Titan of Defense Chapter 2
Romulus followed Tannin into the heart of the caste. He stared amazed at the walls and ceilings which were covered in tapestries and paintings depicting dozens… no hundreds… no thousands of different events.
Reaching the end of the hallway Romulus and Tannin came face to face with a set of huge doors. Tannin placed his clawed hand on the door, pushing it open and moving through them.
Sitting him the center of the large chamber were twelve seats stationed around a large round table. only one of them was filled at the moment. The man sitting opposite them was tall, that much could be observed despite him being seated. He also had black hair and heterochromatic eyes; one blue and the other red. Romulus didn't see much else to observe until but as he had been instructed by his father over the last few months of his initial training he tried, very amateurishly, to feel his demonic power.
The young man was brought to his knees, the power that he felt was indescribable, so massive that without even dwelling into its depths he could see that it was bigger than any he had felt before.
"You are Romulus Titanius." Said the figure in a deep resounding voice.
Romulus let out ragged breaths as he suffered from the cold sweat that just being in the presence of this man's power produced. Forcing his stomach to settle, lest he empty the contents of his stomach onto the floor, the young extra-devil stood up looking at the man but avoiding looking directly into his intense eyes.
"Y-y-yes... I-I am." He stuttered, still feeling the effects of such overwhelming might.
"You are right to fear my power boy." He said, rising from his seat and making his way towards the two. Tannin was smirking as he watched his king stand directly in front of the boy, and watched as the hatchling bowed his head to stare at his slipper covered feet instead of the intimidating man in front of him.
"However, you need not fear me. I was a friend of your mother and father for centuries, I mean you no harm. Come, sit and tell me what has forced you so far from home." Mephisto offered Romulus a seat next to him, which the boy gratefully took. Seating himself back in his original seat he motioned from Romulus to recount his tale.
Romulus stared from the beginning, explaining the burning of his home, his father's explanation of the tunnel and his near brush with death at the hands of the Maou Lucifer, and finally relaying the final details about his escape into Tannin's territory and subsequent travel to Mephisto's castle. Throughout out the story the old devil was silent, interrupting only to ask for clarification or further explanation about certain aspects of his ordeal. By the time the final details were conveyed Mephisto had a contemplative look on his face and his hands laced together and held up to cover his mouth from view.
Mephisto turned to Tannin, ignoring Romulus as they began to converse.
"Do you think the boy is accurate, Sirzechs doesn't seem like the type to exterminate an entire clan this way, he would sooner try for peace."
Mephisto shook his head, his brilliant mind working through the possibilities
"His story is believable, Galahad has long been calling for the extra-demons to stand and declare themselves the equals of the main Anti-Satan faction and to form a new government to rival the main underworld's. Sirzechs is a peace loving man, but he didn't become the lord of all demons by giving up power to others, and he was correct that the formation of a separate government would cause major strife, not only between the present establishment and the new regime but also within the current government as well. The Old-Satan faction is still a very present threat to the majority of devil-kind and if new government is formed without the new Maou's direct approval and cooperation, they may view it as a sign of weakness and increase their aggression."
"But still, the Titanius clan were fierce warriors during the Great War. With things the way they are now and the devil faction weakened as it is since the civil war, they wouldn't toss away such a valuable bloodline."
"Possibly, but Galahad was likely planning on the Underworld's diminished capacity for war to start his revolution, an active rebellion at a time like this could have further destabilized the Underworld and brought about another civil war between the new Satans and the extra-demons. Don't forget Tannin that Galahad Titanius was a devil, and more than most devils he was cunning and clever."
A tug on Mephisto's dangling sleve prompted both of the two males to look down, seeing the crying face of Romulus Titanius, who had been listening the entire time to the two of them discussing his father as if he were some kind of rebellion leader, even though for all intents and purposes he was one, Romulus did not need his parent demonized or presented to him negatively at the moment. He needed to grieve.
"Is that why he hurt my mom and dad? Were they doing bad things to others?" His voice was broken, all the trauma finally catching up and working its way through the young boy's psyche.
"No Romulus." Said Mephisto softly, trying his best to comfort the distraught child. "Your father wasn't bad, your father and mother loved you very much, they gave their lives so that you could live your any way you wanted. Now lets find you a place to sleep and tomorrow we'll talk more."
Standing up Mephisto offered Romulus a hand, which the boy took and together the two made their way to one of the many rooms in the castle that would serve as the young devil's quarters for the foreseeable future.
