Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this time of tension and danger… especially for the one the seventh one.
~保護者~
"The Seventh"
~保護者~
With Jet spending some much-needed downtime with his mother and things temporarily calm, Kath had turned his attention to training. Rather than taking on a student, however, he was himself the student in this instance - at least in a manner of speaking. He and Yareish had worked on his ice powers once before, and she had touched on multiple tactics and skills in their brief sparring match. Now he was practicing with them and his time powers on his own on one of the palace's training grounds.
Or, at least, he had been. He'd run out of things to practice by now with regards to his ice powers and gotten frustrated again with his time powers. Which meant that remaining out here wasn't serving any sort of a purpose. It seemed it was time for him to return inside. He would have done so, too, had he not sensed the presence of the very woman that had been so frequently on his mind as of late. Turning in that direction, he waited to see if she would come all the way here or if she was going to remain where she was.
Sure enough, she did appear before him. A hand extended toward the hawk with her other arm outstretched, an invitation for a hug. Kath hesitated. He did not enjoy being touched by most people. However, exceptions could be made for some people. Almost instantly, he decided he was willing to try doing the same for her. So he accepted the invitation, just briefly. Yareis was pleased with his brief acceptance, and let go as soon as he did. "How are you, Kath?"
"I am as well as can be expected," he shrugged. "You?"
"I've been resting on the cold peaks of Babylon," Yareis answered. "I have been well."
That made enough sense. "You do not need to stay in the wilderness to keep cool," Kath decided to inform her. "We have the technology to keep indoor spaces at whatever temperature is desired."
"But it would lack the snow," Yareis huffed gently. "Though I supposed that is good to know, anyway."
"Be that as it may, you are welcome to come inside for a time if you wish," Kath found himself offering. "I was headed that way already."
"I will accompany you," Yareis murmured, moving to stand beside him. Kath nodded and began walking toward the nearest doors leading into the building. The woman followed, staying close by him the whole way. Eventually, she bumped up against him, almost roughly. Before he could be allowed to think about what had just happened, she snatched one of his hands and held it.
Though Kath was surprised, greatly so, he managed not to jump as a result of it. Briefly, he caught himself wondering how long it had been since anyone other than children had held his hand. He supposed he and Laralei had been… teenagers? Perhaps newlyweds? Something like that. But the thoughts didn't linger long at all, and he wound up just returning the gesture.
This made Yareis smile gently, something he took notice of but didn't mention. He didn't want to dampen her good mood, either, so he took his time deciding what to say as they entered the palace and began climbing the stairs. Ultimately, however, curiosity got the better of him and he wound up cautiously asking, "Did your people ever construct buildings like this? My people have never known much about Erukti architecture, since we first set foot on your world so long after everything that happened in ancient times." Trying to be tactful, not overly ambiguous, and mindful is her feelings all at once wasn't especially easy for him. He genuinely tried, but wasn't certain he'd succeeded.
Yareis was quiet for several moments, debating how to answer. "There was a time for architecture, for grandiose spectacles of intellect into grand spires of rock. We abandoned that, much to my own disdain." She didn't explain what this meant. It was understood, surely. "Perhaps a time will come where I can demonstrate to you what it was once like… but it was so long ago, I am unsure I could give an accurate showing."
"I understand," Kath murmured. The ever-curious part of him was glad to have gotten any kind of an answer at all, but the oft-ignored emotional part of him was already feeling rather guilty for having brought it up in the first place. He thought it best to let the conversation end there.
"As a note, while the past with my kind was… not the best," Yareis said in a quiet tone. "You need not be so careful to bring it up. I was not the warring type, and despite the efforts of myself and Pyrun, they pursued that life themselves and paid the consequences."
"Regardless, it is a matter that pains you," Kath refuted quietly. "That is something even I can see. As I am rarely skilled at reading people except through auras, that should say something."
Yareis sighed in reply. "Yes, it is always going to be a sore subject, but jumping over the lines of pain will do nothing other than teach me to avoid them. I would rather grow past it."
"Hm." His response was lackluster, in truth, but Kath nonetheless understood her words and he accepted them. Still, as they finally reached the top floor, he sought to change the subject regardless. "My grandson and an old friend are within the medical ward right now. I am going to check on them. You may come if you wish, but if you would prefer you may wait within the observatory."
"I will stay by your side," Yareis replied calmly, smiling gently.
With a small nod of acknowledgement, Kath walked toward the ward as he'd said he would. Since they were holding hands, this naturally tugged Yareis along with him. Although he normally wasn't fond of such prolonged physical contact with people, he felt at ease with this. That mood saw fit to linger, too… right up until he reached the double doors and finally focused on the auras beyond it. Only then did he sense the distress coming from his daughter and grandson. Pulling the left door open, he hurried inside and asked the pair of them, "What's going on?"
Alana turned to him and relayed the pertinent information without delay. "A flash of black magic caused Sothan to vanish. We have been unable to locate him."
Kath mentally kicked himself for not even noticing his and Laralei's old friend no longer being present. "Damn," he muttered, mind racing.
Yareis followed along beside him, eyes widening. "Sothan is missing?" Who in their right mind would pick a potential fight with Sothan?
Expression grim, Alana nodded. "Do you know Xin?" she asked.
"Yes," Yareis murmured. "Why?"
"He brought Sothan by earlier today and told us he was attacked by a vampire," Alana explained. "Although he was neary drained, Sein and I were able to save his life. He was here resting, only for black magic to make him vanish. My son and I believe the same vampire as before is responsible."
"It's definitely the same vampire. He has become their prey, and they aren't going to let go of him easily. Do we know where he is, or even an approximation?" Yareis questioned, narrowing her gaze.
At the mention of the word "prey", Kath's eyes also narrowed and he gained a small scowl. He did not like the idea of someone he called a friend being a food source for anyone or anything, much less an enemy. "Since he has not been found, I assume the answer is no."
"And you'd be right," Jet suddenly piped up. There was a sigh in his voice. "I tried using Vision, even, and found nothing."
Now Kath's eyebrows raised. "You have-... Nevermind, we can discuss that later. Do not use it again for now. The vampire is most likely using magic to hide him. Vision cannot see through dark magics."
Yareis frowned, then spoke back up. "It is very unlikely we will find him, in that case. None of us have the particular skills needed to see through such. We must figure something out, however."
"Xin and Ghune are already looking," Alana informed them both. "I do not know what else can be done."
"Still," Yareis murmured. "The idea of doing nothing sours my stomach."
"And I agree," Alana said, "but as you pointed out, we are not equipped to handle this search ourselves."
The Erukti grumbled under her breath irritability, but ultimately relented. Alana had a point. Nonetheless, Kath activated his own Vision for a short time just to be sure before relenting and giving it up. "Whatever vampire is responsible for this," he muttered while rubbing at his eyes, "is dead if I can find them."
"They likely will not make it beyond the search from Ghune. She is quite the force to reckon with. I figure if anyone can find a vampire, it would be another vampire." Yareis huffed, despite her words.
Kath let out an irritable, "Hmph," in reply.
"Perhaps, in the meantime, you can both try to take the time to relax?" Alana suggested tentatively. "Getting worked up. while understandable, does not help anyone. I have to keep reminding myself of that, too."
"Is that truly an option for either of us?" Yareis questioned, a vague irritation entering her tone. She wasn't truly upset with Alana, but more the situation they were all in.
"It is," Alana murmured. "For now, apart from the problems caused by that vampire, things are relatively calm. Some degree of relaxation is possible for the time being." Mentally she added so that only Yareis could hear, "And I would prefer my father not be left to stew in his anger. It is not good for him. He does not always handle strong emotions very well."
Yareis sighed and grabbed Kath's hand softly. "Come with me." Although he resisted for a few seconds initially, Kath soon gave in and let her pull him along. He just wasn't happy about it. She gently led him out of the room, then suddenly teleported them both away to a planet covered in ice and snow. Large spires of ice rose up into the sky, and deep ravines had been carved by icebergs moving over the eons of existence. "This is the closest thing I have ever had to a home of my own."
