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Chapter IX: A Hunter is Born

"There was so much I didn't know back then. I thought that locking myself away in a starship would solve all my problems but it only meant I was deaf and blind to the rest of the world. But those problems didn't go away like I had hoped they would, they kept piling up outside my locked door. I never asked questions, just avoided them.

"I was unprepared. We all were. But Chronos... He had been preparing this for the past five hundred years. He had layers upon layers upon layers of plans so deep that it just makes me dizzy thinking about it. How he kept track of it all, I don't know.

"I realised this... And I realised I was naïve to think I could just go charging in there brandishing Zero Hour and acting the hero."

_ "I was ready to give up..."_

The pain was unbearable.

It felt like an eternity that Eton Slater lay on his back, covered in rubble and nearly suffocating as a tonne of stone lay on his chest. However, his regeneration was far stronger than that... so was his will to live. Slowly, bit by bit, his strength returned to him. He managed to focus what little force energy he had left around him and began drawing from the moisture in the damp cave air. He then collected all the water around him and slipped it into the cracks between each rock. Once he had enough, he cooled it further, hardening the water until it turned to ice.

His control over ice was greater than water. It was easy for him to manipulate the solid to push up against the debris. The stones began to vibrate softly as a thick build up of frost began to cover their surface, Eton gasped at the first opportunity at fresh air. The growing ice pushed a hunk of stone off his chest. Summoning all of his strength, he let out a loud growl as he collected the frost onto his paws and pushed upward, sending a titanic claw of ice into the air and sending the rocks on top of him flying. Relief washed over his chest. A groan escaped him as his regeneration popped his crushed lungs back out. Blood rushed back into his arms, giving him that unsettling sensation of pins and needles. Free of the weight, he pushed the rest of the debris off his body, grunting as his body repaired itself rapidly.

Shaking his head, he peered upwards. He was at the base of a small mound of debris. Standing at the top was Lady Valkyrie, her features silhouetted against a bright, red light. Tanar was slumped at her feet and Andy was clutching his arm beside him. Grimacing, Eton crawled his way up the precarious rocks towards them. To his left Smallfang was doing the same with Elena clutching his neck. Both looked severely injured; Elena was barely keeping her eyes open.

He reached the summit...

... and his jaw dropped.

A scene directly out of a nightmare unfolded before them in a fiery hell. Enormous trees fell from cracks in the ceiling of the tremendous cavern. Stalactites that had once been a wonder to behold hung shattered and broken, crumbling and spraying fiery rocks down to the cave floor. The once dark floor of Mirecragg's cavern was a lake of flame. Burning debris was everywhere, casting an ominous glow throughout the entire cave; a dark testament of how far Mirecragg had fallen.

The Crown, the four mightiest stalactites, were completely shattered save for Phalgymr's palace which was covered completely in fire. However that was not the brightest flame in the entire cavern. The Evertree was a charred, barren husk of its former self, not a single leaf remaining on its fiery face with its precious branches crackling off and dropping to the fiery pit below.

The break in the ceiling revealed the twilight above. A thunderous boom echoed across the cavern as another segment of the ceiling shattered and broke. Eton watched in a mixture of awe and horror as the mighty stone sword that once marked the entrance to the underground city plunged down from the surface, broken in half and flame. Eton swore he could see the jewel on its hilt just before it hit the ground, glinting one final time before it shattered into pieces on the cave floor. There was a brilliant flash of light and a massive release of energy from the remains of the stone sword, far above them, the twilit sky cracked as if it were made of glass. The entire sky shuddered. Tiny pieces began to break free as gravity pulled the shards down. The sky seemed to try and keep its shape but nature took hold and it crumbled. Huge panels of twilit sky dropped to the ground, the painted surfaces that were now just peeling away to reveal the dark sky of Incendius.

Mirecragg... was no more.

"This is what we are up against," Aria murmured softly. Her eyes were shut and it looked like she was fighting desperately to keep her tears in. "A monster capable of devastating an entire city and its populace without a second thought. He even enjoyed it. He danced to the music of their screams." Her hands tightened into fists. "He will pay. I swear it, he will pay!"

Eton looked from face to face. Only Tanar truly showed steely determination. Andy's eyes were cast down, looking at the notepad in his paws. There was writing there but Eton couldn't see what it said. Elena had slumped against Smallfang's side, her gaze turned towards the crumbling ceiling with tears mixing in with the blood that caked her face. Smallfang was openly weeping, biting his lower lip and his fists quaking.

His mind went back to what Chronos had whispered in his ear.

'She loved you. In another tale.'

He had no allusions to what that meant but he refused to believe it. His relationship with Serena was over and done with. To some degree, he still valued her affection but the moment he had spent with Hunter, no matter the stupid things he said afterwards, were the happiest he had been in his life. He would not trade that for anything.

Speaking of Hunter... He had been focused on Chronos and when Time had stopped, Hunter was not in his field of vision. He scanned for the Wulfun...

... and his eyes went wide.

"HUNTER!"

He scrambled down the side of mound of rubble. Lying at the base of the mound was his Wulfun, Chronos' sword spearing him right through the chest. His emerald green eyes stared blankly at the sky, his jaw open slightly in shock, but he made no sound.

"No! No-no-no-no!" Eton cried, cradling his head. "You are not doing this to me!" He turned towards the others. "Someone get over here! I need help healing him!" In desperation, he searched for a pulse... waited for an entire minute. The others had gathered around him, only barely registering Andy pulling the sword from Hunter's chest and searching for any other injuries.

Aria was desperately whispering a spell under her breath, brilliant, white lights began spilling from her fingertips and cascading down onto the Wulfun. Flesh knitted back together and bones were snapping back into place but there was still no pulse.

"Come on!" Eton begged. "Come on, damnit!"

A firm hand pressed against his chest, pushing him back. "If all you are doing is screaming, you best leave," Aria said firmly. She took hold of Hunter's head and rested him down on the rubble. She began barking orders to Andy who quickly worked his magic. Bolts of electricity jumped from the Leomian's paws, shooting into Hunter's chest and causing the Wulfun to spasm.

Eton lunged for them but he found Smallfang's strong arms pulling him back.

"Let me go!" he screamed. "Let-me-go!"

Smallfang was larger, stronger. Eton struggled with all his might but the bigger Lupus took him away from where the Paladins were working. Smallfang suddenly threw him to the ground, grazing his knee. The pain was nothing compared to the agony that shot through his heart. He spun around, fangs bared. Seeing those dead eyes... it just sparked something in him. He refused to believe them. He refused to accept that was the reality.

Hunter will live... if only to apologise.

"So you had sex with him and now he is your mate?" Smallfang demanded.

