(35)

He became aware of the darkness all around,

and in the shadows eyes glowed and moved to surround.

He frowned and reached for his steel,

only to find that there wasn't even a handle to feel.

He was unarmed and of meager skill,

and it was this weakness the beasts sensed as they closed for the kill.

He gave the closest one his best,

yet that was nothing compared to what he'd need for the rest.

He kept on bashing,

but from all sides came the talons and teeth, flashing.

Into his bare flesh, they bit and shred,

and they knew that before long they'd all be fed.

The end of his struggling was swift,

for it was into his chest that they tore and ripped.

Fangs and claws of white were stained red,

but the tint of gold drowned it out, shining in from overhead.

Then all he saw were distant orange eyes numbering four,

and he could only stare back from the floor.

When he looked down he saw not the savaged body of one soon to be dead,

rather that he was still lying peacefully in his bed.

vvv

Leontius awoke with a start, his blanket getting bunched up on his arms as he instinctively snapped into a defensive posture, eyes wide and wild. The shock of the nightmare wore off quickly enough and he relaxed, letting his head fall back onto his pillow then rubbed at his face as he thought about what he'd experienced in the dream.

It was awful, the feeling of being unarmed and unarmored, of being helpless. One of the worst feelings for someone who'd carved out an existence on the hellish surface with his trusty sword and armor. He couldn't remember much else from his time asleep, he knew he had other dreams, but something was different about that last one, something that made it resist the difficulty inherent in remembering his other ones.

He was feeling rather cold, and as he sat up he saw that his fireplace was close to dying out, the few embers still burning within looking unsettlingly reminiscent of the orange eyes from the dream to his barely-awake mind; eyes he was certain belonged to the beast within him.

With a yawn, he kicked his legs off the bed and stumbled over to his fireplace to refuel it, unused to the lingering effects of sleep that put him off-balance and slowed his cognition, even with something as simple as stoking a flame. The feeling faded before long and he was getting ready for the day, stomach occasionally growling angrily for food the whole time.

Eventually Leontius sat back on his bed and his gaze fell upon his Vanguard armor, the set was pieced together and sitting empty next to his table, the Mask of the Child near it on the table's edge. His face, his skin, the old silent shell that used to do more than simply cover and protect him, it used to be what definedhim to others. He was glad it was serving a higher purpose now, as it allowed him to protect more than just himself.

That thought brought him right back to what Kirk had said yesterday after they'd defeated the screeching beast at the edge of the forest. 'Perhaps you may no longer be the defender you wish to be.'

Once again he was at odds with himself. He wanted to protect the Underground and its people, but he still couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was responsible for drawing threats to it in the first place, now he could be a danger to everyone around him, and that wasn't even addressing his dark aura and its effects that seemed focused on monsters.

All of it put a weight in his gut and doubt in his mind. The thing within him was particularly concerning, as it could take control of him at any point and there was no telling what the extent of its powers over him truly was. While it seemed willing to cooperate at times, the hollows of the army became savage, mindless, and far stronger when they turned. If that happened to him and he wasn't in control there would be no stopping what he'd become, he would wreak havoc upon the Underground.

It all wound down to a single inescapable conclusion: that he himself was a potential threat to the Underground, and when he spoke to Asgore, Asriel, and Toriel later, he should tell them the full truth of what happened on the surface, including the issue of the beastly soul that had been implanted within him. There was only one solution Leontius came to about that particular issue.

He leaned forward, head down as he closed his eyes, hands running through his hair. He realized he'd have to return to the surface for good, the hell that he'd thought was finally behind him, one that somehow managed to get even worse. He'd have to leave behind friends, a home, normality, and what could be his only chance at family and love if he wanted to keep them all safe.

It hurt, it was hard to accept, but he had to. The alternative option simply wasn't one he could live with, and that was saying something considering just how long he'd existed in the first place. He reasoned that he'd spent almost all of that existence on the surface, so going back would just be a return to his "true" reality, the dark reality that had shaped him for all those millennia. At least he learned that he could fight for something, be the hero for a while, but in the end he was no longer meant for actually living, not after everything the surface had done to him.