Unable to find proper words for a moment, Kath found himself just looking around with his eyes. I did not expect her to take me to such a place, he privately reflected. His anger wasn't forgotten in that moment, but it was briefly put out of mind.
"Feel free to explore as you wish, or perhaps mold the world to your liking. It is largely ice and snow, so your power should be capable of morphing it," Yareis murmured.
"If I attempt to manipulate anything, it may trigger my time powers," Kath huffed, "and they may break things. I have not yet gained as much control as I would like." Nonetheless, he did start walking so as to further take in their surroundings.
"Hm," Yareis murmured. The ground in front of them shifted at her mental command and she pulled him along, letting the moving ice slide them toward what she was wanting to show him. Kath went ahead and let her take the lead rather than fighting her this time.
Once she was sure that he was simply coming along with her, she moved them faster along the planet's surface until they finally crested a large hill. Once there, she willed two chairs of ice into existence and motioned for him to sit in one. He did so after a small pause to glance around the area. She sat beside him and looked out over the icy sea reflecting the radiance of the nearest star. "It may not be much to compare with the sights of New Babylon, but this place is of my own creation. I thought you may like it."
Kath immediately shook his head. "This is not about comparisons. Every place has the potential to contain its own unique beauty, and this place is no exception."
Yareis glanced away, a subtle smile on her face. "Thank you." As she did this, the ice in the ocean began shifting subtly. She glanced over and flushed when it began forming into a silhouette of Kath, quickly willing it to stop with a mental command. "A-ah-" she mumbled. "S-sorry."
Rather than be in any way upset, Kath was immediately curious. "The terrain responds to your emotions?"
"Yes," Yareis replied. "I admittedly am far more used to it being a much… harsher environment, but the snowfall seems to have calmed in recent days."
Emotions weren't at all Kath's forte. As such, he wasn't able to entirely work out the reasoning for this on his own. Which meant he had to resort to asking. He wouldn't have bothered with most people but, just like how he'd made an exception for her earlier, he decided to do so again here. "Why is that?"
"I am unsure," Yareis replied. "I have not noticed a deep change in myself as of late." Kath let out a thoughtful hum but found that he had no contributing words to offer. Yareis had nothing more to say, so she simply relaxed in her seat.
Slowly but surely, the ice of the planet shifted and the snow thickened. It never became hectic, though, as Yareis found herself finally comfortable in the presence of another. I really do like you, Kath… I'm just not good at this love stuff.
Kath watched the changes as they occurred, but he made no comment. He was just at ease like she was, and didn't feel the need to speak because of it. Eventually, however, he made sense of the mild concerns being communicated through her aura. That prompted him to speak up finally. "You are doing fine, Yareis," he murmured. "Do not worry over it."
Yareis paused, and so did the snow… for a moment. The spires of ice lost some of their edge and soon the gentle waves of snow lightened further as she cautiously reached over and took his hand in hers once more. Less caught off guard this time, Kath more readily returned the gesture and allowed himself to relax further. It didn't take long for Yareis to subconsciously move their chairs closer together, leaning up next to him in pure contentment. Eventually, Kath responded by lightly leaning his cheek against the top of her head.
The snow stopped almost entirely before becoming a pulsing flurry.
~保護者~
Lior had managed to sneak onto New Babylon during the panic and confusion sewn by Cyca. It also helped that one of the Immortals seemed to have left the planet for one reason or another. While vampires were resilient, he knew that they were still flawed in enough ways to be killed. Normal methods were always possible, such as removing their heads, but he had grown to prefer much worse.
The vampires here were uniquely vulnerable right now. Three of the most powerful vampires were missing for a variety of reasons, which meant they had no leader, no protector. It disgusted him to think that they would need such a thing. They were supposed to be powerful, independent. Instead they followed a fraud and fooled themselves into being weak. He wouldn't stand for that, not after seeing precisely what Ghune's rule had brought about. These people needed to be freed from their miserable existences, or they had to prove that they were strong enough to survive.
Carefully, He made his way to their supply of water. Most of them shouldn't even need this, but Ghune seemed to believe it brought civility to their people by allowing them to easily partake in such things. Ryint created teas and other concoctions, and many others had followed suit. The venom would have dripped into the reservoir, but a small and well controlled explosion sent it flying out of his hand.
His gaze turned and he found himself staring at a… peculiar vampire. A woman whose expression was cloaked with a hint of madness. It was vaguely reminiscent of Cyca, but far more concerning. "What?"
The Raven Queen chuckled softly, watching him draw his blades. "Oh, you simply don't understand. I can't allow you to erase much of my race. You'll have to work for it if you want to kill them. Might I suggest spilling some blood yourself, coward?"
Lior chuckled, then laughed. "You're bold. I recommend you turn away and leave if you 'understand' as much as you think you do." Already he was walking in her direction, twirling one of his shortswords to hold it in a backward position. "I'll tear you open if you don't."
She grinned widely and flicked a hand up. Lior instinctively shielded himself from an attack that never came, only to find a blade pressed up against his throat. He glanced back to see a black cat, a frown on his face. "A friend, huh? You that concerned?"
"Oh, you poor fucking idiot," the cat laughed, pulling back on the blade. "I'm not her friend. She just brought me back to life and makes me do her dirty work."
That reeked of a lie, but Lior didn't quite have time to care about that. Rather than face the edge of his weapon, he transformed into a crow suddenly, then back into his normal form so he could vault off of it. When neither pursued, he found himself… confused. "What do you two want?"
The Raven Queen simply smiled, giggling. "Oh, just for you to stop. Don't come back, either. If you do, I'm gonna tear you limb from limb and feed you to a family of rats."
Her threat wasn't empty, that much Lior understood rather quickly. He could feel her power growing. It dawned on him now that she had likely been just pretending to be weak. "Fine, I won't."
"I'll give a piece of advice, from one bastard to another." The cat smirked and pointed upwards. "Keep an eye above you. People seldom look up." Lior blinked once, then cautiously glanced above him. The sky was clear, and he sensed no threat. This merely left him more confused, then a spray of red clouded his vision. "Ah, my bad, the threat was above me."
Lior doubled over to find a familiar crystalline bat planted against his abdomen, held by a far more familiar woman. He backed off immediately to avoid Ryint grappling him, then demanded, "How the hell are you awake?"
Ryint twirled her bat in one hand lazily, rolling her tongue over her teeth and fangs. "A hot lady came by and fixed me up. Figured I'd come out and repay you for everything you did for me."
A low growl escaped Lior and he lowered his stance. The two that had interrupted his plans were already gone, so that meant it was just him and her. His blades raised up to parry a swing of her weapon and he kicked her away immediately, giving chase.
The two clashed fiercely over the vampire refugee camp, with Lior clearly struggling to keep up with Ryint's vicious attacks. Adding to all of this was the loud cheers coming from the inhabitants below when stars filled his vision. He stumbled away, then made the bold decision of hiding amongst the crowd and taking one of them hostage, a blade pinned to their neck. He realized this was very similar to his own situation mere minutes ago, but that thought didn't last long as he used this vampire as a shield to keep Ryint from attacking.
"Come on, you piss poor fucking coward!" Ryint hissed, shifting around minutely to find an opening. He didn't give one, nor did he reply, so she did the only logical thing and grabbed him by the neck from behind with a clone, slamming him into the ground. His surprise was evident, but he wasn't given a moment to ponder this.
Her fists came crashing down faster than he could hope to block. She had always been strong, but never to this degree. His regeneration couldn't keep up with the damage she dealt, and soon his arms failed him. Before long, Lior's vision faded to black. When he woke up, his senses told him it had only been about a minute. He felt… fine? His body could move like normal.
That was quickly taken from him as a loud crack sounded out and he found himself falling forward. He might have vomited from the pain if the next attack didn't immediately take his consciousness with that desire.
When his eyes snapped open again, it was when a fist crashed into his face. He was distinctly aware of several strikes all over his body, each one throwing his weight around effortlessly. He couldn't even see Ryint, but every time he looked, he could have sworn there was more than one of her.
