Chapter 12- Ozone and Glitterwings' families' confrontation
Meanwhile, back in Asgard Sky City
The service at Asgard Sky City Gathering House had finished for another week as set by Kurama on his strict dictatorial cult rules upon the city. The congregants seeped out of the building like smoke to return to their homes, either in the city or in the smaller towns and villages on the outskirts under Kurama's command and curfew. Those that had collapsed asleep from the Glory Breath Smoke (in which somniferous or sleep-inducing effects were among its range of properties) were being carried by some of those that had managed to stay awake during the climax of the chaotic service. Some of the Nine-Tailed Fox's underlings overlooked their departure to their homes to ensure the strict curfew rules were obeyed. The Slugcat family sadly left, some of the younger members carrying the severely disabled Cloudy who could not walk or see. The wife had her face turned from her husband in disappointment over his giving of the only money they had for their son's medication for his internal condition and the rest of their Slugpups were saturated with worry and distress for their brother. Without the medication, his health may deteriorate from his internal condition. Then one of the Yellow Homunculus underlings assured the Slugcat family that they did well in obeying Aslan in giving their mandatory offering to Kurama and his assistants and that the Lion will heal their son soon. However, the Slugcat family had just about lost faith in the Lion, having been given this false hope over and over again only for Cloudy's healing to never come. Sadly, the Ferret-like creatures went home, their severely disabled family member in tow.
As the congregants continued to sweep out of the Gathering House, Kurama, who had also recovered from the effects of the Glory Breath Smoke, stood by and watched on proudly. Near him, a large Monitor Lizard, a Dragon Lizard (in our world, the Dragon Lizard's equivalent was the Komodo dragon; the Dragon Lizard was THIS type of lizard) sifted through the coins given by the congregants during the mandatory offering from the buckets and sorted them into categories based on what type of coins they were for easier counting by putting them into separate containers. Cumulonimbi were placed in one container while cirri were placed in another, for example. While the Dragon Lizard did this, Kurama turned and came to him.
"How's the counting of the offerings coming, Budzo?" asked he.
"I'm just sorting the money into their separate coins first, Kurama," the Dragon Lizard, Budzo replied, ending his reply in a tongue flick. Like Snakes, Dragon Lizards naturally flicked their tongues and always used these to taste and smell but they also did it out of natural habit. However, they did not hiss their s's like Snakes did. "Once I have done that, I will set to counting them."
"Excellent," Kurama whispered smugly, "Once you have counted the money, let me know of the total, okay?"
"Okay," Budzo replied and he continued his job as Kurama left. As Kurama walked on, another assistant called his name.
"Kurama," shouted the caller, the male Sphinx named Imhotep, "We have managed to arrest the families of Ozone the Cloud-Man and Glitterwing the Cherub, the two missing members," and with that he stepped aside and revealed some assistant Nekomata, Tanuki and a Kappa as they dragged in a group of Cloud-Men and Cherubs like policemen dragging in some criminals or suspects they had arrested. As soon as they were brought before the Fox, Ozone and Glitterwing's family members, which were the former's wife and two children and the latter's husband, two daughters, sister and her family (husband and son), they were thrown down on their fronts in front of Kurama by their arresters.
"Thanks for dropping in, you lot," the wicked Nine-Tailed Fox spoke in a slight sarcasm-laced voice before he turned serious. Glitterwing's husband, some of his silvery hair partly draping his face, shot the Kitsune a BITTER glare while his daughters quivered. Ozone's family, however, looked on nervously as Kurama added; "Now it is time for you to be questioned regarding the disappearance of your family members," he then turned to the Nekomata, Kappa and Tanuki and commanded, "Take these Cherubs and Cloud-Men to the Trial Building."
The several Animal Yokai species obeyed, seized the group of Cherubs and Cloud-Men and began to drag or frogmarch them to said building, forcing them past Kurama as he turned round and looked on with a blank stare. Imhotep walked in and also watched on. One of Ozone's children, his son, then attempted to squirm out of the Nekomata's grip but the Two-Tailed Cat seized the fluffy white figure in his telekinesis with his eyes glowing neon blue and a neon blue aura surrounding the Cloud-Man boy to stop him from squirming and began to apply mental force in frogmarching him in addition to physical force. Imhotep shook his head in disapproval.
