Chapter 11:

"So, which way was it to Akio's cave, again? I don't exactly remember the entire path…"

Ascion chuckled. "It's fine, I do. We should probably go see Dances with Balrog first, though."

"Huh? Why?" Despite her question, Kaede immediately changed directions, heading towards the chief of Perion's house instead.

"We were attacked by the Black Wings yesterday. There's a chance that they might be back, and we're in no shape to fight. We should get some backup, at least." Ascion explained.

"You're in no shape to fight, I am." Kaede retorted.

Ascion pouted playfully. "Don't be mean, Kaede! I can still throw down with you, even if I have to be wheeled around!"

"Doctor's orders, Ascion." She reminded him. "You can certainly try, but then I'll have to have a talk with Grendel again…"

"Geh…" Ascion sighed. "Fine, you win this round."

It wasn't long before they reached the stone temple/house of Perion's leader. As was usual with the Victoria Island leaders, the door was open to the public, and so Kaede easily wheeled Ascion in.

"Mr. Balrog?" Kaede called as they entered.

"Hmm? What is it, kids?" The leader asked from where he was seated.

"We wanted to give a report and request someone to help us." Ascion started.

"If it's about the Black Wing situation, it's being handled right now." Dances with Balrog assured them.

Ascion blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"

Balrog shrugged. "Yesterday, a patrol group stumbled across a Black Wing detachment. We're trying to find out what they want, but for now, please don't leave the town on foot. If you need to go elsewhere, use the Mirror of Dimension."

Ascion and Kaede exchanged a glance. Does Mr. Balrog not know? "Mr. Balrog," Ascion started carefully, "when was the last Black Wing sighting?"

"There were two reports barely half an hour ago." Balrog revealed. "They were grunts, so they fought till the last man and didn't reveal anything. Why do you ask?"

"I think I know what they're after." Sorry, Akio. You probably didn't want Mr. Balrog to find out, but if the Black Wings are still around, that means that they're still looking for you, and you're in no shape to defend yourself.

Dances with Balrog gave them a level stare. "I thought the two of you had travelled to Perion on foot, hence why you knew about the Black Wing detachments, but apparently I was mistaken." He said neutrally. "So, what is it?"

"Yesterday, we… visited Akio." Ascion carefully omitted that he and Kaede had actually followed the werewolf before getting caught and invited to tag along. Estranged as Akio is, Dances with Balrog will undoubtly be Not Happy that they essentially stalked his adoptive son. "He let us stay near his cave while he went to hunt, we chatted a bit after he came back, then we - Kaede found a Black Wing grunt spying on us and captured him. Based on what Akio chose to reveal, we believe that the Wings are after Akio himself."

As Ascion spoke, Dances with Balrog was already moving. The chieftain swiped his greatsword off its perch on the wall, slinging the massive weapon onto his back. He stalked towards his room at the back, paused, then seemingly decided against whatever he was about to do.

"You two, stay here." Balrog ordered. "I'm going to make sure Akio's safe."

"I'm coming with you!" Kaede interjected.

Dances with Balrog sighed. "No, you children should stay here. It's much safer."

"I know it is." Kaede said sharply. "But if I had wanted to stay safe, I wouldn't have decided on this career. I can at least handle the grunts, if not the captains themselves."

"... very well. And you?" Balrog directed the question at Ascion.

"I would like to go, but I'm under no illusions that I'll be anything more than a burden." Ascion tapped his wheelchair for emphasis. "I've yet to recover, so I'll wait. Stay safe."

Dances with Balrog looked mildly surprised for a moment, before he nodded and swept out of his temple, Kaede following close behind. Now alone in the chieftain's house/office, Ascion sighed. "Now, how to pass the time…"

"Mr. Balrog, sir? Do you know the way there?" Kaede asked hesitantly as she hurried to keep up with the large warrior she was following.

Dances with Balrog snorted. "I haven't raised him as much as cared for him, but I know Akio well enough. Despite his usual attitude towards every person in general, he is still my son."

