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Blood and Betrayal

Worth of a Life

Darkness surrounded Lofraine Ulbermasque. While he was forced to be seated by the three brutes that had both saved and condemned him on a cold, uncomfortable, metal chair, he was unrestricted and unbound. Nothing dampening his magical skills, nothing holding down his arms or even legs. The only reason he wasn't lashing out at the moment was a sort of morbid curiosity. He had been blindfolded when the Iconoclasts had taken him out of the Association train and back into Corona so he had no idea where he was. The blindfold was off now but the darkness remained.

A loud bang erupted from around him and a spotlight descended from above, illuminating his body.

“Lofraine Ulbermasque," uttered a deep, rumbling voice. “A pleasure to meet you at long last."

Lofraine kept his head up and defiant. “I take it you are the sponsor of the three that 'saved' my life?"

“I think you and I both know that 'saved' is a very loose term."

There was no denying that. Now that his identity had been revealed in the middle of a contest, it meant that all of his assets were now up for grabs. The Association offered some level of protection to all of its members. Anyone not of the Association attempting to take his fortune would be intercepted by other members. They had a loose sort of agreement to protect one another. Prevent outsiders from learning about the organization that may not have the spirit of the collection at heart. However, now that his identity was revealed - not that it was ever really a big secret - the dam was broken and the flood was coming.

He needed to get back to his offices and start liquidating assets as fast as possible then go underground. It was the only way he could keep his life.

“Tell me what you want and I'll grant it," he growled, gritting his teeth together. “Give me my life and, so long as its within my power, I will grant it."

“So you can tell me the fate of Maxwell Magmillion?"

Lofraine went rigid. “What? Is that all?" He snorted back a laugh. “I'll tell you what I told that pompous Angel. Magmillion is dead."

“I already know what you told Lady Aria Valkyrie. I am more interested in what you didn't tell her."

He grinned savagely. “You've played your hand, Valkyrie. There's no point hiding in the darkness or modulating your voice. I know it's you." Straightening once more, he arrogantly said, “You know if I give the Association your name, you will be their target, right? You and your attack dogs may have condemned me but I will drag you into Adramalech's fiery prison alongside me!"

There was another bang and another spotlight appeared. This time it fell on a shadowy figure who - despite being at the center of the light - remained featureless and obscured.

“You are mistaken," answered the figure. “I still hold the power of anonymity. After all, no one is meant to know the true identities of the Generals."

Lofraine's jaw dropped. This was not what he was expected. The Generals had always pushed for a free and open market. Though the Association had existed long before the Third Demonic War and the rise of the Generals, it was only within the last decade after the war when the Generals advocated for segregated national identity that the Association grew bolder. These bloody games actually only started as recently as nine years ago. Not really as a way to flaunt their influence in the Generals' faces but as a flex amongst one another. They could own all the money in the world but when you could trade in life itself, you could consider yourself truly wealthy. The Generals were not supposed to know about them and even if they did, they had not done anything about it in the past six years.

“You may know me as the Horizon Lord," boomed the ominous General. “I am General Solomon."

General Solomon. The Horizon Lord. Inventor of the warp technologies that allowed select ships and structures to jump from one location to the other and bypass the tumult of the Void entirely. His technology had allowed entire armies to move from Station to Station near instantaneously and provide much needed aid to front lines. Supplies for the recovery effort after the war and to curb the uprising from the Church had been so much simpler thanks to Solomon's tactical mind and technology. Many in the Association had thought he should be a member and scoffed when the General had made the warp technology free. He could easily have had a monopoly on the transport industry. Yet he made it readily available to all. Many members of the Association had developed their own warp companies, building portals and platforms to transport supplies and people across stations. Now there was a competing market but none of the profits went to the inventor.

“Sir," Lofraine began, lowering his head ever so slightly. “I have no stake in the warp industry. What interest do you have in me?"

“As I already said, I want to know everything about Maxwell Magmillion."

Lofraine shook his head in confusion. “I don't understand. His death was very public. As were the companies he took over and then were sold back by his father to their owners. What more is there to tell? If you know everything I told Valkyrie, then I have nothing else to offer."

The General's knowledge of Maxwell likely stemmed from Valkyrie's interference. While the Church still remained a separate entity, Aria Valkyrie had been a very vocal supporter of the Generals. It made sense that she was collaborating with them.

“You never told her about Maxwell's champion."

There, Lofraine went rigid. “I don't -"

“Don't play me for a fool, Ulbermasque. I know that takeovers such as those executed by Maxwell would never have been completed without a competition similar to what you had done for the Reaching Flame. You also made it clear in your report to Valkyrie that the original owners of those companies were reluctant to sell to Maxwell and yet he still won them. Which suggests that there was a game played and Maxwell employed a champion."

The rabbit lowered his gaze. “That… was an Association secret. Valkyrie was never meant to know about the games." He nodded grimly. “I understand. You wish to know everything from the perspective of the Association." Then he lifted his gaze, regarding the General defiantly. “What do I get for telling you this?"

Solomon chuckled. “I am sure you are aware that you have nothing to negotiate with. Yes, I desire your information but you are not the only source I can extract this information from. However, I am also aware that you are a businessman. So let us negotiate." The General paused. Then, with great gravitas, he said, “How much worth do you put in your own life, Lofraine Ulbermasque?"

Lofraine growled. “I will do anything to live. I made my riches without anyone's help. Not my parents. Not my so called 'friends' and certainly not the Association. Joined their ranks because it was convenient for me. They offered me protection from other vultures and their rules kept their members from poaching my assets unless I lost one of their games. I can make my fortune again so long as I get to live. Give me my life and I will tell you everything I want."

“I think not," the General said bluntly. “As I mentioned, your information is fleeting. I can obtain it from other sources. You already gave a list of other people whom Maxwell had engaged amongst the Association so I have other avenues to pursue. You, right now, are just the most convenient. I am not in the business of taking shortcuts, Ulbermasque. When I do something, I do it right. Even if it takes decades to perfect and plan the route, I will not jump to the conclusion if there is another more efficient way to approach it."

The air suddenly became extremely cold. “So take this as a courtesy, Ulbermasque. You have an opportunity to negotiate for your life. I am merely suggesting the information as an opening offering. A minimum. If you wish to guarantee your safety, you will offer more."

Lofraine gawked at just how brutal the General was. The Horizon Lord had always been one of the less public Generals. A secretive member who was mostly seen and heard of in the history books. As far as the public was concerned, he was just a member of the council of twenty and rarely dipped his hand in modern politics.

How wrong they were.

“What do you want?" hissed Lofraine.

“That is not for me to say," the General said dismissively. “You know your assets more than I do. What do you think will convince me to spare your life?"

There, the rabbit smirked. “Do the Generals kill?"

“How foolish of you to ask. We oversaw the deaths of countless during both the Third Demonic War and the Fall of Haven. Personally. Do not doubt that I will be more than willing to execute you for your crimes."

“And what crimes are those exactly, General?" he scoffed. “Participating in blood sports? Sports that you and your cronies partook in yourselves?"

The General laughed. “Ah, your pride and arrogance is amusing. You're thinking that you will use the same line you used previously. That if I reveal your participation in the Association's games, you will drag my name through the mud as well by mentioning how my team had been involved as well. Very amusing."

Lofraine's heart sank. He thought he had the General but those words made him doubt.

“No, Ulbermasque. Those crimes will be dealt with separately. The ones I am talking about is the extortion and abuse of immigrants and asylum seekers."

There, the businessman's eyes widened. “What…? I…"

“The Ash Prince," the General said calmly. “A Searanti asylum seeker who had come to the Incendian mainland looking for a new start away from his barbaric society. Plucked from the ashes by a seemingly charitable organization under your jurisdiction only to be forced to fight in death games for his master. That's enslavement. No Station on Tower Thirteen legalizes that. Let's not forget how you recruited other members of your charities to fight for you. Even barring mention of the Association, you are building your own private army which is a clear danger to national security. Let's not forget the more obvious crimes of money laundering, insider trading and bribery. Trust me, Ulbermasque, you think you may have kept your books clean but I have all the evidence I need to not only strip you of all your assets but make sure you are imprisoned for a very long time."

Lofraine's eyes widened and he jumped to his feet. “Fine! Take it all then! I'll give you everything I have. Just make sure I am safe and the Association doesn't get me! What they'll do to me is far worse than anything you could ever do."

“Is that a challenge?" the General chuckled. “Ah, but just to make it clear. You are willingly handing over ownership of all your assets to the Generals in exchange for protection."

“Yes. Just take it all."

Light danced in front of Lofraine's eyes forming a panel with a contract on it for him to sign.

“Sign it," ordered the General. “And tell me about the Maxwell's champion."

Lofraine sighed and began scrolling through the contract. It was blunt. It listed all of his assets even those that were under shell companies and hidden behind other CEOs in the vast network of the Association. He bit his lower lip as he realized just how much the Generals knew about him.

“He went under the moniker the 'Firefighter'," Lofraine said, flipping through the pages of the contract. “He was powerful. More powerful than any of the other Association members' champions. He wielded a bizarre sword and had an unusual control over Pyromancy. Even branches of Pyromancy like Steam Magic, Bluefire Arts or that weird demon fire. He seemed to be able to command it all."

“What happened to him when Maxwell died?"