Morning
Romulus Titanius woke up in an unfamiliar room, surrounded by unfamiliar things, in an unfamiliar (but incredibly comfortable) bed with an unfamiliar man standing by the door. Instantly Romulus thought of shouting for his mother or father or any of his family members that were supposed to reside in the rooms across or next to him. He had sat up and opened his mouth when the memories of the last night crashed into him like a truck. The six year old child began to hyperventilate as he finally realized the severity of his new situation, his parents were dead, lost to him forever and now he was in the human world under the uncertain protection of a man he had only met that day.
The man standing at his door cleared his throat, drawing Romulus' attention to the man.
"Good morning, Master Romulus, I am Alexander. I am here to prepare you for your meeting with lord Mephisto and lord Tannin, Please get up and we can have you dressed and escorted."
Romulus climbed out of bed, following the man into the connected master bathroom before getting into the luxurious shower and scrubbing himself of all the dust and debris that had accumulated on him over the previous day. By the time he got out there was a set of cloths on his bed and the servant informed him that he would wait outside to escort him to Mephisto before leaving and closing the door behind him.
Romulus, took the set of cloths to find a set of casual nobleman's cloths that consisted of a formal dress shirt and pants, socks and shoes. He dressed quickly and left the room, following the servant through the massive castle the two entered into an enormous garden, trees growing on the sides of a path that grew high into the air, dozens of unique and diverse flora growing on the ground or on the sides of the trees. The sounds of insects and animals resonated through the air as the two moved further into the contained jungle.
Finally the two came to a shelter where both Mephisto and Tannin were present. The former dragon king had drastically reduced his size in order to fit into the smaller space, even so, he stood at an impressive 7'10 while Mephisto stood beside him.
"Ah Romulus." The devil greeted the young clan heir as he noticed him and Alexander approaching. "Thank you Alexander for bringing him here. You are dismissed."
The servant bowed to the devil before he retreated back into the castle, leaving the three devils alone in the garden.
"Romulus, how much of yesterday do you remember?" Mephisto asked, knowing that trauma like the boy had experienced could sometimes be repressed as a coping mechanism. He got his answer as soon as the boy's eyes became empty and haunted.
"Everything." His voice was small and scared, as if he was afraid that more people would materialize to finish what they started.
"Romulus." Said Mephisto. "There are some issues that we need to discuss. From what I was able to gather last night Sirzechs is unaware of your survival, but eventually they will find out."
Romulus' eyes widened in terror, shivers taking over his body as he began to hyperventilate at the thought of dying at the hands of the Maou.
"Calm yourself Romulus." Ordered Mephisto who placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, calming him. "Fortunately, based on what you told us Sirzechs performed the massacre extra-judiciallly in order to conserve peace with the other extra-demon houses and will have to place blame on a scapegoat in order to maintain his position. We can use that to our advantage. Sirzechs will be unable to come after you directly with any of the resources that the Maous or house Gremory possesses to avoid either him or his family being implicated for your death. Also, with your presence here in my castle we can create a cover story claiming you were not at the compound when the massacre took place and were not involved. Sirzechs will have no reason to disbelieve the excuse as it is well known that I am a good friend of your family."
"But you remember what the kid told us Mephisto, Galahad and Helen used the kid's cousin Remus to stage his death, if we claim he was here the whole time it'll undermine that story."
"Perhaps, but still we can manipulate the story to convince the Maous that we had no part and the staging of Romulus' death could be rationalised as trying to draw attention away from his son in his last moments. It might not help us but if we manoeuvre ourselves correctly if does not have to hurt us."
"Fine, we'll make his survival know, but won't he still want him dead? The possibility of Romulus finding out the truth and rallying the extra-demons against him is a real possibility, however slight." Tannin's deep voice was heard for the first time in the meeting, posing his query to Mephisto.
"No, with the Titanius clan all but annihilated and Romulus as the only survivor Sirzechs will have the perfect chance to quell an uprising before it can begin again. Galahad was not the only extra-demon leader to suggest forming a new system and Sirzechs can not destroy all the houses that are whispering dissent. But if he can get his hands on the heir of the most vocal clan for separation and join him to his own government then an uprising can be quelled."
Tannin's eyes widened as he realized the implications of Mephisto's words. "He plans to marry Romulus into the Gremory house, or at least some house that is closely tied to his own."
Mephisto nodded as Romulus felt his panic rise "Correct Tannin, Sirzechs will most likely try to marry Romulus off into either his house, possibly by arranging a marriage with his sister Rias Gremory, or into an allied house like the Beals or the Sitris."
