Even in the confines of sleep, Krovanh was surprisingly lucid in his thoughts. He's been able to think while unconscious for as long as he could remember, which allowed him to detail a lot more than his sister and cousin. It was part of the reason he always seemed far more skeptic and rash, he often gets plagued by his own thoughts regardless of the situation. It had gotten more prominent however after the time he went through Sympathy with Artorian.

It didn't help that the past two months have given him a lot to think about, making his nights feel restless despite his lucid dreams. Vitaly's betrayal and attempt to burn them out with an overdose of their variant injections and to burn them out like a candle was a fresh reminder that the people his family could trust couldn't expand past their family. Even with Warslran's "hospitality" it was all based around how useful they were. That's why the dog accepted them, bringing them into the defunct Rejections. They didn't really have a choice but to accept, otherwise they'd have been arrested and tortured.

It was all a point of being used and tricked by others: the Slayers that enslaved them, Vitaly who experimented on them, and now the damn Dog Knight turning them into his own personal soldiers. He hated being used, especially by a bastard who was his enemy less than three months ago.

His tolerance to help fight against that terrorist freak was solely to return the favor for him bailing his family out. And he couldn't deny he wanted to tear out the bastard's throat for giving those against the Slayers' control a bad name. That strike at a hospital does nothing but to further sympathy to their enemies… even he couldn't stop thinking what had happened to them.

"FAHHH!" His thoughts went immediately to panic, as the cold embrace of water struck his face. He was already on his feet by the time he realized he wasn't submerged, and now looking up to the smirking face of the Dog Knight.

"Finally awake, you're a hell of a deep sleeper."

"The fuck's your problem!?"

"You sister spent twenty minutes trying to wake you up, we're getting your uniforms later. And you'll definitely want breakfast before then." Artorian explained, placing an empty glass at the Hunter's bedrest.

It had been another week since Artorian let himself out of the hospital, and the first time Krovanh rested in a bed that supposedly wasn't a prison. It was a damn nice place, far better than Krovanh ever expected to stay in. Ridiculous in scope considering how many rooms for guests there'd be alone. Almost made him upset to think he'd only see such comfort on a Slayer ship.

"So, how do you like your eggs?"

"Huh?"

"Eggs. The stuff that comes out of a chicken?"

"I know what a fucking egg is, the hell do you mean how I like them?" Krovanh snapped, his teeth actually producing a clatter as he snarled. His instincts, despite having helped and sympathized with the Abysswalker, told him to always regard him with hostility. Whether it was their conflicting Variant virus, the larger man's Abyss, or hell just the sheer difference in scope between the two, he couldn't deny the unease he felt around him.

"How you eat them. Scrambled, over easy, boiled, poached, omelet; you know?" Artorian asked, Krovanh's blank stare getting a sigh from him. "Do you like the yolk? Or do you prefer it all stirred together?"

"Oh… stirred?"

"Scrambled eggs it is." Artorian confirmed, before turning to leave. "Be sure to dress up before coming to the kitchen, we're leaving after breakfast."

"…Didn't ask for food prick…" The Hunter muttered to himself, pushing his wet hair up before changing. Mei Mei had gone through the trouble to collect some more clothes for him and his family, nothing big but a nice black shirt and pants were all he needed.

"Well, look who finally decided to wake up." Emilia said with an entertained grin, irritating the former Hunter.

It wasn't a surprise that after the joined confession that Emilia, Sakura and Miharu had moved in with the rest of the Rejections. Karen had come as well, expected given her relationship with Artorian and now the lack of a dorm causing a rooming issue. It was already giving Krovanh a headache thinking about how many people were in this house, especially with them being a gaggle of lovebirds.

"Shove it." The Hunter groaned with annoyance, not giving her the satisfaction of looking her way.

"Watch your mouth, that's royalty you're talking to." Artorian responded from the kitchen, Krovanh rolling his eyes at the notion.

"Right, and I'm the Prince of Francoise."

"She is royalty, daughter of Gudenberg's king." Nesat responded as he sat at the couch next to her, giving her a look of disappointment and confusion. "I saw his memories during our time in Sympathy."

"Un-fucking-believable."