Lior's nose was clogged with blood and he felt the warm liquid asphyxiating him, the only solace from this experience being when Ryint's bat crashed into his stomach and forced the apparent clog in his throat to break open enough so he could breathe. Much to his disdain, he could still hear. Ryint apparently knew this as well.
"You insignificant fuck," Ryint bit out, kneeling over Lior's broken form. "You pathetic excuse for a vampire. I called you my friend and this is how you repay me? How you treat me and my real friends?" He could hear the boiling fury in her voice, but surprisingly she still gave off no scent. Lior supposed her secret savior had something to do with that, but it didn't matter now. All he could do was listen. "I hope you remember all of this in perfect clarity when your soul goes back to hell. Have a good fucking trip, and never come back."
Ryint brought her bat down one last time, casting a blood magic spell to exhaust the blood stored inside of it to obliterate his body in one swing. She was shaking in anger, covered in the bits of blood and gore that hadn't been absorbed by her beloved weapon. The vampire took several deep breaths before teleporting her weapon away and sending a clone to the home of the God of the Forge. She figured she could help with the situation over there. After all, she had dealt with the side effects of being bitten before as well, and Utavi had made it clear that Cyca had bitten people.
God I need to smoke. I haven't been this long without it in ages. While she sought to remedy this, it wasn't important enough that she pursued it. Instead, she teleported away to go find Ghune. She needed to know her friend was okay.
~保護者~
Sothan was floating in and out of consciousness. He knew why by now. Cyca was to blame for his condition, but he lacked the strength to do anything about it. How long he'd been trapped in this room, and indeed even where said room was, he had no idea - though his innate sense of time seemed to still be functioning and was giving him the sense that more than a week had passed. But all he knew for sure was that she entered often. Sometimes she came in to feed on him, sometimes she didn't. But there was always, always a bite… and he hated how much he'd come to crave that very thing.
Most of the time, he was too out of it to even see straight, much less think clearly. He had precious few moments of lucidity between the highs, the lows, and his body's ever-growing desire for sleep. Disorientation, confusion, and exhaustion plagued him. Still, he understood on some level what was happening. Some form of addiction had taken hold of him, though he didn't understand how or why that was the case. He'd never been addicted to anything before in his life… Still, there was no mistaking this situation for anything less than what it was.
His thoughts had been wandering again. Withdrawal symptoms were tearing through him. He ached and trembled and desired. He didn't want to want that bite, but he couldn't keep the intrusive desire and thoughts out of his mind. The memory of her fangs piercing his skin constantly reared its ugly head, try though he might to stamp it down. This wasn't okay. None of this was okay. Hadn't he been stronger than this prior to her first attack? What had happened to his willpower?
Cyca opened the door to his pitch-black prison and walked over to him. She left the door wide open. He wasn't bound or otherwise restrained. Escaping would have theoretically been possible… if only he'd had even a shred of his previous strength, physical or otherwise. As he was now, especially with his health slowly failing more and more the longer he was here, he stood no chance. That he was willing to be her prey now was something better ignored. It wasn't as though he was capable of thinking about it for long, anyway. Leaning over him on his tattered cot, she smiled and sank her fangs in deep.
And he let her.
~保護者~
"Wasn't Dark Gaia one of the monsters you both fought when you were kids?" Kohaku asked. He was sitting in Tails's living room with his parents while the others did whatever they would elsewhere in the house. He was seated next to his mother while Silver was across from them in a chair.
"Teenagers technically, but yes," Blaze agreed, a steaming cup of hot cocoa in hand.. "We participated in the fight, but we weren't as strong back then. We weren't particularly key players in that conflict."
"Aw c'mon, just 'cause you weren't strong yet-" Silver cut himself off with a chuckle when his wife leveled him with a glare. "I was just joking Blaze. Don't, uh.. You know, fry me to a crisp in my sleep."
"I would never," Blaze murmured around the rim of her glass. She continued before he could relax, however. "I would wait until you were awake. That way, you could fully appreciate your suffering."
While Silver did the real-life equivalent of the anime "sweat drop" expression, Kohaku shook his head in amusement. "Perhaps you shouldn't test your luck, Dad."
"Ha… yeah. No kidding." Silver was soon grinning at them. "Anyway, what do you guys want to do now that things have calmed down again? I know a certain somebody who likes blocks, so we could go with that."
Kohaku found himself smiling guiltily. "What about a walk?" he suggested instead. "That's more entertaining for other people."
Blaze set her cup down on the coffee table. "A walk sounds wonderful," she agreed, her tone light. "Will you join us, Silver?"
The hedgehog in question popped up out of his chair, the very picture of joy. "Absolutely! I love taking walks with you guys." The thought entered his mind that it could never be the same without their daughters… but he tried not to let it linger. That just hurt too much. And besides, he could plainly see Blaze's own pain already. She wasn't smiling as much as usual and wasn't joking around with them as often as was typical for her. All in all, she was sad enough already without his mood dragging hers down further. "Come on, I know exactly what direction to go. There's a beautiful little creek we can follow."
Trading somewhat forced smiles, the trio made their way outside.
~保護者~
"Where the fuck did they go?" Steam asked aloud, not quite aimed to Sonic. "I can smell that they were close by, but all of a sudden they're just fucking gone." The two had been searching for Kaden and Zareil for a bit longer than Steam was comfortable with. The absence of Zenith's descendant was concerning, to say the least.
"I don't know," Sonic insisted. "I would have said something by now if I did. Shadow's place is close by, though. Maybe he has an idea?"
Steam blinked once, then his frown deepened. "Yeah, but… I can sense him," he turned and began walking, moving at a faster pace than before. "Vampiric magic was keeping his home hidden for a while. Something happened."
That made Sonic's heart sink. Crap. That's… bad. But that went without saying, so he kept the thought to himself as he hurried after his companion. It didn't take the pair long to reach Shadow's home, the green hedgehog knocking at Shadow's door firmly.
A few moments passed, then the door was pulled open. It was Soren. He smiled at the sight of his uncle only for it to give way to his usual shyness when he saw Steam. "Um, hi," he managed to get out before stepping aside to let them in.
Sonic ruffled the kid's hair on his way through. "Good to see you, Soren," he said warmly. "We won't be here long this time, but I promise to properly come visit you all as soon as I can, okay?"
His nephew brightened up again. "Okay."
Steam managed a small smile, but otherwise didn't speak up. Inciting more of Soren's shyness wasn't something he wanted to do (his own anxiety was kicking up suddenly, anyway). He opted to teleport further in, landing in the living room. Once they were both in, Sonic asked the youngest of the three hedgehogs, "Hey, where's your dad?"
Soren pointed toward Shadow's room. "There's some sort of portal back there. That's why you can't sense him as easily. He's been resting with Lia and the baby."
"Gotcha, thank you, Soren," Steam replied, quickly walking toward the door only for a young chameleon to appear in his way.
"Whatcha need from Shadow?" the girl asked, an eyebrow raised. She was currently dangling from the ceiling.
"A couple things," Sonic answered honestly. He got the feeling this girl wouldn't take any vague BS from either of them. "I'm his brother, Sonic, so I want to check on him. We also want to ask him if he knows where someone is. I want to visit properly too, but we won't right now since, like Soren said, he's been trying to rest."
"Is it about Satsuno?" The girl asked, tone growing a touch softer.
"Yeah, it is in part," Sonic agreed in a gentle manner. "We heard through the grapevine just a few minutes ago that something happened. Do you know him?"
"He disappeared randomly," the girl murmured quietly. "Some sort of possession… I think."
Sonic cringed. She knows about that, huh? Crap. "Yeah… we know. We want to try to help, and that's part of why we want to talk to Shadow." He had no desire to inform her of the other reason, namely Dark Gaia, so he didn't.
She lifted herself up out of the way, crawling along the wall to let them through. Steam took this as an invitation, moving on through the doorway and just teleporting through the portal. Sonic gave the child a small wave before following Steam. Immediately, he was met by a sight that he knew Amy would have called cute in a heartbeat. Shadow was fast asleep on a bed with Lia curled against his back and the new infant snuggled securely in his arms. They were all cozied up under the blankets, too. The very pictures of peace, really.