"Mr. Mephisto." Said Romulus, his eyes widened with fear and apprehension. "Are they going to take me, I don't want to go with him, he killed my mom and dad."
"No Romulus, you won't be going with Sirzechs. Fortunately your parents were not fools and decided to name me as your legal guardian in the case of their deaths, most likely because they feared this very outcome. You will be staying here for the foreseeable future."
Romulus breathed a sigh of relief before he turned his attention back to the two adults. "Thank you. But what do I do now, m-my mo-mom and dad are d-d-dead." His voice degraded further and further into sobs as he continued to talk about his deceased parents.
"There are two options for you my boy, you can either stay here and spend the time learning from myself and my colleagues, or you can stay until you are old enough to look after yourself and then head out on your own. It is your decision."
The young boy looked down at his feet, his face a mask of intense concentration as he considered both his options with all the sophistication that a six year old possessed. Minutes passed as the older devils waited, watching the debate that raged in the boy's mind over what to do.
Finally after several minutes of deliberation with himself Romulus looked up.
"I want to stay here, I want to learn how to use magic."
Both males gave nods of assent, accepting the boy's choice.
"Very well, we will begin your training immediately, we will have to prepare you incase Sirzechs finds means to kill you that will not be traced back to him." The group stood from their places and made their way back the entrance of the garden. At the door a servant was there to meet them, handing Mephisto a scroll before departing. Mephisto pulled the scroll open, scanning its contents with a critical eye before giving a sigh.
"It appears that the Titanius clan was annihilated last night by a group of devils from within the clan. The perpetrators was after the family's secret techniques and killed the entire rest of the clan in a mad grab for them. Local and governmental forces arrived to find the compound burned to the ground and the entire clan slaughtered."
Tannin and Mephisto exchanged glances before the two looked down to Romulus. The young boy was shivering as he recalled the burning fire that took up his vision when it was mentioned.
"No survivors were found and it was reported that the clan head Galahad Titanius as well as his wife Helen Titanius and their son Romulus Titanius all died in the attack, other remains were pulled from the fire which are suspected to be the remains of the attackers, who were also all killed."
The group moved through the halls as Mephisto finished reading. Rolling up the scroll he placed it in his robes.
"There will not be much time, in order to avoid suspicion I will have to immediately report your location here and acknowledge that you have been here for at least a significant enough amount of time that confirms we have no knowledge of the true perpetrators of the massacre. Tannin, you will begin Romulu's training today, I want him to have knowledge of basic defense and warning spells by the time Sirzechs gets here."
Tannin looked surprised and Romulus froze in terror at the thought of Sirzechs coming and seeing him.
"Mephisto, are you serious, you want me to start his training today, I'm all for putting him to work quickly but the boy's family was killed yesterday, he hasn't even had time to grieve."
"And he won't if he is killed by some assassin in the night. When I deliver the new of Romulus' survival Sirzechs or some surrogate of his will come immediately to assess how much we know."
"Very well. Come boy, we are going to start training."
"O-o-ok" Stammered Romulus, the memory of how Tannin taught flight scaring him over the prospect of learning more from the former dragon king.
Lilith
Around a table the four satans were holding a meeting. Sirzechs, the satan in charge of internal affairs of the underworld, cleared his throat to draw the attention of the other three satans.
"First order of business, the destruction of the Titanius clan. Last night, myself and my peerage led the attack the destroyed the clan in their territory, the clan head Galahad and his wife; Helen, were both killed in the attack. However, we just received word from Mephisto Pheles that the clan heir, Romulus Titanius, has been with him at his estate for the past two weeks learning the ways of magic."
Ajuka Beelzebub leaned forward, resting his face against his intertwined hands.
"You said that he was killed? The report states that Galahad himself confirmed that you had killed him."
"A decoy perhaps." Rebuffed Sirzechs.
"But why have a decoy if the boy was not in the compound?"
"A distraction?" Falbium Asmodeus offered.
"Perhaps." Ajuka waved off his fellow Maou. "The more important question is if the boy knew about the coup?"
"From what Mephisto relayed he does not, if he did I do not believe that Mephisto would inform us of him. It is possible that Mephisto suspects us considering his connection to Galahad and Helen but the boy is in mourning for his family. All in all he does not seem to suspect anything."
Serafall's childish face morphed into one of dismay at the thought of a child who was the same age as her baby sister Sona losing his parents.
"Awww, I hope he's not depressed, can I be the one to see him? PLEASE!? I'll hug him and make him feel better and bring him home with me and give him to Sona as a gift..."