"Noted, sir."

"Oh, drop the sir, child." Dances with Balrog rolled his eyes. "We're not in the army. Just call me Balrog or Chief like everyone does."

Kaede's lips quirked up, and she couldn't quite stop the next few words that left her mouth. "Of course, Chief Balrog. Sir."

The chieftain shot her an amused look. "Well, suit yourself, I suppose." Then his expression turned grim. "Keep up, we'll be running as soon as we leave Perion's border."

Kaede lost her joking mood immediately. "Yes, Chief."

The moment they passed the pair of guards standing by Perion's entrance, Dances with Balrog started to jog. Then his strides lengthened into a run, and soon it was all Kaede could do to keep up with the man.

After several minutes of running, Dances with Balrog slowed to a halt. Kaede took the break gratefully, panting and gasping as her legs burned. She hadn't struggled this hard to keep up with somebody in a long time.

'Well, he is the chieftain.' Kaede mused as she finally stabilized her breathing. 'He has to be leagues above me.'

"We're here." Dances with Balrog announced as he drew his greatsword from his back. Kaede immediately snapped to attention, bow in hand and arrow nocked.

Now that she wasn't doubled over panting, she could see about two hundred Black Wing rabbit grunts standing suspiciously on the path she recognized leads to Akio's cave. They were standing guard, but what for? Kaede drew her arrow as she came to a grim conclusion. "Permission to fire, Chief?"

"Cover me." Dances with Balrog ordered. "The only reason why they would stand around like that-"

"Is if they're attacking Akio, I know!" Kaede interrupted as she started raining arrows down on the grunts.

Without another word, Dances with Balrog charged. Kaede's arrows had managed to strike down nearly a dozen of them in the chieftain's path before he crashed into the crowd. With large swings of his massive sword, he expertly and efficiently carved himself a path through the mess of warm bodies.

The moment Dances with Balrog disappeared from her sight, Kaede scaled a nearby tree, careful to avoid the brittler branches of the dead plant. Once she could see the chieftain again, Kaede found herself wondering if she was needed at all.

She watched as Dances with Balrog lived up to his namesake, slicing a path through the grunts in his way gracefully and effortlessly, almost like he was dancing. That was made all the more incredible by how the man had, without slowing in the slightest, avoided every drop of blood. Whether that was a subconscious act or a deliberate one, Kaede couldn't tell, but damn if she wasn't amazed anyway.

"Wonder if I'll be that good someday." She muttered before she started letting loose even more arrows. She aimed near the back of the pack, thinning out the ranks. With lesser grunts to cut through, Dances with Balrog soon broke through their ranks, looking none the worse for wear. He glanced back at Kaede, and the girl waved him off. "I'll be fine!" She shouted, unsure if the man could hear her but doing her best to be heard anyway. "Get to Akio!"

She saw him nod firmly, and then he was gone, sprinting around the bend in the path.

Kaede fired a few [Arrow Bombs] into the crowd, explosives now a viable choice with the chieftain no longer cutting his way through. The explosions tore chunks out of the crowd, but it was like the grunts didn't even register her presence. As one, they ran after the chieftain, seemingly unaware of the bombs going off in their midst.

"This is ridiculous!" Kaede snapped disbelievingly, leaping off the tree and hitting the ground running. "What is wrong with these guys!" She shot a few more [Arrow Bombs] to the same result; the explosions decimated several small groups, and sent more than a few grunts flying, but the remaining rabbits just ignored all that and continued chasing the chieftain.

'Argh, screw it. At least I can see what's going on.' Kaede mused as she chased after the crowd chasing the chief, firing all the while.

Akio woke suddenly, his arm already transformed and reinforced as he swung up to block the blast of electricity.

In an instant, he was fully awake, and not by dint of electrocution. Having lived in the wilds by himself for so long had gifted him with powerful instinct and reflexes, and being under attack immediately had him on high alert and very much hostile.