There was still work to be done on that same surface, and he was no longer in the mindset of letting himself slip up for convenience's sake, but he wasn't so sure he wanted to put his armor on just yet. He wanted to visit Asriel and Toriel first, and he was sure he could convince her to help him armor up afterward. The suit went on much quicker and easier with help, and it seemed to fit and feel better on him when she helped him with it. It would be a small comfort, but a valuable one to him nonetheless.

He put on the Mask of the Child and his coat then put the steel armor into his box and was out the door once again, at least one more day in the Underground ahead of him.

vvv

Another night, more alterations. Asriel once again awoke to find that his body had continued changing in his sleep. By now he was almost half a head taller than he used to be, still had gray-black fur, and was now sporting stubby mostly-black marbled horns that had fully cleared his fur and began growing in earnest. He still found himself occasionally fiddling with them, even while he was sitting and eating breakfast. He knew it was rather distracting by this point and was trying to get over it, but he couldn't help but lapse back into it now and then.

Toriel came out of the kitchen just in time to catch him, audibly clicking her tongue as she saw him fidgeting with his horns. "You are doing it again, Asriel."

He snapped to awareness, hand automatically falling to the table as he stared at his mother, not grasping what she'd said until a few quiet seconds passed and she took her seat across from him at the table with her food. "I was? I think I might be getting worse about it…"

Toriel didn't seem too concerned by it, commenting just before tucking into her breakfast. "I am certain you will grow out of it, your horns will not always be new, after all."

Asriel quietly thought about that, and he found himself agreeing with her. He was growing quite quickly, so it only made sense that perhaps his habits could come and go just as fast. He went back to eating, trying to keep a note in the back of his mind to not let his hands be idle long enough to start fidgeting again.

The mother and son went on enjoying breakfast silently for a little while after their brief conversation, but the peace was disturbed by a sensation that fell over them, gradually getting stronger. Both recognized it immediately, but neither was experiencing it quite the same. Toriel felt a steadily rising fear that she immediately began resisting, and Asriel felt that familiar soul-resonance he'd come to associate with a certain man.

To the surprise of both of them the feeling suddenly dropped in intensity to the point that neither could sense it, and they looked to the door as they heard knocking. Toriel, now somewhat confused, called out. "Come in!"

The door opened, and sure enough, it was Leontius who walked through. He was wearing his mask and traveling coat, but more interesting than that was how it looked as though he'd lost his black aura. Toriel squinted, unsure if she was seeing him right, but once he neared the dinner table she got up and examined him closer, noticing the tiny amount of darkness still just barely visible around him.

Leontius removed his mask, revealing that he was smiling at Toriel's expression. "Quite an improvement, is it not? At least appearance-wise, that is…"

Toriel shook her head at the understatement, relief apparent at his ability to find a solution to the unsettling darkness. "It certainly seems like you have done something more than that, I can hardly feel its effects anymore. It was a permanent fix, I would hope?"

Leo's smile fell a bit at that question. "If only it were, but it is not. I found a way to control it, but there are limits to what I can do, and it takes concentration to bend it to my will, otherwise it just goes back to how it usually is. But the negative effect is also dampened like this? Then, perhaps the opposite…" Leontius quietly trailed off at that, seeming to get lost in thought.

Toriel looked at him curiously. "Is there something else about it?"

Leontius' attention was brought back to her, though his thoughtful expression remained. "Yes, but it is of no real concern. Just certain practical applications of this strange aura that are likely more limited than I thought. Other than that, it would seem the issue is solved, for the most part at least."

Toriel nodded at that, going quiet. Leontius was about to say something else when she suddenly closed the distance between them, wrapping him up in a tight hug unexpectedly, surprising both him and Asriel.

Leontius looked down at Toriel as she tightened her grip on him, finding himself only able to return the hug as she buried her face into his chest. After a few moments of the two just holding the embrace while Asriel watched on, Toriel finally pulled herself back to look up at Leontius.