"So Prince of Francoise, how's that foot taste?" Emilia snickered.

"Fuck you."

"Oi, start watching the language!" Artorian shouted back. "I might be a sailor too, but you're gonna have to start learning to hold your tongue. We might be regarded as Black Ops, but we'll be working alongside Selections, so your look reflects Claire's."

"Why the hell should I care?"

"Because I said so, and I'm your supervisor."

"This is going to be unbearable, I just know it." Krovanh groaned into his hands as he slouched, Nesat patting his back supportively.

"Ah stop being a bunch of babies."

"I feel… so stupid." Krovanh grumbled, stepping out from the changing room to look at his uniform. He, Nesat and Nakri all had gotten fitted over the course of three hours, resulting in their uniforms fitting perfectly. They were designed to be similar to the ones students in the general course wore. However instead of the green with red stripes going down their arms, theirs were greyish white with the red going down their arms.

"It isn't too bad." Nesat contrasted her brother, looking across her new uniform with her lone eye, her eyepatch fluttering as it noted her blinking underneath at the look of the white and red.

"Could be worse I guess, the white isn't too bright." Nakri agreed, although matching Krovanh's own look of disappointment at being given a mandatory uniform.

"You three look great, don't see why you're complaining." Artorian said, the Master Chief crossing his arms in amusement at the two younger Slayers' disappointment. His uniform was the same shade of white as theirs, however instead of red stripes going down his arms, the added fabric was blue to signal him out separate from them as their commanding officer.

"We're complaining because we were drafted into a military company we wanted to rip to shreds at the threat of torture." Krovanh growled, getting an amused scoff from the Abysswalker in return.

"Please, Char wouldn't let anything like that happen to you three. She has a soft spot for wayward souls. Even ones as violent as you." He waved off the concern.

The former Hunter was going to snarl back a retort, but was stopped when Artorian stepped towards him. He took a step back in reaction, ashamed that his instincts for the briefest moment thought retreat was better than standing firm. But whatever venom he wanted to speak to plant his feet to died in his throat as Artorian knelt before the three. With his imposing size, even on a single knee he was nearly taller than them, keeping close to eye level as he reached into his pockets.

"Listen, I understand you helping with Karen was entirely in the heat of the moment. Whether you genuinely wanted to help, or felt obligated, or even forced, I owe you all a great deal." The Slayer spoke, surprising the three as he pulled out three pins of copper. Each pin had a sigil on it, different in structure to match what they immediately recognized as Tenfa Scries.

"I'm not the most versed on the different cultures in the Middle-East, but I do remember Tenfa Scries were important to your militants before Slayers became you military." Artorian detailed, pinning the first copper pin to Krovanh's chest. "Pillars of wisdom, justice, and passion. Each sigil tells their own story of paragons who have seen the Promised Life past what we have now."

He then moved over to Nesat, pinning the second Tenfa Scry onto her jacket's collar at her right to match with her eye. "For those that seek to improve the world, with teachings they know will fall on deaf ears. But to those that listen, enlightenment is promised."

"And upon those who guide others, who lead as examples are remembered evermore and bring great change." The Abysswalker then finished with Nakri, pinning her Tenfa Scry to the cuff of her sleeve.

As he stood and stepped back, the three looked in shock at seeing how he not only gotten the correct Scry for each of them they were assigned at birth, but had known where to place them on their uniforms. It was impossible to guess, even by knowing what a Tenfa Scry was in the first place.

"How… why the hell are you doing this?" Krovanh questioned, Artorian shrugging at the notion with a smile.

"After my time in Sympathy with you and Nesat, I saw the three of you all were older than fourteen. And from the time enslaved you hadn't gotten your Tenfoso ceremonies." He explained. "So I got to work and started researching, the least I could do was give you guys some form of comfort here. So why not start with a maturity ceremony you were robbed of?"

"You… you think this fixes anything!?" Nakri responded, pointing to him as he looked over to her. "Your father and his damned Slayers did far worse than you could fix, we aren't here because we want to be your friends!"

