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Chapter 119: The Tempest

Liam brushed Faelen's fur under the dryer, enjoying the feel of the Wolf's large muscles. He had already been brushed and dried by his boyfriend, and they were about to go check on Nathanial and Geoff before retiring for the night. Liam felt somewhat fatigued by the excitement of the day, coupled with the great stress and exertion that led to everyone gathering at the Markses'. Some meditation and sleep was most necessary.

He pulled a clump of Faelen's shed undercoat out of the brush, adding it to the sizable pile of fur he'd set to the side. "I recall the nuisance of a Wolf's undercoat. As Lowell, I required frequent brushings at the changing of the seasons, or I could merely look at a suit I wished to wear and find it suddenly covered with stray fur. Dad may acquire thicker fur during winter, but he never encounters such a problem. Mom, being a Doberman, does not have an undercoat at all. Though the way she complains about the cold, I believe she is rather envious of Dad."

Faelen chuckled at Liam's lamentation of the trials of a Wolf and smiled in amusement at Mary Smith's envy. "Yeah, Conor joked about how happy he was that there were no pups at our house here in Nova Scotia; he could finally keep the temperature lower so he wouldn't be overheating all winter. Before we got our adult fur we had to dress very warmly, but Avery would still gripe about how hot the house was. Now, I have to listen to Avery and Geoff complain, coupled with Gwen wandering around in thick sweaters asking for hot cocoa every hour."

Gods, how Muiry would whine about the temperature. The tunnels that housed most of the clan were rarely heated and would be a comfortable fourteen to sixteen degrees Celsius in winter, the higher tunnels being slightly cooler than the lower ones. He knew all of the adults with pups looked forward to visiting them in winter, as the houses up top would be heated to keep the pups as comfortable as possible -- without making the parents pass out from the heat. His pups did not care for the chilly trips underground, but the other three soon learned the futility of such complaints.

He did not realize he had paused in brushing and was surprised when Faelen turned around and pulled him into a hug. "I'm here, Liam. Don't worry about keeping a tough front up around me. If you need to cry, cry. Aunt Muireann was your daughter."

Liam swallowed around a sudden lump in his throat. "Thank you for your concern, my love. Your words echo those of Geoff's, though phrased in a much more pleasant manner. I do not need to shed tears at this time, and I fear they may cause Nathanial some distress if I did. It sounded as though Geoff brought him comfort, and I don't want to undo that."

"I don't think Geoff would mind comforting him again."

Liam reached up and put his paw on Faelen's cheek. "Perhaps you should seek to comfort me if I appear distraught to you." He smiled and pulled Faelen's head down for a quick kiss. "Though I have other needs at the moment. I must meditate so that I may ensure I heal efficiently and correctly, and a great deal happened today that I must examine. I am concerned about Nathanial as well, so I would like to see him."

Faelen did not release him and instead kissed him most thoroughly. Liam did not mind in the slightest, as Faelen was a truly phenomenal kisser. "I'm worried, too," the Wolf said once he released Liam -- or at least his mouth, "and I would love to have sex with you again, but you should be the top if you're concerned about your chi. I don't mind having sex with Da to balance you out, but I want him to find someone to love. I feel like we might end up holding him back if we, ah, get his help too often."

"A valid point. Now, though, let us see our friends."

The two teens made their way through the gym and over to Nathanial's room; Liam noted the two youngest Markses were gathering up their school supplies in preparation for the morning. Nathanial lay atop Geoff with both of their heads pointed toward the foot of the bed. The Dark Elemental was still manifested and had cloaked them both in a blanket of deepest night. The Mage was in a contented half-doze; lurking at the corners of his muzzle was the faintest of smiles, and one finger idly played in the fur around Geoff's ear. His eyelids would slowly drift closed before he caught himself and forced his eyes open once more. Geoff looked most alert, judging by the perkiness of his ears and how they twitched when the two visitors entered the room, but he lay still so as to not disturb his boyfriend. One paw rested just above Nathanial's tail, while the other slowly ran from the nape of Nathanial's neck down to his other paw.

Faelen stopped by the bed, but Liam sat on the edge and gently rubbed Nathanial's ears. "I do hate to disturb you, Nathanial, for you appear most comfortable, but you may wish to clean up before sleeping. I can smell quite an accumulation of semen upon you two, and I recall the difficulties you both had the last time you allowed yourselves to become glued together."

Geoff chuckled. "Heh, yeah. That wasn't fun, though the lead up certainly was. Come on, Pup." Nathanial grumbled and forced himself into a seated position. Their fur was gummy and on the brink of drying out too much to come apart. The blanket vanished, and Geoff suppressed his powers. "I'm deflated enough to pull out, so whenever you're ready."

Nathanial grumbled some more; he looked as if he was still on the brink of sleep. "Yeah. Let me get a towel, first. I don't keep a bunch in my room. Ugh, that was so_comfortable; it was perfect. Your heartbeat and breathing were like a lullaby. The feel of your muscles and that blanket made the best bed, especially the way you held me. And, um, heh, well, the way you felt _in me..." The other three grinned widely. Nathanial ducked his head and looked aside. "What? I-It's..."

Liam rubbed the Akita's arm. "I understand, Nathanial. I feel much the same way when I lay upon Faelen as you lay upon Geoff. It is as if you were swaddled in love, both inside and out."

Geoff rolled his eyes. "Okay, enough corniness for today, already." A towel drifted into the room and Nathanial pulled up a touch so he might wrap it around Geoff's pink member. Such a delightful rump that penis speared, and a most erotic sight it made as it withdrew. "I know it's hot, guys, but sometimes the way you watch makes me a bit uncomfortable." Geoff snorted. "Still not as bad as when Micah stares." The knot popped past Nathanial's ring, and the Akita quickly pulled off; Geoff's dick fell onto the towel with an audible _thwap._He patted it mostly clean and the four trooped off to the bathroom.

Once the shower was set to Nathanial's comfort, the two of them climbed in and began cleaning. Faelen leaned against the sink and wrapped his arms around Liam when the Dog cuddled into him. Liam did not mind his less-than-towering stature when Faelen rested his chin on top of the Rottie's head; it was comfortable.

Faelen addressed the Akita. "Nathanial, are you up to school tomorrow?"

Nathanial knelt down and began scrubbing a lot of soap into Geoff's pubic fur in an attempt to work out the semen. Geoff began washing Nathanial's head, especially under his muzzle. The Akita sighed. "I-I don't know. I'm having so much trouble concentrating that I just don't think it'd be much use. I'll, um, see in the morning. Dad's flying out for the week if the flight isn't cancelled, so I'll be up a bit early to see him off. I'll see how I feel then."

