Pelvus found himself offering support and advice as a form of ships councillor, even Cryos coming to him to chat on occassion just to help the Icean King work through some of his own uncertainties after the crash that nearly killed Zera and Pyrus, and revealed Xerxes to be the former Emperor of Planet Fire and Pyrus' father, Magmus. Pelvus himself had suspected something amiss about the Ahr'aht from day one, seeing how effortlessly he had shapeshifted into an Icean, but had redirected and blatantly lied about turning into a Firian to avoid doing so. While none had outwardly said anything, Pelvus, Sternum and Femur had later spoken on their encounter that first day with Xerxes, and all three knew the Ahr'aht had been lying to them when asked about his Firian self.
He almost wanted to sing 'I told you so' at Sternum and Femur afterward, however quickly held his tongue when he realised just how distraught everyone had become after the crash and revelations of the day. Sternum and Femur had both filled him in afterward on the argument, or lack thereof, with Khilseith, who they realised now was definitely taking over the role of a Big Brother to Pyrus, the Ahr'aht now haunting the Aurora and often crossing paths with the dainty Bonean.
The day after Pyrus had awoken, the fifth day following the crash, Pelvus had been slated to visit with the Prince, nearly squealing in fright when he saw Pyrus sitting up in the bed. Samateus laughed from her spot in the chair next to Pyrus on his left, shaking her head lightly, realising that someone had forgotten to inform their personnel councillor.
"Sorry Pelvus, I guess we forgot to send out a notice for you. He's awake, doing better than we thought too." Samateus chuckled, grinning sheepishly at him as he padded inside, looking Pyrus over and clucking his tongue lightly.
"We'll need to get you some new clothes, much of what you were wearing when they brought you in were... ruined. Even the belt, however I believe Cinder had taken care of the items with that." Pelvus cautiously padded over, pausing briefly to offer a bow to Magmus/Xerxes, despite him being very much unconscious still. Pelvus then noticed Kemet, stiffening when a large crimson eye opened to regard him calmly before it closed again, Samateus laughing.
"Oh please, don't worry about this big lizard Pelvus, he's mainly here for show." Samateus moved to gently stroke the back of Kemet's neck, the draconian rumbling a light purr.
"I'll take your word for it..." Pelvus muttered, moving to take a seat in the chair to Pyrus' right, raising a brow that the cast was gone from Pyrus' right arm.
"Break was almost completely healed last night when they checked it, can't even tell now on the scans. Not sure what's up, maybe the nanites finally working like they're supposed to." Pyrus smirked, raising his hand and flexing his fingers gently, hissing and leaning back again, the upper half of the bed raised to a fourty-five degree angle, as he had tried to sit up normally without using his arms to support his weight. "Still can't do that I guess..." He groaned, wrapping his left arm over his abdomen. Pelvus watched him with concern, the bandages mostly gone from the Prince's midriff, showing criss-cross scarring all along his front from the crash and surgeries that saved his life. It almost appeared completely healed, as though it had been months, not only a handful of days.
"Be patient with yourself Pyrus, you were on some of the strongest painkillers only a few hours ago, there's still some in your system but you're probably going to need more before you're completely healed." Samateus chuckled, watching him with a smile.
"Yeah, I just want to get up and walk. I've been stuck here what, five days?"
"Ryme hasn't cleared you already, has he?" Pelvus asked incredulously, Pyrus drooping lightly.
"No, which is why you aren't getting out of that bed yet. Not on my watch." Samateus glared lightly, her smile betraying her seriousness. Kemet made a coughing noise, Samateus looking to him and laughing, feigning hurt. "You'd do that for him? You'd never do that for me."
"You never ask. Besides, I'm usually hiding in your shadow." Kemet then rose, grin never fading, as shadow enveloped his form and changed it, to a large black feline with iridescent crimson striping and scales instead of fur. He was easily large enough for Pyrus to ride, and yowled lightly at Samateus who sighed.
"He still needs clothes though." Pelvus helpfully reminded, Samateus laughing at the eye-roll from both Pyrus and Kemet.
"Are you sure? I mean, Icean garments are designed for our slender body type, we'd need to make a lot of adjustments to make it work." Virian walked down the hallway to the infirmary with Zera, who appeared well rested and almost glowed herself in her Firian garment. Zera laughed, nodding.
"I think it's only fitting, he gifted me this after all." Zera giggled, gasping and stopping dead in her tracks at the sight approaching them. Samateus with Pelvus, a large black scaled feline with iridescent crimson stripes -who Zera assumed was Kemet- carrying Pyrus, dressed in armour befitting a King and, despite still visibly being in a bit of pain, conversing with the two where he sat atop Kemet's back. While Pyrus did his best to hide his discomfort, he could never hide his smile and the visible brightening of his flame when he spotted Zera, sitting up a bit more, hands still before him on Kemet's shoulders to keep himself steady.