"Don't be absurd!" Eton growled. "How can you be so crass!? Isn't he your friend!? Don't you care about him!?"

"I do. Enough to have let him go when he clearly has affections for another." Those words caused Eton to pause. The sorrow in Smallfang's eyes were very real. "But raving and ranting will not save him. Do you have any medical training?"

"Shaman arts... some... but... not much..." Eton found himself calming but his heart was still racing, pumping acid through his veins and filling him with the urge to move... to do something.

"Then you best cool your head. You can do nothing for him now."

Eton fell onto his rear, pulling his knees up to his chin and squeezing his eyes shut. The roiling emotions in his chest were confusing. They conflicted with the images in his brain. The look of Hunter's bright, emerald eyes staring at him blankly, the slight gape in his jaw and that terrible sword embedded right into his chest. It all didn't make sense!

Chronos was a Chronomancer! He shouldn't have been able to use Fire Magic!

And he was so strong!

Physically, magically and mentally. He planned everything. He even danced to the tune of music while fighting them! Eton was digging his claws into his skull, growling fiercely. He refused to accept what Chronos had told them but what he did... Was there anyone more insane!?

No... he was not insane and that was what made him so much worse.

He was perfectly sane.

He had a clear head... that was geared towards anarchy and evil.

Smallfang crouched next to Eton, peering up at the devastation that rained down in front of them.

"We have entered a grand war orchestrated by a Chronomancer," chuckled the other Lupus. "Somehow, I suspect there is more to this plot than just blaming the Church. He asked us why he would frame the Church of the destruction of Mirecragg. Do you have any thoughts?"

Eton saw through the ploy. He appreciated it and though it pained him to keep thinking about Hunter, he had to put it out of his head and answer the question or he would tear his scalp clear off. Finger by finger, he dislodged a claw from his head. "I... I don't know... He said... He said that the other Paladins might know something. He told us to ask them about what really happened five years ago..."

"I think it best not to bother them right now," Smallfang said gently. Eton turned towards the Lupus and found his brother in fang and claw still crying.

"You're crying."

Smallfang's smile was sad as he nodded. "Could not stop since Chronos whispered one phrase to me."

"He told you something?"

"A truth. A lullaby. Something my mother used to sing to me every night before she was... killed."

"Who killed her?"

Smallfang's eyes shut, squeezing more tears out. "My father..."

Eton wasn't sure what to say. He was... horrified. Having his heart broken by the woman he had been chasing drove him to become a Lupus... but to have your mother murdered by your father... It was on an entirely different level. It made his problems seem so small in comparison. He ducked his head, feeling like the pup though Smallfang didn't look very much older than him.

The shouts from the others had ceased over time. Eton's heart stopped. It didn't feel like it started again until, five minutes later, he had crawled over the crest of debris and found the others surrounding Hunter. The Wulfun lay on his back, a glistening blanket covering his chest. Several bandages were wrapped around his various wounds but his eyes were firmly shut.

Eton approached slowly... eyes darking from one Paladin to the other. Aria looked grim and couldn't meet his gaze. Tanar was frowning. Andy was the only one strong enough to offer him a shaky smile.

"He's stable," the Leomian said. "Zero Hour was active for a minute or two before he gave in to his wounds. In that time, some bits of debris hit the blade and he absorbed its Time. I think that's what helped him."

Eton's heart swelled... and came crashing back down with Tanar's words.

"But he should be awake. I don't know what's going on in that mind of his. Physically, he is fine. His Force energy is flowing correctly. But his Spirit... there is a disruption there... I cannot tell what it is."

Panic flooded him. "The sword! It must be Chronos' sword!"

Aria's seized his shoulder, squeezing it tightly. "It was a typical blade infused with Stones of Eternal Fire to give it a red sheen. Bloodmetal was used to ensure it was a perfect conduit for Fire Magic. It does not explain how Chronos could use its powers but it was just a regular, enchanted blade. There were no further enchantments there." She shook her head. "No... whatever is plaguing Harm - no, Hunter... it is something deeper. Something he will have to deal with."

He whirled around and seized her shoulders. "You're the fucking Angel! Can't you dive into his subconscious and lend him a hand!?"

"Do you think I have not tried!?" she snapped back. There were tears welling in her eyes and regret marred her quivering lips. "I take responsibility for his condition! I was unprepared for the level of strength Chronos possessed! The Chronomancer did not even use his Time Bombs! He was toying with us! You have not even seen a fraction of his power! Had I been stronger... wiser..."

Eton was shocked at her sudden expression of emotion. He released her, watching the tears fall down her porcelain cheeks like liquid crystal. Seeing an Angel cry brought down his mood even further and he could not help but fear what was going on in Hunter's mind and soul. He was desperate to find another topic, something else to take his mind off the brain dead Wulfun that lay behind him.

"What did Chronos mean about what happened five years ago?"

Aria wasted no moment in shock. She turned away, clenching her teeth tightly. Even Tanar peered sadly off into the distance and only Andy could meet his gaze.

"Five years ago..." the Leomian began.

"Andrew..." Aria interrupted.

"I am sorry, Aria," countered the Initiate. "This has to be said. He's holding it over our heads. It's his leverage on us. We can't let him keep using it to pull our strings!" His eyes fell on Eton, fierce, determined and at the same time, apologetic.

"Five years ago... we had it. The source of all magic. The artefact that would have reunited Tower Thirteen... the legendary Heart of the Mother Goddess... the Infinus Arcanum."

*****

It was an odd world... A plane of black sand and coppery skies with distant snow-capped mountains that must have been titanic to be seen so clearly. Thick, crimson clouds floated above him but poking out of them were thick, golden gears constantly turning. Embedded into the black sand were hundreds if not thousands of blackened, rusted swords. Only one blade seemed untouched by the ravages of time...

... the one that sat right in front of him.

The crimson blade with the eagle's head at the hilt.

Harm stared at the bird's ruby-like eyes. They burned with an internal fire, definitely not rubies.

A sigh escaped him.

"Die and stop one plan... or live and follow on like a puppet..." He stared up at the strange, twisting world around him. "What do I do? Someone... please tell me..." He rose to his feet, throwing his head back in frustration. "Hey!" he screamed. "Isn't this where you're supposed to send some guardian or angel or some shitty epiphany-giving whacko to guide me!? Come on! I need some divine guidance here!"

No one answered.

Just the silent ticking of the cogs above his head.

"Heeeeeeeeeeey!"

His cry echoed into the vast emptiness of the desert.

"TELL ME WHAT ME FUCK TO DO!"

Still no response. Just endless ticking.