"Serafall." Sirzechs tried to interrupt the monologuing Mauo
"...And then when they get older they'll kiss, and then I'll kiss him and Sona'll kiss me and then we'll all kiss and that'll lead to some threesome sisterly love and then we'll all get married and-"
"Serafall!" Said Sirzechs in a more commanding voice, breaking Serafall out of her thoughts. "None of us will be taking the boy in, trying to gain control of the heir of of a house that was just destroyed less than a day ago and was all but known to be a house that was planing to rebel is far too suspicious. For now we will bide our time until the underworld finishes processing the news and then we can continue to plan for the future of the Titanius house and the underworld."
Ajuka Beelzebub spoke once again.
"The main question is how to make sure that there will be no further houses who will rebel; within our borders or in the extra-demon territories. A marriage of the boy into one of our closer allied houses will give us a gate into the extra-demon community and a way to influence against further uprisings."
"A decent plan Ajuka." Said Falbium Azmodeus, speaking out for the first time. "However you have forgotten that extra-devils are exorcised from their clans when they chose to join with the main underworld faction. That in and of itself will prevent us from using him in any form of public alliance. Add to that that the circumstances of his family's massacre will make it impossible for any of our houses to take him in."
"But the boy is not a member of his clan, he is the clan." Pointed out Sirzechs.
"Yes… Romulus Titanius is in the rare position where whichever side he choses to join will have the full support of the Titanius clan, all their wealth, all their lands, all their power and influence. The extra-demons cannot allow such a house to leave their reach, especially when it is so easy to gain the clan's full support through political or matrimonious alliances. The boy is only a child after all, and is inexperienced in the workings of the world at large." Retorted Ajuka.
"So they will try to dig their claws into him in order to obtain an ally that they can fully control." Reasoned Serafall, breaking her normally childish disposition as she contributed to a political debate, indicating, one of the reasons why she had been chosen as the Maou Leviathan over Grayfia Lucifuge.
"No, with the death of his parents Romulus had legally been left in the care of Mephisto." Informed Sirzechs. "He will protect the boy, although I am sure that Mephisto has his suspicions."
"If he suspected us he would have hidden the boy for at least a little while longer." Said Falbium.
"No. It is because he suspects us that he answered so quickly. He knows that he cannot hide the boy indefinitely, and trying will simply bring down more suspicion. He was attempting to throw us off the scent by acting as if he didn't know and just received the news." Explained Ajuka
"How can you tell?" Asked Sirzechs, stumped by the Maou Beelzebub's words.
"He answered too quickly, he had time to formulate a response that attracted the least amount of suspicion, but he informed us immediately. He still should have taken some time to have the letter written out and devise the story, even reporting the truth would have taken more time than the old devil had. Which means he had the story figured out before we informed anyone."
"So, what shall we do? We can't go public with this suspicion, it would draw too much attention to ourselves. Not to mention we would have to admit to our involvement to question him on it." Falbium said.
"We act as if we suspect nothing, we allow Mephisto to believe he has fooled us and wait. Once they have lowered their guard to an acceptable degree we will either take out the Titanius or ensure that he has some tie to our side that ensures his loyalty."
"Very well." Said Sirzechs. "We will stand by and wait for an opportunity."
"That's boring!" Complained Serafall in a childish voice, regaining her joyful tone and false innocence. "I'm gonna go see him, and hug him all better and then he's going to come home with me."
A large blue magic circle appeared at Serafall's feet, about to transport her away, when the magic changed hue to a deep green and fragmented before shattering into pieces. Ajuka Beelzebub sat in his seat with a bored expression on his face as he twirled a miniature magic formula between his fingers, disabling the Maou Leviathan's transportation spell.
"We agreed on this Serafall, none of us are going to meet the boy in person. Either one of our peerage members or someone else under our direct command will be seeing to the boy's status."
The devil pouted, her childish face contorting into a frown.
"Fine. But when one of us can go see him I want to be the one to do it."
"That will be acceptable. However as of now we must decide who to send on our behalf."
"I would recommend my wife Grayfia. Our son is only a few months old at this time and she can easily facilitate the facade of a mother who is concerned for the newly orphaned boy. Does anyone have any objections?"
None of the satans raised their hands and so Sirzechs waved his hand, signaling that the meeting was adjourned.
Pheles Mansion: Global Magic Association Headquarters
Romulus slammed against the bark of one of the many massive trees that stood tall and stoic in the forest. Tannin stood before him with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the young and struggling boy.
"Stand up boy."