Liam remembered his friend's request when Nicholas was at the Smith abode retrieving some salve. "On a separate note, you asked earlier if there were ways for you to keep track of your brother; the answer is there are many. However, I would need you to narrow your request down. To what end? Do you merely wish to be able to know precisely where he is at all times? Do you wish for him to be able to alert you if he is in trouble? To be able to speak back and forth telepathically? To scry on him? To punish him if he violates some rule?"

"I-I just... I don't know, but not the last one. Why are there so many different spells? If I want to talk to him I just need to phone him." Nathanial tapped his muzzle in thought, as almost all scrubbing halted. "If I can see through phones, maybe I could use the telepathy tracking spell you mentioned to see him, too. Mostly I was just thinking of being able to find him if he went missing, or if Beriatana found him. All that other stuff is no different than a phone -- to me, anyway. If he has his cell, he can call me if he's in trouble."

Geoff raised the Akita to his hindpaws and began scrubbing his chest. "I think you might be taking this a bit far, but it wouldn't hurt. Just don't go spying on him. Depending on how that alert one works, I think it's the best. You don't want to make him feel like he's chained to you, or like a prisoner, but since we're dealing with some pretty nasty customers, having a discreet way of calling for help is a great idea. Even if you can't scry on him from that, you could always call Ella to track him down."

Liam nodded. "I agree. Most of the spells are variants of the base Mage Sigil spell.These are very old, from a time when--" He gasped sarcastically. "--telephones_did not exist!_ Oh, the horror!" He rolled his eyes and resumed speaking as normal. Faelen chuckled in amusement, and so did Nathanial, though he also ducked his head sheepishly. "The variant Geoff speaks of is one of the simplest and oldest. It makes a visible -- or invisible if you so choose -- glyph upon an object and allows you to locate the sigil with a simple spell associated with it. It facilitates scrying, as well as aiding any other arcana requiring knowledge of the destination. Furthermore, the person holding the demarked object can activate it by sending a tiny trickle of magic into it, which notifies the caster immediately. While it is activated, the caster knows how far away and in what direction it is."

Nathanial realized Geoff was still scrubbing him and jumped in startlement, like he'd completely forgotten where he was. He quickly resumed washing his boyfriend. Faelen, however, was becoming distracted by Liam's ears and pushed one around with his nose. The faint snuffling sound that accompanied the motion increased the difficulty of paying appropriate attention to the conversation. It was a most endearing trait of Faelen's.

The Akita asked, "So, um, do I have the spell in my book?"

"Yes. It is a standard spell, though it is at the higher end of the basic tier. It is not considered a cantrip due to the complexity, but it is too simple and common to be an intermediate spell. It should be easy to find in the grimoire. Do note that it requires you to draw your sigil onto the object you wish to track... Mage Sigil does not work on living beings."

Nathanial appeared confused. "My sigil?"

Liam was not overly surprised, but at the same time he did not truly expect the question, either; it was as if Nathanial did not know what was meant by a signature. "Yes. Most Mage families have a...template, if you will, of their basic sigil, and each member of the family crafts a unique identifier within it. I imagine the Marks family has one. It served the same purpose as a family crest or seal for thousands of years. The Society would most likely have them all on record. Or you may create a new sigil, one uniquely yours. Please be aware that it is difficult to change once you choose one; you must destroy everything you had cast the old sigil on, as the spell will take the original form from your mind if any spell is still tied to you."

Geoff shook his head, sending small sprays of water around the shower. "And this is the _easy_version?"

One side of Liam's mouth quirked up into a tiny, lopsided smile. "It is, I believe, far more unusual for a Mage to not have a sigil by the time they are able to cast this spell than not. All of the Mage families I have known, or knew of, were old and steeped with tradition; it is as if a member of the royal family did not know their family coat-of-arms." Liam gently disentangled himself from Faelen. The Wolf sighed regretfully against Liam's ear as it moved away from his prodding nose; the warm breath tickled the fine fur. "However, I require rest. We may discuss this further tomorrow, if necessary."

Nathanial finished cleaning his cum out of Geoff's fur. "Yeah, sounds good. I'm done-in, too."

The four prepped for bed and wished each other good night. Liam and Faelen requested permission before they took Nicholas's bed and settled in. The room was less aromatic than Micah's, as the two pups often utilized that room for their sexual activities, as it was farther from Nathanial's.

The Ancient One lay beside his lover. "I shall meditate now, if you do not mind."

Faelen rolled onto his side and tipped Liam's head over to face him. He gently kissed the Rottweiler. "Not at all. I'm familiar enough with your habits now that I don't need you to inform me like that. If there was something I needed or wanted to talk about, I would've started talking before we climbed into bed."

Liam tapped his nose against Faelen's. "I am aware of that, but it is still polite to inform you of my intentions. Good night, my love, and I shall speak to you on the morrow."

"'Night, Liam. I love you."

Those blue eyes sparkled with humour and such an intense love that Liam once more felt his breath catch. How blessed he was to have this marvellous Wolf enter his life; if there was a greater purpose to his existence, he must be performing beyond all expectations to have received such a reward. "And I, you." He had to exert a tremendous amount of willpower to tear his eyes away from those of his love's and yet more to still those flutters in his stomach caused by the proximity of the Wolf. Despite Liam's attempts at finding the tranquillity necessary for meditation, his paw still stole over and sought comfort within the larger paw of Faelen's. He was forced to ruthlessly crush the thrill even that tiny contact caused, and descended into the first memory he wished to examine: his conversation with Hao Chan...

---

Liam sat in the art room by his easel and painted while he decided what to say when he spoke to Hao Chan. He dabbed a brush in the ink and willed his eyes to remain dry when the light caught the inscription on Muiry's brush. He whispered, "My beautiful Muiry. Why have the Fates taken you from me? If you had been less hostile, Ciaran a bit more patient, or I just a bit faster. More aware. If only..." He forced the memories and self-recriminations aside and quickly dialled the phone with his free paw. It would not due to dwell unnecessarily on the past when the present and future required his attention.

Hao answered formally in the Cantonese dialect. <<Good evening, Venerable Smith. How are you doing?>>

<<I am doing very well, Mr Chan. I trust you are in good health?>>

<<I am very healthy. To what do I owe the honour?>>

Liam paused for a moment and began to paint. He decided on a copy of Fujioka Hikaru's painting of Edo Bay, regardless of the answer he received from Tokyo. He hoped it still existed so that he may keep this one for himself; that, and the original was such a marvellous piece of work that its loss would have lessened the world immeasurably. <<I wish to speak on two matters, if I may have a moment of your time.>>

Hao was walking rapidly down a narrow hallway; Liam could hear the Pekinese's hindpaws padding on the hardwood floor and the echo from the nearby walls. <<I always have time to speak with you, Venerable Smith. Just give me one moment.>> The Dog's voice became fainter as the phone moved away from his mouth and he switched to a heavily accented English. "I'm sorry, Princess, but I'll be a few minutes. I have an important call."