"By the gods, we aren't having this conversation." Artorian sighed. "I didn't do this to bribe you, I'm not trying to change your ideology that you think the system is corrupt and needs tearing down. I'm not even trying to be your friend. But I am your guardian now. You may not like it, and you definitely don't have to like me, but I have to watch over you. And if that's the case then I may as well treat you right."

"You don't have to believe me. You don't have to trust me as a person, but trust me as someone that wants to do you right." His tired response turned genuine, keeping a surprising composure the Hunters hadn't seen from him since their encounter with him in the Qin forest. "You're all younger than me, and went through a lot. I never will defend my side on the hell you went through, my father and Ornstein both left your country out to dry and caused one of the worst power imbalances in the Middle-East's history."

"That wasn't-"

"Don't go there Nesat, we're all aware of that." Artorian interrupted. "It doesn't matter if I wasn't even born yet, my family's irresponsibility caused the hell you went through, they created Slayers. Those Slayers formed Al-Salaam and solidified control over the Middle-East. I am now the Master Chief of Rejections, so Al-Salaam is my responsibility, my burden. So I'll take all of your hate, every ounce of it. But it stays here, because out there fighting Savage we can't be enemies. We have to work together, you have to work with Slayers, and one day they may be aligned with Al-Salaam."

"If that day comes, you have to be the better people. It isn't fair, you deserve to tear apart any Slayer that upholds that broken system of power. But it's no longer that simple." It wasn't an easy reality to accept, Artorian knew that better than anyone else on Little Garden. His father's legacy was thrust on him since the day he was born. Yamato's people weighed him down with that sin, and Kai's destruction came directly from his uncontrollable hatred, his refusal to move past the sins and want to choke on them.

He never wanted to help people with that. He always knew his father and Ornstein screwed the world by creating soldiers out of criminals and death row inmates. Artorias' Virtues didn't justify or fix the root of the problem, and it was too late to repair the damages made. But as he looked at the Hunters, as he saw the still burning hatred in Krovanh and Nakri's eyes, he may finally have seen what was in Kai's eyes all those years ago. And after seeing what festering hatred could do, both in Kai and in the Hunters, he knew he couldn't stand aside any longer.

"So keep that shit on me; if you feel the need to punch something, punch me. If you want to shout, let it all out. And if you need to fight, I'll stay in the arena all month if that'll make you feel better. But you keep that on me, if I even hear you raised a fist at a member of Little Garden I will be the one to punt you into the dirt. Are we clear?"

After his long-winded discussion, the Hunters looked amongst each other. All their time together and they had a near perfect insight to one another and what they were thinking. And between the three of them, Nesat was clearly already on the Abysswalker's side. She had the most in-depth time experiencing his life, she was doubting their fight ever since Vitaly tortured the information about him out of them. Despite the fights she put up before, she rationalized working with him was the best chance they had to make a difference in the world.

Krovanh and Nakri didn't share that trust in the slightest. It was true they weren't enemies at the moment, but it wasn't an easy thing to shake off. Sometimes they were comfortable, they'd be able to talk with the Slayers without an instant instinct to argue or start a fight. And other days, they can't resist their anger and pour their rage out without restraint. Krovanh helped save Karen, hell he's started to tolerate the damn redhead since she's proven to be a decent fighter. But Artorian was the damn creator's son, a newly made symbol for Slayers to "aspire to be" for his fight against terrorists.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, to ever think they'd be friends with the son of the first Slayer. And being forced to follow his orders wasn't any better to them.

"Am. I. Clear?" He repeated, the two snapping out of their thoughts as they looked to Artorian.

"…And what if Al-Salaam Slayers start shit with us first?" Krovanh questioned.

"I'll personally rip them apart limb by limb." He answered. "I don't like them either, but I don't have a criminal background I have to prove against. And if I'm not there, feel free to break an arm or two. You can cut loose, but no killing. That is my condition for fighting Slayers that force you to defend yourself."

"Fine, I guess we can play along to that at least." Krovanh eventually relented, an annoyed growl in his throat and clenched teeth making it clear he was still being difficult. But at the least he was accepting a condition for the time being.

"If they can agree, I'll do it." Nakri added. "But that just means you've got a lot to answer for! We're not going to be your little toy soldiers following you around!"