He let out one more frustrated cry, gripping the sides of his head and falling back to his knees. Hot tears were streaming down his face, soaking into his fur. His shoulders quaked with every painful sob. More than ever, he felt alone and lost.

Die...

... or live.

Either way, he felt it didn't matter.

Chronos was too good. Whatever choice he made, it would achieve nothing. The Chronomancer would just enact some backup plan that didn't involve him. Why go through the pain of working his way through a winding plot, having his heart broken, witnessing friends suffer and die when he could just end it at that moment... stop the pain, stop the suffering?

Harm gripped the hilt of the sword, quivering as he plucked it from the sand and angled it towards his chest.

No more pain.

No more wondering where he would go.

No more thinking about what his parents would think... or what his brothers would say...

No more... no more...

The blade felt so cooling against his chest... The easing sensation slowed his blood, calmed his heart... it felt good... felt so tempting to push it through and just...

... end... it...

'Own it.'

His eyes sprang open - never having noticed he had shut them in the first place.

"Daniel?" he shouted. "Daniel!? Is that you!?" He scrambled to his feet but the sand beneath his feet gave way and he came crashing back down, his tears soaking into the blackness.

'Let it go.'

He propped himself up, desperately searching for the source of the voice.

'What did you mean by that, Hunter? 'Own it'. You never said.'

Harm regarded his paws... and the one clutching Chronos' blade. He dropped the sword like it was molten. But what if Chronos wanted him to clutch that sword like that? What if what Chronos wanted was to get in his head and instil this very same sense of doubt? Was there anything at all that the Chronomancer didn't consider? Anything that he didn't want?

Where was his free will when everything was according to some other's divine plan?

'Own it, Hunter. Own it.'

He clutched the sides of his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

"FUUUUUUUUUCK!"

More tears streamed down his cheeks and every part of his body ached. It was hard to breathe through his heavy breathing. What little air he could get burned its way down to his lungs like it was filled with tiny blades that tore his flesh from the inside. It was all nothing compared to the pain he felt welling deep inside his chest.

The pain of surrender... the shame of knowing he was nothing but a pawn... and the agony of insignificance.

"Ahem."

He opened his eyes.

The scene before him was entirely different. Instead of the black sand, he lay on a pile of rubble. No rusted swords lay around him and the sky was populated by a starry night sky peeking through the broken ceiling of Mirecragg. Dying fires populated the distance instead of towering snow-capped mountains.

"I do hope you did not just orgasm," Aria murmured.

"At least we know his lungs work," Andy said brightly. The Leomian scurried over to him, gently prising his claws away from his temples. Harm became aware of the heavy, bloody bandages that wrapped his body. "How is your breathing? Does it hurt? Any part of you in any particular pain?"

Harm shook his head. "You... you brought me back?" he croaked. His throat felt incredibly dry.

"I need water over here!" cried Andy.

A crystal bowl was suddenly offered to him. Harm eagerly took it, tilting it down his throat and feeling the cooling, refreshing liquid slip down his parched throat. He gasped in relief. The bowl was clutched by a big, black paw... a paw that belonged to Eton Slater. The relief on Eton's eyes and the traces of tears almost made him break out into more tears.

"You were never technically dead," Andy said, relief on his voice. "Zero Hour absorbed enough Time from rocks before it shifted back when you lost consciousness. Still had to do extensive repairs and healing. You've been out for two days."

"Oh... Thanks..."

Andy grinned brightly. Only then did he see the heavy bags underneath his eyes and the weariness in his features.

Were they all looking out for me?

"I was so worried..." Eton admitted softly. The big Lupus fell to his knees beside Harm. It looked like Eton wanted to hug him but couldn't find the strength. "You're alive..."

"Yeah..." Harm murmured softly, his eyes drifting downwards. "Hey, Eton... Can I ask you a favour?"

"Anything, Hunter. Anything at all."

Hearing that name... it hurt.

He couldn't meet Eton's gaze when he asked...

"Kill me."

*****

"Are you insane!?" Eton shouted.

Aria couldn't believe her ears and just watched with an openly shocked expression as she watched Hunter argue with Eton. The Lupus was shouting but Hunter was making soft, dejected replies that only seemed to horrify the young Paladin more and more.

"He got to him..." Tanar lowered his head sadly. "I never thought we'd be on the receiving end of Harm's more brutal mind games but here we stand... one of our own driven to the brink of suicide because of a few words..."

"It was not just a few words," Aria added sadly. "It was the cruel choice... I do not know how Harm knew but he understood Hunter is fighting for his free will and individuality more than anything. Deep down, he is struggling to free himself of his father's mould but something is holding him back. Whether it is fear of his father's ghost, a desire to be acknowledged by his parents or regret over leaving on such bitter terms, he clings onto the name given to him despite knowing it is forcing him down a path not of his choosing. Knowing this... Harm gave him the ultimatum... live and be a puppet... or die and be free."

Tanar growled. "That is cruel... even beyond his capacity." The Dire Wolf flicked his gaze towards her. "What did he tell you?"

Aria could not face him and shut her eyes. "He reminded me... of what he made me do... and how little time I have left."

"Your family...?"

She smiled bitterly. "No Angel has ever lived for so long, Tanar. By our first century, we would usually have found a mate and sired a child. By our sixth, we should be prepared to take our own lives and join our minds with the Conclave of our ancestors to guide the future generations. To this date, I have not found a mate..."

"You're lying."

Those words stung hard. So much so that she could not deny it.

"You found a mate," Tanar continued. "It just so happens that he is the very Wulfun we are hunting."

"Fate is cruel that way."

"Indeed."

Aria turned towards him, unashamed of the tears that trickled down her face. "What did he tell you?"

"He reminded me of who I am," answered the Dire Wolf grimly. "And that one day, it will kill me."

"We bear heavy burdens, you and I."

"No more than young Hunter."

They listened in to the argument and with every word from Hunter's mouth, Aria found her heart sinking further and further into sorrow. For centuries, she had watched Harm play these mind games on their foes. It surprised her when enemies would turn on themselves, sometimes even kill themselves due to Harm's machinations. Even great Demon Lords committed foolish, suicidal acts because of Harm's actions. She constantly found herself being grateful that she never had to be on the receiving end of that mental torture...

But now...

Seeing Hunter reach the edge...

... it made her angry.

Angry that the strong, somewhat mouthy, overacting Wulfun would be the first of them to break. It was unfair. She had more history with the Chronomancer than anyone else and Hunter would be the first the crack? No, that was not fair. Harm even admitted it. Hunter was just a coincidence in naming; a coincidence he took advantage of. Why should he bear the full brunt of the torment when she should have been the target? She was the one unprepared for his assault. It had been her idea to assault Dalzemor's manor.

