Chapter 49

Before they'd gone to bed the night before, Kaiba had told him exactly what had been going around in his mind the last few days. Tristan couldn't say he was exactly surprised by those thoughts, nor could he say he hadn't shared in a lot of them either. It was why he understood Kaiba's need to get up first and make his own set of preparations for the day. And why Tristan now stood watching him, rather than engage in a round of morning pleasantries neither of them particularly wanted. How could they engage in any conversation which didn't acknowledge the weight of the day about to crash down on them? The day they were going to confront Mokuba.

Just as he was about to join Kaiba in his preparations, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Turning he saw his currently muted son stood behind him.

'Are you okay,' Tristan frowned the second he noticed the strangely dark rings around his eyes, 'you look like you slept even less than your Dad did last night.'

Taylor shifted his gaze away and shrugged. Since his muteness had begun Taylor had shifted between one of two moods, wistful or strangely happy. The expression he currently wore, however, was pensive and deeply anxious. He looked as if something was bothering him and he wanted someone to talk to about it.

'Has something happened?'

Again Taylor did nothing but shrug and keep his gaze diagonally lowered.

'Tay,' he nudged his son's chin, forcing his gaze to meet his own, 'what's happened?'

The corners of Taylor's mouth twisted into an oddly pensive half smile, as though he was desperately trying to think of a way to get his problems across. But after a moment or two he just shrugged and turned away again.

'It's okay Tay, whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be okay.'

Sighing heavily, Taylor just nodded and glanced towards his Dad.

'Do you think we're ready for this,' Tristan deliberately changed the subject. 'I mean, we'll be taking on your aunt and uncle here; that's a pretty big deal.'

Slowly his son nodded.

'I really don't think your Dad wants to hurt either of them, you know, but… I think he's going to anyway. Just because he believes it might be the only way of snapping any sense back into Mokuba.'

Taylor gave another heavy sigh, before glancing back towards Tristan. There was something in his eyes which was sad at the thought his Dad could believe his brother so far beyond help that violence was the only way.

'I know, I feel the exact same way,' Tristan shifted his own gaze back towards Kaiba, 'but this is just something he feels that he needs to do and we can't judge him for it.'

'Can't you,' an unfamiliar voice sounded from nearby.

Turning, Tristan saw a young girl, dressed in a strangely outdated outfit, watching them both intensely.

'Are you the kid SK hired?'

'The one and the same,' she nodded, 'my name's Kisara.'

'I'm…'

'I know who you are Win.'

'I prefer Tristan.'

'And I prefer Win,' she turned her gaze towards Kaiba for a moment. 'One of the many things we were taught in the TA Academy was to respect the true status of those around us. Which means calling you Win and him the Pure.'

'You seem really together,' Tristan couldn't help but frown, 'somehow SK gave me the impression you were a bit of a ditz.'

'I am, when I'm not focusing on my demon energy.'

'And you just so happen to be focussing on that energy right now?'

'You want me to help you get down into hell, don't you?' Kisara face filled with an almost arrogant look. 'You didn't think I could take so many of you down unnoticed, without having most of my demon power highly focused, did you?'

'I guess I didn't think of that,' Tristan gave an edgy laugh.

'Well good job one of us did,' her tone was almost icy.

'Very good, I see everyone's here already,' SK appeared almost out of nowhere. 'All that's left to do is getting everyone down there.'

'Right,' Kaiba nodded, as he came out of the room he was in, carrying the bags holding their equipment. 'Here,' he distributed the bags around. 'I did my best to make sure everyone's got a different selection of things, so be careful you know what you're throwing before you do. We don't want any accidents.'

'Don't we?' Kisara shot him a funny look.

'I might be blind but I'm not cruel or stupid. Everything you're carrying has identifying marks on them, I trust you know how to read brail Kisara.'

'I do.'

'Then what are we waiting around here for? Let's go get my kids back.'

She was almost surprised to see him there when she woke up that morning. She hadn't expected it, not when he'd somehow managed to stay away all night. But the fact he was there…

'Duke, are you okay,' curiously she sat up in order to study him, 'you look a little…'

'A little what Catilin?'

'Strange.'

'Really?'

'Duke, I'm not trying to pick a fight,' she pouted. 'I'm sorry for what I did to Arados, I know you wanted to talk to him first.'

'For what you did to Arados?' Duke frowned at her.

'Yes, I…' she hesitated. 'Wait, you don't know what I did? Didn't you talk to Arados yesterday then?'

'No. No I forgot I was supposed to.'

'Then why…?'

'Catilin, I need you to come with me now.'

'What?'

'I need you to come with me now, you have to help me.'

'Help you how? With what?'

'I can't tell you that now.'

'Why not? What's going on Duke? Why are you acting so weirdly?'

'I'm not the one acting weirdly Catilin, you are. That's why you have to come with me now.'

'Duke you're scaring me.'

'I don't mean to,' his face filled with a sorrowful look, 'but this is something I should have done a long time ago.'

'Duke,' she found herself back away from him, 'what are you planning to do to me?'

'You're going to help me with something, that's all.'

'Duke.'

'Please Catilin, I need your help.'

'Stop it.'

'Stop what?'

'Stop calling me Catilin.'

'But it's your name,' he tilted his head strangely.

'I know it's my name, but…'

'But what?'

'I don't like the way you're saying it,' she voice became tight. 'In fact I don't like the way you're acting right now at all.'

'Its nothing Catilin, you're imagining it.'

'I can't be…'

'Catilin trust me,' his voice suddenly turned nasty, 'I would never hurt you.'