Her voice came out somewhat shaky, her earlier composure seeming eroded. "I had been waiting for that… you had me so worried Leontius, we were all afraid… you said you would do your best to stay safe up there..."

He felt rather ashamed at that, looking away as he explained in a somewhat hushed tone. "With what was headed for the mountain, I had to act or they would have overrun it and eventually found a way in. But… I made mistakes a good while before I even had to fight, intolerable ones for the situation I found myself in. I am sorry, Toriel."

Relief made its way into Toriel's expression, her voice regaining its usual steadiness complementing it. "Please… I know full well you can return after death, but to actually see and feel someone you care about slip away in your arms… I have already experienced it too much." She looked between Asriel and Leontius for only the briefest of moments, but they both caught it.

Leontius wanted to reassure her after that, he knew that feeling all too well thanks to what he'd seen in Frisk's timeline, the predicament of fully understanding the reality of a situation but not being quite able to accept it, no matter how much proof was given. The fact that he was holding her in his arms certainly helped, though. "I do not intend to let it happen again, I am returning to the surface in my best equipment once again, and I wanted your help with putting on the armor. It goes on much easier and feels better to wear when you help."

Toriel finally let go of Leontius, agreeing to his proposition with a nod. "I think I would like that, it would put me at ease knowing I helped you prepare, even if it is in a small way. But first-" She gestured to the dinner table, inviting him to a seat. "-We were having breakfast. Please, have some with us before we worry about all that."

Leontius glanced at the familiar-looking breakfast spread on the table, finding it all too easy to agree with his stomach urging him to accept her offer. "Certainly, I think more of your cooking is exactly what I need right about now…" He disarmed and took his seat across from Asriel, next to where Toriel's food was.

Toriel walked into the kitchen, calling out as she did so. "It will just be a few minutes, I knew you would visit so I left everything out to make more of what we are having, nice and fresh."

Leontius set his gear belt aside on the table and watched her as she went, his attention eventually falling on Asriel once Toriel disappeared behind the dividing wall between the dining area and the kitchen.

Asriel was looking back at him, a somewhat smug and knowing air about him. "I knew my mom cared about you like that, I could tell you guys hit it off pretty well. You didn't answer that time after we fought, but I think you might like her back, and she knows it."

Leontius smiled at that, Asriel might not have been a manipulative little flower anymore, but he still seemed to enjoy being in the know about people and their relationships. "I would certainly say she knows, we have both been forward about how we feel towards one another and what we want out of our relationship. Toriel's prediction about how you would react seems to have been accurate as well."

Asriel gave the man a quizzical look. "You guys were talking about me during your dinner, huh?"

Leontius hesitated a moment before answering, choosing his words carefully. He felt like he might be doing that a lot during this chat over breakfast, he wanted to avoid getting into any heavy topics until later today. "Of course, but not quite enough, I feel. We discussed how potentially becoming a family would go, but aside from that, I believe your parents deserve to know the truth, Asriel. About what happened to you and Characas."

Surprise dawned on Asriel, joined shortly after by visible internal conflict as he considered what the man across from him had just put forth. "I… how…? Hmm."

Leontius allowed him to think on it a bit longer before adding to the proposition. "How I know matters little now, but this is your truth to tell, or your secret to keep. It is your choice, and yours alone."

Asriel looked Leontius in the eye once again, analyzing him and his words until an idea of how he knew the truth suddenly came to him in a flash. The solemn nod he got from the man was all Asriel needed to move on and focus on his own decision, still seeming conflicted. "I'll have to think about it. I have some idea of how they'd handle it, but whether or not I should tell…"

Leontius leaned back and relaxed more into his chair, his demeanor calm and even. "Do not feel rushed, take your time on this if you must, if you choose to tell them at all. Today, after Asgore gives the monthly address, your parents and I will meet back here to discuss what happened on the surface along with some other concerns I had. You may find it convenient to tell them then."