"They certainly are defiant aren't they?" he told Kurama.
"Well, they won't be once they are taken to the Trial Building for questioning," Kurama replied, "Those families of the two escapees are criminals in allowing them to disappear and I only hope those two hadn't left Asgard or the results would be disastrous..." he then turned to Imhotep, "But let's leave that for now. Are your next groups of selected Talking Beasts ready for their hunting trips?"
"Yes, Boss," said Imhotep.
"Then take them to the Bifrost Transporter," said Kurama. Imhotep obediently nodded and left to carry out the task. As the male Sphinx flew away, his feathered wings beating the air, a female Leopard Water Dog came in with some Blue Elves and two Red Dwarves.
"Daffodil, are the traps ready to catch those Arcobalenopods?" asked Kurama.
"Sure are, Boss," replied the Water Dog, Daffodil.
"We're just testing their effectiveness and functionality first," said one of the accompanying Red Dwarves, "two are ready but the remaining five are still in complete but over a few days, they will be and also be ready for their job."
"Okay," Kurama said with a pleased smile, "Once the two traps the builders have managed to finish are ready, prepare for your trip and hunt for the seven Rainbow Creatures with them. As soon as the other five are done, prepare them as well."
Daffodil and her accompaniers nodded, turned round and returned to their group. As they left, Siveth slowly walked in, flashed them a look and continued approaching Kurama. She behaved as though her fleeing of the Glory Breath Cloud segment of the service had never happened for she knew that Kurama would not be pleased if he found out that she had disappeared during that time. Thankfully, no-one had noticed her disappearance and absence for they had been too caught up in the emotional frenzy of the Glory Breath Cloud chaos. As she sat down, a sad look on her face, Kurama walked in, a smile on his muzzle.
"Your sermon had been UTTERLY excellent, Siveth," said he, "Aslan certainly has gifted you with the gift of preaching."
However, Siveth exhaled guiltily from standing in the spot intended ONLY for male preachers and she quivered from disturbance from seeing the chaos whipped up by the Glory Breath Cloud in the Gathering House. Her stomach also quivered from nausea but this wasn't the first time Siveth had ever felt sick over Kurama's planned Gathering House activities. She had seen it countless times over the past year and a half since Kurama usurped the throne and locked Asgard in its bubble for his cult.
"Oh, don't look troubled, sweetie," Kurama said with a smile, "Everyone had a great time here. Hopefully next week will be even better."
Siveth winced as a pang of rage tore through her at what Kurama had just called her. She did NOT like Kurama referring to her with endearing names such as 'sweetie' due to the Fox being so wicked but it was clear that Kurama had a crush on Siveth but not a good one. However, she refused to even speak to Kurama for she knew he would be UTTERLY angry if she ever talked back to him. Then Kurama moved on, a stern look replacing his smile.
"Anyway, it's over for now. We have two families to question over the allowing of their family members to escape," he said, his voice tone matching his glare, "Let's head over to the Trial Building."
Siveth looked on in surprise.
"Two of the villagers have managed to disappear?" she asked, "Who are they?" however, under the surprise, a glimmer of hope had shone through the dark clouds of despair like a ray of light.
"Let's just get to the building," snapped Kurama, making Siveth flinch. Then without questioning the evil Kitsune any further, Siveth obeyed and followed Kurama to their destination.