“No one knows. But the rest of the Association has its theories." Lofraine paused as he came to the last page which required him to sign. “They think that he and Maxwell had a fight over something or perhaps he got too ambitious. We think he killed Maxwell. But he's disappeared and no one has seen or heard of him since."

Lofraine sighed one more time and signed the contract.

“There," he announced. “Is there anything else?"

The spotlight over the General went out and so too did the one over him. The contract winked out of existence.

“No. That will be all."

…

Alexander Clarke watched quietly from one side of the one-way mirror. The interrogation room in the Inquisition office sat empty save for Lofraine who remained standing in the center of the room, gazing off to nowhere. Rayne entered the observation room complete with the contracts that Lofraine had just signed. He handed them over to Alex who reviewed them quickly.

“What was the purpose of this illusion again?" asked the Demon Prince. “You already extracted the information about the Firefighter from him in a previous illusion." He pointed at the papers. “Is acquiring his assets really that important?"

“Whatever you want to say about Lofraine, the Association is a cancer on our society," Alex said. “Even if we take him out of the equation, all those companies are just going to change hands and go to other members of the Association, fueling their ambitions and these deadly sports."

“So you're going to take them, put them under the Generals and make sure they're out of reach of the Association." Rayne sighed and glanced back at the cell. “The idiot didn't even know he was in an illusion."

“That's the power of Domination," Alex said, leafing through the pages one more time. “An illusion so powerful that I've basically cast an illusion over his memories. He has no memory of the past five times that he's been under my control. He doesn't remember telling me all of his assets so that we could draw up this contract, he doesn't remember telling us about the Firefighter, what he did to the to the Ash Prince, to his employees and all his other numerous crimes. If I wanted to, I could cast an illusion so powerful that he will think he's always been our ally or that he loves me unconditionally and we've been dating on-and-off for the past ten years."

He handed the documents back to Rayne. “Doesn't change fact, though. Other people will point out the flaws in his beliefs and there won't be a paper trail to the fact. His memories will never change but his belief will change." He shrugged dismissively. “Could lead to a complete mental breakdown or him going on a rampage. I couldn't care less."

“Unusually cold for you, Alex."

He stared at his friend darkly. “That asshole threatened my son. He should be grateful that I let him keep some semblance of sense and I didn't turn his brain into scrambled eggs."

“To be fair, JD went on that mission on his own. No one knew he was there."

Alex laughed softly and lowered his gaze. “I've long learned that trying to shackle my son is like trying to catch the winds." He glanced back to Lofraine. “I am grateful he was there. Terrified that he got hurt as much as he did. Proud at how accustomed he got to Conflagration."

“I don't think we would've made it out of there alive. We didn't even know the Ash Prince was after us until we heard the fighting." Rayne crossed his arms behind his head. “There's no stopping what comes next, though. Aria will be on a rampage."

Alex waved the contracts. “Thankfully, 'General Solomon' will find it in his good graces to offer her some of these charities as recompense." He smirked. “She's itching for some purpose so that her family doesn't force her to give up her life for the next generation. Maybe overseeing a once-corrupt charity or two and guiding it back to the 'right path' will occupy her long enough to overlook our little deception."

“She'll still be mad at us for letting it get this far," Rayne sighed. “I can hear her now…" Lifting his voice so that it was comically shrill and not at all like Aria's melodious tones, he said, “'You two are meant to be responsible adults and chaperones and yet here I find you endangering three out of the four students that are under your charge! What do you have to say for yourself!?'"

Alex laughed again, this time a little brighter. “We'll tell her that not only have we discovered more about Maxwell - particularly the Firefighter - but took out a dangerous, bloodthirsty oligarch in the process and potentially freed hundreds of employees from under his influence."

“Think that'll fly?"

Alex turned back to Lofraine. “We'll have to see. For now, I'm going to give Lofraine another crack."

Rayne's expression grew concerned. “What for? You still think he's hiding something?"

“Maybe. I'm going to make it seem like it's twenty years later and he's on the sunny beaches with the military bodyguard that was assigned to watch him as part of General Solomon's agreement."

The Demon Prince inclined his head to the side. “Why…?"

“People are more often to let secrets slip when their loved ones are dying in their arms." Alex gave him a dark grin. “He and the bodyguard will have fallen in love, never officially marrying, and have let their guard down. After a passionate night of lovemaking, an Association assassin is going to kill the guard. The Generals will try to assign him another identity and guard. Hopefully in the process, he will provide any final details that may have remained hidden in his consciousness."

Rayne quirked an eyebrow at him. “You just want to see what it'd be like to fuck him, don't you?"

“Maybe. Now either leave or stay. It's going to get freaky."

The Demon Prince shook his head and took the contracts. “I'm going to get these filed and actioned. Just don't leave a mess, Alex. You're trying to be a role model, remember?"

Alex grinned after him before turned back towards Lofraine, still standing numbly in the middle of the interrogation room. When Rayne left, the Wulfun lifted a paw towards the glass.

“Alright, Lofraine Ulbermasque… or should I call you… Loffy? Yeah. That's a good pet name to have been built over twenty years. You hated it at first but… Kamden Shrike, the rough and tumble… let's make him a Bovios… yeah. Big meaty bull with a bit of a gut but still hard abs." Alex licked his muzzle. “Oh and red hair. I'm in the mood for ginger recently… You're on the beach, twenty years after that fateful day when you signed your agreement with General Solomon…"

Busted

A sense of betrayal hung in the air and with it came fury.

In the dormitory common room, Aria stood over Kane and Wood absolutely fuming. Rayne and Alex were excused as they were processing Lofraine Ulbermasque. Skye was sure Aria would have words with her demonic counterpart when he was back but for now, her ire was directed at the other two members of the Iconoclasts. Skye had to admit that he was disappointed as well. Not just in Kane and Wood but in everyone else who had kept him out of their plans.

He was shocked when he heard that the trio had formed their own underground gladiator team and had competed in the Association's blood sports in an attempt to pry the secrets of Firefeather from the clandestine organization. While he was involved in Aria's outward investigation to follow Maxwell Magmillion's movements, he was not involved in her secretive attempts to track Kane. More than anything, he felt left out.

Part of him wished he had thought about going rogue and playing both sides like JD but he was not nearly as stealthy as the Red Lightning. Admittedly, JD's actions had earned him an arm in a sling and a thick bandage over one of his thighs. Magic and medicine infused into the bandages was gradually healing the injury thankfully.

For now, Skye just stood silently as Aria berated Kane and Wood for their recklessness while JD sat off to the side, eyes closed and an enigmatic smile on his muzzle.

“I just can't believe how reckless you two were!" Aria exclaimed. Wood hung his head low while Kane was leaning back in the big, comfortable chair, arms crossed and looking bored. “You could have been killed! Were it not for JD's timely intervention, you might as well have been!"

“Thanks for that, coz," Kane yawned loudly. “You know I could've creamed that Searanti shithead on my own but you just had to take the glory from me."

“Don't you dare bring him down to your level," Aria snapped. “What he did actually advanced our investigation whereas if you had simply won the Reaching Flame through the competition, you would have nothing more than a hollow company and a debt to the Association! He forced Lofraine Ulbermasque to turn on the Association and is likely now being forced to spill everything he knows to Alex!"

There, Kane grinned broadly. “Oh yeah. And who do you think is our 'sponsor' for these events, huh? We can't exactly join the Association without having someone backing us, remember?"

“I'm well aware of Alex's involvement in your little scheme," she hissed. “I will have words with him afterwards but that does not absolve you of your actions. You cannot blame him for your own choices. You are an adult and you certainly did not need to jump at the opportunity to engage in blood sports! Why were you even doing this!? What was the purpose behind it!?"

Her eyes darted towards JD. “While we are on the topic of the House Clarke… Jack, your actions were even more reckless! You snuck into the Association without anyone else's knowledge, infiltrated their coliseum, made your way through their skybox and basically assassinated one of their top members! From my understanding, competitors are given the protection of anonymity thanks to some code the Association operates under. Your actions, however, are not under such protection! They could very well start sending assassins for your head!"

Kane growled. “They could very well try."

JD opened his muzzle to offer an excuse but Skye raised his paw and stood up. As a shaman, Skye was attuned to the latent Spirit energy in the environment. When people's emotions ran high, they imprinted their emotions in everything from the smallest grain of sand to the very furniture that they sat upon. Kane's indignation and stubbornness was infused into his chair. The ground beneath Aria seethed with her frustration, worry and fear. She was not actually angry. Just venting her concern. Wood had no regret hovering over his head but he was feeling guilty over being caught.

This meant he also picked up the emotions from those beyond their immediate group.

“Lady Valkyrie, if I may?" he said gently, sagely. Aria calmed some what and nodded towards him. “What is your reasoning for being so mad?"

“I am not your mother," sighed Aria, running a hand down her face. “I am your warden and guardian. It is my responsibility to look after you all. Though I may have only been assigned to you, Skye, after what happened at the Lost Fleet, I feel responsible for you all. It would be negligent of me not to. I am also well aware that you three have strong personalities and wouldn't just leave this investigation as is which is why I never asked you to stop."

“Then why are you so fucking mad?" Kane growled.

“Because I expected you to have at least come to me for backup!" she snapped back. “To talk about this like rational people and honor the agreement we had when we voted not to pursue the path of these death games. We've already risked our lives. It's how you went behind my back and did the exact opposite of what we agreed to."