He rolled and scrambled to his feet just in time to catch a blast to his chest. He let out a yelp as the electricity bypassed his defenses, making his body tingle in a unpleasant manner, before he snarled and expelled the foreign energy with what little magic he knew.

A figure rushed towards him through the entrance of his cave, and Akio cursed mentally even as he blocked the heavy strike with his forearms. 'Should have gone deeper into my cave.'

His attacker was, once again, the person that could possibly be his sister. She was still missing an arm, but even with just her left hand, she was swinging her cannon about with surprising strength and dexterity.

Meanwhile, Akio was half-rested, weaponless, and armorless. 'Not good. Retreat. Find Balrog.' He felt an ingrained twinge of distrust at the thought of the human, but he pushed it away. Living in the wilds had also taught him to be practical and realistic, and he knew that should he continue to fight, he would lose.

He fully transformed and dropped onto all fours, before charging at Yuko in an attempt to get around her. However, the girl moved in front of him, cannon raised to strike. Akio had to jerk himself back at the last moment, the heavy attack barely missing him and cracking the stone below.

Growling in irritation, Akio lunged, grabbing Yuko by the shoulders and attempting to push her down, but she resisted his weight easily as she tried to throw him off. Akio prepared to bite down on her neck, but he hesitated.

What if she's really my sister?

Another violent jerk quickly ripped him from his thoughts, and he bit down harshly on his assailant's shoulder. His powerful jaws sunk in for maybe half an inch before it was stopped by the tough material Yuko's muscles were made from.

Seemingly having enough of the werewolf on her shoulder, Yuko charged at a wall, shoulder checking Akio against it. The impact forced a choked whine from Akio, but he held on, desperately twisting his neck in an attempt to rip the arm off like he had done to the other.

Unfortunately, unlike her right, Yuko was not wounded on her left arm. The muscles stretched and strained under his canines, but they showed no signs of tearing. As he felt Yuko draw back to ready another charge, Akio hastily let go and jumped back, not willing to take another hit between Yuko and the stone walls of his cave.

The moment Akio let go, Yuko reacted, swinging her freed arm up. More than a hundred kilograms of metal slammed into Akio's stomach before he could retreat, sending him flying back. His short flight ended abruptly against a wall, sending numerous cracks across the stone surface, before the werewolf dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.

He threw himself to the side before a blast of electricity scorched the ground he had previously occupied. Growling he pushed himself to his feet, baring his teeth threateningly. Yuko was wholly unperturbed, a short, electrical whine indicating that she was charging up another shot.

Before she could fire, however, a greatsword found itself buried in her side, sending the girl flying, and suddenly Dances with Balrog was there, weapon in hand. He barely spared a glance over at the opponent he had sent flying as he rushed to Akio's side, kneeling next to the werewolf. "Akio, are you alright?"

Highly bemused at how easily his (tentative) adoptive father had batted aside the opponent he was struggling and losing against, Akio merely nodded mutely. Dances with Balrog let out a small sigh of relief. "Good. Stay here." His eyes hardened as he stood up, brandishing his sword at the cyborg. "You're under arrest."

Yuko didn't reply. The moment she got onto her feet, she turned tail and ran.

Raising his arm, Dances with Balrog prepared to throw his sword. The moment Akio realized what the chieftain was about to do, he let out a panicked whine, pouncing on the man and futilely trying to pull Dances with Balrog's arm down.

Although Akio hadn't managed to make him budge even half an inch, Dances with Balrog stopped, looking at Akio in surprise. The werewolf wouldn't stop him for no reason. In fact, Akio had cared little for what the chieftain did before that moment. Deciding to trust that Akio had a good reason to stop him, Dances with Balrog lowered his arm.

In the meanwhile, Yuko continued uncontested. The moment she exited the cave, she spread her wings and flew away, not even sparing a glance towards the grunts that had just arrived at the mouth of the cave.

Kaede blinked at the cyborg's retreating form, before her expression turned grim. So Yuko had been there. Is Akio alright?