It should be her contemplating suicide not the young Hunter who still had a family and a future ahead of him!

That anger urged her feet forward, taking her straight to where Hunter was arguing his case. They stopped bickering long enough to stare up at her before -

SMACK!

Hunter's eyes went wide.

Aria lifted her hand once more for another strike. "Do you think taking his path is the only option!?" she shouted. "Death or life as a puppet? Do you believe those are your only choices? There are more possibilities than just those two! He is mortal! Just like you or I! He cannot think of every conceivable possibility!"

Hunter blinked a few times... and then turned to her, emerald eyes narrowed in anger and fangs bared. "Oh yeah? Well if you're so smart, what are they, huh!?"

"I do not know! It is your life, not mine! Live your life as you choose, not according to the paths others set out for you! After only a few days with you, I have seen that you have spent your entire life around someone else! Your father was breeding you to be the hero that he worshiped and when he started rejecting you, you built your entire career in a desperate attempt to please them in some other way! When the ghosts started haunting you, you built your entire existence around avoiding them! Even when we met at Clockwork, you let Chronos lead you around with those horrors and now he is leading you along a path that he has forged for you!"

She leaned down, seized him by the bandages around his chest and lifted him halfway into the air, their noses almost touching. "It is your life! Lead it as you and not because of what others say! For once in your life, be Hunter Hart instead of Harm Chronos!"

His eyes suddenly sparked up in anger and he pushed himself away from her. He dropped back to the ground with a grunt. "So should I stop following you and your love obsession!?"

"This is not about me!" she shouted back. "This is not about Mirecragg! This is not about the world! Not about Tower Thirteen or whatever Chronos has in store for us all!" She jabbed a finger at him. "This is about you and the life you will lead! The Mother Goddess -"

Hunter snarled at her, swiping at her with his claws. "Don't give me that religious bullshit! I don't give a flying rat's shit about your Mother Goddess! If she's such a great and merciful Goddess, then why the fuck are ghosts haunting me of all people!? Why did my parents have to die? Why did my dad fall in love with the only fucking Chronomancer the Church kept alive and why was he trying to model me after him!? Why me!?"

He rose to his feet angrily. Even slouching from his injuries, they were level in height. "Whose life is this that I'm leading when everything about it is built around Harm fucking Chronos!?"

Aria had no answer for him.

She really wished that she had one. In the eyes of everyone around her, she could see how Chronos had affected them with his words and battle prowess. Though some hid it well, the doubt was there. Her steely resolve was shaken beyond repair and she couldn't hold it together. She, like everyone else, needed someone to stand strong for her, someone to model themselves after. It was easier to solve someone else's problem than her own. But only Hunter had come forward with his problem... no one else. Even Tanar remained a mystery.

She had no answer... nothing that could miraculously have him realise he was not Harm Chronos or his puppet.

She had no answer...

No... answer!

"I cannot answer that for you," she said with mounting resolve. "Because any answer I give will be my answer. You asked the question, now answer it." She pushed him back to his rear, his eyes wide in shock. "Whose life are you leading? Better... whose life do you want to lead?"

Hunter's looked like a puppy that had just been scolded without knowing what he was being scolded for. He blinked several times. When he could not answer for an entire minute, Aria found her resolve wavering. She spun on her heel and marched away, keeping her back straight and trying to be as stoic as possible.

She passed Tanar.

"You just made that all up."

Her stride faltered. "How did I do?" she asked.

"I think a certain Wulfun would be proud. Ad hoc speeches always were your weakness. "

Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed Hunter had slumped back into the mattress she had conjured, staring blankly up at the dark ceiling. The others around him watched him worriedly but it seemed like he didn't notice them anymore.

"I just hope it was enough."

*****

'Whose life is this that I'm leading when everything about it is built around Harm fucking Chronos!?'

'For once in your life, be Hunter Hart instead of Harm Chronos!'

'Whose life are you leading? Better... whose life do you want to lead?

Those words whirled around in his head over and over again.

Who was he?

He did he want to be?

No answers came to him.

Nothing...

Then...

'Own it.'

Harm... Was he even 'Harm' anymore? He was nameless... he had no idea who he was. Harm Chronos was a terrorist, an evil genius that had just devastated a major cultural hub and the capital city of a budding nation all in an attempt to bring momentum to his failed anti-Church agenda.

What did that leave him?

Was he just... 'the engineer'?

Who...

He rolled over to his side, peering into the darkness. The fires of Mirecragg's remnants had started dying but there were still new fires starting all over the surface and on the ceiling of the cavern. Half the city hadn't been destroyed yet but it looked like most of it had been abandoned. Without anyone to stop it, the flames raged. His shadow flickered against the rubble that they lay upon.

That's all I am...

A shadow...

I take the shape of whoever casts me...

I follow... I can't walk on my own...

Shit...

He curled into a ball, a heavy pain rising in his heart like a vice was gripping it. Was it possible to die by just surrendering your life? Aria's speech had only served to emphasize one point: he was no one... and thus not worth existing.

Suddenly, he felt someone slip in under the covers behind him, back pressed up against his. The smell of frozen pine and hazelnuts filled his immediate vicinity.

"I know you think you're no one, right now," Eton murmured softly. "I bet it feels like someone has a hold on your heart and twisting it, right? Just nod if it's true."

He nodded slowly.

"I've been there. It's why I became a Lupus. I loved her, you know. Serena that is. I gave everything about myself to her. But when I did... she just spurned it and tossed it aside. At that moment, I felt like everything I was... it was worthless. I know it's not the same thing but I decided to take the coward's way out. I killed Eton Slater."

Wait... what!?

"Eton Slater died that day... and instead, a Lupus Paladin took his place. I threw aside everything I was and started from scratch. I built myself up again into someone else. I didn't forget who I was, though. I accepted my mistakes, owned the stupid things I had done and became a big, furry, cock-sucking werewolf that fell in love with a crazy, overacting, somewhat random Wulfun with no name."

His heart stopped... but for an entirely different reason this time.

"You... you love me?"

"I don't know. What's your name?"

He couldn't help but laugh and kicked Eton slightly. "Asshole."

"If you want but tomorrow I get to top."

He could sense Eton smiling and it took a colossal effort to keep himself from smiling as well. "Hormones isn't going to get me out of this slump. Thanks for trying, though."

Eton sighed heavily. "I was just trying to brighten the mood." A heavy, muscular arm wrapped around Harm's flank, snaking its way up to his paw where one, black paw wrapped around his own. "I just want you to know that... I've been there. I know what it feels like to be on the edge of throwing aside everything you have for a chance to make all the pain go away. I considered suicide too. She was my everything. But 'everything' just saw me as another statistic. I wanted to kill myself there and then. I was embarrassed, frustrated... and heartbroken. I didn't see any roads forward."