Kane cocked an eyebrow at her. Clearly, he wasn't ready for that answer and threw back the most indignant and infuriating look he could muster. That was a first.

That sense of betrayal continued to hang in the air and Skye felt it was time to speak.

“Huh… I wonder what sort of drama is going on over there."

He was pointing off to the other side of the common room. Some other students were arguing, also with their chaperones. Skye's brow furrowed and he perked his ears. From reading the aura in the air, he could see… concern, hopelessness and fear.

“Why does it matter?" asked Wood. “You can't change the subject, Skye."

Skye tilted his head slightly. “I'm not. I'm genuinely pointing to that group because it's relevant to our discussion." Gesturing towards the other group, he said, “One of them is possessed by this ancient Fallen who wants to rampage across the Station and clap everyone with a Sin so she can reduce the world to a fiery orgy. She can feel the consciousness creeping in on her and every night, she sees this huge, fiery lake where Fallen rise from and consume the world."

Aria's eyes widened. “That sounds serious…"

“Oh it is. They just hit a dead-end in their investigation on how to exercise the consciousness because she can't remove the Sin clamped onto her wrist. So they were seriously considering amputation. I just told them not to give up and maybe the solution isn't to stop the consciousness but try and placate the spirit and understand why she wants to make it so everyone has hot, smoldering sex."

“I… see…"

Skye tucked his paws into the pockets of his pants. “Lady Valkyrie, I understand your concern and your sense of responsibility is truly remarkable. But remember, Pinnacle isn't your typical place of study. It's filled with remarkable people. Each of us has our own story. We're not the only ones facing a world-ending scenario." He pointed across the common room. “Those guys over there are trying to stop this crazy scientist from outdoing the most powerful fire spell in the world that they fear will set the world ablaze." Then he pointed across the room. “Those guys over there just learned of an ancient grimoire that could potentially bring back the dead using Pyromancy and there is a crazy Church Cardinal that has taken it to the top of the Grey Mountains. They're preparing themselves in their 'right-before-the-final-battle-huddle'."

Aria glanced from group to group, panic crossing her features.

“I'm not saying we shouldn't care," Skye continued “but what I am saying is that Pinnacle isn't just some average college. It's a college designed to train the heroes and leaders of the future. Everyone here are on their own adventures. Not all of them are world-ending." He pointed again to a new Avios who had just stepped into the common room and to the matter converters to get himself some coffee. “That guy right there is actually the vigilante Duskhawk. He's righting wrongs and has his own rogues gallery of villains. I'm pretty sure there's a tragic back story thrown in there somewhere."

“Is the world so broken that there are so many in need of help from those still fresh to the world?" she wondered.

“I like to consider it more like we're saving the world while making sure we actually have a future outside of being saviors." Skye offered Aria a gentle smile. “After all, if all you know is to save the world, what will you do when the world doesn't need saving anymore, right?"

Aria opened her mouth to say something but immediately shut it. Seeing her stunned made Kane let out a barking laugh.

“I really appreciate you looking after us, Lady Valkyrie," Skye concluded, “But also don't underestimate us. I mean, Kane, Wood and Rayne did make it out of those death games and escaped a rampaging mob that were after Lofraine's blood. Let's not forget that we all helped take down Rahl. It was a team effort." Before Aria could protest, Skye turned towards Kane and Wood. “Doesn't mean you two were completely right. She is right. Even if we suddenly got ownership of the Reaching Flame, it wouldn't mean anything as we wouldn't get any information from Lofraine. If I recall, he actually rejected Maxwell's offer to sell the Flame. We should focus on the fact that we need to find FireFeather and combine our efforts." His blue eyes focused onto Kane. “We can't go off on our own on a whim without any purpose behind it or considering the future. Otherwise it just becomes an empty achievement. Another empty trophy that is stacked with the others."

Wood visibly grimaced. Those last few words triggered both Kane and Aria. He could see their emotions flare instantly.

“Alright," Kane grumbled, clearly seething beneath the surface of his barely calm veneer. “Let's work together." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. “Fall in line, Your Holiness. We don't want to make an enemy of the Association, right? Only way we can do that is to play by their rules and fight our way up the ladder."

“And with what assets?" Aria countered. “Do you even know which one we should go after? No? Who was the one that obtained the list of people Maxwell engaged before dying?"

Skye shuffled over to Wood and JD, the latter holding a sour look on his face like he had just eaten a lemon. “I was this close," he chuckled holding his thumb and forefinger apart by about half an inch.

“Never expected them to actually come to an agreement," JD admitted, scratching the side of his cheek. “You were doing really well there. Then you gave them an opening."

Wood sighed and crossed his arms behind his head. “I'm thinking we're pretty much banned from working the Association angle now, right?"

“At least until things cool off with Lofraine for the moment," agreed the Red Lightning. His cheery mood faded somewhat and for the briefest of seconds, Skye could see something besides the seemingly simple and carefree aura that his friend seemed to constantly give off. There was a flicker of cold calculation. It was gone the next instant. “Regardless of whether or not Aria ends up agreeing on letting you guys push for further Association battles, the Association itself is going to be wary about you now. You were the guys that made out with Lofraine and who knows what my dad and Rayne are going to do to the guy. They'll be watching his assets and the market closely. They could still figure out who we are if they trace the money."

“I guess that's true." Wood smirked at JD. “After all, we did have someone basically assassinate Lofraine. Who is to say they weren't on our side?"

There, JD flashed him a grin. “Exactly why I attacked him while you were doing your match. Makes it seem like you had nothing to do with it. I was sure to keep my identity hidden as well." He began counting off all the steps he had taken. “Sabotaged the security systems so that all the recordings were on a loop. Bypassed any and all magical imprints. Worked around scanners and made sure no one actually saw my face. The only person that would have gotten a good look at me is Lofraine and my dad will work that out of him."

Jack Denver Clarke - student, assassin and the Red Lightning. Skye was constantly amazed at his friend's precision and care. Though he didn't agree with everything JD did, he was constantly surprised that when he actually applied himself, whatever he did was done with such accuracy that it was utterly uncanny.

“How did you find out where Kane and Wood were?" Skye asked.

“I'd been spying on Aria, Hunter and Tanar just as much as I'd been keeping an eye on Kane," JD responded with a shrug. “I was sure none of them trusted Kane to actually stick to the vote but I wasn't sure which one of them would act. Then I found out that Hunter planted a tracking device on Spicy Meatball so I just followed him."

“Clever." Skye arched an eyebrow. “Though the way you described it, you managed to navigate through the coliseum like you'd been there before."

There it was again. That flicker of emotion beyond the untroubled aura that JD usually gave off. Was that… concern? Worry? A brief crack in the armor of near-perfection? It was gone almost instantly the next second. The shaman had to wonder what kind of mind could process information that quickly.

“I actually had a lot of time to explore the coliseum," JD said. There was no hint of deception in his voice or in his aura. “There was a lot of preamble before the match actually started. Lots of grandstanding and pre-game shows to hype up the crowd. Brutal too."

Wood grimaced in agreement. “I remember. I'm a Fallen but even I had to agree that some of the bullshit they showed was downright brutal."

Again, no deception but something about it seemed… wrong. Skye just couldn't put his finger on it. JD wasn't lying to him but… it still felt like he was being lied to.

“So what then?" barked Kane angrily at Aria. Their attention was brought back to the argument between the two. “What the fuck are we supposed to do now? Just sit down and do nothing?"

“Prepare," Aria responded grimly. “We don't know what the Association is capable of. If one of their lesser members was able to hire someone as powerful as the Ash Prince, we need to be careful what some of their most well-established members can do. For now, lay low. We'll take the information we have and stare investigating on our end. As far as the Association knows, your actions are in no way linked to my investigation." She held up her had before Kane blew up on her again. “Think of it as a pincer maneuver. While we have our enemies currently distracted with you, I am free to attack them form behind."

A dark grin crossed Kane's features. “Going in for the backstab, Lady Valkyrie? Didn't know you had it in you to be so underhanded."

“Remind me to tell you of the many times I've had to go around Lumire and Harm's backs." She rolled her eyes. “Especially Harm. He has always been manipulative and extremely adaptive. There are numerous times I've had to throw him to the figurative wolves knowing full well that he would survive."

“You?" Kane laughed. “The venerable Templar Valkyrie betrayed someone? The scandal."

She gave him a pointed look and a smirk. “Do you know the event known as the 'Rise of the Wyvern Queen'?"

Skye's paw went up instinctively. Wood had to gently grab his arm, pull it down and remind him they were not in a classroom.

Kane inclined his head to the side. “Yeah. Happened a while ago. Some chick got hold of some ancient crown and made every Red Wyvern in Tower Thirteen go nuts. You had to put her down."

“Indeed," Aria responded grimly. “But did you know that Harm was initially sent to kill her?" Her gaze turned to the distance. “The Red Wyverns were causing a lot of destruction not only here on Incendius but other Stations that had them. Harm and I had deduced what was happening and Lumire had charged him with eliminating her. Harm didn't hesitate as he saw the bigger picture. I was more empathetic to the girl after I had learned her story. I pleaded with them both to let me at least teach her to control her powers and to help her understand what was happening around the world. Neither of them agreed."