She fired several more [Arrow Bombs] in rapid succession, each blast killing several grunts at once. The crowd had thinned considerably, now less than a third of its original size. Before she could draw more arrows, a whirlwind of steel flew out of the mouth of the cave.

Dances with Balrog attacked with a vengeance, his greatsword tearing through the Black Wing grunts at the entrance like they were made of paper. His sword suddenly glowed as Dances with Balrog lost his patience, energy racing up and covering the metal blade until it extended to twice its original size.

A single, almost careless swing to the side bifurcated about a quarter of the remaining forty or so grunts. Another swing took out even more, and with a final slash the last of the grunts fell to the ground, dead.

Kaede blinked. The chieftain had taken out half as many grunts as she had in three casual swings of his sword while she had needed at least fifteen fully charged [Arrow Bombs] to take out the same number. She hung her head as a metaphorical storm cloud formed over her head, rain pelting down on her. 'He didn't really need my help, did he?'

"Girl, good job." Dances with Balrog called out, sheathing his sword onto his back. He either didn't notice or was politely ignoring the archer's small bout of depression. "Akio is safe. We should return to Perion before reinforcements come."

"Like that could faze you." Kaede muttered under her breath before she straightened and raised her voice. "Yes chief."

As it turned out, it was another twenty minutes before they started on their trek back to Perion. Upon entering the cave, Kaede had dropped her bow to help Akio the moment she realized that the short fight had reopened his wounds from the previous day. It didn't help that the werewolf flinched heavily and tried to escape deeper into his cave upon seeing Kaede, but she had tackled him before he could move, forcing him to stop.

After the bandages were secure, Akio had retreated into his cave, returning several minutes later in human form and fully clothed. He seemed highly uncomfortable, and when Kaede tried to ask him if he was alright, he had cut her off with a curt "later".

The walk back to Perion was silent. Akio kept his eyes fixated either on Dances with Balrog or the ground, ignoring Kaede's attempts at conversation, and she felt too awkward to talk to the chieftain. In the end, she resigned herself to a very uncomfortable return trip.

Kaede, Akio, and Ascion took their seats in front of the chieftain. Well, Kaede and Akio did, Ascion just sat in his wheelchair.

The chief observed them for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. Now that the Black Wings are no longer an immediate concern, let us start with introductions. As you should know, my name is Dances with Balrog. Yes, it's a strange name, but it was an old tradition from a long time ago. You may call me Dances or Balrog if you wish. Now, I know Akio, of course. He is both a warrior under my tutelage as well as my ward. So if the two of you would introduce yourselves?"

Ascion decided to go first. "My name is Ascion Wolf. I'm a Priest-in-training, and Akio's classmate. According to my latest testing, I am level 54."

Kaede followed suit. "My name is Hayashi Kaede. I'm a Hunter-in-training as well as Akio's classmate. I'm level 48."

If Dances with Balrog noticed Kaede's nervousness, he didn't mention it. "Alright, let's start with Akio. How long have the Black Wings been targeting you?"

Akio raised an eyebrow silently.

"I promised to keep people away from your territory as much as could, Akio. In return you will be under my care, and will tell me if anything serious happens in your territory." At those words, Dances with Balrog gave Akio a pointed look. "So?"

Akio's eyes widened just the slightest in surprise, before his expression reverted to its usual neutrality. "Black Wing attacks, since five years ago."

"And of course you didn't tell me." Dances with Balrog muttered. Ascion noted that the chieftain didn't sound as much annoyed as resigned. Akio didn't even react at that comment; it was like he didn't care for his foster father's feelings.

'Or that he just doesn't understand feelings well.' Ascion speculated, before he shook the thought off. 'Theories can come later.'

"And what of the girl? Why did you ask me to spare her?"

Akio hesitated, but relented. "I think she is Yuko."

Dances with Balrog was stunned. "Your sister?"

"Yes."

The chieftain frowned then. "What I'm going to say now must not leave this room." He warned.

All three teenagers noticed the seriousness in the chieftain's tone, and agreed immediately. "Yes sir."