"I wouldn't expect any less." The Lord said with a smirk, leaning down to Nakri's level with exaggeration. "I don't like holding hands, so you better learn to behave quickly. Claire's got a mean gut punch, and it definitely sorts insubordinates out very fast."

"…Is that from experience?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." Artorian chuckled as he stood upright. "Worst punch of my life, I've never had someone punch the breakfast out of me before."

"You're kidding, the blonde bimbo has an arm that strong?" Krovanh questioned.

"Ha! Oh man, she doesn't look it, but you should know a thing or two about that shrimp!" Artorian laughed, ruffling Krovanh's hair against his protests as he swiped his hand at him.

"Hey, fuck off!"

"Or what, you gonna gnaw at my ankles? Maybe headbutt my kneecaps?"

"I'll tear your throat out you obnoxious dog knight!"

"And how you gonna reach there without three stepping stools string bean?"

"Fuck you!"

"You're fucking kidding, you want us to go to school!?" Nakri spat in shock, the Hunters marching in step with the Abysswalker back in their casual garbs.

"It's a good opportunity for all of you. Helps ground you from the insanity of Slayer life." The Lord responded.

"Why the hell is it even needed? We're fighting monsters, not preparing to be a doctor." Krovanh questioned.

"Maybe, or maybe you will. Energy manipulation has a lot of different applications. One of you might be able to transfer energy without saliva, that could save lives. Or maybe you have a natural talent with numbers, meaning you could be an on-field specialist that coordinates multiple teams at once while fighting yourself. There're regular classes, but there's also a lot of applicable lessons to take from them." Artorian explained.

"How many energy applications are there?" Nesat asked, genuinely intrigued compared to her dramatic family.

"I'm not the best at that stuff, I can probably get Claire to make a list of everything. She's a nerd that likes that stuff." The Lord chuckled, before looking to Nesat. "I know of a few though. Some Slayers can use energy to hijack radio frequencies to communicate without a device, energy projection to build a layout of the immediate surroundings to find Savage, and medical uses for combat medics."

"Is that how you helped Krovanh expel his injections?" Nesat asked, getting an awkward laugh from the Lord as Krovanh gagged at the memory.

"Technically? I more brute forced it there." He said. "I poured energy into him to stabilize his Variant virus, that helped his body repel the drugs he had."

"But that's more of a Variant thing than a Slayer thing." Nakri noted.

"Kind of, someone experienced could do the same thing. Energy manipulation like that isn't easy to learn and requires a high compatibility, but it is doable. Variants can just… cheat, to an extent. I doubt we could mentally communicate over radios like some, or fully map out an area by spreading particles of energy. That's my guess anyway."

"Ugh, I'm not built for this crap." Krovanh groaned. "I just want to smash aside Slayers and Savage, how am I getting lectured by a damn dog knight of a PMC?"

"Because you got your ass kicked twice."

"Shut up." Krovanh's words died in his throat as his stomach growled, his face stiffened as embarrassment flooded his body. And he refused to turn his gaze to the Lord, feeling the damned smirk beaming off his face. "Shut. Up."

"I didn't say anything~"

"Your damn smug face says it all."

"This is bullshit."

"Are you going to be negative all day, or are you gonna get the sticks out of your asses?"

"Why couldn't we just go back to the house?" Nakri responded, grumbling as the three Hunters sat on soft comforts, around a shin high table in a bowling alley.

"Because I didn't want to cook lunch, and this is one of the few places that didn't get hit by the attack where we can relax during construction." The Lord responded. He was at a console typing in everyone's name. At least they thought, until the screen above the Lord's head revealed the listing names.

"Hey, why the hell am I Shark Tooth!?" Krovanh growled, getting a cocky chuckle from the Lord as he grinned over his shoulder.

"Who says that's you? It could be Nakri for all you know?"

"Did you put me as Frisbee Flop!?"

"See, that's a reasonable guess." The Lord shrugged, the complaints of the two missing the nicknames he put for himself and Nesat.

'All Left and Eye Catcher… he's quite ruthless.' Nesat noted, the protests of her family only bringing entertainment to him.

"Tch, but why here of all places? Aren't there a few actual restaurants or that cafeteria we could go to?"