That was exactly how he felt... of sorts. He saw plenty of roads forward. Only, each road was haunted by the image of a smirking, golden-eyed Wulfun. Each step he took was one made with a tug of the grand puppet master.

"So what did you do?" he murmured.

He felt Eton shrug, the Lupus' muzzle hovering right next to his cheek. "I accepted what I had done... who I had fallen in love with... and moved on. I didn't let regret rule me. And I moved on."

Own it.

Let it go.

Slowly, his eyes widened. The fires that flickered far behind them seemed more... lively. He could suddenly see the contours of the debris and his shadow seemed more... real. It was his shadow. He wasn't the shadow... he was casting the shadow.

Eton's paw closed tightly around his own. "Hunter... I don't know what you're thinking... Goddess, I wish I could so I could help but... please, please, please... I don't want you to go that way." Eton sobbed softly. "You're a fucking idiot and I bet if I squeezed your ass in public, you'll scream like a little girl, point at me and cry 'rape' but fuck me if I haven't grown to like you. Shit... I don't just like you... I..."

Harm squeezed Eton's paw back.

"Yeah... eighty rounds of non-stop sex with ten minute breaks in between will do that to you..."

Eton choked.

Slowly, Harm shuffled himself in the bed until he was face to face with Eton, his eyes firmly shut. He peeled his eyes open, smiling at Eton's handsome features catching the firelight and the tears on his cheeks glossing his jet-black fur. Their noses pressed together and he took in the Lupus' scent.

"Own it," he whispered softly. "Let it go."

Eton blinked in surprise. "What...?"

"That's going to be my motto from now on," he answered. "Accept what you've done. No regrets. Then move on. Not going to say it's an instant thing. Chronos cuts pretty deeply." He absently touched the bandages wrapped around his chest. "But I'm only going to grow from it."

"Does that mean...?"

Harm smiled, pressing their lips together very briefly. As he pulled away, he said, "Fuck Chronos. Whatever he's got planned, I'm going to screw it up one way or another. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of having driven me to take my own life."

Eton's eyes brightened and he flung his arms around Hunter.

'Hunter'... That feels right...

Yeah... I'm done trying to fit myself in my father's cookie cutter image of a hero... I'm done living in Harm Chronos' shadow...

My name is Hunter. Hunter Hart.

"Hey," Hunter said, gently prising himself from Eton. "First chance I get, I'm going to get my name officially change. 'Hunter Hart'."

Eton beamed brightly, pushing their noses together. "I like that. It suits you better than a name with the moniker 'Destroyer of Time' attached to it."

Hunter smiled squeezing Eton's paw tightly. "Thanks."

"For snapping you out of your suicidal slump? You should be thanking Aria too. She slapped you."

He snickered. "Yeah, but I don't get to fuck Aria." He lifted an eyebrow at the same time. "Hey, out of curiosity, if I didn't come out of it, what else would you have done? I'm guessing fucking me into submission was a last resort?"

Eton grinned broadly and nuzzled his chin lightly. "Well... That and if you still wanted to die, I'm pretty sure being impaled on my sword would've been a nice way to go. Also..." Their eyes met once more, a gentle, loving smile on the Lupus', muzzle. "I would have told you that Chronos may have planned everything but remember he said he wasn't counting on one thing."

Hunter pulled his head back, puzzled. "Really? What?"

Eton kissed him. "Us, you idiot."

His heart swelled. Part of him wondered if that was something Chronos had intentionally mentioned but at that moment, he didn't care. He made a choice and he was going to own it, be responsible for it. If it was a mistake, he would accept it and move on.

He pulled Eton close to him, settling his muzzle in the crook of the big Lupus' neck and relishing the warm embrace. Eton's strong arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly. Their heartbeats reached past their thick chests and reached into one another's.

Hunter became aware of another throbbing and smirked.

"So... Want to be the first guy to fuck Hunter Hart?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I dunno..." Eton said with false hesitation. "You're still in bandages and technically speaking, you were just born five minutes ago. That's some messed up paedophilia right there."

Hunter rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yeah... You're probably right. Besides..." He hiked a thumb over his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure we've got a captive audience."

A moment later, Tanar's voice came wafting down from somewhere amongst the rubble. "Aww! Come on! Have sex already!"

"We have had sex!" Hunter shouted back.

"But not within earshot range of the rest of us!"

Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you? Horny dog.

"If your wounds become infected, I am not cleaning them," Aria exclaimed, humour in her voice.

Erk...

"And here I was hoping for some entertainment before bed." Smallfang's voice was too close. Hunter peered past Eton's broad shoulder and gripped his boyfriend tightly. The big, scarred Lupus was sitting on a rock not too far away, grinning broadly and with a sizable bulge in his pants.

Beside him, Elena was seated next to Andy, both of them peering at his book.

"He said that?" she asked. "Really?"

"Yup!" Andy exclaimed, beaming at Hunter and Eton. "Come on you, two. This book isn't going to sell like this! You know what they say, sex sells! So come on! Do it!"

Hunter folded his ears back and buried his muzzle into Eton's chest. "Kill me now..."

Eton held him tightly, laughing softly. "I didn't kill you when you were actually suicidal and I won't kill you now." He kissed Hunter's cheek lightly. "I'll never kill you."

A soft chuckle escaped him as he nuzzled the Lupus' thick chest. "Is that the closest I'm ever going to get to 'I love you'?"

There was a pause. Long enough for Hunter to perk his ears again.

"For now."

*****

"Story time."

Their meal was comprised entirely of food Aria had conjured using her Divine Magic. Nothing too special; just oats, fruit and milk. Enough to keep them healthy, filled with energy and ready to move on. The entire group was gathered around a crackling fire. From the look of the light streaming in from beyond the hole in Mirecragg, morning was just dawning.

Tanar sat at what felt like the head of the fire, peering into the blaze while everyone else was arrayed around in a circle, watching him.

"This story was already told to everyone else," the Dire Wolf said, "but Hunter, you haven't heard this yet. This is the story of what truly happened five years ago."

Hunter perked his ears. Eton's big paw wrapped around his shoulder, pulling him close. The fire was warm enough but being held by the big Lupus just felt right. "You mean the Fall of Haven? That shit that crippled the Church's entire military?"

"And more," answered Aria, rising to her feet. "It is best if I show you." Her amethyst eyes were grim but there was a more... gentle aspect to them. He wasn't sure what it was but she looked at him differently. The hint of condescension was no longer there. "You already know that Angels have the power of Compulsion; we can make anyone who look into our eyes believe what we believe or say what we want them to say."

