. So far, nothing. But it was never good to let your guard down, especially not on patrol. A few people whom we passed greeted us, mostly locals or friends. Everyone snickered when Bert's grandma walked by, stopping to chat with her grandson. I silenced them with a look.

Hours ticked by with no event. I could tell from the sag on their shoulders that my troops were exhausted. My armored feet were dragging on the ground as well, despite not wanting to admit it even to myself. I was about to call an order for us to go back home when somebody nearby screamed.

We were on edge instantly. My hand flew to the hilt of my broadsword as I pushed through the crowd in the direction of the scream. A woman held her child tightly, her face a mask of terror. Erupting from a sewer pipe were three drowned, crawling towards her. Reynolds and Gordon drew their bows, nocking an arrow in and pulling the string back.

I ran up to the family, sliding on my armor across the cobble street. Sword drawn, I struck the closest monster, cutting the head clean off its shoulders. Bowstrings 'thwup'ed, and two arrows lodged themselves in the second drowned's body, one in its chest and the other in its knee. Sadly, that wasn't enough to fell the monster completely.

The final drowned stood up. A menacing trident was held tightly in its blueish, blubbery hands. The monster roared, aiming the trident at me. Bert and Ford took up a battle stance at my side, confusing the threat for a second. A couple more arrows slowed it down further, giving me time to react. I left forward, aiming to stab the monster through the heart.

My attempt at a swift elimination was cut short as the crippled drowned grabbed hold of my ankle, making me land heavily on the floor. Pain shot from my chin to every nerve ending in my body. I suddenly regretted passing up on the more protective, dorky-looking helmets before leaving for the patrol. I flipped over, my head swimming, to defend myself.

A gruesome glowing maw pushed its way forward, wanting to claim my soul. I kicked out with my free limb, denting the monster's rotting skull. Out the corner of my vision, I saw Ford rushing forwards, presumably to deal with the armed drowned. Another arrow pierced the hideous head of the thing clutching at my foot. The flint arrowhead stuck out of an eye socket.

I kicked out a few more times, making the monster let out a bubbly growl. A final kick crushed its skull and set me free. I shook the twice-dead corpse off my foot, quickly getting up and taking my broadsword into my hands. Bert was locked with the tridented drowned, keeping it from a shape crumpled on the floor.

I shoved the monster back, finishing the battle by piercing it with my blade. Its throat gurgled for a moment before the glow in its eyes faded. I pushed the corpse away, turning to look at Bert. He was hunched over Ford, who lay grimacing on the street. Three circular wounds, equal distance apart, were carved into his chest, seeping blood.

I knelt beside them both, staring at Reynolds. "Get a medic, hurry!"

The man nodded, rushing off towards the closest Pod. I turned my attention back to the injured soldier. "Stay with us, Ford. We'll have you patched up in no time."

Ford let out a hoarse groan. "I don't know if that's fast enough, sir," he muttered.

I looked over my shoulder, relieved. "Fuck off with the drama. Reynolds is already coming back with a doctor. Just keep your eyes open, soldier."

The injured man craned his neck to see. Bert kept him from straining himself. Ford's breathing was ragged, but the amount of blood coming from his wounds wasn't entirely alarming. The medic dropped to his knees, opening a metal case with potions and bandages. Bert and I stood back, giving him room to work.

It took a few minutes, and then the medic let out a sigh. "He'll recover, eventually," he told us. "That trident pierced a lung twice, and I'm surprised it didn't pop his heart. It's a serious weapon if it tore through the armor."

I shot the item in question a glance before turning back to the medic. "He'll need to take medications for at least two weeks," he continued, "and that also means patrolling is not an option."

I huffed, nodding. A second medic was rushing over with a stretcher as I spoke. "Thank you."

Gordon was on his knees, comforting the woman and her child. Reynolds and I moved Ford carefully onto the stretcher. He picked up one end while I dealt with the other. "Alright, Ford," I muttered. "Let's get you home."

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I woke up late with an enourmous headache, smelling of rotting fish. I had my bedsheets cleaned, taking my time to choose between that and incineration, before taking a bath. Not a shower, I needed to relax after the beating me and my patrol received. Afterwards, I asked Jack for permission to just... do nothing. He agreed, thankfully, and I ordered my troops to take the day off.

The spider sisters came to visit shortly after. The young monarchs went out while Lila and I sat at the castle's dining room. She was talking to me about something, but all I registered was noise. All of a sudden, she stopped, taking my hand. I blinked grogginess away, turning to her.

Lila's maroon eyes looked up at mine, concern within their depth. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

I heaved a sigh, rubbing sleep from my eyes. No matter what I did, exhaustion wouldn't leave. "I almost lost one of my men last night," I muttered.

Her eyes widened slightly. "How?" Her voice resembled the gentle lapping of waves at shore.

"Monsters got in," I explained, rubbing the back of my neck. It had been aching for a while. "We killed them, but not without one of our guys getting hurt. We were lucky to have been so close to a Pod. He'll be alright, but I'm not doing too well."

"Were you hurt too?" the cave spider asked, pressing up against me.

"Sort of. I fell," I explained in embarrassment, gesturing to my chin.

Lila, in a rare show of... softness, kissed my jaw and hugged me in a comforting manner. I returned the gesture, a little stunned. "I'm going to make you this offer only once in both our lifetimes," she murmured quietly. "So don't waste it."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Yeah?"

Her cheeks turned bright red. "Do you want to..." the cave spider swallowed. "Snuggle?"

Hiding my amusement was crucial if I wanted the chance to accept. It took a great amount of willpower, but I managed. "I'd like to."

Lila nodded ever so slightly, standing up and taking my hand. "Alright," she whispered. "But not a word to anyone," the cave spider hissed in warning, bringing the old Lila back.

I smiled, making a gesture of zipping my lips closed before leading her back to my room.

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Author's Notes

I loved writing this one. I think it's my favorite so far. :D

Building up the spawning scene was awesome. I really enjoyed reading it back. What does his return mean for our heroes? What's he plotting now?

It's weird that a chapter named 'Demons' revolved mostly around peaceful settings and kindness.

Also, boom, first fight scene of the story! Sure, it's a little short, but it was most certainly fun to write.

And Adrian got his first section in... forever. I think he's only had a couple of POVs in the entirety of KOW, and they were mostly short surface things. I didn't like just having him as a hollow side-character, so I'll be giving him more time under the spotlight. :)

Anywho, hope you enjoyed. Thank you for your time and support, have an awesome day.

~ LeMafiaKreb