A little later, at the Trial Building
Ozone and Glitterwing's families stood in a box labelled 'Accused' as they stood before the Judge's Block with Kurama behind it. Ozone's wife, son and daughter who stood taller than the Cherubs for Cloud-Men were often tall creatures unless they were juveniles, shuddered while Glitterwing's husband, two daughters, sister, brother-in-law and nephew looked on defiantly though the nephew and youngest daughter also shuddered nervously. Behind the families of the two escapees were three Nekomata and a Terror Bird part of Kurama's assistant group and they stood to keep the Cherubs and Cloud-Men in check and prevent them from trying to escape. To the right of the two families stood Siveth with Chroma Nerada and some more of Kurama's assistants, most of them Blue Elves and the brightly coloured aquatic Nestri Primi. To the left of the accused families were yet more of Kurama's assistants, one of them a Minotaur and another, a Unicorn. These groups had been stationed by Kurama as backup should the defendants dare try to bolt and overpower their primary restrainers and/or slip out of their grip. Siveth then looked on with the Blue Elves, the Nestri Primi and several more assistants of other species including a Talking Kangaroo as Kurama prepared to open up the interrogation. The Nine-Tailed Fox then glared menacingly at the families of Glitterwing and Ozone. The youngest members of the two escapees' families, Glitterwing's youngest daughter and nephew who were only kids, barely teenagers unlike Glitterwing's other daughter, and also Ozone's son and daughter, flinched at the icy glare of the Fox as he spoke the opening speech of the interrogation, first by addressing the defendants in the 'Accused' box.
"Aurora the wife of Ozone," he said, "Swift the husband of Glitterwing, and Zephyr-Gus and Sparkle the brother-in-law and sister of Glitterwing, you and your children are hereby charged with allowing your family members to disappear without our permission and are brought here to answer to us why you allowed it to happen."
None of the Cloud-Men or Cherubs answered and remained silent as Kurama continued, "So let's begin. First question... HOW did you allow Ozone and Glitterwing to disappear?"
The oldest daughter of Glitterwing and her husband Swift opened her mouth to speak but Swift nudged her daughter to keep her mouth shut.
"Choose your words carefully, traitors, for they may be your last as this is a VERY SERIOUS crime you have committed both against Kurama and against Aslan," one of the Tanuki spoke behind them, sending freezing shivers coursing down the spines of the youngest members and causing them to flinch. Swift, Aurora, Zephyr-Gus and Sparkle flashed the Magical Raccoon Dog a glare and turned it back to Kurama.
"We don't know," the first one, Glitterwing's husband defiantly replied, his two daughters also shaking their heads, "They just... slipped away..."
"We had our backs turned when it happened," added Aurora, her son and daughter, the children of Ozone, nodding in agreement.
"And when we saw that they had disappeared, we looked everywhere for them but could not find them," added Zephyr-Gus, his wife Sparkle and their son nodding in agreement to this.
"Not a good enough answer," Kurama calmly but sternly replied, "You lot had something to do with Ozone and Glitterwing's disappearance. I can feel it. We demand to know how you were involved in their vanishing."
"You cannot fool a Nine-Tailed Fox like Kurama," put in Chroma Nerada but Kurama silenced her with the bark, stunning the Fenghen into sourly shutting up for she hated being ordered about by a male Talking Beast or Magical Creature. Siveth gazed at the youngest family members of Ozone and Glitterwing with both worry and concern. She wanted to intervene but she could not or she'd be in SERIOUS trouble, yet AGAIN. Kurama continued, "So I will repeat the question: how did you lot allow Glitterwing and Ozone to disappear from their houses? Did you allow them to leave Asgard without our permission?"
Aurora and Swift flinched but they immediately brushed it aside and kept their defiantly adamant stance. Finally, Swift spoke again, trying to make up a story to stall the evil Kitsune.
"We were on an outing with plans to return to our houses as per your curfew rules, Kurama, but my wife and Aurora's husband slipped away under our noses," he said, "We don't know how they vanished..."
Suddenly, Kurama nodded to the Terror Bird standing behind Swift. Immediately, the Flightless Bird of Prey lunged at Swift and to the UTMOST alarm of Aurora and the others and also Siveth, the Bird knocked the Cherub out of the Accused Box and onto the floor with a swing of his head. The youngest members, especially the two daughters, released screams as Swift fell on his front on the floor, his white and metallic yellow wings spread out. Then the Terror Bird did something that should NEVER be done to a noble creature like a Cherub. He seized Swift's right wing and did the Axe-Beak technique, a technique that only Terror Birds could naturally perform, right onto the wing, the top of his beak hook slamming into it. Screams of agony erupted from the Cherub as EXTREME pain ripped through his right wing, its bones shattered by the Terror Bird's Axe-Beak. Aurora, Sparkle, Zephyr-Gus and the others looked on in UTMOST horror and tried to rush to the injured Cherub's side but they were barred by the Nekomata and Tenuki who threatened to injure them if they EVER intervened. Siveth also winced at the temerity-saturated move the Terror Bird made on the Cherub but she, too, was barred from interfering. Then Kurama dropped from behind the Judge's Block and over to the downed Swift as he clutched his broken wing, his face contorted in agony. Seizing the male Cherub by his silver hair with a paw, he yanked his head to his face.