Her eyes turned back to Kane. “So I may have purposefully led a flock of wyverns to Harm's position and had them attack him while I made my way to the Wyvern Queen and tried to calm her."

“You bitch!" Kane laughed. “I mean, it would've been cooler if he hadn't been an immortal Chronomancer but still! You bitch!"

Also rather hypocritical of her to be lecturing Kane about going against the communal vote when both Lumire and Harm voted to kill the Wyvern Queen and she went against it. Then again, this was not a question of going against the majority. It was a question of reaching out to everyone else for support. Aria trusted Harm and Lumire to protect her and they did the same. Kane and his group had attacked the angle without support; treated everyone else like enemies.

That was the issue.

She smiled faintly. “All for naught, I'm afraid. I had to be the one the put her down in the end."

“Makes it sweeter," Kane laughed. He sighed and crossed his arms. “Fine. I'm not an idiot. Your plan sounds good and totally brutal. I'm going to love the look on those rich asshole's faces when they realize that we've been working together. But you're not sidelining us, got it? You keep us in the loop with everything you do."

“And you will do the same," she countered.

“Sure if you want to know when I jack off and who I do it with…"

She called his bluff. “Of course. I might even be able to give you some advice. I do have millennia of knowledge, after all."

And he called her bluff as well. “You? The virgin Angel? The one who can't have unprotected sex for fear of getting pregnant and then having to kill herself so that the population of Angels always remains the same? You would give me advice about how to fuck?"

“Once again, of course," she countered, her smile growing wider. “If I can only have sex once in my life, I would naturally need to make sure it is the most mind-blowing, orgasmic event of my entire existence."

Kane's grin matched hers. “Well shit. We need to compare notes."

Skye threw his paws up into the air and turned to leave. “Okay, yep. Getting into weird territory now. I'm out."

JD agreed and turned to leave as well. “I have some classes I'd like to attend. My Remote Detonation Fireball could use some work. I'm leaving too."

“I'm staying," Wood said with a broad grin across his face.

As the two friends left the common room, Skye suddenly found JD's paw on his shoulder. When he glanced over, there was another brief flicker of something in JD's aura. His features were grave.

“Skye, something just occurred to me," he said. “What did you mean when you accused Kane of adding another empty trophy to his collection?"

The Tigris regarded his normally observant friend curiously. “You mean you don't see it?"

JD shook his head, genuinely confused at the question.

“Kane is naturally talented," answered the shaman. “He excels in everything he does with very little effort. But he's gotten to the point where barely anything excites him anymore. He doesn't have a path forward." He gestured back in the direction of the common room. “Everyone has a goal in mind. I do. You do."

Even if whatever JD's 'goal' remained an enigma, Skye mentally added.

“But for Kane? He doesn't have an endgame. He is literally just doing whatever will annoy everyone else for the sake of passing the time. He has no purpose." Skye nodded back int he direction of the big bear that they were talking about. “Even if we find FireFeather, I'm willing to bet that if Kane just keeps doing what he's doing, he's going to celebrate the achievement and then feel empty right afterwards."

“Because it's not his goal…?"

“Right. He's not invested in it. I don't think he genuinely cares about finding the sword. He's just doing it because everyone is telling him not to."

JD's eyes drifted downwards, a look of worry on his muzzle and his whiskers twitching.

Skye clapped his friend's shoulders. “But I'm sure, given time, he'll find his purpose."

“I hope so." The Red Lightning offered him a weak smile. “I imagine Kane dying in glorious ways. Going out like a badass. I just never thought that he might fall to ennui of all things."

That made him grin and snicker.

“And yet, it's also the most appropriate way for him to go. To die of boredom."

Under Fire

The office of Phulton Immigration Law was extravagant and screamed of the Xaosian heritage of its founder. Concrete - which was not very common on Incendius - dominated the structure with reflective glass being the only other major component. Compared to the more artistic and religious architecture of Incendius, it was distinctly out of place; a solid blue mirror-like block in the middle of a glistening white city. However, that was exactly what attracted many people to the building and its residents.

Aria had to admire a self-made woman such as Raifraize Phulton. She had been established on Haven before the Fall and her practice and expertise in immigration law served her well when she moved to Incendius to avoid the turmoil in what been the heart of the world. From there, she had established herself as well-versed in the intricacies of immigration law and had helped refugees from Haven immigrate and find work on Incendius.

Her ambitions didn't stop there. Judging from the posters and signage outside of her building promoting her for the office of Minister of Justice, she clearly had high ambitions. Sadly, such advertising practices were lost on Incendians who were not used to the aggressive messaging common on the upper Stations.

Aria stepped through the revolving doors with Tanar and Alex right beside her. She felt a little out of place amongst the marble floors, the air-conditioned atrium and the various mechanical screens that played news feeds from all over the world. Media was still a budding industry on Incendius but thanks to the Generals, there were some channels playing some short news segments.

She stepped up to the receptionist and introduced herself, mentioning that she had an appointment with Raifraize. Asked to take a seat and wait, Aria gazed around the reception area. There were various posters of blown up covers of magazines that all praised Raifraize for one thing or another. Articles about cases won and her contributions to the community of Corona and Incendius as a whole were also on full display.

It was impressive and someone else would have praised her for achieving so much.

But to Aria, it was very clear that this was all cleverly placed to intimidate people who stepped through that door. Potential enemies would balk at her importance while clients would be humbled in her presence. It gave her the advantage. An impressive tactic but one that she was not falling for.

“Lady Valkyrie," the receptionist chimed. “Miss Phulton will see you now."

Aria thanked the woman and stepped into the elevator that took her, Alex and Tanar up to Raifraize's office at the very top of the building. Again, this was a tactic. Incendians were generally not used to lifts or elevators. Most of their buildings never had more than three storeys and those that did either had long spiraling staircases or some form of magical mode of transportation. This technology placed at the center of Corona sent a clear message: 'You are in Raifraize Phulton's domain and she has all the power'.

When the elevator doors sprang open, Aria was greeted by an entire office that took up the entire floor. There was a ridiculously long carpet that cut through the marble floors that led directly to a large, horse-shoe-shaped desk against the backdrop of the Corona skyline. Walls filled with awards, accolades and more printed articles framed the slim Bovios with fiery red hair and sleek, black fur. She wore a suit that framed her impressive endowment in a modest light while making it clear that sexuality was one of her weapons. Her hair was tied back in a neat little bun while two simple gold earrings were placed in her ears. Keen blue eyes were fixed on Aria and watched them as they approached. Her warm, welcoming smile exuded an aura of calm and professionalism but there was a predatory edge to it when combined with the analytical stare in her eyes.

“Lady Valkyrie, a pleasure," she greeted. She held up her hand about shoulder height with her palm facing forward. Aria met the greeting by pressing her palm against hers and guiding their pressed fingers around in a circle - typical Havenese greeting. Phulton had done her research. “Please, have a seat."

Given that there were three seats in front of her, it was clear that their host had prepared for them.

“Thank you," Aria said, parking herself in the center seat.

“Can I offer you any refreshments?" asked Phulton. “We have some starleaf tea if you desire?"

Starleaf tea was exclusive to Haven. The starleaf plant could only survive in the close proximity to Chrysalis Core. If Phulton had that kind of tea, it was clearly imported… and expensive.

“No thank you," Aria said, shaking her head.

“I'll pass," Alex grunted.

“I'm fine, thanks," agreed Tanar. “Miss Phulton, let's get straight to the point. We're here to inquire about your dealings with Maxwell Magmillion."

Phulton arched one eyebrow as she sat back down on her leather seat. “That's a name I haven't heard for several years. Not since I bought back one of my holdings from his father after his tragic death. Why the sudden interest?"

That was Alex's cue. “Allow me to introduce myself," began the red Wulfun. “Alexander Clarke. Currently a chaperone for students at Pinnacle while also serving as a military consultant to the Generals. I'm sure you've heard about Lady Valkyrie's recent discovery of the Lost Incendian Fleet?"

Phulton's eyes glimmered. “Ah yes! It's all over the news. Such a discovery, Lady Valkyrie. The historical implications are tremendous. I'm sure we will be scouring the Fleet for years to come."

“Very likely," agreed Alex. “However, Lady Valkyrie had also discovered that she wasn't the only recent visitor to the Lost Fleet. In fact, she discovered that Maxwell had been there before her and managed to escape. He was apparently on the fleet for an entire year which coincides with -"

Phulton's expression darkened. “The year he disappeared… I see. And what does this have to do with me?"

“I'm sure you've also heard of Lofraine Ulbermasque's recent troubles?" Aria chimed in. “We're not sure exactly what happened but he has been in a rush to liquidate his assets and has supposedly disappeared. We fear that this might have something to do with Maxwell."

“And what makes you say that?"

Aria outlined the bogus theory that she, Alex and Tanar had concocted after piecing together what Lofraine knew versus what they knew. First, she claimed that Maxwell had returned with something from the Lost Fleet. Using public knowledge that a 'rogue AI' had attacked them on their excursion to the Fleet, she then spun a tale that…

“… Maxwell Magmillion may have inadvertently or maybe purposefully seeded the fragments of the AI's contingency plan in your companies."

Phulton's features fell. “You must be joking."