Asriel mulled it over for a few more moments before his attention and curiosity were drawn to something else Leontius said. "What happened out there, on the surface? You're strong, strong enough to stand up to a monster with enough souls to reach godhood, but something actually managed to beat you, right? And how did you come back to life like you did? Undyne said something about you being an undead?"

Leontius found himself hesitating again, his calm faltering a little. So much for avoiding that. "I was climbing Ebott to seal the hole leading down into the Ruins when I spotted threats approaching the mountain. Undead, my kind, many of them. They are cursed near-immortal humans driven by instinct, and they seemed to have been drawn here, seeking… something. I leapt from the mountainside to battle and repel them, then…"

He struggled to even put together the words to describe all that happened after that point, just thinking back on it felt surreal. "It was madness. The world above was changed, and the undead changed with it. I was defeated thanks to poor preparation and inability to adapt to the circumstances. I-"

Toriel coming back around from the kitchen wall with plates of breakfast in-hand distracted Leontius from his retelling, so he scooted his chair closer to the table instead of finishing what he was saying.

She set the plates in front of Leontius and took her seat next to him, giving him and Asriel interested looks. "What were you two discussing? I did not interrupt anything important, did I?"

Asriel shrugged and answered for Leontius, letting the man relax and examine his meal. "Nope, just catching up with Leo is all. The whole thing that happened on the surface, you know? It was a lot to take in at first, so he told me a little about it."

Toriel seemed concerned and uncomfortable at that. "Is that not a rather… grim topic to be talking about at breakfast?"

Leontius agreed with a raise of his brows. "Quite grim, which is why I intend to save it for when we meet back here later today." He was more than happy to put off the full disclosure until then, so he instead shifted focus to the meal itself. "This looks quite good, is this the same breakfast selection we had at the Snowed Inn?"

Toriel gave the man a smile and adjusted her own plate in front of her. "It is, I quite liked their pancakes so I decided to make those and some of the other things you tried, all freshly homemade. Go ahead, enjoy."

Leontius didn't need to be told twice, immediately digging in at a slower pace than normal, he wanted to savor both the food and the time with Toriel and Asriel. The three ate contently in silence for a while, and by the time they were almost done some thoughts had occurred to Leontius.

He finished what was left on his plate and set his utensils down, thinking of the meal he just had and the thoughts that sprung to his mind. 'It seems whatever Toriel cooks is just… better. The inn's food just does not compare. I suppose it makes sense, she has been cooking since before most beings still on this Earth even existed.'

He let out a sigh and continued that train of thought, the sound getting Toriel's attention. 'And here I am, not even knowing the first thing about cooking anymore. I am to permanently leave for the surface and I do not even know how to feed myself. I am going to be lost all over again without her…'

Toriel speaking up handily knocked him out of his thoughts, the monster woman next to him sporting a curious look. "It is quite something to hear you actually breathing now, you certainly sigh and huff a lot. Is there anything on your mind?"

Leontius was somewhat surprised for a few moments before quickly formulating something to say in response. "Ah, lately there has always been something on my mind, Toriel. It truly has been a lot to get used to, having an unfogged mind and now a living body." He needed to steer away from that topic, and as his gaze fell upon Asriel an idea came to mind. "I was just thinking, now that Asriel is with us again I can voice the concerns I was having."

Asriel and Toriel shared confused looks before she responded. "Concerns…? Oh, is this what you were talking about in the Barrier yesterday?"

Leontius nodded, hands folding in front of his chin as he continued to scrutinize Asriel from across the table. "Indeed. The quick changes Asriel has been experiencing have got me worried. His rapid growth, horns, and now the color of his fur is darkening drastically. I knew I remembered seeing someone with fur that color when I first came back through the Barrier…"

Asriel actually seemed relieved at that, entirely unworried now that he knew what issue was bothering the man. "Leo, I feel fine. Trust me, I know it looks weird and all, but I don't really think it's that big of a deal or anything."