"I-i can't"
"You will. Your training is not done. You have yet to block a blow from me."
Romulus planted both his hands on his knees, pushing with all his might he managed to force his six year old body upright. Placing his hands in front of him raw magic power flowed through his body until it took on the form of a hexagonal shield made from smaller hexagons. Tannin stepped forwards, slamming his tail against the ground next to him to create a crater, moderating the power of his swing but also serving to convey to Romulus the severity of his training.
The tail swung forwards, rocketing forwards at a speed that would have mortals disbelieving that something so large could move with such speed.
Romulus stood his ground. His shield spell shining a purple color in the afternoon sun. He could see the tail coming, his devilish eyes perceiving the tail and his mind processing the information far faster than a mortal mind could. To him the tail came as a fast pace but after seeing two dragons fight in earnest he knew just how little power the former dragon king was using.
Tannin's strike slammed into the Romulus' shield with enough force to rattle the young one's teeth, following through and flinging the young boy back against the bark of the tree that he had become quite familiar with over the course of the last several hours of resisting Tannin's attacks.
Romulus nearly passed out from the pain shooting up and down his spine, his eyes screwed shut to try in vain to block out the burning agony filling his body.
"Impressive."
The low growl from his trainer jarred the young devil out of his state of pain prevention and got him to open his eyes. His body had easily been uprooted from its spot by the dragon's tail smash but the shield spell that Romulus had erected stood strong and firm, albeit extensively cracked. Seeing his success brought a new feeling to the forefront of the young devil's mind. It made his chest contract and he felt for the first time since his family had died; happiness.
"YEEEEAAAAHHHH!"
The word soared from his throat, echoing off the trees that surrounded the clearing that inhabited. From his position Tannin nodded his head in recognition of the boy's progress and success.
"You have done well boy. Your shield was able to block my strike, but that was but a fraction of a fraction of my power. If you wish to be truly strong you must constantly work. You must constantly train and refine yourself. Only then will you ascend to a position where you will be free of threat."
"Does that mean... if I become strong enough, I'll be able to avenge my mom and dad?"
Tannin stiffened slightly. He knew what thought path the boy was going down and it was by no means a pleasant one. Over his many millenium of life he had seen more than his fair share of avengers who sacrificed everything to achieve their justice or revenge. He knew just how empty revenge really felt when a lifetime is dedicated to it.
"You should not focus solely on revenge boy. I have seen too many tragedies that begin with the thoughts you are having. Neither your parents nor your clan would want you to waste this chance you have been given on a foolish quest."
"But they would want me to get justice for them. To make sure the bad people who hurt them got pinu... puniche... punished?"
"Perhaps hatchling, but for now do not focus on revenge, focus on what the world has to offer you. Seek out whatever purpose you believe to be yours and taste the life that your family sacrificed themselves to give you."
"...Alright."
"Good. Now I want you to improve your physical strength. To one such as you it is as important as your magic. Turn and punch the bark of the tree behind you one thousand times."
Romulus groaned in pain and annoyance but did not disobey. Turning his back to the dragon he began to strike the hard bark of the trees.
"This wood is known as Bull-oak." Explained Tannin as Romulus repeatedly punched the bark. "It is the strongest form of wood known to man. The orchards that are kept by the magic association are grown with the aid of magic to make them stronger than even their natural counterparts and are used to create staffs, wands and magical foci that beings from every pantheon use. The tree you are currently punching is over six times as strong as titanium."
"But... why... are... you... getting... me... to... punch... this... thing...?" Asked the child with an obvious grit in his teeth. His knuckles were already bleeding and the boy had only just reached fifty strikes.
"I explained boy, you must increase your physical strength. Your family prided itself on its abilities to not only resist and recover wounds but also their emphasis on raw power over magical strength."
"But why do I have to punch an invincible tree? It's stupid!"
"Your father trained using this method. Do you wish to disappoint him by being incapable of matching him"
That was all the answer that Tannin gave and it was all the answer that Romulus needed. Concentrating hard he smashed his fists over and over again into the bark of the bull-oak tree, the blood smearing over the bark until prints made from the red liquid had seeped into the tree. It took more than three hours, during which time neither student nor teacher moved from their spots.
Finally, the last punch was thrown and the blood soaked hands of Romulus Titanius fell by his sides. The boy's face was stained with tears and his whole body shook from exhaustion and red hot agony. Finally finished his task the six year old allowed himself to give into his appropriate childish nature. The screams started mere seconds after he dropped to his knees, cradling his broken hands to his chest and sniffing as water, snot and blood dripped onto the ground.