“If only I were," Aria responded grimly. “Maxwell died under mysterious circumstances. From what we could tell, he was an accomplished Pyromancer and a fit adventurer. No mere fire would have killed him. Yet he still died in a fire. Now, merely a month after we come back from the Fleet and managed to defeat the AI, Lofraine Ulbermasque, whom we had interrogated about Maxwell, has dropped off the map."

There was an air of confidence around Phulton. Though her features spoke of worry, there was just something in her words and the way she sat that screamed she was without worry. “Could it be that Lofraine's disappearance could be an entirely unrelated matter?"

“It's possible," replied Tanar. “However, we're not in the business of taking chances, Miss Phulton. That artificial intelligence was dangerous, insane and had complete disregard for life. If it were unleashed in some way shape or form, I fear that it could wreak havoc all over Incendius and beyond."

“And why have you come to me?" Phulton tilted her head.

They were prepared for this.

“Lofraine provided us a list of people whom Maxwell had bought assets from before those same assets were sold back by his father after his death," Alex provided. “Of those people, you are the most technologically advanced. The others appear to be native Incendian businessmen and women but you are from Xaos and freely flout your technological capacity. If that AI got a hold of your tech…"

Phulton laughed softly. “I understand your worry but Incendius doesn't even have a working internet let alone a decent network. You have nothing to worry about."

“Be that as it may, we'd still like to scour your systems and files for any traces of the AI."

There, Phulton gave them a smile that Aria had come to know as the 'lawyer smile' - pleasant, comforting but with a smug edge after knowing that they knew they would win.

“Mr. Clarke, you must know that while I am more than willing to cooperate with the authorities, I cannot simply grant access to my systems and files without just cause. If you were to obtain a warrant, then I will be more than happy to grant you all the access you need under review from one of my senior partners, of course."

“Of course," Alex responded, smiling tightly. “Given that you are so cooperative, you wouldn't mind answering a few questions off the record?"

“As long as it is off the record."

Alex nodded and leaned forward. “What exactly was the business that Maxwell bought from you?"

Phulton leaned back and drummed her fingers on the table. “A sort of off-shoot branch of Phulton Immigration Law. Phulton Patents. It was designed to spearhead and protect Incendian inventors in what is essentially a dog-eat-dog market. Given how Incendius has always been traditionally behind in terms of technology, what innovations they come up with is easy prey from someone more… industrious from other Stations. Since patent-law is new here on Incendius as well, it would be very easy for someone to steal a local idea, refine it on another Station and sell it for millions on their own. Patents was designed to protect Incendian intellectual property."

“Sounds noble," Tanar quipped. “Did he do anything to change it while it was under his leadership?"

“Changed the name first and foremost," sighed Phulton with a bit of a grumble. “Simply called 'Incendius Ideas' and instead of just protecting patents from Incendius, it became an investment bank. Took its money and invested it in inventors and then helped them market their product around the world."

The three exchanged glances. Phulton caught the look immediately.

“What was that look?" she asked.

“Maxwell tried to buy the Reaching Flame charity from Lofraine," Aria mused. “The Reaching Flame was designed to help people displaced by the Fall of Haven migrate to Incendius. Incendius Ideas seems to have been designed to do the opposite… to push things out of Incendius to the rest of the world."

Phulton inclined her head. “Interesting. Almost sounds like Maxwell was trying to get talent into Incendius, taking advantage of people's loss from the war and then profiteering off their ideas. But that is conjecture. Proof is what you need. Then again, there's no use persecuting a dead man especially since the company was sold back to me at a loss on my part."

Aria nodded in agreement. “Of course. We must base our activities on evidence, after all." She offered Phulton a gentle smile. “Forgive my curiosity but now that you have taken ownership back of Phulton Patents -"

“I kept the name," said the experienced lawyer. “There was much good will that was attached to Incendius Ideas and I would not squander that."

“I see." Aria cleared her throat. “So now that you once again own Incendius Ideas, which direction are you taking it? Further, why did you buy it back at a loss no less?"

Phulton offered a bitter smile. “I admired Maxwell. He was ambitious. I could sympathize with his desire to remove himself from the shadow of his toxic father. As much as I hate the idea of indulging that misogynistic, withered prune, I didn't want Maxwell's legacy to be marred by that asshole's careless spending habits. That's why I kept the name of his company. It's also why I continue to pursue his vision for it. We invest in new and upcoming technologies and even help represent entrepreneurs in other Stations so that they are not taken advantage of."

“Very noble," Tanar agreed. “Allow me to bring us back to the topic at hand. Have you noticed anything strange with the systems or people under your employ?"

The Bovios tented her hands in a similar way that Lofraine did when they had met. “Perhaps it would help me to understand what exactly it is that I should be looking for."

Aria had anticipated this line of questioning which was why they had brought Tanar along. Amongst the other members of the Godslayers, the bespectacled Leomian was the only one that had studied Rahl's mentality and techniques in length. His weapons had helped in that regard.

Tanar lifted the Codex Infernis and waved his clawed fingers of Flarecaster over the pages. Metal seeped out of the runes of the tome, curling together to form a ribbed sphere with a single, silvery flame maintained inside.

“The AI on the Fleet was obsessed with creating an 'artificial soul' and infusing it into machinery," Tanar explained. “It partially succeeded. Taking its own experiences, it was able to fragment itself and imprint the beginnings of a soul inside metal. From there, this nascent soul would start building itself."

“Sounds like it was merely replicating itself."

“Pretty much but this AI had one dangerous advantage." Tanar crushed the ball of metal in his clawed hand. “It had no qualms using these souls to power magical spells. These entities made of pure Spirit energy were just batteries for it."

There, Phulton's eyes widened and she dropped her hands. “I… see…"

From an early age in every Station, every person was taught about the dangers and advantages of using Spirit energy directly. Most magic used Force energy and while it was significantly weaker and could drain the physical body from its use, Force energy was easily recoverable. Just eat, rest and sleep and your Force reserves would recover with time. Spirit energy, however, came from one's memories, mental stability and thoughts. Using it was a one-way street. There was no recovering Spirit energy that was expended. The advantage was that it was exponentially more powerful than using Force energy.

Really, it was a miracle that they had managed to defeat Rahl.

“I can resolutely say that we have not encountered anything of the like but we will be sure to keep our eye out for anything strange. Especially sentient soul-like machinery."

She bought the bait. Good. That would throw her off their scent and hold up the facade that they had legitimate concerns. There was no risk of Rahl's spawn spreading out from the fleet. Skye had seen to that.

“Please don't hesitate to contact us if you hear anything," Alex said. “Just contact Pinnacle and ask for us."

“Thank you for your concern." Phulton stood and once again held up her hand. “I look forward to your return with that warrant so I may give you access to our records legally."

Aria stood and made a circular motion with her hand, palm forward without touching Phulton's hand - a more abridged version of the greeting. “Thank you for your cooperation."

Phulton returned the gesture and saw them to the lift but didn't enter with them.

The three remained silent for the most part until they left the office and were a few buildings down.

“What do you think?" Alex asked.

“She's clearly hiding something," Aria responded. “But it was enlightening that Maxwell seemed to redirect the efforts of the Incendius Ideas to something seemingly more profitable. Anyone would be a fool not to buy back such a fortunate investment."

Tanar let out a thoughtful hum. “I genuinely wonder why he made that abrupt change in direction. Moving from patent law to investments in new ideas could've been better achieved by just creating your own company instead of buying someone else's resources."

“I think that's where the issue is," Alex mused. “The resources. Why did Maxwell want Incendius Ideas? The people? The location? The connections?" The wolf shook his head. “We won't know more until we get that warrant." He padded ahead of them. “I'll reach out to my contacts in the military and get one expedited. Might take a day or two but I'll get it."

“Thank you, Alex," Aria said. “This is above and beyond."

Alex tucked his paws into his pockets as he strode away. “I just want to make sure my kids are safe. Nothing about this sits well with me and whether we like it or not, we've got a target on our backs. We either dance to their tune or conduct our own orchestra. The first option is on the back burner for now so it's time to see where we go with the second." He waved at them over his shoulder and turned a corner.

Aria waited a little while before turning to Tanar. “Do you ever get the feeling he is hiding something?"

“He's a practiced illusionist," Tanar answered. “An extremely powerful one too based on what he's claimed he's done to Lofraine. I won't say I don't trust him but I'm taking the approach that I'll take everything he says with a grain of salt."

“I see. I suppose we have no choice but to wait until he comes back with that warrant."

Of course, fate had other plans. At that moment, something cold, wet and sweet-smelling was immediately poured over Tanar's head. The lion yelped before spinning around and baring his fangs. Kane stood there, a smug look on his muzzle while the straw from what looked like some sort of iced drink was sticking out of the corner of his mouth.

“Hey kitty," he rumbled. “Bought you this awesome Incendian drink. Made out of really sweet mangoes mixed with some crazy spicy chillies. Don't get it in your eyes."

“Why…?" Tanar began before he immediately screamed and covered his eyes. “Holy Mother Goddess! That stings!" He howled in pain, catching the attention of bystanders as the Paladin desperately flailed to try and get the sticky, mango slush from his eyes. Aria held him down with one hand and waved her hand over his face, soothing the pain in a gentle, green light and washing away the goo from his muzzle. The rest that was drenching his head and shoulders remained however.

“You are a brute and a rogue!" barked Tanar, pointing an accusing finger at Kane.

“Says the one who 'distracted' me while Hunter planted a tracking device on my hammer," Kane responded smugly. “I still haven't paid you back for that."