Steam didn't want to bother Shadow, so instead he nudged Sonic and motioned for him to handle the situation instead. "Jerk, making me do it," Sonic griped under his breath. Still, he walked up to the trio and took hold of his brother's shoulder. "Hey, wake up for a sec, will you? And don't kill me when you do. It's important."
It took a second, but soon Shadow shifted in order to swat Sonic's hand away. "What the hell do you want?" he mumbled, voice heavy with sleep, as he began to rub at his eyes.
"We wanted to ask you a few questions. We're currently looking for Kaden," Steam explained.
Shadow sighed and sat up a little so he could look at them. "Seiko came by earlier," he told them. "She said she took Father and Zareil to the Realms of Death and convinced them to hide there for now. The spirit possessing Satsuno is Amnikaribah, who expressed every intention of hunting down and killing Kaden for his past betrayal."
This made Sonic freeze. They'd briefly heard about the possession, sure, but they hadn't been told the spirit in question was that beast. "Oh, man," he whispered in utter dismay and horror.
Steam was already on his communicator, typing out a message to Aniko, Armaris, Espio, and Shei. "Has anything happened recently to you all?" The fact that it showed as undeliverable to Armaris immediately left him with a pit in his stomach.
For once, Espio replied immediately. That was something he only ever seemed to do for Steam and Armaris, much to the detriment of everyone else sometimes. "Armaris has been corrupted. A demon possessed Satsuno and made its way here. I was forced to send her away, but she will no doubt return soon. I just finished informing my parents and am on my way to speak with Ryuji."
The green hedgehog took a deep breath in, then let it out. "Armaris got corrupted," he murmured to Sonic.
"Shit," Sonic muttered back, sinking a worried fang into his lower lip. Shadow no doubt heard them, but he didn't react other than by frowning.
"You said Kaden and Zareil are in the Realms of Death, right?" Steam asked rhetorically, turning to Shadow. "Do you know which one, or do I need to guess based on what I know about Seiko?"
"I would assume that they are somewhere within the 'living quarters' where the deity and other workers reside," Shadow shrugged. "It does not make sense for them to have been left somewhere surrounded by spirits. I cannot imagine that Seiko views such beings favorably at the moment."
"Good enough point," Steam replied, nodding.
"We should get going then," Sonic said with a sigh. "I will come visit again later, though. Properly, I mean. That's a promise."
"Do not waste your breath being sappy," Shadow grumbled. "It will get you nowhere."
Sonic couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, okay. Just humor me for one more second. What's the baby's name?"
Instantly, Shadow's expression softened. "Toru named her Elize."
"Good name," Steam replied gently.
"Definitely," Sonic had to agree. "But… yeah. I'll be back when I can." Turning to Steam, he said, "We should get going. The sooner we talk to Dad, the better."
"Yeah," Steam answered. "I think I know where to check first, so just follow my lead." With that, he teleported into the Realms of Death, landing specifically in Ylden's "home". Sonic followed him without delay.
They were immediately greeted by the sight of Kaden walking quickly into view. Though he looked wary and on edge toward the both of them, Steam especially, he managed to speak straight away. "What are you doing here?" he asked them.
Steam hesitated for a moment, sensing that wariness. However, he shook himself free of that feeling and spoke up. "I needed to tell you something. First, are you okay?"
Kaden glanced between them for a second before nodding a little. "I'm fine," he confirmed.
"And you're telling the truth?" Sonic pressed as gently as possible. Kaden just nodded again after a slight pause. He hesitated, too. So he definitely isn't being honest. I can't blame him, though. Knowing him, he just doesn't want to impose, cause us worry, something like that. But… this isn't the right time to bring it up with him. Especially when we have such important things to do. Given that, he held his tongue, albeit reluctantly.
The green hedgehog came to the same conclusion, choosing to speak on the other topic instead. "Dark Gaia is back and heading for Mobius. I saw it for myself."
This earned a few soft curses. "How long until it makes landfall?"
"We might have a few days," Steam replied. "I'm already working on a plan to try and deal with it, but we're going to need a lot of help."
Kaden was quiet for a short time, just thinking. "I will do what I can to help," he decided. "I just need to be informed when it arrives. My mother wants me to remain here away from Amnikaribah as long as possible and, frankly, I agree with her."
Naturally, Sonic was also in agreement with that. "Yeah… that's a good call, honestly. The less available you are for that thing to find, the better."
Steam nodded. "If you need to leave earlier than expected, just keep me informed. I can make sure that you're not sensed." Kaden accepted that with a murmur but little else. The green hedgehog paused, then looked to Sonic for help. He didn't know what to say at this point.
Sonic let out a small sigh. "I guess we should get going. Let Zareil know why we were here, will you? You know, so she doesn't assume the worst immediately."
"I will," Kaden agreed.
"Ready to go?" Sonic asked, looking at Steam.
"Oh, uh, yeah," Steam answered.
Nodding, Sonic waved farewell to his dad and teleported away with Steam in tow. Once they were alone, he turned to fully face the other hedgehog. "You okay?"
"Lots in my head," Steam admitted, turning his head in a different direction. "We need to stop Dark Gaia, but Nareish is getting bolder. We also have to do something about Satsuno, and god knows what else is happening…"
"Trust me, I get it," Sonic said. "Just… It's one thing at a time, you know? Let's talk to Eila and go from there. Sound good?"
"Good enough idea," Steam relented. "Let's go."
Without further delay, the pair of them took off.
~保護者~
Armaris's breathing was labored. Keeping up this form was tiring in its own right, but her Darkness only continued to expand and morph around her. Thoughts were fleeting, but her emotions were so strong that they drove her body fully.
Tracking down Cere was a difficult task, too, but Armaris knew where she was most likely to be. She had set up a meeting place near her hidden home, a place where she went to rest. The woman hadn't used it in years.
She had to keep moving for now. Cere's death was something the demon craved.
~保護者~
Cyca's games had begun catching up with her too quickly. Far more quickly than they ever had in the past. Damn that Ghune and Akol for being such unrepentant grouches. Honestly… Despite having had this thought, Cyca was smiling. She wasn't too upset, in truth. Plenty of entertainment had come out of her activities, despite how short they had ultimately lasted.
Her only genuine regret was that she and Akol hadn't had the opportunity to properly duel again. In particular, she lamented the fact that she hadn't been able to pay him back for killing her the last time. At least he hadn't been able to do so again just yet. That meant she could still work on finishing what she was working on. Time was running short for her and she knew it. So the sooner she completed her goals, the better.
After stealing Sothan away, Cyca had approached Nareish and made a little deal. As she walked through the ruins of Ghune's once populous city, heading toward one building in particular, she recalled their brief interaction.
"So you're looking to make a deal?" Nareish had drawled, an almost lazy smile spreading across her face. "Tell me, what is it that you hope to gain from this?"
Smiling right back at her, Cyca had boldly laid out her plan. "I have in my possession the former God of the Forge," she'd said. "I want to keep him for a time, but pesky little Akol will see to it that he is found quickly. Even if he fails, Ghune likely will not. And there is always Saethrim for them to fall back on if they both fail. But I want to keep Sothan for a while, make him suffer a bit and get some easy meals in the process. When I turn him… and I will turn him… his very existence as a new vampire will make his family suffer as well."
Nareish's formerly bored eyes had glinted with dark amusement. "You wish for me to alter the flow of time where he is kept," she correctly deduced, "and make time flow faster in there than outside?" She had chuckled to herself. "An interesting proposition. I admit that I'm tempted to help you, but not out of any sense of investment in your strange little campaign involving Akol. You see, any suffering he endured will affect Ghune. She has done plenty to earn my ire as of late, what with the vast swaths of my soldiers she saw fit to slay during a pitiful raid on my realm."
Cyca had wisely held her tongue on that last bit. "Will you aid me?" she asked. The woman was certainly fearless, that was clear.