"Come, give me your hands." The voice was surprisingly soft, given its usual hardness, and possessed an undertone of pride and praise. "You have impressed me boy, not many would have been willing to do even a tenth of what you have just completed."
Bandages were produced from some pocket dimension and wrapped around Romulus' bleeding hands. The white cloth was secured as blood began to dye the material crimson red.
"We are finished for now. I shall return you to Mephisto and he will assign someone to train you in the magics of your clan, the scrolls your parents packed for you are extensive."
"Will Mr. Mephisto teach me how to do cool magic like my dad?"
Tannin chuckled, despite the sadness and sorrow that he could see in the depths of the boy's eyes, those childish orbs flashed with delight at the thought of learning magic. After all isn't it every child's dream to be a wizard?
"Perhaps, most likely he will have one of our most trusted scholars assist you while I continue to oversee your physical training."
All at once the wonder and delight drained from Romulus' eyes and were replaced by annoyance and fear, a combination Tannin found very amusing to watch play out on the hatchling's face.
"Come boy. Now is the perfect time to practice your flight."
The dragon's huge wings unfurled, flapping so hard that it created an updraft that snapped the branches of more than a few trees. The devil-dragon was soon off the ground and hovering in the air, magic sustaining his altitude so that he would not have to destroy the surrounding forest.
Romulus watched his mentor take flight and concentrated to attempt to replicate the process. Concentrating intensely he felt the same sensations arching across his body as he brought out his wings.
Turning his head he meant to inspect the leathery appendages with secret disappointment. When he had first brought out his wings he had hoped against all hope that his own wings would be different from the average devil's, perhaps scaled and draconic like Tannin's. Or maybe he would get black feathered wings like the fallen angels or maybe even multiple pairs of wings on his back.
instead what he saw blew away all his fantacies. Against all odds the normal bat wings had been replaced and instead on his back were two pieces of metal. They were shaped like the base of bird wings but from them flowed not white feathers, not even black or metal ones. Instead lines of waving purple energy cascaded down from above his head to his lower back, swaying softly in a non-existent breeze before falling in a stable river of light.
Stunned by the revelation that his wings were anything but what was to be expected Romulus looked for the guidance of the dragon who had become his mentor, only to be shocked at the utter expression of bewilderment on the former dragon king's face. Deciding the test the new appendages to see if there was a different mode of utility Romulus concentrated on raising off the ground. He felt a tingle of energy fill his being as power flowed from his center into the wings. The light flared up, changing from a matt purple to a shining vibrant violet. The boy shot up into the air, stopping on front of Tannin. Romulus stared back at the twin rivers of light that came from his back and his face exploded into an impossibly large grin. Whooping with exhilaration, his exhaustion seemingly forgotten he zoomed through the air around where he had been training, ducking diving dipping and performing various tricks that his young mind had imagined during the countless times he had imagined he could fly.
Tannin's eyes stayed glued to the young hatchling, shocked by the sudden transformation of the appearance of the boy's wings. He had seen the child's bat like appendages just yesterday but overnight they had undergone such change. He had known that some Titanius clan memebers' wings changed from black to steel grey when they became powerful enough but he had never seen the kind of fundamental change in the appearance of the wings of any devil, with the exception of the Phenex clan's wings of fire. Was it possible that Romulus had some Phenex blood buried somewhere in him? Had the two lineages merged? With the presence of the metal base there may be some basis for the theory that Phenex fire wings and Titanius clan grey wings had given rise to some new power. But that was impossible. As far as he knew the Titanius clan had no connection to the Phenex clan and Romulus had none of the damn fire chicken's blood in him. He would have to report this extreme change to Mephisto and maybe they alongside Romulus could discover the means through which this change had occurred.
The dragon was broken out of his thoughts as a small speck zoomed across his line of sight. He turned to see Romulus doing a triple backflip in mid-air.
"Boy do not expend too much energy. You have already worked yourself to near exhaustion you must be pruden-"
His warning was left unfinished as as he was performing an upward spiral the light left his eyes at the same time the last of his energy did. The unconscious boy fell towards the earth but only made it as far as the treetops before he was caught by Tannin.
"Reckless child, to attempt to perform such tricks so soon after a training session." However he could not keep the crooked smile from forming on his face as he carried the boy to the Mephisto mansion for the second time in two days.
Done. It took me so long to get this one the way I wanted it. For those of you wondering Romulus' wings look like Imperius' from Diablo 3 but purple instead of gold.