Leontius didn't let up, his brows furrowing slightly. "I believe you when you say you feel fine, Toriel feels normal as well, and so do I, relatively speaking. I am willing to wager that Asgore does not feel any different either, thus my concerns. You are growing and changing quickly, yet none of us feel our soul power flowing into you, and you have quite a novel condition. A piece of a human soul in a growing Boss Monster's body… without Humanity or Determination, as you call it."

Realization dawned on Asriel, the boy finally putting stock in Leo's worries and casting his thoughts to his own knowledge and experience on the subject. In the end he had to internally admit Leo had a good -and quite worrying- point.

Toriel also finally started to be concerned about Asriel in light of what Leontius had brought up. "I… had not thought of it like that. I was just happy to finally have him back, fast growth and odd changes or no, but you believe there may be something… wrong with him? What should we do?"

Leontius eased up, looking between Toriel and Asriel. "I think we should consult the Royal Scientist, Alphys, on this matter. She has experience with this subject and equipment that may help us better understand what is happening to him. I have already brought it up with her and she would be willing to help after addressing another matter, so it is up to you two and Asgore, I suppose."

Toriel analyzed Asriel not unlike Leontius had been earlier, the boy still worriedly contemplating his own condition. After a few tense moments she broke the silence, solidly meeting Leontius' gaze. "No, your concerns are just as valid as any of ours, you are part of our family now and Asriel is part of you. We will meet Alphys as soon as possible, I will see about getting in contact with her and arranging this today."

Leontius could only nod at that, her sudden decisive and commanding nature reminding him that she was royalty. He was starting to get an idea of what her and Asgore's rule together must have been like considering Asgore when alone seemed crippled with indecision and remorse. 'Asgore must have felt lost too, not having her around…'

Asriel idly started eating again while still seeming lost in thought, so Toriel also dropped the serious air and got to finishing the rest of her breakfast. Leontius decided now would be a good enough time to start preparing to don the Vanguard armor, so he grabbed his gear belt and excused himself from the table to start setting the armor out and readying it. He knelt down, opened his bottomless box and put his hand in…

The first thing that he touched wasn't what he was expecting. He grasped the item and pulled it free, revealing Asriel's only surviving Chaos Saber. He straightened back up and inspected the near-weightless sword for the second time, noticing that Toriel had also taken interest in the weapon.

Leo looked between Asriel and the sword, coming to an easy decision. "Hrm… Asriel. Look." He approached the boy and held the sword out to him, surprising Asriel as he turned to see.

Asriel's surprise shifted to a momentary squint before he recognized what he was looking at. "Is that… one of my swords? A Chaos Saber? It is!" He accepted the blade with wonder, his fascination with the god-forged weapon only growing as its coloration changed in response to his touch, turning from pure black to a shifting gradient of black and gray. "Leo, thank you, but… how did you get this?"

Leontius smiled at Asriel's reaction to the sword, it only felt right reuniting it with its creator and owner. "You never turned that one into projectiles or dispelled it, so it survived our battle and appeared in the barrier. It is yours and only right that you have it."

Asriel got out of his chair with renewed energy and went to the most open part of the floor, eager to test the sword out. To Leontius' eye it was like watching him relearn something instinctive, he seemed to slip into his god form's unusual fighting style as if he'd trained for it. His first couple test swings were a bit clumsy, but after getting used to the long and incredibly light blade he was able to make his practice cuts flow seamlessly from one to the next with his unorthodox style.

Looking satisfied with the experience, Asriel held the sword out in front of him and dispelled and resummoned it, just as other weapon-wielding monsters like Undyne could. While Asriel continued testing his sword out Leontius went back over to his box and pulled out the Grass-crest shield and Vanguard armor to lay them out on the floor.

Midway through Leontius' preparations Toriel finished eating and came over to help, so he took off his coat and started with the underlayer suit of chainmail as usual. From there the duo worked together in learned silence and Leo was fully armored even faster than the last time Toriel had helped. Both of them had figured out that the best way to put the suit together was to start with the lower pieces and work their way up.