“This wasn't enough?" Aria demanded, irritation showing on her face.

“Nope. That was just be being an ass." Kane leaned down to Tanar, grinning from ear to ear. “So what do you say, kitty cat? Ready for your punishment?"

Taner wiped the mango slush from his shoulders. “I will teach you how to behave!"

Aria laughed softly and lifted her hands, backing away from the two. “I shall leave the two of you to sort your differences." She gestured between herself and Kane. “We have had our discussion, after all."

“Yeah," Kane said, his eyes never leaving Tanar's gaze. “We're good."

Paper House

Tanar yowled softly, stretching and reflexively extending his claws from his fingers and toes. Those claws got caught in the woolen sheets for a moment but he wouldn't let that minor annoyance take away from the bliss that currently clouded his mind. He rolled to his side on the soft bed and watched as Kane's black, furry, sculpted rear wiggled slightly from the adjacent bathroom as the bear dyed his hair again.

For a second, he had reflect on how they ended up here. The tension was there from the first time they had met and he was assigned as Kane's chaperone. But it was only after the events of the Lost Fleet that things became a little more physical. It was just a protective touch here, a tight grip there and more frequent sparring sessions. Then the inevitable happened. As loathed as he was to admit it, he enjoyed Kane's company and his body was surprisingly flexible and versatile for someone so big.

Of course, he was sure that Kane was in it because relationships - especially one as violently sexual as the one they had - was forbidden between student and chaperone. So the extra thrill really reeled him into repeated offenses. Tanar felt slightly guilty for flaunting social norms but it wasn't like everything they were doing was exactly illegal. Underground blood sports, excursions to hidden fleets and uncovering conspiracies was not in Pinnacle's curriculum.

Sex between a Paladin and student wasn't forbidden.

Sex between a chaperone and their Pinnacle student wasn't explicitly forbidden but ethically ambiguous.

He sat up on the bed. The little townhouse that Kane was currently renting outside of the dormitories of Pinnacle was cozy and situated in the market layer of Corona. Not quite in the commons and not up in the wealthy districts. Right in the middle where they could get to Pinnacle at a moment's notice but far enough that their activities could remain discrete.

“I still wonder how you can afford this place if you're still a student," he quipped.

Kane straightened in the bathroom, his hair now a deep purplish-red. “Porn. Lots of it. I mean, it's not like I get paid a lot for fucking people but since I generally don't need to worry about room or food, I can use that money for whatever I want."

“You mean because you live with your uncle and cousin?"

One of Kane's thick eyebrows rose challengingly. “Does that make you uncomfortable that I'm technically homeless and am couch surfing with my relatives?"

Tanar laughed softly and shook his head. “Not at all. Considering how I have no parents and no assets to call my own, you are leagues wealthier than I am. Both in the material aspect and metaphorical one."

Kane sat down behind him, gently wrapping his arms around his waist. One arm drifted to the scar on the lion's shoulder where his arm should have been. Kane then rested his head atop Tanar's head in what was quickly becoming their default position when they were just cuddling.

“The Church and your parents can go fuck themselves," he growled.

“Blasphemous," chuckled Tanar. “But my work for the Church is still work. As for my parents, they did what they believed in."

“They purposefully traumatized you to try and make you a Paladin."

That was an event he would rather not revisit but there was no stopping the rush of memories and the crushing realization that he was raised in one of the many cults that ultimately contributed to the Fall of Haven. When he was just a child, his parents had brought him into the world with the express purpose of having him obtain a Valor to further the legitimacy of their faith. The cult - called the Crystal Halo - was very militaristic and held Paladins and Templars in high regard. They converted as many Valor-wielders as they could and it was the highest honor amongst the cult to either be related to a wielder or be one yourself.

Since his parents had gotten it into their mind that the best way to obtain a Valor was through trauma, they tormented Tanar. Days were spent under the whip, starved or somehow being tortured while they constantly whispered lies of love and encouragement to him.

A Valor failed to manifest for him.

When the Fall of Haven was reaching its end and the Generals were wiping out the fanatical cults, Tanar's parents grew desperate…

… and they cut off his right arm.

“Those assholes were fanatics, kitty cat. They don't deserve your sympathy or understanding."

Tanar gently brushed Kane's paw away from his scar. “If we're talking about terrible parents, why don't we talk about your issues with yours."

“What's to tell?"he countered with a laugh. “My dad is a controlling fuckwad that wants me to be just like him so I did everything I could do to be everything he would disapprove of."

Tanar reached up with his good paw and cupped Kane's cheek. “So what you're telling me is that you are who you are because of your daddy issues."

“What? No."

One of the funny things about this unconventional relationship was the fact that he was getting to know the enigmatic Kane more and more. Slowly, he was learning how to push the bear's buttons though he would never show it in public. Kane took pride in his bad boy image and Tanar had too much respect for the bear to break that. At least out in public. Now in private, he took as many turns being dominant as he was submissive.

“It's okay, big bear," he chuckled. “We're all complex tapestries that can't be limited to a single defining moment or one person. I am more than the lion that my parents tried to make me and I'm more than just the shackle that's meant to keep an eye on Aria for the Church."

Kane's fangs gently bit down on his neck making him moan and sending an erotic thrill throughout his entire body. “And I am more than just my dad's mistakes."

“Don't talk when your mouth is full," growled Tanar, playfully grabbing a fistful of Kane's freshly dyed hair and starting to lead him towards his crotch. Kane huffed softly but resisted and erotic gesture. Instead, he pulled Tanar on top of him so that the lion lay atop the bear. Tanar pulled the wet and sticky sheets over them, coiling them in its comforting warmth. Kane's big and surprisingly soft paws glided over the rest of his body while the bear nibbled on his neck.

“I know you're going to ask again," he growled softly. “But I'm not going to leave the Church any time soon."

It was a question that he had asked every time they had fucked. Kane bore no ill-will towards the Church of the Tower but - like most of the world - held it with suspicion after its very same priests had been the ones to make the Fall worse. There were so many practices from the old clergy that the new generation had to work through. Tanar had to admit that he had his doubts when he joined the Church and accepted stewardship of Chaosrender and the Codex Liberalis. At the time, he made that choice because he needed someone to accept him for who he was. Now he stayed because the Church was a resource that he could use.

“You know you could stay with us," Kane rumbled into his ear. “It might be a little crowded with me, JD, Wood and Uncle Lex but we can add another room. Won't be that hard."

“Perhaps," he moaned softly. “But then I'd have to give up my Valor."

Even to this day, the Church laid claim to all Valors. Were he to quit, he would be forced to give up those two weapons.

“Right," huffed Kane. “And if someone less well-adjusted than you were ever to wield all the knowledge it accumulated, you'd never forgive yourself."

Something that the Church didn't know or perhaps chose to forget was that Chaosrender's ability to deduce the history of something and write it upon the Codex Liberalis was a passive ability. That meant that it was constantly gathering more and more information about the inner workings of the world. There were secrets that he could not let the Church or anyone else - not even the Generals - get a hold onto.

One of them he had already shared with Kane and it involved his cousin, Jack Denver Clarke. The first time he had seen the Red Lightning, he just knew he had met a Singularity. Effectively the protagonist of the story. It felt good to share this secret with someone else and Kane was grateful for the reveal. There were other secrets, of course, but he wasn't ready to share them… not yet.

“At least the Church won't be coming after your ass if they ever find out we were fucking," Kane said, making a point to squeeze the lion's left buttcheek. “I'm glad they let you Paladins relieve some stress. You've been by far the sexiest lay I've had in a while."

“Not the only one though, right?"

Kane laughed softly. “You think we're exclusive?"

“Of course not." He rolled over so that he was now laying atop Kane with their chests pressed together. “There has to be something strangely erotic tasting someone else's lips on your dick or their seed in your ass." He gently poked his nose. “So long as you're not crawling with diseases."

He grinned at him. “I may not look it, but I play it safe."

That much was evident in the bear. Though he may act brash and careless, each move he made was actually a calculated risk. Yes, his words could be considered aggressive or confrontational but Kane had the talent to know when to push and when to pull back. That much was evident when he had known to agree to Aria's terms when she had finally got the evidence of his involvement in the Association. He had argued back but knew when it was time to bow out. It was just like when they made love. Kane was very in-tune with his lover's needs.

“I know," Tanar sighed, resting his head against Kane's chest and closing his eyes. “You don't like everyone else knowing about it but you deeply care about the people around you. You're not afraid to be the bad guy so long as it protects them."

“Society already sees me as the bad guy or a rebel at the very least. What's a few more broken skulls and ruptured balls if it'll mean the people I care about remain safe." He gently grabbed Tanar's head and leaned over, kissing his forehead lightly. “Don't care what everyone else thinks of me as long as they don't get hurt."

“And your protection extends to those they care about too, right?" Tanar teased, his tail doing loops in the air. Kane rolled his eyes and the bear rumbled in reluctant agreement. “So you genuinely care about Wood and Skye because they are your cousin's friends."

“No. That's the case with Skye. Wood is basically my brother and roommate. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure he's got the hots for JD."

Tanar sprang up in surprise. “No."

Kane grinned at him. “Oh hell yeah. Don't tell me you haven't noticed." Tanar shook his head. “Well, I've hung around him longer but next time you see them together especially when they're fighting together, look how Wood prioritizes JD over everyone else. Hell, JD is the reason why Wood fell."