"Hm. Luckily for you, I think I shall." Nareish had leaned forward in her seat, her elbows on her knees. "In exchange, I want you to hand over that little… trinket you stole. The earring Sothan once wore. You are in possession of a potent magical item, the exact type of which there were ever two. Now there remains only the one. I desire it."
The object in question had been teleported into Cyca's hand and tossed over. "Take it if you wish. I have no particular plans for it. My only goal was to further damage the current God's emotions by forcing him to be the one to steal it. Worked like a charm, I would say."
"Indeed." Nareish had closed her hand around the small piece of jewelry and waved her free hand. "You have precisely one month of altered time. Do not ask me for more. I stole this power from one of the first generation Immortals, but it is steadily becoming lost to me now that the Immortal of Time has come to be. Soon, only he will be able to do such things. I do not intend to waste my last few uses of this ability on mere games, no matter how amusing they are to behold." She had paused and then added one last thing. "Once he is turned, I will prevent him from escaping whatever room you have been keeping him in. This will only last until time is returned to normal. Make the most of it."
Grinning, Cyca had nodded her understanding and vanished.
Now she was entering the building where she had hidden her prey. In the outside world, it had only been a matter of hours whereas, inside the trap, it had been close to a month. That was the case purely because she had left the building to go spy on Akol for a bit. Once she opened the badly damaged house's front door and set foot inside, time outside promptly slowed to a crawl so slow that it may as well have stopped. She stepped over debris on her way back to the cellar where her victim had been languishing since his abduction.
Inside the cellar, she sat down on the edge of the cot she had dragged in here and placed him upon. He was shivering and shaking with addiction, but awake enough to be aware of her. He showed his stubbornness and rebellion in the weak glare he tried to throw her way, but it faltered when she turned him over onto his back and bared her fangs. "You are so lucky," she murmured, leaning down toward his neck. His shivering worsened and his pulse grew quicker and more frantic. She knew what he wanted, that he didn't want to want it, but that he was helpless to resist. It made her grin. "So lucky… yet so unappreciative."
With a chuckle, she nipped at the most prominent vein in his throat. "I typically only do this to women, you know," she said. "They are the ones I like… although I have to admit that messing with boys is quite fun. Sometimes I will turn one of them if I decide they are interesting enough, or that their actions have earned them the right to experience what you are about to" When it seemed like he was starting to try and come up with a retort she gave him a second, sharper nip. A tiny trickle of blood was drawn this time. He was promptly shut up.
Still grinning, she licked up those droplets of blood. "As I said, you are one of the lucky ones. The fact that even in this state you can manage to find the willpower to try and resist me, as pointless as it is… You show more promise and fortitude than many who were born as vampires ever do. They are the weak, simple-minded creatures that follow Ghune. Truly, how can they call themselves vampires while simultaneously following her?" She shook her head in mock dismay. "But there is another reason why I intend to do this… if only to further damage dear Akol's fragile emotions. Do not misunderstand, killing you would certainly accomplish the same thing, but where is the fun in that? And besides… I have come to like that fire in your strange eyes. I would hate to be the one to snuff it out."
She opened her mouth fully and bit him without further delay. After taking one last small meal from his bloodstream she focused her intent, shifting it from feeding… to transforming. A feeling of dark power rushed through her fangs and into him, dragging him rapidly into unconsciousness. It took longer for some people to pass out and fully turn, sometimes close to an entire day, but it seemed his transition was going to be swift. She released him with a laugh and healed his wound so that he wouldn't bleed to death beforehand and stood. "It would seem your genetics are uniquely compatible with vampirism," she murmured aloud as though he could hear her. "How curious."
Approximately a week was left of her time with this trap, she reflected as she left the room, shut the cellar doors, and latched them. She intended to keep him locked away in that room, alone and unable to feed, for the duration of that time. The more starved he was, the more violently he would lash out when finally set free. Oh, how she would love it if that violence somehow managed to be turned on Akol… But even if it wasn't, the fact that said violence would occur at all would no doubt cause the man and his son great pain. She would have to content herself with that.
Once this week was over, she was going to take Sothan to some world (one whose name she could never be bothered to remember) and set him loose. It was a world where some vampires loyal to Ghune had once resided. They had moved along by now, but the average populous still retained a healthy fear of the dark. Terrorizing them was just one more amusing thing she could do before her eventual death. And once he was free and wreaking havoc, she could turn her attention to her final goal. Namely, finding that interesting Therian woman she had seen once before… Novei, if she recalled correctly.
If Cyca had her way, she wouldn't die without turning just one more person.
~保護者~
Working diligently to craft the last spells she'd need to deal with Saran, Eila quietly scribed the process. While these spells were not likely to be terribly useful against someone with as much magic as he had, she had to be prepared. Her focus was briefly split as she gazed outside of Tails's home with her psychic powers and magic, watching over Kathros. I worry I cannot help you enough. Will saving Saran truly be the extent to which I can keep you alive?
Eila paused briefly and set down the book she'd been writing in, leaving the pen on its open pages. She could sense Steam and Sonic wanting to talk to her, so she opened the magical door to her bedroom and allowed them to walk in as they pleased. "Yes?"
"You got a sec?" Sonic asked her. "Steam and I kinda need to discuss some things with you."
"For you, yes," Eila answered, setting a hand on her dresser idly. "For Steam-"
"I'm sorry," Steam cut in, sighing. "I was corrupted and… well, to do what Nareish made me do, I needed to keep both you and Cyril off my back."
Eila narrowed her eyes briefly at him, but ultimately didn't pursue the subject. He wasn't guarding his mind effectively, so she already knew what he was talking about. "Anyway, on to more important subjects. What did you wish to speak to me about? I can spare you both some time before I must go."
A red shoe tapped rapidly on the floor for a moment before Sonic glanced at Steam. "Did you want or need to go first?"
"Not particularly." Steam replied.
Eila watched the green hedgehog with a vague amount of concern. His anxiety was growing, and she had no desire to be exposed to it for an extended period of time. I hope simply saying it will ease his emotions. "Is it about my violent streak?"
"Ah, yeah," Steam answered. "You've been going all over the place recently and a lot of our enemies have been vanishing. The Nocturne Clan, along with Ix and Shade, the Metarex…"
"Kethro," Eila added. "Though, I did not perform as I wished in that fight. Wave came to my aid and stopped him practically on her own, obviously with the Aether's help."
Sonic whistled lowly. "Damn. Even Jet had trouble with that guy way back when."
"If I had planned better, there was a potential path for me to handle him alone… I believe. However, I was short on time. What nobody could have expected was the immense strength Wave already possessed meshing perfectly with her ascension to an Immortal alongside the Aether's energies attaching to her."
"Uh… in more layman's terms," Sonic said, "do you mean she's ascending quickly or whatever?"
"Faster than my own sister, yes," Eila answered. "Though, ascension is not quite a thing I have ever remembered happening. This is a new phenomenon. It is hard to gauge the 'speed' in which one ascends other than in comparison."
"Makes sense to me." Sonic returned his attention to Steam then. "Hey, listen, was there anything else you wanted to say? If not, you can probably take off. You said something about needing to find someone, right?"
"Yeah, Han's dad," Steam replied, turning from Sonic to Eila. "Look, I fully get what you're doing right now, but please be careful about being so openly violent and aggressive. There are people that need you around, so painting a massive target on your back needlessly isn't a good thing."
Eila blinked. She understood his thought process (literally), but she couldn't agree. "I would much rather myself be a target than others I care about. If Malevolence is pissed that I broke into the Twilight Cage and got Kethro killed, or Nareish that I've been hunting her revivals, they can come for me. They've hurt those I care about far too much."
"That's…" Sonic heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I understand where you're coming from, but that isn't a good mindset, Eila. It isn't good in the slightest."
"Why?" Eila pressed softly. "Explain."
"Let me put it to you this way," he responded immediately. "This question is mostly rhetorical for obvious reasons, but you know how agonizing emotional pain can be, right?"
"I certainly do, yes," Eila replied.