"If that person is not a machine, then it should be a Xenoroid. It is a person that was turned into a machine." Dances with Balrog explained. "A Xenoroid has their memories sealed away, either by a few devices or through medication. They obey only their creator, whom they all see as their father."

Ascion frowned. "Shouldn't this knowledge at least be known to public?"

"Perhaps, but if we made it made it known to the general populace, it could spark a panic, not to mention with how secretive the Black Wings are with them, not many are going to believe us. Thus far, not a single Xenoroid has been caught, on camera or otherwise. If not for the one that miraculously defected, we wouldn't know of their existence at all." Dances with Balrog explained.

"Who?" Akio asked.

"What are you talking about?" The chieftain questioned.

"Who is their, creator?"

"There is no need for you to know. To get to him, you must make it past all of his creations and guards, not to mention the Xenoroids he has made, if there are indeed more than the recorded two." Dances with Balrog warned. "That includes your sister, if it really is her."

"I want to know. So I know, what I am, training for." Akio replied haltingly. It was the most Ascion had ever heard the other boy say in one go.

Dances with Balrog sighed. "His name is Gelimer. Doctor Gelimer, current leader of the Black Wings."

The meeting hadn't lasted much longer after that. Dances with Balrog asked a few more questions, including how Ascion and Kaede knew of the Black Wing assault on Akio's cave. They had answered truthfully, and while surprised, the chieftain had let slip a surprisingly warm smile before schooling his expression back to neutral.

Before they were dismissed, Dances with Balrog insisted that Akio not return to his cave. When the boy protested(as much as he could, anyway, which was to reply with a flat "no"), Dances with Balrog pointed out that the Black Wings had attacked him twice in two days, and he would have been be dead if their goal was to have him killed. He was just lucky that they were aiming to capture him, for whatever reason, giving him enough time for others to help him out of an otherwise hopeless situation.

After the chieftain had pointed that out, Akio finally agreed to stay in Perion, albeit reluctantly. In return, he wanted the chieftain to update him on anything related to the Black Wings, to which Dances with Balrog agreed.

Now, the trio were gathered in Akio's reserved room, in the chieftain's house. It wasn't anything special, just one of the many rooms reserved for orphans. It wasn't even decorated in any way, with a thin layer of dust coating every surface, showing that the room was rarely, if ever, used. Akio sat on his bed, while Kaede took the only chair. Ascion chose to sit on between them, his wheelchair backed against a wall.

"Well." Akio began as soon as the three of them had made themselves comfortable. "It is, later. Questions?"

"So, you're a werewolf?" Ascion asked blandly.

"Ascion!"

"What?"

"You can't just ask him so bluntly like that!"

"Then how else should I ask him?"

"Err, well…"

Akio looked mildly amused at the byplay. "Yes."

"Huh?" Ascion turned his attention back to the warrior.

"Yes. I am a werewolf." Akio confirmed.

"Huh, cool." Ascion hummed. "Kay, another thing, what's with how you talk? I mean, I-"

"Wait. That's it?" Akio interrupted, blinking.

Ascion just looked back, equally confused. "What, how else did you think we would react?"

"Shock? Disbelief?" Akio's voice dropped as he glanced to the side before he steeled himself to look Ascion in the eye. "Disgust?"

Ascion just rolled his eyes. "Akio, there's no way you haven't heard about the rumors surrounding Kaede and I. If we were seriously so sensitive that we would balk at your race, we wouldn't have lasted long in school. Besides, so what if you're a werewolf? We've played together, eaten together, and fought together. That's… that's enough for us to at least have some measure of camaraderie, right?"

Akio nodded slowly. "Just… one question?"

"Shoot."

"What is this… cam-ra-dry?" Akio asked.

Ascion stared at Akio.

Akio stared back evenly.

"Actually," Kaede cut in, "I want to know, too."

"Nobody reads the dictionary these days…" Ascion muttered.

Kaede responded by reaching over and smacking him in the head. "Nobody reads the dictionary, period."