Betty sounded insipid when she answered, "Of course, Daddy, I'll just practice the violin a bit more. I want to do my best at the auction." Liam swore she added in her head,'And show that fucking runt of a fag who the better musician is,' though that might be an unjust assumption.

Her father was obviously beaming. "That's my darling princess. All of your hard work is paying dividends for you already, and you haven't even graduated yet."

"How do you know Liam, Daddy? He seems to be famous, but I've never heard of him before September." Liam was not surprised by the question. She must be seeking to secure the secrets the insidious Serpent sought.

Hao's tone sounded evasive. "Now isn't the time to talk about that, Darling. I need to finish this call. Please remember to address him with due respect; he doesn't like being referred to by his first name." If Betty was uncertain her father knew Liam, she could no longer retain any doubts now. She would also know to watch what she said about him around her father, too.

"Yes, Daddy."

Hao hastily departed and lifted the phone to his mouth again. <<My profound apologies, Venerable Smith.>>

<<It is quite all right. She is one of the things I wish to speak to you about, but it appears you already know why.>> The image of warm brown eyes drifted across the canvas as the painting began to take shape. 'Sweet Kaoru-sama, my lost love. How I miss you.'

The pride in Hao's voice would be obvious even to a deaf man. <<Her music is almost beyond compare, Honoured Grandfather. I believe the day I can introduce her to the Monks is very close.>>

<<She has a rare gift with music, Mr Chan.>> He would die before entrusting any secrets of the Monks to her -- as she was, at least. People could change. <<I need to arrange times to practice with her and the other musicians. I have yet to find a suitable place to practice, however.>>

<<Why, come here! I would be pleased beyond belief to have you practice in my home, Ancient One!>>

<<Your generosity is touching. I will speak to the others and see if it is suitable for us all. Thank you. However, I do have a more important matter at paw. It is in reference to your computers. Your home computer, I believe.>>

<<One moment.>> There came the sound of a series of buttons on a keypad being pressed and a door opening. The door was quite heavy; it displaced enough air when opened to create an audible draft across the phone. Hao closed the door behind him and locked it. The rapidity of the action sounded as if the door locked automatically; that, or he did so purely by habit. The Fur was quite paranoid about security. Leather squeaked as Hao sat down. <<I am shamed. Yes, my computer was accessed. I have failed the Monks and compromised your safety, Honoured Grandfather. I will accept whatever discipline you deem appropriate.>>

<<We do not know if anything_was _compromised, Mr Chan. I have a friend who is most skilled in computers -- Mr Conor McDougal. He is most trustworthy, and he has graciously offered to examine your computer at your earliest convenience. Mr McDougal believes that he may uncover how the security was breached, what files were accessed, and when. If you consent to this, I have his contact information. As a note, there are some in his family, including Mr McDougal himself, who have highly keen senses of smell, so I ask that you allow no one else to touch the keyboard. I trust you are the only one who has access to your office?>>

<<Yes. Why would you wish to have someone smell the keyboard? I believe the computer was accessed remotely.>>

<<There are Hunters from Ireland in town. They may have accessed your computer hoping to find how their quarry entered the country. They may have been able to gain access to your home and your office; they are likely chi-adepts and use skills stolen from the Monks. If they did, their scent could remain on your computer, and if so, Mr McDougal would recognise it.>>

<<Very well. I will deliver the computer tomorrow, myself. Please send along the information.>>

<<I shall. Have a good evening, Mr Chan.>>

<<It was an honour, as always, Venerable Smith.>>

---

Nathanial woke early Monday morning. He was lying on his back with Geoff curled up against his side; Geoff's head rested on his chest, and the Wolf's right leg was draped over Nathanial's. The Akita was perplexed; he was the one that curled into Geoff like that, not the other way around. Regardless, Nathanial gently rubbed Geoff's back, taking care not to wake the Wolf, and looked around. He checked on Nick, first. His brother was asleep, alone, in Micah's bed. All of the covers were in a pile on the floor, leaving the handsome teen completely naked on the rumpled sheet. He was sleeping on his back, his left paw was above his head exposing his armpit, while his right arm was draped around Micah's goomba and his paw rested on his stomach. The tip of his penis was poking out of his sheath, too. Nathanial thought Nick was the perfect teenaged male model, and apart from the stuffed toy, he exuded youthful sexuality... Actually, the toy didn't detract from it so much as accent the -- completely erroneous -- innocence of his age. False innocence or not, Nathanial felt relieved to see Nick was still safe and sound. Donny Markham didn't get any new company today.

Micah wasn't in Nick's room perving Liam and Faelen. Nathanial hoped the burns on the Ancient One's back weren't troubling him; they looked_healed, but they still might be tender. Liam was awake; the Rottweiler waved at him before looking back at the sleeping Wolf beside him. The tenderness in Liam's expression made Nathanial sigh. _'Aww.' He really had to remember to ask Liam how he knew Nathanial was looking, but he needed to find Micah first...just to make sure he was okay.

The Changeling was upstairs in the sitting room. The pup was curled up against his father as they watched the storm howling outside the patio doors. The roses didn't seem to mind the lack of moonlight or starlight and were in full bloom. Dad was dressed in a dark suit, and Micah was in bright red briefs. Both Dogs held steaming mugs in their paws; Garret had a mug of coffee, and Micah had cocoa. 'Cocoa_at_ six-thirty!? What in the hells was Dad thinking!?'

Which was a very valid question. *Dad!* His father jumped, the two Akitas nearly spilt their drinks. *It's how_early in the morning, and you gave him_ cocoa?! What were you thinking!?*

Garret sighed. "Why hello, Nathanial. I hope you're having a good morning. How are you feeling?" He rolled his eyes at Micah, making the pup giggle.

"Hi, Nats! I have cocoa! Come join us! It's awesome watching big storms like this with warm chocolate and-and having Dad's arm around you. It's so warm and yummy and happy and comfy and..." His gold eyes shone in the faint light as he gazed up at Garret. He tried burrowing further into his father's embrace, squeaking in a faint voice, "My dad."

Nathanial remembered the first day of school this year. Micah tried to Charm him so he'd swim with his brothers rather than read the Succubus Grimoire on the patio chair. When Nathanial punished the pup and asked why he did it, Micah said, 'I was happy when you hugged me in the bathroom. I just needed... I don't know. It felt like I had a dad.' Now Micah had a dad. A bit of sweets in the morning really didn't matter compared to how happy Micah was. His heart ached when the thought struck him -- Donny's dad would never get to hug his son again. No, some sweets wouldn't hurt at all.