"Think carefully, Cherub," he growled in a low, threatening voice through bared teeth, "It's YOUR life or the lives of your family including your daughters and nephew. Now TELL ME this MINUTE, did you ALLOW YOUR WIFE and OZONE TO DISAPPEAR and if you HAD, WHERE DID YOU SEND THEM TO?"
Swift, his broken wing crying in agony and chills coursing down his spine at the sight of thunder on the Nine-Tailed Fox's face then gazed at the angry Kitsune and cult leader. Nearby, Aurora, Zephyr-Gus, Sparkle and the kids looked on, wondering how the injured Cherub might respond. Finally, Swift answered Kurama's question, but he only told a half-truth as he did not want to betray his wife and Ozone, who was one of his best friends, to the evil Nine-Tailed Fox who had established this evil cult around a false Aslan. Indeed Swift, Aurora and the others with them had helped Ozone and Glitterwing to escape, or rather, get started on their escape. The pair had to carry out the rest of their escape by themselves, however when the opportunity arose.
"Ozone and Glitterwing fled to the Easternmost Skylands," Swift said, "And we begged them not to go but they went anyway."
"They wouldn't listen to our warnings of the potential consequences you would bestow upon them for leaving without your permission," added Aurora. Kurama glared at Swift and then at the Cloud-Woman for a while until finally, he released Swift's silvery hair and backed away, an ANGRY glare on his face.
"I hope what you've said is true," he said in a low, threatening voice, "But that does NOT change the fact that you are guilty of carelessness and treachery against your Maker Aslan and against his anointed mouthpiece. You SHOULD have alerted my guards and assistants of their departure STRAIGHT AWAY!"
"We were going to but we forgot," said Zephyr-Gus, trying to enforce the false story. However, he was knocked in the head by a Tanuki with a staff. The brother-in-law of Swift clasped the impacted area of his head with a hand and released a short cry of pain. Aurora and her son and daughter and Sparkle, her son and Swift's daughters looked on silently and timidly, shivering at the angry Nine-Tailed Fox, all courage evaporated by the heat of his wrath. Then Kurama glared at the group for a little while and then called for some of his assistants. Several Nestri Primi, Blue Elves and Chroma Nerada the Fenghen came forward.
"Seize those families of the escapees except that Cherub on the floor," Kurama commanded with a paw point to the injured Swift, "and also the wife of the escaped Cloud-Man," he moved his paw point to Aurora who flinched, "and return them to their homes. Keep 'em in there until further notice and make sure NONE of them leave their homes."
The Nestri Primi, Blue Elves and Chroma Nerada nodded in obedience and went straight for the son and daughter of Ozone and Aurora, the daughters of Swift and Glitterwing and their nephew and also Zephyr-Gus, Sparkle and their son. Immediately and to Siveth's tears as the Kitsumiho Vixen looked on, unable to intervene due to the rest of the Nestri Primi and Blue Elves surrounding her to make sure that she DIDN'T intervene, commotion erupted. The two daughters of Swift and Glitterwing, together with their uncle Zephyr-Gus, aunt Sparkle and cousin screamed for Swift while Aurora and Ozone's son and daughter cried for their mother as they were torn away from each other by Kurama's assistants who carried out the job without hesitation or mercy. Tears streamed down the faces of the young Cherubs and Cloud-Men as they were pulled away while Zephyr-Gus and Sparkle writhed in the restraining arms or telekinesis of their restrainers. These two cried for Aurora and Swift as these two cried for them as well, Swift struggling on the floor with his broken wing. Siveth continued to watch on tearfully as Ozone's son and daughter and Glitterwing's two daughters, sister, brother-in-law and nephew were forcefully carried out of the entrance to the building by their restrainers, cries of anguish for Swift and Aurora still exploding from their mouths. One of Glitterwing's daughters managed to fight herself out of the restraining arms of two of the Blue Elves and as soon as she was free, she tried to run to Swift, crying, "DADDYYY!" only to be chased back to her Blue Elf restrainers by the Terror Bird that had injured her father. The daughter wailed and was seized once again, her wings flapping and legs and arms flailing as the two blue Dwarf-like humanoids resembling little magical blue creatures in another world carried her out.