"I still have to get you back for that 'butt-sniffer' comment," he muttered.

"You can try," she answered with a sly smirk that surprised him. As quick as the smile came, it was gone. "But one of our other abilities is to project memories. Brace yourselves, this can get... very real."

Aria closed her eyes. The air sizzled with power. Hunter felt the fur on the back of his neck rise up. The moment Aria opened her eyes, a brilliant flash of light blasted out of them, blinding him. He gasped and tried to shield his eyes but it was too late.

All he saw was white...

... and he heard the roar of a crowd.

"Thank you, thank you. Please, that is quite enough."

That voice he recognised... Only a fool living under a rock would not recognise that voice. The strong, bright, youthful voice filled with hope and matched with a bright smile was known across all of Tower Thirteen.

It was the voice of Lumire the First... the Eternal Propheticus Primoris and leader of the Church of the Tower for the last two and a half thousand years until he was assassinated...

Hunter blinked several times... and found himself surrounded by an enormous crowd of cheering people of all different races and different cultures. Standing on a dais ahead of him was the gold-clad Lumire. His strong features were surprisingly youthful for a human. His agelessness was a mystery to all the academics but few questioned it. Many believed he was graced by the Mother Goddess with eternal life for his devotion and actions during the Purge of Time and beyond.

Lumire lifted his hands into the air, beckoning everyone to sit. Hunter instinctively tried to do so but found himself falling onto his rear. When he looked around, he realised he had passed through a human that was seated.

It was a memory...

Slowly, he rose to his feet, watching.

"This is a great day for all of us," Lumire exclaiming, the excitement on his face. "Today will mark a turning point for all of Tower Thirteen, for the entire Church and for everyone living in faith under the Mother Goddess."

"I know where this is..." Hunter murmured. "This is when..."

"For today," Lumire shouted, reaching into his robes, "for the first time since the beginning of time, the Infinus Arcanum is complete!"

The crowd fell into stunned silence as Lumire reached into a solid, black and gold metal case he had been carried. A ball of blistering light was suddenly in his palms. It radiated holy light, reaching even the far corners of the High Cathedral that could house thousands. At the centre of the artefact were the silhouettes of various objects that were indiscernible from his distance. However, everyone in Tower Thirteen knew what the Infinus Arcanum was.

It was the legendary 'Heart of the Mother Goddess'. Not literally, of course. In ages past, it was believed to be but academics had since discerned that the Arcanum was merely an incredibly powerful holy relic that Mother Goddess had created. It was said to be the ultimate test of mortal faith after they had used magic to devastate Tower Thirteen and shatter it into the fragmented world it was currently.

Legend stated that the one who could assemble the Infinus Arcanum would be granted a single wish - absolutely anything. Each fragment was notoriously hard to obtain and scriptures dictated mortals must learn to cooperate and unite under a single faith to piece it together. It had been the goal of countless adventurers, treasure hunters and fortune seekers for centuries. Wars had been started over fragments of the artefact. Movie series made millions on the topic. Actors became celebrities for starring in such flicks. Authors spun tales around it that shot them to instant best seller lists.

Lumire had the artefact hovering over his palm. "I know many of you have your doubts. This artefact has been in our legends for as long as we can imagine and many of us believed it to be mere myth. But as I have asked for the past two and a half thousand years, please, have faith in me." He lifted the Arcanum into the air. "Today, I intend to use this artefact to finally make Tower Thirteen whole once again. We will eliminate the vast gaps between the Stations, we will be one world again!

"This is the day that the Mother Goddess has promised us. The day when our faith will empower us to once again bring our world back to the way it once was. Rejoice, my children! Today, we make history!"

The crowd cheered.

If only they knew...

Hunter remembered watching this very scene. He was still on the Lasting Armageddon. Like everyone, he was in the common room. The Armageddon was still on patrol at the time. He remembered watching Lumire break into another speech at that moment... before his eyes suddenly went wide and his head snapped back, blood exploding from his forehead. The Arcanum dropped to the ground and there was a blinding light.

Last he heard, the High Cathedral was set afire...

... and the Arcanum was lost.

An assassin had killed the Eternal Propheticus Primoris. The Mother Goddess shattered the Infinus Arcanum, angered that anyone would want to stop the reunification of the world. Demons fell from the skies on mighty meteors and the Chrysalis shard that held Haven broke. War broke out. Millions died. Including Hunter's parents...

"But I cannot have done this all without the aid of all the devoted."

"What...?" he murmured. "That's now how it happened..."

"For millennia, I have had help maintaining Tower Thirteen and searching for the Arcanum_. You all know him but he has always stayed hidden because of his nature. He has proven time and time again that it is not_ what you are but who you are that proves your merit. Today, we acknowledge him. Please welcome, my brother, the Chronomancer, Harm Chronos!"

The cheer for Chronos was louder than even Lumire's. The crowd was instantly on their feet, screaming and cheering. Hunter couldn't see beyond the waving arms. He surged forward, running towards the dais. When he came to the foot of the stage, he watched as Harm Chronos - still appearing the same as he always did - stepped up to the podium.

His eyes were hard... unreadable.

The Chronomancer stood there, gripping the podium tightly, his claws digging into the gold. He didn't say a word. Even as the crowd cheered for an entire five minutes, he said nothing. He waited them out. Slowly, the cheering died. Whether it was because they felt something was wrong or not, Hunter couldn't tell.

Chronos opened his muzzle to say something... then shut it almost immediately.

"Harm," Lumire urged softly. "Say something."

Chronos closed his eyes and ducked his head.

"I'm sorry folks," Lumire chuckled. "He must just be a little emotional. He has served us all faithfully for two -"

Harm suddenly lifted his paw, cutting off the Propheticus Primoris. When he lifted his gaze, his paws relaxed from the podium.

"For over two millennia, I have served the Church diligently," began the Chronomancer_. "I have protected its borders, defended its integrity and nurtured its young from the shadows. I have sparked wars, murdered innocents, caused wanton devastation and crippled entire economies all in the name of the Mother Goddess. I have also saved lives, ended bloodshed, defeated great evils and slain unholy armies._

"But nothing compares to this. This..." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do." The emotion in his voice, in his eyes and in the sad smile on his muzzle said it all. The crowd chuckled, most likely thinking that standing up in front of them all, giving a speech was 'the hardest thing he had to do'.