The leonine Paladin's jaw dropped. “I had heard the story but I didn't know that…"

“It's not my story to tell…" Kane's features broke into a devilish grin. “But it's true. Uncle Alex had sent JD and Skye to live with Wood because the Blakebreaker Mansion was pretty damn secure. But it was also a target for the demons. Wood got his Valor when his dad sacrificed himself to save the kids during the Third Demonic War. But just a few minutes later, they were attacked by demons. Wood tried to protect everyone but he was a kid with a Valor he got minutes ago. He had no idea what to do. A demon would've killed him if JD didn't jump in front of him and had his spine ripped to shreds. Would've died there and there if Skye hadn't been there. Something snapped in Wood and he Fell."

“But because he Fell so soon after he obtained his Valor, said Valor couldn't absorb enough of his negative emotions - emotions that the Church would willingly suppress through dogma - so he was never as powerful as some of the other Fallen."

“Not to mention he had more control," added Kane. “That said, if that boy doesn't start making moves on JD, I might just force it."

“Don't you dare," Tanar growled, poking Kane's chest. “Let those two find their way together naturally."

A big paw wrapped around the small of his back and pulled him close. “What's more natural than the need to fuck?" He just gave the bear a scathing stare and Kane laughed, lifting his paws into the air in surrender. “Fine. Fine. I won't mess with their love life. Though for the record, I'm sure Wood has some competition."

“Skye?"

“No. Hunter."

There, Tanar's eyebrow arched. “Really?"

“I think Hunter is starting to see what makes JD so special," Kane confirmed. “He watched JD closely and I think it's leading to something else. Not to mention that JD was the one that brought Hunter into our inner circle so there's that."

Tanar rolled off Kane and propped himself up on his one good elbow. “That reminds me, I never got to ask… What ever happened to your old blacksmith?"

“The guy couldn't keep up with me," Kane said with a shrug and rolled over to the side of the bed, sitting up in the process with his back to Tanar. “Had this opinion that after giving me a weapon that it'd be by responsibility to take it from there. Kept breaking his half-assed shit. He was one of those corporate blacksmiths that served a shit tonne of people and his apprentice was the one that made my weapon for me."

“So you broke that apprentice's weapons?"

Kane grinned over his shoulder. “Hell no. I broke everything that head honcho made. I kept everything the apprentice made because he was such a pushover. What he made was what I asked for."

Realization dawned upon Tanar. “Your duffel bag."

“_Yeah. That was at least something I got to keep from _that partnership." Kane stood up and rolled his shoulders. “I don't get rid of things that are useful to me."

There was more to unpack there but Tanar decided not to press the subject. “Hunter is certainly different in that regard."

“That fuzzy ball of anxiety and doubt will just keep pushing himself to be better," agreed Kane. “He might work himself to death but I guess that's why we're here to show him that he's not alone." There was a distant quality to Kane's voice as he said, “Everyone has their own baggage. Their own way of doing shit. We're not perfect."

“You? Really?" Tanar laughed. “You could have fooled me with the way you act."

Kane turned to him, flashing him a grin. “Then you'll just have to dig deeper to find out what makes me tick." He stuck his tongue out. “I'm sure you'll get there eventually. I say you're about… a whole forearm's length from getting the truth." He made a fist and thrust it into the air indicating what he was suggesting to do with it.

Tanar rolled his eyes and sprang up from the bed. “Tempting as the offer is to literally punch your prostate, I find I won't have any leverage with only one arm." He gazed around the room. “Where did I leave Flarecaster…?"

“Downstairs, I think."

Now he remembered. They were at one another's tonsils the moment the door had shut. Kane had wasted no time ripping the artificial arm from his shoulder and tossing it… somewhere… before carrying Tanar up the stairs to sit on his crotch.

Just as he was thinking about heading down, there was a loud ringing noise that echoed up the steps. The two exchanged glances.

“Were you expecting someone?" he asked.

Kane shook his head and quickly grabbed his duffel bag - ignoring the various sexual implements scattered on the ground for the moment - and started heading downstairs with nothing on except the bag. Tanar remained upstairs and began quietly casting a few protective spells and preparing them to fire.

In true Kane Fenn fashion, the big bear answered the door with just the duffel bag over his shoulder. Tanar thanked whatever god was watching that the person at the door was not an enemy because he shuddered to think exactly what kind of weapon Kane would pull from that bag.

From where he stood at the top to stairs, he saw that their guest was a man with a severe burn on the side of his head and a bald head. Some words were exchanged and before he knew it, the man was leaving.

Kane closed the door and headed up the stairs again.

“Who was that?" Tanar asked.

For the first time since he had known him, Kane looked utterly confused. “That was the Master of Ceremonies for the Association fights at Helioclast Coliseum_._ He came with a message."

Tanar's heart was gripped with fear. “What was it?"

“Apparently, his 'master' said that he had seen us poking around Maxwell Magmillion. He linked Aria's investigation with my fights."

That was exactly what they had hoped to avoid. Somehow, this man's master had deduced the truth. They were now at a disadvantage and in danger.

“Did he threaten you?" he asked.

“The opposite," Kane responded, hence his confusion. “In fact, the guy said that if we wanted to know more, we need to look into something. A drug."

“A drug?" Tanar repeated. “Which one?"

Their gazes locked.

“Vermilion_._"

Red Dust

“Vermilion_,_" announced Alex, slapping a pile of papers on the table. “Short hand for Verithallionious which is the spell that creates the crimson sand-like substance."

The entirety of the Godslayers were gathered in the Pinnacle common room once again. Kane was starting to think that they would need somewhere to actually meet up and have these clandestine meetings as the common room was still busy even now that it was well into the evening. Still, as was seen in their previous discussions in the dormitory, many students and staff were often preoccupied in their own world-ending threats to worry about someone else's.

“It goes by multiple street names," Alex continued. “Red Dust. Faerie Fire. Or just 'Mill'."

“But what is it?" Skye asked, ever innocent.

“It's a drug originally designed and advertised to increase focus and productivity. Developed here on Incendius, it's been in production for decades and wasn't made illegal until recently after the Fall when it saw lots of overdoses in recent years." Alex tapped the side of his head. “It overstimulates the nervous system depending on its 'proof'. At its most sedate, it will only affect the user's brain and put them in a state of 'heighten inspiration'."

“Basically it was meant to push you past writers block or really make you inspired," Kane supplied. “The old ads from before the war advertised it as 'lighting a fire in your brain' and shit like that. They had a lot of testimonials about people taking it and cranking out a shit tonne of 'inspired' works."

“So it works?" Skye asked. “Were what they produced any good?"

“Hell no. The drug accelerates the time it takes to get over anything that's stopping you. Writer's block. Grief. Trauma. It doesn't get rid of the shit that's there. It just makes your brain faster. It doesn't make you change the road you're on. Just makes you hit your destination faster and in a flaming wreck." Kane shook his head in disapproval. “But that's only on the lowest concentration. On higher shit, it starts affecting your senses and the rest of your nerves." He held up two fingers. “I think I remember reading in some medical journal that when it hits the second threshold, your sensations are on overdrive and patients described feeling like they could feel every particle in the air. No one has ever survived the third threshold because they instantly go into a comatose state once it hits."

The Godslayers regarded him quizzically.

“You read medical journals?" Wood joked.

“After the MC told me about Vermilion, yeah," Kane grunted. “Read into the history of shit too. After the Sunburst Knight got a hold of Incendius, Vermilion was made illegal. Not even a prescription drug."

“Surprising," Aria commented. “It seems that it is fairly harmless at lower concentrations."

“That's what advocates for it claim," Alex chimed in. “But the danger of Vermilion isn't in the concentration but it's cumulative effects."

Unlike other drugs, taking more of Vermilion doesn't actually cause the effect to become stronger. Taking a lot of a lower proof of Vermilion doesn't increase its potency. It just increases the length of time that the person is under the effect of the drug. The problem with that is that in their heightened state, individuals would become obsessive and 'over-inspired'. So much so that they would neglect themselves. People were known to forgo sleep, nutrition and even basic hygiene. Some have died because of this effect.

“Vermilion is a magical substance," Alex continued. “It's production involves long rituals and highly volatile chemical reagents. Because of its magical nature, the drug's effects are mostly well-documented but equally difficult to counter. Someone that ingests too much Vermilion or a higher proof of it will have to undergo extensive magical and physical therapy to pull them out of the extremely dangerous state."

“That's good to know," Hunter said. “But where does this leave us? What's it's connection to Lofraine, Raifraize and even Maxwell."

Alex wagged a finger in the air. “I'm getting to that part." He began spreading some more papers on the table. “Thanks to Lofraine, I was able to do a bit of digging into his companies. Of particular interest was the Reaching Flame. Now that I knew what I was looking for, I could ask him the right questions. Wouldn't you know it… The Reaching Flame dealt in Vermilion."

Kane leaned forward and grabbed one of the papers. “You're shitting me."

There it was, printed on the reports in front of him. Lofraine had been using the Reaching Flame to distribute Vermilion. Refugees from other Stations would come to the 'charity' for help and they would be unwittingly used to ship the product or be coerced into participating. This had been going on for years even before Maxwell took over.

