The next morning, Nuala seemed unusually quiet. Abe was concerned, but unsure of how to approach the situation. He was sure it had something to do with her brother, so what exactly could he say? There was likely no comfort he could offer her other than his simple presence, which he feared wouldn't suffice. Still, he remained. What an odd thing love was to experience first-hand.

"My brother," she said softly, grabbing his attention, "is going to summon something. Something much more awful than the Golden Army and something much more deadly. Not even Hellboy will be able to stop this."

"Why do you say that?" Abe asked, curious.

She looked to her partner, fearful. "Because it's not something he can control."

"You know what's going on." The two turned to see Liz, arms crossed and a frown on her face. "I think it's time you told us."

The princess nodded and Liz turned to fetch Hellboy and Sunist, both of whom were in the kitchen, and brought them into the living room to sit in front of the couple. A soft, reassuring squeeze of her hand from Abe and Nuala began her story.

"It's an ancient evil, one that isn't thought of to use very often simply because of its unreliability. Not to say the ritual doesn't work, but simply that it can't be controlled. Once started, a certain possession comes over the person and he loses his consciousness. After that, there's no stopping it."

"What is 'it'?" Sunist asked, voicing what was on everyone's mind.

"To put it simply? The end of the world. The Ring of Gaal is a very-"

"Ring of Gaal?" Abe repeated, blinking several times. "Oh, my."

"You know of it," Nuala said softly. "I'm not completely surprised."

"Well, I've never heard of it," Hellboy said, looking to Liz, who shrugged.

"Do you mind if I...?" Abe asked, looking to his partner.

"You've probably learned more about it than I have," she said, nodding.

"The Ring of Gaal was worn by a very powerful and very violent demon. It's rumored to be created by the misery of a thousand lost souls, which is actually quite interesting, if you think about it, because there aren't many objects in the history of demonology or even the world that-"

"Move on," Hellboy said, motioning with his oversized hand. "What's it do?"

"Ah, right," Abe continued. "Well, the ring, if I'm not mistaken, it...created much of the world as we know it now. It's a very powerful weapon, containing enough energy to create a world or..."

"Destroy it," Liz finished, gravely, sighing as Abe nodded. "I don't get it. Why would a demon want to create a world for humans?"

"Quite the contrary, actually," Abe said in his usual I'm-about-to-go-on-a-history-lesson-rant voice. "This demon that used the ring's power did it for no one but himself. You see, he was a powerful leader and he desired more space than Hell gave him."

"So he made another world," Sunist murmured. "This one."

Hellboy eyed his friend up suspiciously. "This leader guy...he have a name?"

"Oh, no, he's long gone, you wouldn't be able to-"

"I didn't ask if he was available for lunch," the demon said. "I asked his name."

With a heavy sigh, Abe averted his eyes. "He was...your father." Silence fell over the group as Hellboy grew into a silent rage.

"Red," Liz said softly, gripping his hand.

"Where is he?" the red-skinned male asked, looking straight at Nuala.

"I-I don't know," she stammered, shaking her head. "He seems to be...blocking our connection. I didn't even know that was possible."

"If he's wearing the ring, it's quite possible he's behind some sort of barrier," Abe told her. "He may not be able to be tracked by any of our means."

Sighing in frustration, Hellboy stood and headed out the door, ignoring Liz calling his name as he slammed it shut. He knew his father wouldn't let go of a ring that powerful so easily, and if he had the ring, no one could take it from him. So how did Nuada get it? Did he desecrate the demon lord's grave? Or perhaps someone else did, and he stole it or bought it off of them. He was sure if he had stayed to listen to the rest of Abe's story, his comrade would have explained where the ring was last recorded being seen, but he was tired of sitting around, listening to bedtime stories. He had to find Nuada and stop him. For good.

"Just let him cool off," Abe suggested. "You know how he is."

"Which is exactly why he shouldn't be alone," Liz replied.

"I agree," Sunist spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. "He'll try to find Nuada, and if he does..."

"He'll kill him," the princess finished, "and me." While their link was sometimes a very helpful thing, Nuala might have preferred not being so connected with her twin. It was a blessing in disguise, though-- Nuada didn't take near as many risks with his own flesh as he would if it were only him being risked.

"Perhaps we should find him," Abe said, finally caving. With that, the group stood and began preparing to track down their friends.

"Soon," Nuada whispered, "very soon." He wasn't nearly as cheerful about the outcome as he had been only days before. He stood at a pedestal overlooking a giant crater in the floor of a stone building. Ancient engravings in a lost language adorned the sides of the pedestal and archaic symbols decorated the floor around the gaping hole. The building around him looked as if it had been partially demolished-- pillars were cracked and fallen, and rubble from the broken ceiling lie strewn across the floor.

In the middle of the pedestal was a small indentation, a perfect size for the ring fitted snugly inside. A dark green gem set inside a delicately-patterned frame glowed with a dim light, speaking of an awakening evil. A single, ghostly finger traced across the stone and Nuada sighed softly. Once the ring was inserted, it was hardly simple to remove. The pedestal itself, though only made of stone, was magically protected by the ring to remain indestructible against any power. Not even Hellboy's rock-hard fist could break through a barrier set in place ages ago.

Stepping away from the magical structure, Nuada's senses returned to normal. He disliked staying there for too long due to his lack of connection with his sister. Making his way through the ruined building, he stepped outside and raised his face to the sky.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. Nuala was trying very hard to reach him, and she had just succeeded. If they came here now, they would likely be killed. The prince looked over his shoulder to the entrance of the ruins. On either side sat two, huge, stone demons. Two held large battle axes while their partners carried giant hammers, a blood-thirsty grin engraved on their twisted faces. They were the temple's guardians and while Nuada, who possessed the ring's power when he first arrived, was granted safe passage, the rest of them would not be. If the guardians awoke, Hellboy and the rest of the crew would be destroyed.

Stumbling back toward the building, Nuada placed a hand on the cool stone. As long as he stayed close to the building, their connection was fuzzy. As long as they stayed away, they would be safe. Parking himself on the few steps, the prince leaned against a wall and sighed. His eyes fluttered shut and he began thinking how everything was supposed to turn out much differently. Nuala should have supported him from the start, and Sunist...she should have realized he was only trying to make their world better for them. It was too late for him to change his mind, so he had tried his best to make them change their minds. He was clearly in the wrong, but his mistake had already been made.

"I can feel you..."

Nuada's eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly. Was that...? No. He stood and rushed deeper into the building. He had know she was telepathic and a genius in the magical arts, but he had never thought she could reach him through this sort of barrier. Nuada cursed under his breath as he once again returned to the platform leading to the magical pedestal. Sunist would lead them straight to him and straight to their deaths.

This chapter was quite a bit shorter in comparison and while I could have continued it, I'll save the confrontation bit for the fourth chapter. Speaking of, why don't you head on over? It's -----) thatta way.