"Throughout the centuries, it has always been a practice in putting out fires. The Church has been fighting the demons only when they make the first volley. It has been reactive. Never truly proactive_. It grew complacent; enjoying the peace that it had achieved and never truly improving upon it. Lumire changed that. He really did."_

Chronos regarded his brother. The look in his eyes was apologetic... and was more akin to a last glance farewell than any a fond acknowledgement. "But with this act... we change that. Today... that all changes."

Lumire's face beamed.

Everyone grew excited.

Hunter's heart sank.

"And with that... I am sorry."

Time seemed to slow. Harm Chronos reached into his pocket with his right paw, fishing out what looked like an enlarged butterfly knife. With a flick of his wrist, the knife unfolded, revealing itself to be a large golden blade. Aria, who had been sitting behind the podium with other Church leaders was halfway out of her seat and the crowd just had their gasp halfway out of their lungs when -

Ssshink!

Lumire's eyes went wide as the golden blade plunged into his chest. The Infinus Arcanum dropped from his hands as he seized the sword embedded into his chest. His eyes locked with Harm's, asking the one question everyone else was thinking.

Why?

Chronos then lifted his left paw. In it... was a timer. He tossed it towards the crowd.

Hunter watched the timer hit zero.

BOOOM!

Explosions rang out all over the High Cathedral. Fire was everywhere and people screamed. Bodies were flung wildly in all directions. The flames spread wildly and suddenly, the entire dais was afire. Hunter was unaffected by the flames so he could see Harm pull his sword from Lumire and hold up the Propheticus Primoris by his throat.

"Why...?" Lumire choked.

Chronos' eyes were hard. For a second, his eyes flicked to the left... where Aria stood with the other leaders of the Church, wide eyed and frightened.

"Why not?" he responded.

Then, right before his eyes, Lumire's entire body turned into jet-black dust. The Eternal Propheticus Primoris dissolved into dark sand... dropping to the ground before being caught up in the flaring, fiery winds of the explosions around them.

Chronos bent down and picked up the Infinus Arcanum.

"You will pay!"

An Inquisitor shot through the flames, wielding his massive gun-scythe. The hulking, half-metal man lunged at Chronos. For a second, the Wulfun shut his eyes... and when he opened them again... Their golden irises were different. The image of a blank clock face was drawn across his golden irises. Brilliant, golden light exploded out from behind Chronos' back. Six, black and gold, blade-like wings erupted from his back. The sheer force of their appearance knocked the Inquisitor back into the fire.

Just as quickly as they came, the wings were gone and Chronos turned his back to the rest Church. Explosions rang down the aisles, throwing bodies and debris out of his way. And he just walked calmly... slowly... away from them, his path unhindered...

... just as he had planned.

Fire consumed Hunter's vision and washed away almost immediately. Suddenly, he was in a broad hallway. It looked like the hallway of some large, Church cathedral, perhaps the High Cathedral's.

"Harm! Stop!"

That was Aria.

The Templar came bolting down the hallway. Chronos was near the end and he turned, eyes cold and half-closed as she came to within spear range of him. She was holding Gungnir, her hands shaking.

"Why!?" she demanded. "Why did you do all this!? We were so close! We would have brought everlasting peace to Tower Thirteen!"

Chronos snorted derisively. "If you truly believe that then nothing has been learned since the Sundering." A frown crossed his features. "I still had my doubts until now. I questioned whether this was the best course of action. I wondered if I should have just let Lumire do as he pleased and doom our world but hearing you say those words... Heh..." He let out a short laugh. "Yeah, this is the best way. Thank you Aria. You've set my heart at ease."

Confusion flashed across Aria's eyes and she shook her head. "Just tell me why!?"

"If I did, then what would torture you and what would I have to hold over your head every time we clash blades?" Chronos' smile became cruel. "And tell you what, I'll up the ante a bit." He lifted the Infinus Arcanum in his paws. "I'll even let you take this back. But I'm going to use one of the favours you owe me. How many is that again? Eight?"

Aria's eyes widened and she staggered.

"Destroy it."

She shook. "You must be joking..."

"Try me," he responded, grinning darkly. "Destroy it, Aria. Destroy the Infinus Arcanum_."_

"I will do no such thing!"

"What happened to your Angelic Honour? You owe me Aria. You are bound by that honour."

Aria bowed her head... angry. When she lifted her head, her gaze was afire with rage. "I will find you. I will make you pay for this!"

Chronos smirked and tossed her the Infinus Arcanum. "I'm counting on it."

She gave a pained, agonised cry and swung Gungnir...

It collided with the Arcanum...

And all went white...

*****

"After that... all-out war broke out against Chronos and his forces," Tanar said. "He had made alliances and deals all across Tower Thirteen for centuries waiting for that very moment. When he killed Lumire, demons and the thought to be long-dead Demon Lords came falling down upon Haven and its fleets. Chronos led the assault, devastating key military bases faster than anyone could react. He leapt trough time so fast that by the time everyone was just picking up their weapons, he was already there slaughtering them all."

"It was brutal," Andy chimed in. His normally cheerful mood was gone and he was nodding grimly. "He killed Ozymandias, the Seer who used to find and locate Valour wielders. He devastated most of Haven's starship fleets and when he was nearly done, he stood at the foot of Chrysalis and destroyed it. All he did was drop his sword, Timekeeper and the whole crystal tower just..." Andy made an exploding gesture with his paws. "Whoosh! It exploded!"

"Haven was almost completely overrun," Tanar said darkly. "The Generals rose from the Chaos. Each one of them defended each of the individual Stations from Chronos' forces there and lent aid to Haven when they could. General Solomon and General Winters led the armies on Haven as best as they could but it was eventually the Redaction Spell that saved us."

Elena lifted her hand. "One moment... The Redaction Spell merely rewrote the memories of those involved. That did not remove the fact that demons were free on Haven. How were you able to rid of them all?"

"Without a unified cause, the demons turned against one another," answered Aria. "The same story was repeated across the entirety of Tower Thirteen. Chronos was no longer there to hold them together and with that, they fell apart. The demons became disorganised and we picked them off. The Demon Lords were smart enough to flee but minor demons were eliminated. Haven is still recovering..."

Now all of them knew...

Lumire had come really close to bringing peace to all of Tower Thirteen... but Chronos shattered it all. He killed Lumire and had Aria destroy the Infinus Arcanum. He waged war that was only forgotten but not won.

Hunter glanced from face to face. He had not been there to see the reactions of the others when the story was first told. But Elena appeared to be puzzling something over while Smallfang had his eyes shut, head bowed. Eton nuzzled him affectionately.

It doesn't matter what happened then.

Now is what matters.

"You don't know why Chronos did it?" he asked.

"We have our theories," Tanar answered.