"Right. And when it comes to relationships, emotions grow deeper and stronger the closer you are to the person. That works for friends and family, of course." Sonic crossed his arms, frowning a little. "You're incredibly attached to your sister, for example. Think about how much it would hurt you if she got hurt. Think about how much worse it would be if she died somehow. Permanently, even. The people who care about you would feel the same pain if something happened to you, too. And revival just isn't always an option."
I would personally hunt down and eliminate whoever killed my sister, but perhaps that is not a proper response. "I see," Eila murmured, holding a hand to her chin. "However, the damage is done, in this case. I wholly believe in the chances of an attack by Malevolence, truly. I also believe that Nareish has found amusement in my actions, but it is also likely that she will come for me in some manner as well. I cannot undo my actions."
"You're right, but you can be more careful going forward," Sonic said. "Think we can agree on that?"
Eila briefly tilted her head, simply nodding. "I can agree to be more careful, yes. I will tone down my violence, though I cannot agree to curb it if someone earns my ire. There are people I have chosen to protect with all my being, and if they are hurt, the offender must die."
Well, that was progress at the very least. "I guess I'll have to concede to you on that one." Sonic glanced at the wall in the direction of a certain patch of forest outside. His thoughts had turned more thoughtful now. "By the way… I'm sure Steam's noticed too, but I'll go ahead and be the one to ask. Why exactly is that guy here?" He was careful to keep his tone level, but he was brimming with suspicion and wariness.
Eila closed the door with her magic and crossed her arms. "I believe you both will listen, so I will explain it directly. I have reason to believe that Kathros was manipulated by Nareish at an early age and was essentially forced to become the evil being we knew him to be. I found him in the Realms of Death while I was seeking others out and Zenith himself agreed with me that something was wrong, allowing me to take his soul so a Faein herself could restore his life." She took a breath, sighing. "I plan to figure out more, but I also need his help to save Saran."
Before even addressing the rest of that, Sonic had one question to ask. "How and why would he help Saran? I mean, I realize that guy's an Immortal, but still."
"Saran's dad," Steam murmured, already typing on his communicator. "Fuck, that explains a lot more than I ever thought there'd be to that situation."
Eila blinked once, watching Steam briefly. "You are informing the Jet of your timeline?"
Steam nodded. "Yeah. If you're even somewhat on the right track, that means Kathros has been damned to a horrible fate and that we have to do something."
Realization hit and Sonic stiffened. "And your timeline is much farther along in terms of years, meaning he's been trapped in Hell far longer there than he was here."
Eila nodded to this, blinking once. "Inform me of what he finds out. I plan to sort my way through Kathros's memories on my own later, but the intellect of an Immortal is not something I possess, though I may be scarily close to such."
That earned a soft chuckle from Sonic. "If you're able to confirm your theory, tell me as soon as you can. Steam, too. We'll get the word out to everyone if it turns out that he really is another victim of that woman."
"I will defend him, even if I am wrong," Eila admitted. "Though, for the Faein to go to the length they did, restoring him… I would be impressed if my theory is flawed."
"I'd have to agree with you there," Sonic admitted. "Still, confirmation would be nice. And some people might demand it before they believe anything."
Steam finally sent his message, looking up. "I'll keep you both updated. I'll probably just make a group for us three so that what I find out goes directly to you guys."
"Sounds like a plan," Sonic said. "In the meantime, I should get going. We more or less covered everything I needed to say, and I was hoping to get in some more training with Teyan before Dark Gaia shows its ugly face. …Again." He started to turn to leave, paused, then turned back to them. "Wait, I almost forgot, but why are you looking for Han's dad? Something wrong?"
"He's gone missing," Steam replied. "I think he's still alive, honestly."
"You're likely correct." Eila waved a hand in his direction and cast a spell over his body. "This may not protect you fully, but it should last while you're searching in the Lost Hex."
"Take care of yourself either way," Sonic told him. "I've heard plenty of tales from Wave about how dangerous that place is."
Steam nodded easily. "I'll do my best. Not my first foray into dangerous realms." For once, he didn't see a reason to stick around, opting to teleport away to begin his search.
Though tempted to, Sonic managed not to sigh. "I've really gotta work on his manners," he half-joked. "Anyway, need anything before I go, Eila?"
Eila blinked once, then shook her head. "No, but I would appreciate you telling people to keep an eye on events here. Mobius has been eerily silent for longer than I expected. While I am dealing with Saran, I would like to know if I need to return immediately after."
"Consider it done," Sonic nodded. "I'll put the word out. If anything happens, you'll know. Otherwise, no news is good news in this case."
"Thank you." Eila almost turned away, but then looked back at Sonic. "Is Silver okay? I've sensed his sadness."
"He's doing as well as he can," Sonic said, voice softening. "Blaze and Kohaku, too. It's… hard, but they're getting by."
"...I'll talk with him soon, see if I can do anything," Eila murmured. "I miss his… brightness."
"Me, too," Sonic murmured. "If you're able to cheer him up, even just a little bit, it would mean a lot to me."
"It would mean much to me as well," Eila admitted easily. "Your son is a good man and he helped me greatly in my time of need."
Now that made Sonic smile. "Yeah. My mom always used to say that everyone has at least one truly special talent, and I think that that's one of his. The other is making people laugh even when they want to be mad or sad or whatever else. He's damned good at both of those things."
Eila managed a chuckle. "So it seems."
"Anyway, I'll leave you to your work," Sonic told her. "If nothing else, try to make sure you tell Mom if you're able to help Saran. She's been worried sick."
That hadn't quite crossed her mind, but she ultimately nodded. "I will."
"Thanks." With a small wave of farewell, he teleported away.
Eila collected her book off the dresser once more, finishing up the notes rapidly for her work, then set it down. Will there ever be another being in existence to cast these spells, or am I wasting my time? It briefly occurred to her that she had at least three candidates she could name immediately, one of which being Analia, and another being Saran. They could at least cast the Light magic spells, and the other could be good for Cyril once he has a better grasp on the depth of his magic. He is still scratching the surface of what he can truly do.
Rather than focus on this train of thought, Eila teleported herself to Kathros. "Do you think you're ready to go?" she asked softly.
"No," he mumbled. Yet, despite this response, he stood up regardless. There wasn't any time to dally and he knew it.
"It won't take long," Eila murmured. "You focus on purification, I'll keep him at bay. I don't want you to have to fight him." Kathros just nodded. He didn't have anything to say, just wanted to get this over with so that his son would be safe again like he deserved to be. That was all he was letting himself focus on right now. When it was obvious that he wasn't on the same thought process, she simply let it go. There would be more time to help him, but not now. Instead, she teleported them both away from Mobius toward Saran. Let's see if I'm right…
~保護者~
The situation with one of the former Gods of Death wasn't something Teyan could help with. What she could do, now that that meeting was over and she and Cyril had parted ways for the time being, was work on training their descendant… Her student. She'd promised him she would and, frankly, the poor guy needed the help - especially now that his old enemy Dark Gaia was on its way.
His lack of skill might have been funny had it not been so concerning. This isn't anyone's fault… but I almost wish it was so that I could punish someone for how far he's lagging behind. Had he not been dead for so long, he'd be on par with at least us deities. Had most of his Chaos, the very thing that makes him a semi-Immortal, not been sealed away he wouldn't have aged and died like a mortal. But I guess I should focus more on the here and now as opposed to the past.
In truth, Teyan was too excited to be all that upset. She had waited so very, very long for this moment to come. She'd known the moment Sonic was born that he was going to surpass her one day. Finally, someone else had been born with powers like hers and Ythene's! Sure his skills needed refinement, and yes there was a lot he hadn't been able to learn on his own… but she was far from daunted. His potential was something she'd been able to sense from the very beginning. Six other Immortals with ties to existential energies had already been identified…
And here, standing before her, was the seventh.
~保護者~
It wasn't often that word spread that Ylden of all people was wanting to talk to all the deities. He was a rather reclusive man, seldom getting heavily involved in matters that didn't pertain to the Realms of Death, big problems regarding Nareish, or his family. They nonetheless gathered, for he must have had a good reason. But… this was far from an ideal time.