"I know, dammit, I was joking! Anyway, camaraderie is another term for comradery."

"And what is comradery?" Akio asked again, sounding just a tad resigned.

Ascion stared at Akio.

Akio stared back at Ascion.

"Okay, enough with the staring already." Kaede groaned, irritated. "Akio, comradery is a feeling of… well, friendship. Like… like someone being trustworthy enough to be a… an ally? I guess?"

"Ah." Akio nodded. "Thank you." A pause. "Then… You think so?"

"Think what?" Ascion asked.

"That we are… friends."

"If you want us to be." Ascion replied, holding out his hand.

Akio didn't say anything as he stared contemplatively at Ascion's offered hand. Then he turned to Kaede. "What about you?"

"Well, I don't know you that well yet." Kaede admitted. "All I've done so far is watch the two of you play chess, get you two to actually eat rather than play through our break, and help you out in a fight. We haven't had a chance to properly interact."

Akio was starting to look downcast when Kaede continued. "Still, it doesn't matter if we're not too familiar with one another yet. I know that you're a nice person, and Ascion is fine with you, so I think we can be friends." She paused, then added uncertainly. "If… if you want to, that is."

Akio turned back to stare at Ascion's offered hand. Then, he hesitantly reached out, and took it.

With a laugh, Ascion tugged at Akio's hand pulling the startled boy into a hug. It was rather awkward, since Ascion had basically pulled Akio off his bed and onto his wheelchair. "Yes! A new friend!"

"How cruel." Kaede huffed with feigned indignance. "I didn't get that enthusiastic a welcome. Akio's already replacing me as your best friend, isn't he?"

Now severely off balance, Akio tried to push away from Ascion and try to placate Kaede, only for the mage to prove himself stronger than expected as he held on to the warrior. Akio could still break free, but now he was worried about accidentally hurting the mage if he used any more of his strength. "Well, Akio doesn't nag me as much as you do, so there!"

"How could you do this to me, after all that I had done for you?" Kaede cried, pointing accusingly at Ascion.

"Wait, wait, calm, please?" Akio waved his hands frantically, rather flustered to be caught in the middle of an argument. He was rather surprised when the two just stared at him for a moment before they burst out laughing.

"Sorry, Akio." Ascion chuckled as he let the werewolf go. Akio straightened, less flustered now that he wasn't in an unfamiliar position. "That was just a joke. Kaede and I just enjoy ribbing each other like that."

"I… see…" Akio seemed a little lost, but he quickly accepted it when Kaede and Ascion both smiled good naturedly. "Still… what is, ribbing?"

"It means to provoke another person in a playful and friendly way." Kaede interjected before Ascion can start teasing their new friend.

Contrary to her expectations, Ascion was not, in fact, going to tease Akio. Instead, he was frowning a little. "I just remembered, I wanted to ask, why do you… well, speak like that?"

"Like what?" Akio asked.

"You pause after every few words." Ascion noted. "And you tend to take some time before saying a longer sentence. Sometimes, you stop in the middle of a sentence, too. Why's that?"

Akio hesitated. "... I…"

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Ascion quickly assured him.

Akio shook his head. "Friends… do not lie to each other." He said, sounding more like he was reciting something out of a book. "I was… wild."

Ascion blinked. "Pardon?"

"I was wild. In the wild, language is, not important. Growling, or shouting, was enough. So I, forgot, how to speak. Forgot what I knew, before I was wild. I did not learn, how to speak, until I was ten, when Chief Balrog... took me in." Akio elaborated. "He taught me, how to talk again."

"So that's why you don't talk so much at school." Kaede realized. "You still can't speak very well, right?"

"Right." Akio confirmed. "But not, the only reason. Also… It is also, because I am a werewolf."

Kaede was confused. "What's being a werewolf got to do with talking?"

"Werewolves can change their muscular structure, but not the skeletal." Ascion was the one who answered. "Your bones can't change shape even if your flesh can. Which means that you still have canines now, don't you?"