Andy flicked out his notebook. "Perhaps he had spent so long fighting that he could not bear the thought of not fighting. Maybe he got bored and wanted to be the villain. Or maybe he was getting revenge for the Chronomancers after the Purge of Time." He waved his notebook. "I've got dozens of theories on this topic but none of them are truly solid."

"He is a dangerous enemy," Aria said, shaking her head sadly. "We cannot afford to underestimate him. I cannot..."

He could see her starting to break down. After she had helped him through his spiralling depression, he was not about to let her slip.

"So what's our next step?" he asked. "Chronos said that he was counting on Tynvandar making it out of the destruction. They're probably on their way back to Corona, right? Is that where we should go?"

Aria blinked several times. She seemed shocked at his question. After a few nods, she said, "Yes. I believe damage control is required. We will need to go to Corona and stem Inquisition. All-out war is not what we need."

"Great! So conjure up a ship or something, let's shoot through that big motherfucking hole" - he pointed at the gaping hole in the roof of Mirecragg - "and let's get the fuck out of here!"

Aria exchanged glances with Tanar and Andy. Meaningful glances. A strange sense of foreboding crept into Hunter's chest.

"What...?" he asked.

"Chronos mentioned a Custodia Lumbra," Tanar said. "We had all but forgotten about them... They're part of ancient history but if they are allied with him, then we cannot simply leave them here."

"The what now...?"

Aria nodded at him. "Finish your food. We set off on foot once you are all done." She turned away, quietly disappearing from the light of the fires.

That foreboding sensation just grew.

He turned to Eton who just gave him an equally puzzled look. Hunter patted the Lupus' shoulder and quickly rose, chasing after Aria. Discussion about the Redaction Spell continued long after he departed the company of the others. Despite knowing how their entire realities had been drastically altered by the Church, the rest of the group took it so well. All things considered, Hunter considered his reaction felt somewhat... silly.

Aria was poised stiffly on a small pile of rubble, gazing out into the dying embers of Mirecragg. Her eyes were watery but there were no traces of tears on her cheeks. Hunter quietly snuck in beside her and leaned against the debris, arms folded and quietly watching her. It didn't look like she was breathing; just a super-realistic statue that stood vigil on the devastation caused by a rogue Chronomancer.

"What do you want, Hunter?"

He growled softly. "Can we cut the bullshit, Aria? You're not going to keep treating me like a fucking dog forever are you?"

"Is that not what you are?"

Ears folded back, he said, "Firstly, most Wulfuns would take offence to that and secondly, you can't stop the fact that you cared enough about me to slap me when I was contemplating suicide. Can we just drop the 'holier-than-thou' act and just treat each other like what we are?"

Her amethyst eyes snapped towards him, fierce, piercing and intense like twin lasers. He was unfazed. "And what are we?"

"Friends. Comrades. Allies against a guy who has messed our lives. I know you've been hit the hardest having worked with him and developed feelings for him for two and a half thousand years but unlike you, I've only got about eighty to ninety years on this world. The fact that my dad built half my life around Chronos still hits home. It's relative."

Aria shook her head sadly, turning away from him. "No it is not."

"What? Because you love him?"

Her eyes blazed again. "Never mention that again."

He smiled, noting how she didn't deny the accusation. "Yes ma'am."

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice softening.

The topic was clearly closed but Hunter didn't feel like he wanted to close the conversation. Something else was nagging at the back of his mind. "Hey, in the recollection, Chronos mentioned that you owed him. What for?"

"Various things." The bitterness in her voice rose. "Over the centuries, we had a friendly competition over who saved whom. We usually kept the score relatively even. Eventually, he saved me more than I saved him. I was foolish enough to bend to his coercing one day and swear on my Angelic Honour that these debts will be repaid."

"And he decided to play the role of the terrorist. Can't you just say 'fuck it' and not repay the debt?"

"It is not that simple," answered the Angel. "An Angel's Honour is more important than her very life. An Angel's greatest gift is to pass her knowledge onto her next of kin. If your Honour is broken, however, no one will want your knowledge. Angels are meant to be pure of heart, honourable and wise. If another were to stray, such corruptive thoughts and memories should not be passed onto the next generation."

Hunter recalled Angels did not reproduce naturally or at least their lifecycle was a little... bizarre. Angels mated with any species, their genetics completely compatible with anyone. However, if their child was male, it would always be of the father's species but if it were female, it would be of the mother's... another Angel. There were never any male Angels. When Angels deemed it 'time', they would perform some sort of ritual suicide and their memories would be somehow transplanted onto another, younger Angel. Sort of 'passing on their knowledge'.

That's messed up.

"So either aid a terrorist or never get fucked in your life, huh?"

Aria laughed darkly. "That is one way to describe it, yes."

"Tough call."

"The problem is that we are all puppets to his grander schemes," she said, lifting her head and staring through the hole. "He had a saying, 'I do not have plans, I merely make people think I do'."

"But he admitted he has plans."

"Exactly. It is designed to confuse and cast doubt." That wistful smile touched her lips again. "Either you believe he does not have plans and open yourself to his machinations or you disbelieve the first part and believe the second resulting in your fall into his plans by yourself."

Hunter shook his head. "He's crazy."

"But a formidable foe. Both mentally and physically." Her eyes turned to him. "I do not know the extent of your combat prowess but I believe it would benefit you if we were to develop your skills."

He lifted his eyebrows. "Really? We're really going to do a weird 'training session'? Maybe have a testosterone-fuelled montage while inspirational music is blaring?" Shaking his head, he said, "Nuh-uh. Too dangerous. If I so much as tap you with Zero Hour you're dead. Besides, I'm a pretty good swordsman. Captain Rushwater taught me."

"I doubt your Captain ever faced a time-bending genius."

"No but she commands a bloody starship."

Aria's eyebrows rose. "She?"

"Yeah. Captain Lucinda Rushwater. Didn't I tell you she was female? Or a Tigris?"

"That fact escaped me." Aria smiled softly and turned back towards the bonfire. "That explains so much."

Hunter's tail fluffed out. "What? What's that supposed to mean?" She did not reply. "Hey! What's that mean!?"

He gave chase, rounding the corner where she disappeared.

The moment the camp came back into sight, his heart stopped.

Black shadows with glowing, yellow eyes hovered over each of his companions. Eton in particular lay on his belly, unconscious with one of the creatures planting a clawed foot on his back. All the creatures turned towards him, eyes flashing.

"Eton!"

One of the creatures turned it strangely lupine head towards him. Its muzzle split into a malicious grin. "There you are. Mother has been expecting you."

Hunter reached immediately for Zero Hour. "The time is -"

WHACK!

Everything fell into darkness.