Nier had failed to check-in with Cere anytime recently, which seemed to suggest that he was facing some sort of problem. Eirza had been busy for some time now fighting to get Nareish's soldiers out of her realm for the second time and, while she was nearly done, she was worse for wear due to her efforts. Althea had found Locke and transferred the role back to him, but had insisted when asked that he desperately needed time to recover from the deaths of his family. Zenith was still tending to the Realms of Death. Finis was out searching for three powerful, dangerous vampires and couldn't join this meeting. It was recently discovered that Ynder had been killed by Nareish - and she was so reclusive that not one person had known about it, or the extinction of her role, until just recently.
And to top it all off, Cosmo was dead and no one was sure yet who had taken on her roles… or if they'd also gone extinct.
This really wasn't a good time. Still, Teyan, Ythene, Azanae, Althea, Pyrun, and Eona were present. Granted, two of those women were no longer deities, but that hardly mattered. Everyone here wanted to be kept in the loop. They wanted to know what was going on. And so, perhaps impatiently, they all waited in silence for Ylden to arrive.
The man soon arrived, blinking once slowly as he looked over the small group. He couldn't hide his exhaustion, nor could he keep under wraps the anger still fueling his somehow standing body. "Sorry for the delay. Everything is fucked right now."
Althea crossed her arms, but her expression was far from stern. She may not have ever known Ylden well, but she still knew about him enough to stay calm in his presence. "Ylden, what is going on?" she asked.
"Satsuno was abducted and possessed by the spirit of Amnikaribah," Ylden explained, his tone lacking much emotion. "I fucked up and spirits escaped the Realms of Death."
Teyan and Ythene traded wide-eyed looks. "Amnikaribah escaped?" the older of the two asked. "You're sure?"
As she spoke, Ythene reached her mind out far and wide in a silent plea. Cere, I request that you come here now.
Within three seconds, a mirror appeared beside Ythene and Cere stepped out of it, visibly confused. "What?"
Ythene gestured to Ylden. "Repeat what you just said, please."
"I'm not fucking repeating it," Ylden immediately bit out, narrowing his gaze at Ythene. His temper leveled itself when Cere turned her gaze on him, a deep sigh escaping the cat. "Fine. Amnikaribah got out of the Realms of Death, then possessed Satsuno."
Rather than address what he'd said, Cere cautiously approached Ylden. "Are… you okay? You look absolutely drained." She decided not to mention to Ythene or the others that she'd already known about Amnikaribah's escape. She'd been there when Zenith had told Ylden, after all.
"I've been teetering on the line of being in a dark form for some unknown period of time. Might've been hours, could've been a week. Focus on the important shit instead," Ylden muttered. "We need to fix this before Amnikaribah corrupts someone, or starts attacking people, assuming he hasn't already."
"This is not something we can ignore," Azanae murmured. She removed her hand and stepped backward out of Cere's personal space. "Especially as I now believe I know the identity of the perpetrator behind a vicious attack a couple of hours ago. Therin was nearly killed and we believe all of his spies were, but he remembers little of what happened beyond seeing a pair of glowing eyes. He's been healed by Rose, but the fact remains that he almost lost his life today."
Cere turned to Azanae, barely masking the shock coursing through her body. "Wh-what?" She'd heard that he was okay, that he was healed, but none of it registered immediately.
Azanae walked over and put a hand on her old friend's shoulder. "He's alright now," she emphasized, speaking slowly and clearly for Cere's benefit. "He's resting with Sona and I've been guarding them both."
The Hexan took a few deep breaths, then nodded a little. Rather than allowing those difficult thoughts to linger, she focused on something else. "Do we assume that Amnikaribah has returned to its old home world?"
"I do not sense it there," Ythene said, frowning in concentration. She was quiet for a moment and pursed her lips. "...No… I do. It is hiding very deeply, though I am unsure specifically why. It is unlike a demon of that caliber to hide."
"Good. Stop searching, then. Don't alert it." Cere crossed her arms while Ythene respectfully obeyed her command. "Ylden, you need to rest. Me, you, and a few others will take down Amnikaribah as soon as possible."
Pyrun raised an eyebrow, looking at Cere incredulously. "You gonna be able to hold back when you're swinging at an enemy inside of an ally? You look about as bloodthirsty as the Pyrzar beasts."
"You cannot pummel him like you often do with your opponents," Althea agreed. She had precious little knowledge to draw on regarding the former God of Death's past possessions, but she knew enough to speak now on his behalf. "A possession of this level of severity could be endangering Satsuno's life already, and the exorcism alone will take an even greater toll on him. If he endures great physical punishment on top of all of that, he may not survive."
Cere scowled. "I know this, but I can't exactly hold back. It's still Amnikaribah. If I pull my punches, it's going to kill us."
"It isn't just Amnikaribah who's there," Althea reminded her sternly. "It is only there in spirit and will not feel an ounce of the damage you do. Satsuno will. And he may die if you cannot or will not hold back."
The Hexan opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off by Ylden sharply yanking on one of her shoulders. "You kill Satsuno and I'm going to fucking kill you," he snapped, expression finally morphing to match the glow in his eyes. "Don't you dare risk his life."
Once more, before Cere could get a word in, Pyrun was on his feet and shoving them several feet apart. "You both need to cool the fuck down. This war has been stressful but there's not a damn thing that killing each other is going to help." Ylden raised a hand and opened his mouth, but Pyrun simply grabbed him by the face and pushed him backward into a sitting position. "I said cool it."
For just a second, Teyan's own eyes glowed. In her case, it was with a flash of pure Chaos. However, her voice was perfectly even when he finally joined the conversation again. She directed her words squarely at Cere and Ylden. "Ease off or so help me god I will seal both of you in my realm for a time-out until you can do so. This isn't helping any of us, it isn't helping either of you, and it certainly isn't helping Satsuno."
Cere took a deep, long breath before just nodding. Ylden took a few moments to get back on his feet, dusting himself off before shooting a glare at Pyrun. The embodiment of all things hot resisted the urge to smirk, simply walking back to his seat. "So, back to the topic," Pyrun began. "Cere, Ylden, and who else? I figure Eona may be a decent choice, but she's been preoccupied and using a lot of energy lately. I'd be up to help, but I doubt my powers or skills would help greatly."
The being in question spoke up quite suddenly. "I am here, you know," she commented, her tone as light as ever. She floated down from where she'd been so that she could stand amongst the group. "I will help however I can, though I would not advise getting any Light involved if at all possible. He is a being of Darkness. Light can and will harm him."
"Yes, but you can stop his Darkness," Ylden murmured. "And keep the corrupting energies from encroaching on myself and Cere."
"That I can do, yes," Eona acknowledged. "In much the same manner, Pyrun can prevent the demon from spreading Hellfire to try to keep people back. But that may be where our particular usefulness ends."
"I think," Teyan said, "that if you, Cere, and Ylden are able to get there first and handle this without help, then you should. Including more people adds to the stress and confusion and gives Amnikaribah more targets. But if you aren't able to do enough on your own, then calling for backup straight away is important."
Cere frowned in thought, then gave a nod of affirmation. "That is reasonable."
"Do you have anything to add?" Teyan asked Ylden.
Ylden shook his head slowly. "I do not."
That was just as well. Ythene suddenly had a surprised look on her face and swept her gaze over the group. "I don't suppose any of you were aware that Xin is alive?" Since everyone here had known Sothan's small family (they were all very ancient after all, just like the deities), she didn't bother specifying who she was talking about.
Cere's eyes widened. "He went missing for such a long time. How is he alive? Was he revived?"
Ythene could only shrug. "I don't know. It doesn't feel as though he was dead, however. Yet I only discovered his whereabouts when I decided to check on young Li and Novei at the forge. Something about Xin's energies is different, though. I cannot place what it is. He-" She cut herself off, frowning. "Hold on. He sensed my gaze and has reached out. There is information he wishes to share. He seems… frantic."
The Hexan shifted, frowning visibly. "What is it?"
Holding up a finger, Ythene beckoned her to wait. Althea traded a worried look with Teyan, but neither spoke up. Ythene soon had some answers, anyway. "He says that three ancient vampires were revived. I am not familiar with the names, but some of you may. Their identities are Lior, Cyca, and Zsasha. The first two recently attacked the forge. Sothan was fed off of and nearly killed as a result. Li was also bitten and has begun displaying symptoms of addiction."