Nathanial bent his head and gently licked Geoff's ear, since he couldn't reach Garret or Micah. The Wolf murmured in his sleep. Nathanial apologised to Garret. *I'm sorry, Dad. Good morning. I love you, and thanks. You're doing a great job at being our father in more than just name.*

Garret unknowingly mimicked his eldest son and licked the ears by his chest. Micah wriggled a bit more as his tail took off. *Thanks. I'll try not to spoil them. Or you.* He sighed morosely. *But while your father may be winning 'dad of the year,' I sure as all the hells won't be winning 'employee of the year' if I can't get to Taipei and we end up losing this contract.*

The storm wasn't giving him the same headache it had last night, so it might mean Zeus wasn't lurking around -- if that was the cause -- but it was still way too nasty out there to drive to the airport or for planes to take off. Well...if he could hop across the Atlantic several times in a day, why couldn't he get his dad across the Pacific, or even just as far as Toronto?

*U-Um, do you know anyone, like, as in they know you're a Mage, in Taipei or Toronto?*

Garret froze in deep thought. Micah looked up in alarm, but Garret realized he had worried his younger son and smiled down at the pup. He took a mouthful of coffee. *Hmm... No. Your grandparents live in Victoria; they just have a condo here in Halifax, so they might know people in Vancouver -- which would be just as good as Toronto for catching a flight -- but I'll be damned before I ask them_for help. I just don't have any contacts in the Hidden World.*_

Contacts. Conor might know someone, or Liam, or even Officer Steinbach. Conor handled all of the Cork Clan's international communications, Liam was the major figure in the Monks and would know tons of people or how to get in touch with them, and Officer Steinbach was in the Knights, and he could probably do the same as Liam. Thinking about the Knights he worked with at the airport, Nathanial remembered the problem caused by passports. Unless he was able to shuttle his dad between every city he had to go to, he needed to get Dad to a customs official in Taipei or to an airport in Canada in order to get his passport stamped. *I'll ask Liam or Conor if they know anyone.*

Nathanial looked upstairs. Conor was just starting to stir, so Nathanial let him be and looked over at Liam. The Rottweiler was climbing out of bed, moving carefully in an attempt to let Faelen sleep a bit longer. It didn't work.

The Wolf blinked and suddenly pounced at the small Dog. He caught Liam around the waist and rolled over, pulling his boyfriend on top of him. "Hey." The grey Wolf nuzzled the black ear until Liam turned his head to get a kiss.

"Good morning my love, and to you, too, my friend."

Faelen looked around for a moment in confusion, and then he guessed who Liam referred to. "Hi, Nathanial."

Nathanial chuckled. *Hi, Liam, and if you could pass on my greetings to Faelen, I'd appreciate it. I have a request for you.* He paused momentarily to let Liam say hello for him and then asked, *Do you know anyone in Toronto or even Vancouver that I could call so I can get Dad to an airport? It's still fierce out there and it's really important that Dad gets to Taipei. I could open a portal there, but then we'd have a problem with his passport.*

*If the problem of a passport is the result of magic, then it behooves the Society to address that. I do not know anyone in either of those cities, though I could obtain contact information with relative ease. I would prefer to wait until a more seemly hour to phone. I could just as easily acquire the information for Taipei, Tokyo, Taiwan, or almost any_port city in East Asia, North America, or Western Europe.*_

*It'd be easier to discuss this with Dad, face-to-face.* Nathanial tried to delicately extricate himself from Geoff's embrace, but the first small motion away from the white Wolf made the muscular arms tighten around Nathanial while Geoff whined sharply. *Uh, I think I need help getting Geoff off me. I don't want to wake him, but he won't let me go. He's...acting a little odd, too.* Nathanial whispered soothingly into Geoff's ear and rubbed his back, but every time he tried to shift out from under him, the Wolf would whine and clamp on tightly.

Faelen and Liam slipped into the room, leaving the door ajar so Faelen could see. The Mist Spirit laughed quietly at Nathanial's predicament.

Liam whispered into his boyfriend's ear. "If you would be so kind."

Faelen padded over and slipped into bed behind Geoff. He carefully lifted Geoff's head up so Nathanial could pull his arm out from under him, and then spooned his boss. When Nathanial slipped away, Geoff only whimpered once or twice before settling back into deep sleep.

The Akita smiled down at the two Wolves. *Thanks, Faelen. I'll rescue you before long.*

*No worries. If Liam needs to talk with you about something, then I'll just get a bit more sleep. I only pounced him because I was hoping he was up for some exercise.*

Nathanial shook his head, grinning widely. *I'll try to make it quick, then.* He grabbed some shorts and put them on. Faelen was out like a light before the two Dogs left the room.

Liam trotted over to Nick's room, saying, "Allow me to fetch some clothing of my own, and we can go speak to your father."

While waiting for Liam to return, Nathanial put the kettle on upstairs and pulled his grimoire out of the cupboard. He heard Snow's voice coming from the Shadow Mastiff Grimoire as he cradled it in his arms. *We are happy to be out of the cupboard. We find it lonely. The Succubus is not nice, so we try to ignore her, but we...we are not used to it being so quiet. We are singular, now.*

Nathanial nearly dropped the book. Snow wandered out of the shadows near the TV and sniffed at the grimoire. *This former one of us still lingers. His thoughts are there, at the edge of our mind, but it does not...mesh. He is distinct and no longer of us. Our third is no longer there to fill his role in the hunt; we adapt but have not recovered. We are...sad. Why? A piece of us was lost defending you, Alpha; we will recover and can replace the third in time. We could not replace you, our main food source, so it made sense to risk bits of ourself. But to hear the third, who is not the third any more, as separate and not us is...upsetting.*

"Oh, Snow." Nathanial wrapped his arms around Snow's neck, pressing the book between them. "It's grief. You lost part of you, and it's perfectly natural to grieve the loss. It's not just when you lose a friend or family member, but for anything that was a big part of your life. The third member of your pack has been with you for a long time, and you got used to him being there. I'd be the same way if I lost my magic senses, even though I've had them for only a month. I depend on them now, and they're a part of me."

The grimoire sounded wistful. *We want to run. We miss the feel of the dirt beneath our paws. The sound of branches cracking as we chase our prey through the forest. We preferred the forest over the broken plains, but we would go anywhere just to run again.*

Snow cocked his head. *We do not remember liking the forest, except when we were very few or even just one. We do not even remember preferring, other than what was safe and allowed us to feed. *

Nathanial wracked his brain trying to remember everything he saw in the Elemental Plane of Darkness, but all he could recall was blasted, scarred plains as far as the eye could see. There weren't any plants in the Plane of Darkness, not even tree stumps. How could there be a forest when the plane sucked the life out of everything but entities like Snow or the Shadow Worms? He shivered violently when the image of an army of malevolent, dark Ents -- like in Lord of the Rings, but, well, Dark Planey -- filled his mind. He made a warding gesture with one of his paws. He stepped back from Snow, carefully holding his grimoire, and was about to ask when Liam walked over.

"Good morning, Snow. Is something the matter?" Liam turned to Nathanial. "Why does Snow seem upset?"

*We still prefer Tiger Festival.*

Liam and Nathanial glanced over at the giant dog, both flatly saying, "No." The Mastiff flopped onto the floor with a huge huff.