Leontius tested the fitment and motion of the armor, satisfied with the improved feel of the familiar burden. "Ah. Much better, thank you for the assistance, Toriel. And for the meal."

She folded her hands before her and gave him a nod, pleased with her work on the armor. "Of course Leontius, any time, you are more than welcome here."

Asriel dispelled his saber and stood next to his mother, eying Leo's armor. As Flowey he'd wondered why the man chose to not wear it after their first encounter, it seemed like it would be the most effective equipment with how huge it was, but now he understood. It was quite intimidating. "Good luck up there Leo, you've got it handled now, right?"

Leontius strapped on his shield then slid his mask on and tightened it up while he answered, completing his appearance as the green glow of his enchantments surrounded him. "Indeed. If the surface has any more surprises in store for me, I am ready. I will return before long, we all have quite the day ahead of us. Goodbye Toriel, Asriel."

With that he left their home and was back onto the path to Snowdin's plateau, collecting his bonfire poker as he went. He trudged up the path at a brisk pace and was in the residential area in little time, though he slowed his pace as someone familiar strolled around the corner ahead.

It was Sans, the skeleton seeming tired and worn-out. He was yawning as he waited at the corner for Leontius to come closer, his unusually dim eyes scanning the man's armored form. "heya, leo… headed up to the surface again, huh?"

Leontius cocked his head a bit at Sans' exceptionally lethargic manner. The skeleton was usually quite laid-back, but he just seemed exhausted. "Good morning, Sans. I am on my way to the Barrier, but… is something the matter?"

Sans gave a low-effort shrug. "guess that's what i've been trying to figure out, but uh… i ran into a snag after the evacuation. see, something's been going on with the timelines, couldn't nail that down but i think i know what happened. can you do me a favor?"

Leontius' arched an unseen eyebrow at the request. "I suppose, what do you need?"

Sans looked aside, worry starting to make its way into his voice. "can you check around waterfall for me? i'd do it myself but-" A sudden yawn interrupted him. "-i'm beat. pulled a couple all-nighters, feels like i've been on the graveyard shift."

Leontius didn't have an issue helping Sans, but he felt the need to raise a concern. "I can do that, but I have already been through Waterfall and back recently and-"

The man who spoke in hands. The blue eye orb. Frisk. "Ah."

Sans managed to grin through the tiredness at that. "yup, i thought you might know something. oh, and before you go, i've got a question for ya." He closed his eyes and presented his query, not a hint of humor in his voice. "Do you think even the worst person can change? That everybody can be a good person if they just try?"

Leontius silently thought the question over for a few moments, a resolved answer coming to him. "I do not just think so, I know so. Despite every horrible thing I have done in the past, I am trying to do my best here and now for everyone."

That answer seemed to energize Sans, the skeleton's usual demeanor surfacing again. "i hope you're right. good luck, leo, i believe in you. anyways, i'm off to take a nap now, see ya 'round, buddy."

With that Sans walked past Leontius further into the residential area and the once-undead continued on. He decided to take Sans' request seriously and at least get a cursory check through Waterfall on the trip to the Barrier.

vvv

The walk through Waterfall revealed nothing out of the ordinary to Leontius, besides the fact that it was still almost completely devoid of monsters for some reason, the only one around being the small chick at the gap crossing. Not even Gerson was still at his spot near the Delta Rune, all of his things had been packed up by the looks of it. Leontius resolved to check the area more thoroughly once he returned from the surface, concerns growing and ideas mounting over what, or perhaps more accurately, who might be hiding in the caves and paths of Waterfall.

The trip to the Barrier was likewise near-deserted, Leontius figured it was probably thanks to the evacuation scare. Most monsters were probably still getting everything back under control after the sudden upheaval. Asgore wasn't home either, so Leontius had to assume the king was already preparing for the monthly address. He kept going until he passed through the Barrier once more.

vvv

After getting through the Barrier Leontius replaced his bonfire poker where it was last, lit it, sat briefly to attune, and dispelled the illusory wall to get out of the small cave. When he exited out into the dimly eclipse-lit surface he scanned around cautiously, claymore in hand and shield up.