Cere's eye twitched, hands tightening painfully into fists. "What?" she demanded, her face morphing in no minor display of her fury.
"Patience, please," Ythene murmured. "He is still speaking. Things were quiet for an uncomfortable length of time before she continued. "Novei has left in pursuit of the vampire known as Cyca, as has the vampire leader, Ghune. Xin has also embarked on such a hunt, but not just because of what I already relayed to you. It seems Sothan was left in the care of the Babylonians, only for him to vanish from their palace not thirty minutes prior to now. He is currently missing."
The Hexan was silent. This was a lot of information to process. "Someone needs to find Novei before she gets killed," Cere muttered. "Ythene, I want you using your senses to search for Sothan. Is anyone watching over Li?" An abnormally irritated groan escaped the woman, one of her hands settled on her forehead as she roughly rubbed her scalp.
"I have located Novei already," Ythene reported. "I will monitor her. As for Li and Sothan… It appears that Sein is with Li. Therefore, Li is safe for now. However, something is hiding Sothan from my mind's eye. I cannot find him."
"Then Nareish is likely hiding him, or helping," Cere groaned aloud. "Fuck. Keep monitoring Novei. Once this shit with Amnikaribah is over, I'll hunt down Cyca and remove that threat entirely."
"That is if Novei does not locate her first," Ythene answered blandly.
"Wait, Cere," Althea cut in. Her legendary fiery temper was rising, but she kept her cool overall. "You cannot simply gloss over the fact that Nareish may be at least assisting with whatever is being done to Sothan. Nearly all of us ancient deities, every single one of us, helped to raise that boy and his sister. We cannot simply wait to do something until Amnikaribah is handled. Something must be done now. If these problems are not handled concurrently, people we are meant to protect will suffer and that is unacceptable."
"We can't find him-" Cere started, her own temper rising and voice following suit.
Pyrun cut her off once more, appearing before her in a flash of flames and setting a hand on her shoulder. "That doesn't mean we can't keep looking. I don't know what the hell is happening with you, but you're way the fuck off your game." He paused briefly, noting the intense glare pointed at him from her. The man sighed softly. "You need to cool it or you're going to get yourself killed, Cere. You're not thinking clearly and I promise that it's going to become a bloodbath if you die. You are our goddamn leader, so get your shit together."
Once more, the Hexan tempered herself. His words held truth and rang through her entire being. However… it was still hard to think about the fact that Sothan, one of the first two children she had ever helped to raise (with the second being his sister), was back from the dead and already in serious danger again. Not to mention the danger Li was also in after having experienced so much heartache. "Yeah... you're right," she muttered. "You're right."
It was then that Azanae walked over again. "Cere?" She interjected quietly. "Therin is trying to reach his mind out to us. I cannot aid him, but you possess the same power he does. He is still exhausted, so perhaps you should help him? He must have something to say if he is expending energy on this."
There's more… Cere knew that whatever she was about to hear was very likely to undo whatever piecemeal calmness she had strung together with Pyrun's help. However, Therin still needed to rest. The sonner she let him say his piece, the sooner he could return to sleep. "Therin, can you hear me?"
The response she got was slow and drowsy. Nevertheless, it was coherent. "...Ma?"
"Yes, dear. Did you have something you needed to say?" In this moment, she found it easier to be soft and gentle, his voice instantly drawing out that maternal side of her. She was his adoptive mother too, after all. Being this way with her children came naturally to her.
Quite unintentionally, he allowed his tired, wandering thoughts to be communicated while he gathered his focus enough to properly reply. "Is 'Zanae with you?" he asked her. That wasn't a deliberate thing, either, shortening her name like he had. He'd never referred to her by such a nickname before. In fact, no one had. Azana was the only "nickname" she'd ever gone by.
"She is," Cere replied. "She told me you were reaching out to us." What the fuck did you do to him, Amnikaribah? This isn't right. Little about his demeanor is normal.
More time was taken. Finally, he seemed to properly recall what he'd been trying to do. "Nier was there," he told her, the thought slow and deliberate to ensure it was understood. "Is he with you?"
"Nier was caught up in the attack or… something," Cere mumbled distractedly to the others. "Ythene… look for him." Ythene began to do so immediately. "He is not, Therin." She refused to lie, especially since Therin might have more information.
If he did, he didn't wind up saying so. All he did was give a vague acknowledgement before mumbling in an uncharacteristically small voice, "My head hurts."
"Try to get some rest, Therin. I'll come see you soon."
"Okay." Unable to maintain the connection any longer even with her help, he let it fade away.
At about the same time, a certain look crossed the normally serene Ythene's face. It was one of fear. This got both her sister and love interest's attention in an instant, but that went unacknowledged. She went stock-still, then made herself unfreeze in order to report, "Nareish has him. He is bound and unconscious right beside her throne itself. She is personally guarding him."
"Teyan, go to Mobius or wherever you have to. Find Steam and alert him, or get Sonic to do it. I want him working on a plan while we stop Amnikaribah, kill the revived vampires, and find Sothan. Pyrun, I want you actively searching for Sothan as well. Eona, monitor the situation with Amnikaribah while myself and Ylden are on his planet." Stop me if I go too far. I can't feel my hands. Cere glanced back to Ylden. "We're going, unless anyone has an objection to address now."
Though Eona fixed her with a knowing look, she didn't address what seemed to be on Cere's mind. "None whatsoever." She took her leave straight away. It wasn't out of the ordinary for her. Punctuality was one of her more notable traits, and going hand-in-hand with that was the fact that she never wasted time in general when she could help it.
Teyan likewise prepared to leave, tossing a muttered, "Ythene, stay with Azanae," over her shoulder as she turned around.
"Sis-" Ythene started to object.
The older woman whirled on her. "This is an order, Ythene! Stay where you are safe!" She disappeared before the argument could continue. Ythene sighed and walked over to Azanae obediently with downcast eyes. Teyan normally never yelled at anyone one, and she could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times that Teyan had ever done so in her presence. It has been so long that I forgot how much it hurts to earn a loved one's ire. She slipped her hand into the Azanae's, who gave it a small squeeze.
Cere watched this exchange, then turned to Pyrun. The man had grown silent, despite her open invitation for his potentially opposing opinion. "Anything?"
"Don't kill him," Pyrun replied. "We can't fuck this up."
The Hexan blinked once, teleporting her halberd in hand. "I'm gonna keep this quick so I can't kill him. Make sure Amnikaribah goes right back to fucking hell." Her gaze fell on Althea, deciding to explain what her implied lack of an order was intended to mean. "Remain by Pyrun. Stay out of trouble as best you can. Given your newfound mortality, I would rather your life not be carelessly endangered."
"Understood," Althea agreed. "I ask that you stay safe as well. To say that you coming to any great harm would sadden me… that would be an understatement."
Normally, Cere would have replied to this with gentility and softness, but all she could do right now was nod. "I'll be fine."
"You had best ensure that." Turning to Pyrun, Althea held out a hand. "Let us be going. We cannot dally." The man nodded easily to this and accepted her hand, teleporting them both away in a flash of flame.
"We will be leaving as well," Azanae said, "unless there is more you wish to say to us first."
"No." Cere took a deep breath. "You should go." With a nod, Azanae teleported herself and Ythene back to Sona's home.
Ylden finally spoke up, not bothering to heed her obvious temper. "You're not acting like yourself."
"Hardly matters," Cere murmured. "What matters is getting everyone back safely." She didn't let him continue this conversation further, teleporting herself to Amnikaribah's world.
The cat blinked once, then shrugged. He supposed that he shouldn't be the one to lecture her, given his own current state. Ylden was far from stable. He didn't dwell on this fact, however, teleporting after her with his scythe appearing in his hand. Like Cere, he had a demon to find.
~保護者~
14,271 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support, and I hope you all enjoyed. Posted (at about 9:20 p.m.) 06-15-23.