Nathanial began walking up the stairs followed by Liam and, a bit more slowly, Snow. "My grimoire mentioned he doesn't like being locked up in the cupboard. That seemed to get Snow's attention and he came over and expressed his grief at the loss of his third self. He misses this one." Nathanial hefted the book. "But, um, how much of the person is left when they're made into a grimoire? It seems..._evil_to enslave someone like that. Force their consciousness to exist in a book for all time. I-I feel horrible just thinking about it." They paused in the kitchen to pour some tea.

"Such is the price of magic for Mages, though I doubt many care about the price, as it is not them that must suffer for it. However, I do not believe it is one's consciousness that resides in the book, but more of an echo. All papers I have read indicate that this remnant does not see the passage of time, nor are they truly aware of their surroundings. I understand the meaning perfectly, as my echoes are quite the same. Lowell, for example, would see this room as if it was furnished in the style of the 1890's and I still see Den as a ten year-old pup." The Rottweiler smiled fondly as he gazed through time. "Such a sweet lad." He shook his head and sighed. "My lives just will not stay separate these last few weeks. It is tiring." He sat down on the couch facing Garret and Micah. "Good morning. I trust all is well, apart from cancelled flights?" Nathanial sat down next to Liam.

Garret quickly plopped his arm over Micah's shoulder, accurately predicting the pup's reaction. Micah tried to bounce excitedly, but the heavy arm draped over him kept the cocoa and coffee from flying everywhere. "Yeah! Yeah! Look at the storm! It's all whoosh and crash! The roses like it, too! Have you seen them, Sensei? They're all shiny and black and 'ooh, dark...' Funny things. They're like Geoff and Nats. I like the night too, but I like the full moon the way it's all silvery and glowy and makes the shadows dance and creep about all woooo! ghostly."

Garret cut in when Micah went to take a breath. "Good morning, Sensei. Yes, other than that one major issue, it's going pretty well. Nathanial said you might be able to help?"

"The manner in which I can assist depends on the Society. I can easily get some contact information for the Monks in Taipei, but Nathanial is concerned about having your passport properly marked indicating your arrival. It is a valid point. How does the Society handle international travel via magic?"

Garret shrugged. "I have no fucking idea." He dipped his head in apology. "Sorry. I really don't know. I have no magic, remember? It's never come up, and I never had reason or inclination to ask. I'd wager that it isn't something dealt with too often, since those with the magic to travel internationally have the magic to return the same way. We could check the Society website; it might have something."

Nathanial perked up; this was something he could do to help. He forgot that he was the one 'with the magic to travel internationally,' and he was pretty much doing all the work. He beamed happily as he brought his phone and spell tag upstairs. "Dad, I'm getting my phone and spell tag. I need to put your wallet in the cupboard while it's active." His father pulled out his wallet and Nathanial levitated it to the cupboard downstairs. While they were en route he turned to Liam, who was now gazing at the roses. "Nice, eh? Um, I'm not getting a headache, so Z...the, um, god of thunder should be gone."

Liam seemed lost in thought. "He is. They are."

Nathanial started talking just as Liam opened his mouth to ask something. "Uh, are there a bunch of different places in the Elemental Plane of Darkness?"

"You would know more than I. I have never been there." Liam seemed to come to a decision, but whatever that decision was about he didn't say. "We should check to ensure there are classes today. With the damage wrought by this tempest, and the fact that it is still ongoing, it is a distinct possibility that many activities are cancelled, not just flights."

Nathanial wasn't sure if Liam made a decision about him or not; the way the Rottie held himself and glanced over at Nathanial said it might be, but Liam could be pretty darned difficult to decipher. His point was valid, though. "I'll check online and then turn on the radio if I don't see anything. Nothing gets posted until after seven, anyway."

Micah bopped on the couch, still held down by Garret's arm. "Snowless snow day, snowless snow day." He paused to take a mouthful of cocoa, _"Mmm..."_and curled up quietly against his father, sipping the hot drink.

Nathanial's phone arrived, and he plugged in the spell tag. Once he activated the tag, he sensed a large surge of magic envelope his phone. He tried to study it, but it was too complicated and changed too quickly. "What the hells?" It seemed to change the internal components of his phone, and it now showed a magic connection, like an invisible string, leading toward downtown Halifax. "It did something to my phone."

A number of dialogue boxes were superimposed over the Society's logo, which replaced his normal phone background.

["Processing..."]

["Present: User: MarksGa75, User: MarksNa95, User: MarksMi00, Healer: SmithLi97."]

["User: MarksMi00 has not logged in...

Account not set up.

User: MarksNa95 overdue for lessons: Noted.

Unwilling to cooperate: Noted.

Dedication to Learning Control: Minimal.

Compliance to Orders: Minimal.

User: MarksNi96 interfered with Society business.

Actions had potential to harm Society property.

Disciplinary action recommended."]

Liam snatched the phone out of Nathanial's trembling paws. "You infernal contraption. Compile medical papers on the effects of stress and anxiety."

["Compiling..."]

"Compile notes on the state of Nathanial Marks's mental health. Process and compare."

["Compiling..."]

["Processing..."]

["Multiple reports filed pertaining to User: MarksNa95.

Frequent references to mental health.

Stress and anxiety probable factors in problematic behaviour.

Recommendation: Reduce causes of stress and anxiety. Engage in therapeutic calming activities.

Sitting in warm environs watching scenes of nature: Approved.

Socializing with family: Approved.

Close monitoring of healer: Approved. Current actions meet approval."]

Liam frowned at the phone. "There will be no more threats of discipline or harassing him over studying. He is a dedicated student and will study as time and health permit. Serious complications arose over the weekend that undid much of the gains achieved; that is the reason for my presence here. Studying was not a viable activity."

["Processing..."]

["Affirmative.

School records support statement. Report from Healer Smith on nature of complications required. Report from Healer Smith on health of Healer Smith required. Damage to Healer Smith in advanced state of repair detected. Cause of Damage: Unknown.

Nature of Healing: Unknown."]

Nathanial saw a strange icon at the top of his phone; it wasn't one he'd seen on his phone before.

Liam stared down at the phone almost contemptuously. "Request denied. I am not a member of the Society and have no obligation to inform you about my health; I also claim patient-healer confidentiality. I will not file any reports about my patients with the Society unless it is for an agent I voluntarily treat, and the injury or treatment would impact their ability to work. My personal affairs are also not the Society's business." Liam shoved the phone at Nathanial. "Reclaim your device; it is vexing me beyond belief."