"I wanted to go bowling." Was the Lord's simple answer. "Speaking of, you're first up after me Frisbee Flop."

"What, why? I don't even know how to bowl." Nakri argued, but didn't get much as he motioned her up.

"Don't worry, its easy. Here, I'll show you." He encouraged, picking up a purple and blue bowling ball. The Hunter wanted to object, but groaned in defeat and stood up, stepping next to him with annoyance. "See how I put my fingers in the holes? Index and middle with the thumb separate."

"Ok?"

"So what you want to do, is measure the steps needed for three strides." He explained, stepping at the line before the lane and shuffling back to the farthest he could before the seats. "Hold it up to your chest, take two steps forward. On your second step, you'll bring the hand holding the ball back in a fluid motion. And at the third step, roll it forward and make the proper position to be sure to stop yourself while keeping balance."

Artorian then went through the motions, doing as he explained before releasing the ball with his left hand. The roll was off, it reached the pins however only struck the right furthest before falling out of sight. Nakri then watched as the ball appeared at the machine next to them, watching as Artorian took the bowling ball again and entered the same position.

"There's a few scoring aspects. That there I scored only one point. You get two throws to knock all the pins down. You get a max of ten points, based on how many pins you hit. If you knock all ten in two throws, you get what's called a spare. If you do that, you get bonus points equal to your next ball thrown. If you knock all ten in one throw, that's a strike. And if you get a strike, you get ten points plus the sum of your next two balls."

Artorian then did the same motions again, hitting the pose and everything before his ball hit the gutter, ending his turn with a single point.

"Damn, looks like I need to get used to using my left hand for this kind of stuff." He noted, rolling his wrist before looking to Nakri. "Well, now its your turn. Remember which ball is yours?"

"It's not that difficult, I have a brain." Nakri said, hesitant as she picked up a yellow and red ball. She was hesitant, unsure where to stand as the clear height difference between Artorian and her made the stride distance difficult. The shoes were also bothering her, and the ball weight threw her balance off.

'Why am I thinking so hard about this? It's just a stupid game. The dog knight's not even good at it, so why should I care?' Nakri thought, before taking her strides and throwing. The ball hit the gutter near immediately, getting a grunt of anger from her as she was far away from the line for the lane.

"Apuh, you threw too early. You were too far away from the line."

"No shit!"

"Calm down, let's walk through it." The Lord offered, this time staying by Nakri as he guided her. He helped her find the pace, distancing her and trying four times with just the steps before she figured where she needed to be.

"There, now you just need to get the throw right." Artorian noted. "But you were good in posture when you did it last time. So just repeat that."

"Whatever." Nakri said, but her feet tapped almost anxiously. Suddenly she was competitive, her breathing silent but picking up as she felt almost pressured. She didn't care about the game, but she didn't want to lose to a guy using his bum hand while she was actually trying!

Step one, she treated it normal with the ball held to her chest. Step two, she motioned the ball behind her, feeling the shift of weight but handling without worry. At step three, she reached the line and threw it forward. It was a little harsh, the thud was loud and she winced as she believed it was going to be another gutter. But as it rolled, it shifted slightly by the spin she unintentionally gave it. And when it reached the pins, it hit home and knocked eight over.

"Haha! Yes!"

"That's the way Nakri!" Krovanh cheered along with her.

"Take that dog knight, I scored better than you!" Nakri laughed, pointing at the Lord as he sat next to Nesat.

"Hehe, not bad for a second throw. But save that for when my throw gets better." He laughed, watching as she pumped her fists with a proud grin on her face. "You're up next Krovanh, Nakri how about you show him how it's done?"

"Sure, since I already got a better score then you." Confidence gleamed from the girl as her grin remained, before Krovanh got up for her to help him out.

"…You're ambidextrous." Nesat noted as Artorian got comfortable, getting the Lord's attention as he turned. "You're able to use both hands just fine."

"She doesn't need to know that." Artorian answered with a smile, the eldest Hunter looking at him for a moment in silent surprise before she smiled. She looked to watch as Nakri demonstrated through the motions alongside Krovanh and show him how it was done.