"Hey, we were going looking for you." Pyrus barely held his chuckle as Zera quickly shot over and hugged him, blushing despite herself, quickly backing up and apologising when he winced. "I'm okay, just still pretty sore."
"I see that, and here Ryme was saying he didn't expect you to be out and about for another week." Zera admonished, smiling at Samateus and Pelvus who smirked, Kemet making a low purring noise and chuffed once lightly, moving to lightly nose at Zera's arm. Zera gladly moved to stroke Kemet's head, Pyrus smiling and offering a sheepish shrug as best he could manage, stiffening briefly as he felt the motion pull at one of the sore spots on his abdomen.
"Looks like the nanites are having a delayed reaction, his arm went from having a ten percent fracture to nothing overnight. Either that, or the Maker is using the blade to help him out." Pelvus provided, elated to see Zera with a smile after the last few days following the crash. He had seen her barely moving from Pyrus' side after they had stabilised him and allowed visitors into the room once he had been cleaned up, Samateus being there had been an afterthought to the Bonean, though smirked inwardly that he had been the one to sneak the Obsidian Blade into Pyrus' room the second day and hid it under the Princes' cast. Samateus smacked him lightly then, glaring down at him and receiving a glower in response.
"Khilseith and I thought it was the Maker putting it there, you prat... Wait, didn't it burn you?" Pyrus and Zera watched the two with a slight head tilt, Pelvus floundering for a moment before straightening up and scoffing. Virian simply smiled at the entire display, watching off to one side and carefully keeping her laughter under wraps.
"Don't be silly, I wouldn't dare touch the heirloom of another royal family with my bare hands. I wrapped it in a cloth."
"Oh, you mean the Blade. Makes sense, I do feel better having it close." Pyrus smirked, carefully moving his right hand back to gently run his fingertips over the hilt and scabbard at his side. Zera smiled, nodding and giggling lightly at Pelvus huffing and looking indignantly up at Samateus, who only stood a quarter-meter taller. Kemet turning and yowling lightly at Pelvus quickly stopped that, the Bonean jumping back and glowering at the feline-draconian who lightly stuck the tip of his tongue out from between his lips.
"Lovely, Kemet picked up your bad habit Sam. What next, he's going to be fighting on the front lines?" Khilseith laughed, walking down the hall with Cryos, the two having been conversing in the cantina on the same level of the Aurora as the infirmary and intensive care ward. Khilseith had yet to shift from his Firian form, his own armour thankfully very different from what Pyrus had been given to wear, otherwise even Zera might have had issue telling the two apart.
"Don't tempt me." Kemet rumbled, flicking one of his fin-like ears. "Besides, she's not the one who started it, her cats did."
"Hey now, it gets a laugh most of the time." Samateus grinned, the rest laughing lightly. Even Pyrus, who expertly ignored the soreness in his abdomen and lower back, appeared much better than any had seen him before, as though the near-death experience had improved his outlook on life.
"We were going to get everyone together in a bit and come see you, but it looks like you managed to get out of the infirmary on your own." Cryos chuckled, looking Pyrus over. "Wherever did that armour come from?"
"I got it for him, we had the schematics for a set from Xerxes, I just had it adjusted. Lai -another Taal- put it together and sent it over to me yesterday morning, before he woke up. Fits like a glove, with a bit of room." Samateus lightly fussed over Pyrus' armour, receiving a laugh as Pyrus playfully fought her off.
"Ryme hasn't cleared me yet, but he's also-"
"Right here, my Prince. Though I can see myself you are doing exponentially better. Miss Sam, I would like a word, if you could spare a moment?" Ryme stepped out of another room in the hall, having overheard the commotion before realising Pyrus' voice was amongst those beyond his office. Samateus flattened her ear back, glanced at Pyrus, and quickly followed Ryme down the hall, back the way they had come.
Pyrus, Pelvus and Zera had all stiffened and winced, readying for a verbal skinning from the physician, blinking comically and confused as the two left. Pyrus looked to Khilseith who had also stiffened, ear-spines flat against his skull. Cryos noticed the distant look in his eyes, gently resting a hand on the Ahr'aht-Firian's shoulder.
"It's dad, isn't it?" Pyrus frowned, Khilseith simply nodding and looking downcast. Kemet chuffed at him lightly, head turned to regard Pyrus atop his back. "No... I don't like seeing him like that... Knowing something is wrong..." Inwardly, Pyrus wanted to be there, to urge his father to at least wake up, to confront him about all the deceit, but mainly wanted to be there as he felt his heart breaking, thinking of losing him again.