Nathanial took it back. He felt very grateful to Liam for dealing with the Server; it always seemed to cause problems, and Liam seemed much better at handling the aggravation. "U-Um, Server? I was hoping you could help me with a problem." The phone blinked as if it was listening. Out of curiosity, Nathanial flicked the status bar down to see what all the icons meant. The odd one showed that the Server was scanning the area, so Nathanial clicked on it as he talked. "Dad needs to get to Taipei, so I was going to open a portal there. It'd be in a safe area with the help of a person in the Hidden World, but I need to get him to somewhere he can get his passport stamped. How does the Society handle international travel?"

The scans were focused on the roses; it seemed the flowers were really confusing the Server.

["Processing..."]

["Portals noted in reports on User: MarksNa95.

Adding Note: Portals reach globally.

Spell used to create portal: Unknown.

Passports are used by Furs and are unnecessary for Mages using magic to travel. User: MarksGa75 has insufficient magic to travel. Passport necessary for additional travel.

Recommendation: Open portal in Taipei Society branch. Contact information added to User: MarksNa95's address book. Office Open: 0800-2000 China Standard Time. Current Time: 1747 CST."]

"Hey, that's great!" Nathanial smiled joyously at the phone and then his father. "I can just call over to the offices in Taipei and open a portal for you there. They can get your passport processed, so you can get a flight to wherever you need to go after that. It closes in a little over two hours, so we don't even need to rush."

Garret sagged back into the couch. "That's a relief. The flights to Asia are a huge pain; they take forever. We'll need to offer an explanation to my company as to why I cancelled my flight but still got to Asia."

Liam glanced at the phone suspiciously. "Turn the device off, if you please. I would rather not have it listening in on my conversations."

Nathanial went to do so but saw a new note pop up.

["Passport processing fee: TWD$5000 or CAD$200."]

"Thanks." He turned the phone off and removed the spell tag. He'd turn the phone on again in a bit...once he was sure the connection was severed. "It'll cost about $200 to process the passport, Dad."

Garret nodded. "I assume that was Canadian dollars. It's close to a twenty-five to one exchange rate."

"Yup. I guess TWD stands for the Taiwanese currency, because it said it'd be five thousand of those."

Liam looked over at Nathanial's phone, satisfied it was off. "I can have a receipt drawn up for however much you wish, if it would prevent unwelcome questions. I know those who have both legitimate and false companies that purport to provide transportation. The fee is rather steep for a few companies, but I can get a cheaper rate. It is how most non-Mages get around borders, identification issues, and travel restrictions."

Garret nodded. "We'll discuss that in a bit." He turned to his eldest son. "Can I leave in an hour?"

"Sure." Nathanial glanced down at his phone and remembered he'd meant to ask Dad about the Mage Sigil spell. "I, um, what does the Marks sigil look like? I want to put a Mage Sigil spell on all of your -- as in yours, Nick's, and Micah's -- phones so you can let me know if you're in an emergency."

The Demon Mage growled softly and rubbed his muzzle. "It's a fuckingly complicated piece of shit." He dipped his head to Liam, again. "Sorry, Sensei."

Liam rolled his eyes. "I do not care overmuch if you swear in my presence, as long as it is not in a kwoon or during training. Then it is a matter of showing respect to your teachers and to the art. At the moment I am merely the friend of your son."

Garret didn't look convinced. "And a healer, a kung fu master, and an Ancient One. I don't really give a damn about magic and the Hidden World, but anyone that is old as you are deserves a measure of respect. Even most elderly Furs deserve to have people watch their language in their presence."

Nathanial stared at his father flatly. *And people should watch their language around pups, too. Like Micah.*

Garret's ears flattened sheepishly. *Right. Sorry.*

The Rottweiler looked amused. "I know how you feel about your ancestry, most notably as it pertains to your parents. You showed remarkable restraint."

"Yes, well, that stupid sigil was drilled into me when they tried to teach me how to cast the spell. I never managed to get the spell to work, but I know my version of the sigil." He put his paw on the coffee table and closed his eyes in concentration. He waved his other paw in a few quick arcane gestures -- Nathanial recognized the signs for illumination, divination, and memory -- and sat back. On the table was an orange-red symbol; the colour was similar to Garret's fur. The bitterness in his father's voice was raw; Nathanial bet there was a lot of pain tied around the memories this evoked. "It'll fade out in a minute or two. I just don't have the power to make it last or to actually work. This is just a...failure, what happens when the spell doesn't get cast properly or have the magic behind it to stick."

The sigil was_complicated; even if it was blown up to the size of the table it'd look horribly detailed. Hells -- no pun intended -- did he even _want to use something so intricately tied to Demons? Could he make something that reflected him and his brothers, instead? Perhaps a simple triangle that pointed up, all three brothers' symbols at the corners, with the sigil of the brother in question located at the triangle's peak. Micah could use an acorn for his symbol. Nick...a candle-flame? Nathanial didn't want anything related to Demons, and besides, Nick was better at fire magic than the other two -- it was one of his strengths. Nathanial pondered for a moment, wondering what his own should be. A Dog skull? An eye? A crazy person?

Micah frowned at his father's glowing glyph on the table. "I don't want to learn that. I love Nanny, but I kinda hate her too, so I don't want that to be mine." He looked up at Garret, his usually laughing eyes unusually sober. "You're my dad, so I like being a Marks, but I really don't like what it means, being part of a family of Demon Mages."

The adult sighed and growled, "Yeah, I know. Pick something else. I'd rather the Marks legacy die out, frankly. I'd be happy to see Nick find some guy he likes and have none of you father pups." He grinned diabolically. "I went through so much crap because of them. The horror my parents would feel would be just a small measure of what they deserve."

They sat there for a moment before Micah took another sip of his cocoa, noting his oldest brother's distracted expression. "Whatcha thinking 'bout, Nats?"

"I was thinking about a different symbol we could use." He described his thoughts quickly before adding, "But I don't know what I could use for me."

Micah chirped, "A heart! Oh, oh! Or the Aperture Science symbol! You make tons of portals! You're like Chell, but you don't always fight a crazy computer. Just sometimes, and then you tell him to shut up, or Nick unplugs him."

"Nah, I liked watching that game, but I didn't enjoy playing it. I prefer strategy games or RPGs. And for the heart, that's just too corny. I couldn't do that! Besides, who picks a heart for themselves? That's so arrogant. 'Oh, look at me; I'm so kind and loving, not to mention humble.'"

Micah looked crestfallen. "But that's who you are. You're kind and care about people. You love just about everyone."

Garret smiled deprecatingly at Nathanial. "And forgive people who don't deserve it."

Even Liam joined in. "You make friends with the most unlikely of characters. You are a sweet person, Nathanial. I understand your reticence, and would not pick such an icon in your place, but do not speak harshly when it is suggested. You _are_a loving person."

Snow and Zhaohui said nothing, but their agreement was tangible...sort of. Not physically, but, well, it was there.

Nathanial ducked his head, curling around his tea cup, and felt his ears burning in pleased embarrassment. "Aww, guys, come on. Something else, would you?" Hmm, Snow and Zhaohui... "Umm, what about a yin-yang symbol? My magic is light and dark, mostly dark, but those are the two I seem to be able to use the best."