He wasn't as graceful, he nearly slipped twice from his shoes and cursed loudly. But once he got the hang of it, his first roll got a solid four pins, a shared cheer of pride erupting from the two as they once again shared their mockery of the Lord. Artorian played with it, holding his hands in surrender at his utter defeat.

There was genuine laughter coming from her family, enthusiasm that was shining brighter than any time they released their energy in the heat of battle. Those laughs, while mixed with mockery for the Slayer, had delight beaming past it. It was their first game not as prisoners, slaves or test subjects, but as people since they lost their families. It was what they needed, after all the pain they endured. It was what Artorian was willing to give them despite their actions against him.

He gave them a chance to smile, to forget about the worst of what they went through.

"Oh man, I don't think I've felt that full before." Nakri said, feeling bloated but satisfied. After a tight game where it came down to the last throw, she managed to snag the victory from Nesat by a single pin, crowning her as the victor. As the crushed loser, Artorian offered to buy whatever food the trio ordered, and to say it was a feast would be putting it lightly.

"There was so many foods I didn't even know existed… so many sweets." Nesat herself was uncharacteristically relaxed, matching her cousin's sluggish walk but keeping up fine.

"Looks like the dog's good for something, having a pocket that deep." Krovanh chuckled, grinning up to the Lord as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, I decided to treat you today so don't think that'll be your average meal. You'll be getting your own salaries too, so you'll be paying things for yourself in the future." He responded, but the smile on his face broke the stern tone his voice had to match Krovanh's mockery.

"So what now, we heading home?"

"Oh, I think that's the first time you called it home." It was Artorian's turn to taunt Krovanh, the Hunter's face turning flustered as he realized his slip up.

"Well it's not like we got anywhere else to-!" Artorian silenced him by ruffling his hair, laughing as he stepped past him with an exaggerated step.

"It's all good squirt, I would hope you'd see it as home. We're all wayward souls in some way or another. Even little shits like you have a place here."

"Easy for the esteemed son of the first Slayer to say…"

"If you think that, ask Claire what the first month with me was like." The Lord chuckled, relaxing his shoulders. "There's still time in the day left, how about a movie marathon?"

"You're still trying to hold us hostage for the day? Don't you have four girlfriends to gush over?" Nakri gagged.

"Three, and no." Artorian responded. "They're having their own "girls night" since I already put you three as my focus for the day. There's plenty of time for dates and passionate nights, but we do still have roles, duties and other relationships to account for. You'll learn that soon enough, once you step out of your shell and make some more friends."

"Tch, friends with Slayers, that'll be the day."

"Right, I'll just tell Touka you don't have an interest learning Zaneizan with her then."

"Hey that's cheating! You don't get to decide that!"

"Shinshisho, that's New-Master. I train the cherry head Shark Bite. So. I. Can. Decide."

"What movies were you thinking?" Nesat asked, interrupting the latest attempt at being hostile from Krovanh. She hid it, but this latest conflict made her happy. The past attempts today were Krovanh's hostility was to try and keep a barrier of anger. That he was still trying to hold on to his rage against Artorian for being a Slayer. His attempts at conflict grew less genuine each day, hopefully enough that soon he and Nakri fully can understand that Artorian isn't and will never be what they saw Slayers as. What Vitaly's torture made them think. They could trust him and rely on him, and he'd be there for them.

"I don't know, I didn't watch a lot growing up myself. Emilia, Sakura and Karen bought a ton for us but we haven't had the chance to watch any."

"And you think they'll be fine with you watching those with us instead?"

"Eh, I think the girls just want to watch romance and romcom stuff. There's a good number of action/adventure stuff we could watch. Or we can have a horror night and see what can make your guts twist~" That seemed to be more entertaining to the Lord, given his pleased tone and growing grin.

"May I veto on horror?" Nesat asked.

"It's a little dull, but that's fine." Artorian responded. "There's still plenty to pick from."

The rest of the day was as peaceful as it was uneventful, the four members of Rejections watching movie after movie. First pick was Renegade Lost, an older sci-fi movie about a horrid special operative finding their conscious after the decision to wipe out a colony to hold back a deadly pathogen. Then there was Frost Fall, a slow burner of a family stuck in during a blizzard and holding on each passing day with weakening conviction.