"I understand. Samateus will catch up, Flare and Blaze are going to be elated seeing you sitting up on your own, nevermind simply awake." Khilseith motioned back the way they had come, their party heading to the lift and up to the Table room. Jade, Graveheart, Sternum and Femur were inside already chatting, Blaze and Flare appearing moments later, none noticing the door open and Khilseith, followed by Virian, Cryos with Zera and then Kemet, carrying Pyrus on his back. Femur noticed first laughing outright.
"So he's got himself a new ride already? Not sure if I can call it an upgrade, but it's good to see you out of that bed." Kemet growled warningly, though his playful smile let Femur know he took no offence.
"Only way Samateus would let me out of her sight, I'm sure." Pyrus joked back, shaking hands with Femur, Sternum and gladly returning the hug from Jade.
"You had us worried, Graveheart wouldn't sleep through the night all week." Jade smirked, Graveheart shaking his head in exhasperation at her, gladly moving to take her spot in giving the Prince a hug. Pyrus stopped him from saying anything, looking to Khilseith.
"We're good... I had some time to think on... On Dad, and all of the involvement of the Ahr'aht... I'm mad, but I don't think I could lose him again, I just hope he can hold out another day or two..." Pyrus had trouble placing the expression on Graveheart then, Khilseith smiling at his lost expression when he moved to stand by yet slightly behind Pyrus and nodded to Graveheart.
"I explained what I could, with Samateus, last night when he first woke. Within reason, of course." Khilseith squared his shoulders back and took in a deep breath, squashing down his own anxiety, smirking at Blaze who almost glared at him. "Oh please, I doubt you wanted to tell him all of the most emotionally charged bits."
"No, however I have been there, unlike-" Blaze quickly stopped, Pyrus and the rest glaring at him. "A joke, apologies." Blaze quickly corrected, offering a sheepish grin, Khilseith chuckling.
"Deadpan humour, no wonder he likes you."
As the alliance leaders rejoiced and brought Pyrus up on the events of the few days he had been unconscious and recovering, Blokk and Lamprey had waited for Voyd to return to them. Their entire force had been wiped out in an instant, the dreaded Light herself appearing and tearing into their master before promptly hurling them clear across the galaxy. Voyd had gone silent, their new allies from the Void having been able to visibly deal damage to one of the hated Ahr'aht worldships, before they too were promptly obliterated by their greatest enemy.
Both felt, before they witnessed their master return. The comforting darkness of the inside of the shell deepened, coalescing and becoming lit from within by crimson light that danced along the massive form that appeared. Talons adorned three-toed feet holding up the digitigrade legs and upper body of a towering form, two large arms atop a humanoid body with smaller limbs with more vicious talons on the hands of each and a sweeping crest adorned the top of his head, toothy maw hidden beneath a pair of mandibles that spread wide as Voyd roared. Blokk shank down slightly, Lamprey drinking in the form of their master in awe as his renewed power wafted over them.
"Master... we worried that the dreaded Light had done more harm to you, it is good to see you return so soon." She breathed, bowing at his feet as he tapped a taloned foot lightly. Lamprey ignored the tail he sported, almsot purring as one of his taloned hands lowered and almost lovingly stroked her cheek.
**She has done me direct harm, and in turn I have done more to her closest devotee. The Ahr'aht had a secret from the rest, the Firian Prince, is his son, and both were caught in a crash the Lightbearer could not interfere in as she was in combat with me.** Voyd's grin at the two who watched him in awe, Lamprey squealing in delight at hearing one of the two she hated most had been injured, and the Ahr'aht being caught in it a welcome bonus. Blokk chuckled, glad to hear their enemies were dealing with their own losses and potential destabilization of two of the larger supporting groups of the hated alliance could give them an opening to deal even more damage.
"Our allies from the other realm, were they the ones to gift this new form?" Lamprey cautiously asked, still enamored with the appearance of their master. Voyds grin sent shivers through both, Lamprey though felt quite phsyically frustrated afterward, curling her body tightly.
**Indeed. You both will be remade in time, for now, how much of the reserve remain?**
"All of those who were held back in the Sol system are ready, they were warned to stay well away from the third planet. The rest of the system have been remade to bolster our forces. We have easily twice what we sent at them five days ago." Blokk answered quickly, taloned hands twitching in anticipation. "Give the order, and we will crush the foolish mortal alliance once and for all."
**Soon, my General, soon. In fact, ready your remaining underlings, we strike this very evening.**