Liam's voice was dry. "Speaking of humility, let us just choose a symbol of balance and enlightenment. Also, it is called the taijitu, not 'the yin-yang symbol.'" If Nathanial could blush any more, he would have. Liam leaned over and bumped his shoulder against Nathanial's. "I do not disapprove; I was merely stating the irony behind your two thoughts. You are of two natures, and you do utilize two opposing elements. Furthermore, swings in chi from yin to yang do not seem to affect you. It is appropriate on those levels, just not in terms of enlightenment. Or balance."

"I, um... Okay. The, um, taijitu? At the top, then the flame to the right, and acorn to the left." Nathanial looked at Liam. "Do I have to draw it anywhere or just think about it?"

Micah interjected, "But what about Dad? I think Nick would like the flame -- he really likes fire now -- but you should ask him. And Dad needs something, too."

Nathanial sighed and smiled. "All right, all right. I can dispel the symbol without damaging Dad's phone, and that's what I was going to do after practicing the spell and testing it on the phone to make sure it works, but let's throw Dad's new symbol in there." Garret looked at them, stunned; he was obviously drawing a blank. "We'd put his in the middle, of course."

Micah frowned in concentration. Liam stared off into space; he was also having trouble. Nathanial wasn't doing much better. A dollar sign would be insulting and look out of place in the middle of the other three -- that was one of the biggest problems with this design. By putting Dad's in the middle it altered the whole feel of the sigil by altering the way the outer three were perceived. So not only did the symbol have to represent Dad, but it had to, in some sense, represent them.

Liam tapped a claw on the couch cushion for a moment before turning to the older Akita. "Garret, the icon you pick is to represent you, so we should pick something that is a key part of your personality or interests. What are you most proud of?"

Dad shook his head. "I've always felt like I had nothing to be proud about. I was always competing with Gordon as I grew up, competing with my co-workers to get the promotions, with other business people for the most money earned, and so on. I never measured up. I suppose the one thing I excelled at was languages. I know six languages; I don't know any other person in business who knows that many, and even my parents had to acknowledge the achievement...though they said if I put that much work into magic, I wouldn't_need_ to learn them."

Liam nodded. "That is indeed a great accomplishment. I, of course, know more, having learned them across a great many lives, but it gives me an understanding of the difficulty of the task. Even more so, since you learnt those across vast gaps in linguistic families, whereas very few of the languages I studied in any given life did. I commend you."

Dad's fur fluffed up a bit in pleased surprise. Liam's comment was obviously very unexpected and welcome. He hesitated before asking, "Then perhaps a kanji as my symbol. The one for 'forgiven,' maybe?"

Nathanial liked the idea, but he knew it wouldn't fit. Putting that kanji in the middle would make it say that they were forgiven, not Dad. Micah was the one who objected, though. "Um, you are_forgiven, Dad, but putting that in the middle would make the sigil mean something different. Your symbol kinda has to be like _ours to fit. Is there a picture that means lots of languages?"

Garret grimaced. "Your symbols all revolve around magic. I _have_no magic. The only 'specialty' I have is one I despise and won't use."

Liam smiled crookedly. "But it fits, yes? If you put a teardrop shape with no colour in the middle, it will contain many different meanings. Your blood flows through them and is what binds them together; tears of sorrow were shed upon your departure and ones of happiness upon your return; and it is the sweat of your labour which provides for your family. You may even delve into the tasks of the father: you bandage the wounds of your children, you dry their tears, and you coax them into working toward their dreams. A teardrop is quite fitting, even if it does not represent what you feel is your greatest accomplishment: learning many languages."

Garret sighed in defeat. "I get it." He looked at Micah and then Nathanial. "Sorry, guys. You two, and Nick, are my greatest accomplishment and source of pride. I'll take the drop under those meanings, and not to represent my curse, as my symbol. It fits the...theme of yours, like Sensei said, and it won't change the meaning. Micah was right about that; any kanji, word, or other blatant imagery would add the meaning of it onto your three symbols. I guess my sigil would have the triangle pointing down, to make it different from all of yours. Also, that way I wouldn't be putting one son above the other, though I guess one of you would have to be at the bottom point."

Nathanial turned to Liam. "So, now that that is sorted out, do I have to draw the sigil anywhere or just think about it?"

"You may_wish to open the grimoire when seeking to cast a new spell. Drawing is not necessarily required, but it is a great aid in fixing the image in the mind when seeking to cast the spell. For most, the _Mage Sigil spell is of sufficient complexity that any assistance is desirable."

Nathanial opened the grimoire and found that he'd opened it right to the correct page. He began reading it and felt the Shadow Mastiff Grimoire connect to his mind somehow. The spell clicked easily, far easier than the Binding Tentacles spell, but that made sense, considering the difference in complexity. He smiled and stroked the page. "Got it. Can I see your phone for a moment, Dad?"

Garret looked both annoyed and proud. "Sure." He pulled it out of his pocket, and Nathanial levitated it over. The younger Akita tapped his finger onto the back of the Blackberry, near the top-right, and cast the spell. The sigil appeared, glowing with a blue-green light, the same light that the Corpse Candle spell created. It was perfect. Garret grimaced but quickly switched it to a smile. "Well done. First try, too."

Nathanial cringed. "I'm sorry."

Garret moved away from Micah and walked over to sit by Nathanial. He put his arm around his son and pulled him into a hug. "Hey, I mean it, Nathanial. I'm proud of you. I knew you were a lot more powerful and skilled at magic when you tried to feed me to a sarlacc, or whatever that worm-thing was called. I was just annoyed with myself. It's frustrating to have worked at something so long and constantly fail."

Nathanial leaned into his father. "And then have someone you used to consider to be just as bad as you go and get it on the first try? I-I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I do think you might be better than you give yourself credit for -- just in narrow fields. I can open portals to other planes without thinking, butI still can't do a thing with Fire magic. If I tried to compare myself with Nick that way, I'd consider myself an utter failure with magic, too. Or Charms. I'm almost as bad with Charms as I am with Fire, while both my brothers excel at them. _You_are better with Charms than I am." The sigil faded from sight, but it was still there.

Garret laughed and nipped Nathanial's ear. "Who's cheering who up? All right, Dad, I get it." He looked around. "I guess everyone is sleeping in? We're the only ones awake?"