"Yes." Akio nodded, then bared his teeth. He had fairly normal, if slightly small, teeth. That is, if you ignored the two pairs of vampire like fangs that extended from both his upper and lower jaw, although the pair in his upper jaw was longer than the other.

"Wow, he really does have canines." Kaede frowned. "Wait, isn't it hard to close your mouth though? I mean, those teeth look very long…"

"I feel fine." Akio reassured her. "I had teeth like this since, a long time ago. I am used to it."

"Oh, that's good. Well, do you have anything you want to ask?" Kaede asked.

"Some questions. But, just one, now. Others, next time. Getting late." Akio gestured to his bedroom window. A quick glance outside revealed that the sun had started to set.

"Alright, shoot." Ascion said.

"Death, of a person, is it first time seeing, for both of you?" Akio asked.

Kaede winced as she remembered the burning bodies. "Yeah, it is. Seeing what happened to them… I panicked a little. The smell was… nauseating."

"Same with me, though I'm not as affected, as you might have noticed." Ascion tacked on.

"You said you were, mild, sociopath. Explain?" Akio asked.

"Well, calling myself sociopathic might be stretching it. It was just the fastest way to explain my lack of reaction since we were in combat. It would be more accurate to say that I can't really… understand certain feelings." Ascion hesitated, thinking about how to explain things. "Well, you've already seen an example of it. While people tend to feel sick and shocked by the sight of burning bodies, I just... don't feel anything. Like, oh hey, there's a burning body, alright, moving on."

"I see." Akio paused, then nodded. "What other feelings, do you not really understand?"

"Let's see… I suppose the first time I realized my... condition? I'm not sure if this can be considered a condition, but nevermind that. The first time was when I discovered that I simply don't feel that vaunted sense of brotherhood I've read about so many times in stories in regards to my own siblings. Then I discovered that blood and gore is supposed to invoke a sense of disgust, but I had never felt anything like that even when I first started rummaging through the discarded meat in my family's kitchen. The last case would be when I attacked a… former friend of Kaede and I."

"Former?" Akio asked.

"He befriended us only to to stab us in the back later, that sadistic little shit." Ascion muttered darkly. "He kidnapped Kaede, dragged her back to his house and started beating her up with two of his friends. When I couldn't find Kaede, I went to his house to get his help, only to discover he was the cause of Kaede's disappearance. When I realized, I just attacked them. I'm… not sure how, but I managed to beat them up all by myself.

"The point is, when all is said and done, I only felt satisfaction at having saved Kaede. I know that I'm supposed to feel horrified, or guilty, or anything at all for beating three people bloody, but I didn't. I know I'm not sociopathic, because I still care enough not to randomly attack people, physically or otherwise. Thoughts like that still evoke a sense of horror in me, but I'm pretty sure that if I have a good enough reason, I can kill someone without feeling a thing." Having finished his little rant, Ascion averted his eyes, staring at the ceiling.

"I see." Akio merely nodded.

"So…" Ascion started after an awkward pause. "Any… comments?"

"None. You have accepted that I am, different. I can, do the same for you." Akio replied.

Ascion broke out a relieved grin. "Thanks."

"Well, I guess it's time to go?" Kaede asked.

"Yeah, if we don't get started on our way home now, we won't make it in time for dinner." Ascion agreed as he prepared to leave.

Akio escorted the two of them to the door, where they exchanged farewells. As the two started to head towards the Dimensional Gate, however, Ascion hesitated.

"Hey, Akio!" Ascion suddenly called, turning back to look at the warrior. Akio stopped right before he shut the door, opening it slightly to look questioningly at Ascion.

"Hm?"

"Want to… You want to go questing with Kaede and I tomorrow?"

"..." Akio paused as he looked at them, before he gave them a small smile. "Sure."

Ascion allowed a grin to cross his face. "See you tomorrow then!" He called as he continued wheeling himself away.

"... Yes. See you then." He heard Akio reply before the stone door closed behind him.

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