Nothing was moving, not even the wind was blowing and it was eerily quiet, Leontius could only hear the weak whispering of the lone voice in his mind. The valley below was completely devoid of ashes now, the only signs of battle left being the ravaged terrain pockmarked by magic and combat.

What got his attention most was an ominous orange glow far off in the distance where the Ruined Kingdom would be. He wasn't high up enough to make out the kingdom or source of the glow clearly, and could only barely see the splayed-out form of the Dragon God on the distant mountain range.

Leontius squinted his eyes in an effort to see better, briefly getting his binoculars out to get a better image of the distant kingdom. When that failed he sighed and sheathed his sword then undid his shield to hook it on the back of his armor.

He had a long climb ahead of him.

vvv

The third climb up Mount Ebott went a bit different for Leontius. The way his stamina now worked meant he could climb for much longer stints at a time, interrupted only by likewise longer rest periods than he was used to. To further preserve his energy he also kept the dark aura in its relaxed visible state. He was making good time, his progress only somewhat slowed by the low-light of the Eclipse. He'd made his way around to the west face of the mountain where the light was better, but he still needed to occasionally cast a Light spell to get a good look at where he was going.

One thing he noticed as he ascended was how the lone whisper in his head seemed to get louder and clearer the higher up he went. It still seemed quiet and weak compared to how it sounded when there was a chorus of similar whispers accompanying it, but he still couldn't understand what it was saying in the slightest. It was only a minor distraction on his way up, and eventually he made it to the cave near the summit.

Using the materials in the dimensional box to seal up the hole went smoother than Leontius had expected, following the instructions and adapting them to the somewhat larger-than-expected hole led to a satisfying result. Once the top layer of "concrete" dried it wouldn't look much different from the stone around the edges of the sealed hole. It might not keep someone from breaking through if they were making a serious effort, but hopefully anyone just standing on it would be none the wiser.

With his task finally complete Leontius left the cave and stood back to inspect it from a distance, looking at the now-sealed hole from different angles. He was confident that once the color of the seal matched it wouldn't arouse suspicion. As he turned away from the cave he caught sight of the pile of ash and hole left by his bonfire when he first came here.

He eyed the small ash pile, casting his memory back to when he was sitting there, still foggy of mind and barely-thinking. His mind and curiosity were so much freer now, and the distantly remembered glow of the bonfire in his mind reminded him of the strange orange light he'd seen in the direction of the Ruined Kingdom.

He turned his gaze up to the nearby peak, curiosity only growing. 'I suppose a bit more climbing would not hurt, I can just use a Homeward Bone to get down instantly, of course…'

Leontius packed up the dimensional box and leftover building materials then got to climbing the last bit of the mountain, finally stepping up and onto the peak of Ebott for the first time.

The peak was broad and round with plenty of space to walk and move on, and the whispering voice was so clear in Leontius' mind that he couldn't help but look around the area, obviously not finding anything. He gave up on the short lived search and approached the eastern edge of the peak to look out at the Ruined Kingdom. He was left agape at what he saw.

In the far distance he could now see the Dragon God's massive gray form laying across the eastern mountain faces, its doubled jaws wide and pointed skyward as a soupy colorless fog constantly poured from its mouth and rolled down the mountainside, obscuring everything below the base of the mountain range in an eerie cloud that was impenetrable to sight.

The gray cloud of fog had already spread quite far, but it hadn't yet obscured what made Leontius' jaw drop, as he now knew what the hint of orange light on the horizon was.

The Ruined Kingdom was burning.

(35)

A/N: Hello again everyone, I'm back to writing regularly, though I never really stopped writing or coming up with ideas in my absence, only stopped uploading. I've decided to focus more on producing uploadable works, and have other new story ideas I may pursue eventually. For now I've chosen to focus on this story and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Legends Laid Low, though you can expect another round of edits and small revisions to all previous chapters of this story first. Enjoy reading or re-reading it, and as always I look forward to your responses in the reviews.