Nathanial scanned the house. Nick was still sprawled out where he last saw him. Geoff and Faelen were sound asleep, cuddled up in Nathanial's bed; the scene was far too adorable to even consider feeling jealous of. Conor was awake and, um, well, occupied with some solo activity; his dick really was_a lot like Geoff's. Dirk was standing at the top of the stairs on the third floor, hesitating and looking toward Conor's room. Nathanial touched his mind, _*Dirk, Conor is awake, but a bit busy. Why don't you come down to the sitting room? Dad, Liam, Micah, and I are here. Everyone else is still asleep.*

Dirk nodded shortly and trotted down the stairs. *If he's awake, I'll get a light breakfast going. Do you have a variety of fruits I can make a salad with? He likes a coffee and some fruit before exercising.*

*Dad has coffee on, and I can get the salad going.* Nathanial put words into action. He addressed his father. "Dirk's on his way down. Conor will be up and about before too much longer." He sent part of his mind down to look at Nick again. Did Donny's dad check on his son the night before Donny left? Did he say, 'I love you?'

Micah bounced to his hindpaws. "Are you making parfaits, Nats?"

Nathanial shook his head in confusion and left Nick's room. "Eh? What?"

"Parfaits. Are you making some? I smell kiwi, but you don't put those in parfait often. Where were you just now, anyway?"

Liam took Garret's phone from Nathanial and set it on the coffee table next to his empty tea cup. "I assume from the consternation on his face that he was checking on Nicholas and thinking of the young suicide victim. Your brother is not Donald Markham; nor are you. His fate has nothing to do with this family. To dwell on such things is to court madness and is tantamount to asking the Moirai to assign such to you. Grieve if you must, but do not create parallels where they are unwarranted."

Nathanial looked down at his lap. "What if there are parallels? What if the Fates are involved? Last night Mom said--"

Micah growled and jumped over the coffee table. He landed in front of Nathanial and smacked him on the top of his muzzle, hard. It really smarted and made Nathanial's eyes water. His baby brother shouted, "She's dead, Nats! She's not talking to you! It's you saying all that stuff to yourself! Stop it! Stop it, now!" He punched Nathanial's shoulder. "Do you care more about her_than _us? Why do you care more about what she says than what we_say? She tried to kill us, she hated us, and she never said a _single_nice thing. I don't _care what you think she said; I say to stop hurting yourself! Don't leave me!" Micah started crying and curled up on the floor around Nathanial's hindpaws. "Stay with us."

Nathanial sat paralyzed on the couch, still cradled in his father's arm. Liam slipped onto the floor by Micah and pulled him into a hug. He looked over the crying boy at Nathanial. "Forget us not, Myo. You are not the only one who fears being abandoned. You have been the only pillar of strength in your brothers' lives. To see that pillar seeking to destroy itself is a pain beyond any beating or harsh words another can deliver, for you reach their hearts in a way no other can."

Nathanial stayed motionless, still stunned by Micah's reaction, but he protested vehemently. "But the only reason they've had any happiness is because I took their pain! The Fates allotted tons of horrible things for them; Mom would've done ghastly things if I didn't stop her by giving her another target. Donny went from being a happy kid to killing himself in the short time I've been happy. It's my fault! If I don't die, Nick will!"

Liam's face contorted in pure fury; it was even worse than when he'd tried to kill Poppy. Nathanial didn't know that was possible. "Bull_fuck_ing shit, Nathanial!" Nathanial saw Dirk freeze on the stairs and Faelen leap out of his bed in a panic, setting Geoff off. Liam let Micah go and stood. He slammed his paw into Nathanial's chest and pushed him back into the couch cushions, nearly tipping the whole thing over. The paw crushing his chest made it hard to breathe, but it hurt less than when Micah hit his muzzle. "You foolish, arrogant_mortal! You _dare claim to know what is even beyond the gods!?"_Liam's voice dropped to a venomous hiss."Beware hubris.You have _finally found an ounce of joy and seek to throw it and all of our happiness away because of some delusion? The Fates do not trade off what is predetermined because of what a mortal does!"

Garret and Micah stayed motionless, as if they were afraid of being seen and getting drawn into the middle of this. Dirk peeped around the corner; he looked as scared as they did.

"If pain was in store for Nicholas, he would be its recipient. There is nothing you could do to stop it." Liam spoke at a conversational volume, even though his voice was scornful; the contempt in his eyes hurt more than either blow. "Mortals. Why do you think the Fates would even care to plot out such minutia? Do you think they would find your life so interesting they would ignore the rest of the world to watch what you do and change their plans accordingly? Not even the most powerful of gods can alter the course they have set out." The anger faded from Liam's eyes just as Geoff and Faelen pounded up the stairs. Liam looked old as he sagged in place -- old and weary. He probably would've toppled over if the paw on Nathanial's chest wasn't propping him up. "I care what you do. I_change my plans based upon your actions. Nicholas will most likely die, true, but _only if you leave him. You affect things, my friend, and can do things beyond my understanding, so it is quite likely any cure for him will require your presence.I repeat Micah's exhortation: Lily Marks is dead; heed not her counsel, for it is the most self-destructive part of you speaking through her image. There is no prophecy in those words. There is no knowledge from beyond the grave. It is merely your own feelings of inferiority, feelings caused by that vile bitch. I hope she rots in Tartarus for what she has done to you." Nicholas appeared behind the taller Canids, peering past them fearfully.

Nathanial knew so many people felt like that, but no matter what he knew in his head, his heart couldn't agree. "I don't. She hurt, too. I don't know why, but she must've been suffering so much to do what she did. I hope she felt better, even a little, after she hurt me."

"She could not, not unless she was irredeemably evil." Liam leaned in to Nathanial, placing his black and tan face close to the orange and white one. "Do you feel better knowing that you hurt Micah and me?" Nathanial shook his head. Liam smiled wanly, and a faint accent crept into his voice. "She was malevolent while you aren't, Sweet One. Please, don't talk about such horrible things. Nothing lasts forever, even immortals, so don't waste time grieving your brothers while they're still here. The best we can do is take comfort when we can, treasure what we have when we have it, and let our loved ones pass when it's time."

Liam closed the short distance between their muzzles and lovingly kissed Nathanial on the lips, slipping his tongue into the Mage's mouth when Nathanial went to gasp in surprise. 'Sweet One? This is...one of Liam's past lives.' Nathanial gently pushed Liam away, turning his head aside to free his muzzle. "Liam? I'm Nathanial, not whoever you think I am. Mo-- Lily may have been...bad, but I don't think anyone is irredeemable. She might have come around if I didn't kill her; I-I stopped her from having that chance."

Liam tapped his finger against Nathanial's lips. "Hush. She chose her fate. You stopped her from denying all magic beings, not just the three of you, a chance at a good life. Do not forget why she sought your death. She believed, or was party to those who believed, that your sacrifice would kill all Spirits, all Mages, all Fey, and all immortals such as the gods or myself. Do not berate yourself, for I thank you for what you did. I am most pleased to still be alive. I have only to look in Faelen's eyes to remind myself of why. Look at Micah, at Nicholas, at Geoff, and do the same."

Nathanial gazed into Liam's eyes, those bottomless, ancient pools, and saw so much warmth and kindness there. So much love. Nathanial was most pleased to still be alive, too.