Nesat had the latest pick, Dawn Eagle. A long tale about an ancient warrior taking the fight against otherworldly invaders after the shrine to his god was disturbed. It seemed to enamor the girl, given her visible eye never left the screen. It wasn't until that eye slacked slightly that she registered the time, noticing the pitch-black darkness out the window.

"Still up?" Her eye blinked before she looked to her left, realizing she had started to lean her head against his shoulder.

"…Sorry." She yawned, rubbing the tired tear out of her eye as she raised her head up.

"Nah it's fine. These two certainly aren't apologizing." At his subtle motion, Nesat looked in silent surprise. Krovanh and Nakri were both fast asleep, the former prompted against Artorian's other shoulder while Nakri was laying across the couch, her head on his leg as she sighed peacefully. Gentle breaths clashing with the snoring of her brother nearly had Nesat laugh, fighting it down as she didn't want to wake them.

"They tapped out at about the first hour, the day seemed to finally catch up to them."

"Thank you… I know we've been a burden since you met us." Nesat thanked, her eye drifting down at her words.

"There's nothing to it. You all went through a lot in your life. If I can give them a good day to get the stress out I'm glad." The Lord shrugged with his free shoulder. "The least you deserve is some good food, fresh clothes, and entertainment. Our work will be back at some point, so we have to treasure these moments."

Treasure these moments… Nesat could see that. For the past couple of years the three Hunters spent their days slaving away in an Al-Salaam camp, starving in a desert, or being dissected and injected as a part of Vitaly's experiments. And yet Artorian is the last person that should feel obligated to help them. He suffered on his own, having to raise Karen in a country that hated him as she slowly withered from Severance. And then forced to be Judal's pawn less his last friend would die.

'But… maybe that is what made him do it.' The four of them suffered, enduring physical, emotional, and mental pain. While their suffering could be deemed worse, it didn't lessen what the Lord had to endured. When he didn't face the waking struggles of prejudice from the people of Yamato or the emotional drain of his friend's suffering, he endured the spiritual agony the Abyss caused. It picked at him, just as the ghosts of their pain tore at her and her family.

"We still got another two hours, still up for it?" Artorian motioned to the story, a silent nod from Nesat being the answer. But while the movie continued, he felt just a few minutes later the eldest Hunter rest her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you… for giving us a chance."

"Hmph, what can I say? You all needed one." Was his confirmation, his silent way of admitting his own appreciation of their company. Troubles and all, the Hunters needed someone to help them. And while they now knew they had that support, someone had to knock that sense into them.

"We need to… apologize to Chris and… Mei Mei too."

"They already know. Trust me."

Despite all the time on Little Garden, through the grueling pain and heartache, this might have been the first time Nesat was able to feel safe. As hard as Krovanh tried to be the pillar for them, she couldn't let him endure that burden. She pushed herself harder and harder, always moving past what she thought she could handle. They crashed and burned, bled for each mistake, and were scarred at every loss.

But as the coolness of Artorian washed across her, that pain and stress seemed to float away. The pressure that she, Krovanh and Nakri all collapsed over was leaving. As a new foundation could be formed, no longer held up by their own strength. Artorian, Emilia, Sakura, Little Garden's Slayers were willing to help shoulder their burdens. And while it might not be an easy change in life, there wasn't a better one to be offered. They weren't alone any longer, and they could trust more than themselves again.

"Big brother…" A final whisper left Nesat's lips before a light sigh followed. Sleep blessed her, and the Lord paused for a moment.

"Sleep well, you earned it." Artorian said, smiling as he gave the Hunters the rest they needed. It wasn't the best place to sleep, but he knew better than to move them so soon. He'd give them another hour. Then he'd get them to bed.

Family bonding like this doesn't happen every day, after all.

(A/N): A bit of a shorter chapter, but that's kind of what I'm going for with the next couple of chapters. Some light hearted and casual stories. The much needed levity after the seriousness. And with some lighthearted chapters, I'm hopping you'll all have a good time along with it. And I hope to see you in the next chapter.

Peace!