Siveth continued to watch the tragic scene sadly and tearfully at the UTMOST cruelty of Kurama's assistants being played out before her eyes. She had seen this happen countless times before in which families and groups were forced apart at Kurama's orders even over the most insignificant things such as saying Kurama was wrong. One time, a Blue Flying Rod father was slain by Kurama by his foxfire for questioning the Kitsune's position as Aslan's mouthpiece and cult leader, rendering his wife a widow and their children fatherless. Kurama rarely used his foxfire for he was aware that overuse of it was a grave weakness for any Magical Fox, even Nine-Tailed Forms though he did occasionally threaten Siveth with it several times when she annoyed him. However, when Nine-Tailed Foxes were hit by foxfire from another Nine-Tailed Fox, they were severely weakened and injured but NOT killed and usually recovered in a few days due to their natural acceleratory healing factor. Nine-Tailed Foxes were among the few species of creatures to survive being hit by foxfire from their own species. Only Aslan and certain beings like the White Witch were totally immune to Nine-Tailed Fox foxfire and suffered no damage when struck with it.
Tears running down her cheeks as she watched the family of Cherubs and Cloud-Men get forced away from Swift and Aurora, Siveth then watched the latter two then get dragged away kicking, screaming, yelling and writhing by more of Kurama's assistants, the male Cherub also crying out in agony from the pain of his broken wing as one of Kurama's Blue Elf assistants struck it to get him moving. As soon as the families of Glitterwing and Ozone were out of the building, Kurama went over to Siveth.
"Meet me back at the Royal Castle, Siveth," said he, "We're gonna have an important meeting there."
Siveth reluctantly obeyed and left the Judgement House for said royal building. Sometime later she was back in the Royal Castle where she headed for the library to prepare to meet Kurama. However, as Siveth passed by the collection display of golden statues, her eyes travelled their direction and when they landed on two particular golden 'sculptures', one in the shape of a male Cherub with a kinked wing and the other in the shape of a Cloud-Woman, both in distressed poses with their eyes closed and mouths agape as though begging for mercy, Siveth flinched violently and released a startled cry. Then after overcoming the initial shock, Siveth slowly took in the shapes and features of the two golden statues and to her tearful horror, she realised that they were Swift and Aurora, turned into golden statues. Before Siveth could mourn for the demise of the husband of Glitterwing and wife of Ozone, Kurama called her name, seizing her attention and pulling it his direction.
"To the library, Siveth, please," the wicked Nine-Tailed Kitsune wearing the royal robe commanded, the Fox flanked by several of his assistants including Chroma Nerada, "We're gonna have a discussion about the Arcobalenopods and their importance to us as told to me by Aslan."
Siveth then gazed at the organic creatures-turned-into-golden-statues Swift and Aurora one final time and tearfully pulled her gaze from them to follow Kurama and his group into the library. She daren't ask how Kurama had had Swift and Aurora and the other offenders before them turned into golden statues but Kurama did have a method in doing this, but it was absolutely NO different from how the White Witch turned her enemies to stone with a spell from her wand. However, Kurama had no wand so how he turned those victims into solid gold statues was a mystery even to Siveth but ONLY Kurama and some of his assistants knew and they refused to tell the suffering Asgard citizens how they carried out this HORRIBLE deed. Sadly, Siveth followed Kurama to the library for the meeting.