“Does that mean that Maxwell…" There was a theory running in his mind. What if after returning from the Fleet, Maxwell had opted to take over the Association's Vermilion network. The companies he had captured with the help of the Firefighter had been at the core of the network. However, the other members of the Association hated the idea that one of their more lucrative drug network was now being centralized with one person and so they had Maxwell killed.

“I know what you're thinking," Alex said. “And it's actually the opposite." Kane lifted his gaze up to his uncle, searching for answers. “I did some digging. Production and distribution of Vermilion dropped when Maxwell was actively seeking out Association companies and spiked back up when he was gone."

There went that theory. Did Maxwell actually seek to stop the drug trade by 'legally' capturing the heart of the Association's operation and converting it into something else? It would have been a colossal slap to the face of the previous owners if Maxwell transformed the companies into something far more profitable and less risky. That was what Kane would have done.

Rayne unfolded his arms and reached down to some of the papers. “It's all still just a theory. But we can infer a pattern. The question is distracting us from our main goal, though. We're trying to learn what happened to Maxwell and FireFeather."

“Right but if the Association did have Maxwell killed because they were disrupting their drug trade then we're on the right track," Hunter said. “We got Lofraine who didn't sell to Maxwell." His green eyes turned to Alex. “Maybe he had a hand in Maxwell's death? The final vote to call the hit?"

Alex shook his head. “Sadly, no. I've used some pretty powerful illusions on him and he trusts me completely. He had no hand in Maxwell's death."

“So we're left with Raifraize Phulton," said Aria. “She had a company sold to Maxwell and then bought it back after his death. We need to prove that the same company was used for distribution or production of Vermilion."

Alex waved at her absently. “That's easy enough. I couldn't get a warrant but I managed to arrange a summons with the Sunburst Knight. I'm expecting her tomorrow. Alongside General Methuselah."

Bile bubbled up in Kane's stomach and he nearly spat at the sound of his father's alias. “He is here?" he growled. Eyes quickly darted to him. “Yeah. The asshole who I have daddy issues against and who I actively work to displease is none other than the Ashen-fucking-King."

Aria was the one that looked the most shocked with Hunter coming a close second. Wood let out a barking laugh and slapped his back encouragingly while Skye looked on sympathetically. Tanar already knew as Kane had told him during one of their many sessions together but he still feigned surprise. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed JD was looking on with amusement but no surprise. Rayne's features were still. Amongst the Godslayers, only he, Kane and Alex knew that Harold Fenn was the legendary General Methuselah. They were also the only ones that knew that Alex was also the Horizon Lord, General Solomon. Supposedly, not even JD knew this fact though Kane wouldn't be surprised if he knew being a Singularity and all. Though he still wasn't sure what being a Singularity meant. Neither did Tanar but he suspected it afforded JD some unique perspectives and powers.

“Your father is… a General?" Aria said evenly. “Some part of me is surprised while the other is scolding me for not seeing it sooner."

“Yeah well, I don't go around advertising it," Kane huffed, wiping his nose with the back of his paw. “I hate the asshole. Tried to control me every step of the way. Basically slapped a fucking leash around my neck. Wouldn't stop talking about how he managed to combine Pyromancy, Geomancy and Aeromancy all into one to make that fucking weak move of his where he breathes out smoke and ash that can shroud entire armies."

That was still an impressive skill though Kane would never outwardly admit it. Combining any two forms of magic was difficult especially ones that were naturally opposed - Geomancy was generally incompatible with Aeromancy and Pyromancy often found difficulty working with Geomancy. Though there were techniques and arts that negated this rule - like Lava Manipulation or Bluefire Arts - the true beauty of the Ashen King's smoke generation was the combination of three forms of magic. It was said that the Ashen King could produce as much smoke and ash as an active volcano. Of course, that wasn't everything that the Ashen King could do but it was the one thing that he was most well known for hence his moniker.

Kane despised his father so much that he made an effort to learn all forms of elemental magic just to one-up Harold Fenn. Of course he had no luck combining them - yet - but having Spicy Meatball was helping him get there.

A clawed hand squeezed his shoulder tightly. “Hey man, I can get behind hating your old man," Wood said. “Mine threw his life away for nothing and left me and my mom to fend for ourselves. Maybe just don't go out of your way to confront him…?"

Kane snorted. “That's exactly what the asshole would want. He's not going to get a rise out of me." Lifting his gaze to Alex, he said, “Tell me you didn't call him here, Uncle Lex."

“No," Alex responded. “But your father still cares about you, Kane. He came here of his own volition after he heard where Pinnacle was going next."

“Of course he did," growled the big bear. “Caught him spying on me when we went to Xaos last year. Of course he's here." He straightened and shook his head. “Forget me. How much I hate my old man shouldn't get in the way of getting to the bottom of Maxwell and FireFeather."

“That's really mature of you, Kane," Aria said, a hint of pride in her voice.

A wicked grin crossed his features. “I'll just be sure to fuck a lot of whores tonight and make sure I set the brothel alight with the fires from our loins so he has something else on his mind."

That pride instant dissolved into annoyance. “There it is…"

Alex sighed and scratched the stubble on his furry cheeks. “I'll avoid the topic, Kane. For both your sakes. I'll grill Phulton as much as I can. The problem becomes convincing the Tribunal of Generals that we need a warrant to investigate her further."

Kane's ears perked up.

“Tribunal?" repeated Skye. “Who is the third General?"

Kane glanced over to Rayne. Did Alex just slip up and accidentally reveal that he was a General as well?

“General Obidiah," Alex replied calmly. “The Whisper probably already knows more than we do on the matter so I'm hoping I'm not walking into a trap. Let's not forget to mention that I'm going up against a practiced lawyer."

Mentally, Kane breathed a sigh of relief. The Generals were the most powerful individuals in all of Tower Thirteen and could be seen as the overarching, central government even as each Station and even some parts of each Station were establishing their own governing bodies outside of the Church of the Tower. Anonymity was essential for the Generals. There was still a fear that if anyone realized who the Generals were, they or their loved ones would be targeted.

“You'll do fine," Aria assured him. “Do you need me there with you?"

“She might use our collusion against us," Alex responded. “No offense, but you've got a reputation as being one of the longest-living Angels ever so she could accuse you of trying to find some reason to live or to curry favor with the Generals to win some brownie points for the Church."

Aria conceded to that gracefully.

“Well, that's where we are at," concluded Alex. “I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow."

Kane did not feel nervous at all. He trusted Alex but there was something in the pit of his stomach that still unsettled him.

“There's something we haven't addressed," JD said suddenly.

Now he was nervous.

“How did the master of ceremony's master learn that Aria's investigation was linked to Kane's assault?" said the Red Lightning. “Who are they? Are they part of the Association or someone else?"

“Honestly?" Alex said. “It wouldn't surprise me if this 'master' turned out to be one of the Whisper's agents."

General Obidiah, one of the original ten Generals elected during the Fall of Haven alongside Generals Methuselah and Solomon, earned his reputation for having one of the most comprehensive spy networks in the world. When Obidiah was active or when facing off against the Whisper, supposedly you couldn't trust anyone because anyone could be one of his spies. Supposedly, he knew everything about everyone. His information that often toppled many of cults that shot off the Church of the Tower. He never lost a single man as the battle was often over before it started.

To be under the Whisper's gaze was… unnerving.

“Maybe," JD mused. “But if he was, I would've expected him to reach out directly to you, dad, since you were already bringing the case to him. Something tells me there's more to this that we're not seeing." His blue eyes narrowed. “What about the other people on the list?"

Kane had completely forgotten about the rest of the list. Trust the Singularity to see things no one else could.

“What about them?" he prompted.

JD glanced at him and in that moment, Kane felt his heart go cold. Somehow he just knew that his cousin knew his role as a Singularity or at least suspected. He just wasn't sure how.

“If the theory goes that Maxwell was trying to dismantle the Vermilion ring that the Association was running and both Lofraine and Raifraize were part of that ring, then that would establish the pattern that the other people on the list that Lofraine gave were all part of that ring." JD held up a finger. “The question is, why would Lofraine be dumb enough to give us the names of the people who ran the ring?"

“What are you thinking, JD?" Wood asked.

For a second, JD looked to the ground, closed his eyes and took a breath. When his eyes snapped open again, they were filled with focus and intensity. “We've already seen that the Association is not opposed to throwing their own people to the proverbial wolves. That's what they did with Lofraine when his identity was revealed." He shook his head. “I don't know exactly what it means that Lofraine led us down this path but it just feels like we're following breadcrumbs set out for us and I'm a little scared about where it'll lead."

All valid points and now that he thought about it, there was something about the series of events that left a bit in Kane's stomach. Looking at the faces around him, he could see that his cousin's words had shaken them.

So it was his job to lift them back up.

“Fuck 'em," he announced proudly. “Let them come. They're leading us to a trap? We'll just break through the fucking trap and come out not only a winner but with bellies full of breadcrumbs!"

The ridiculous image brought a few smiles from the group.

“We'll take down this drug ring, slap whoever thinks they can lead us around with a carrot on a stick and fuck the whole Association while we're at it!" Kane beamed, pressing his paws against his hips. “Then, after all that is done, I'm buying us a fucking starship so we can have these meeting somewhere that Joey over there can't hear us while he's making coffee!"

He hiked a thumb over a Suphial of the kangaroo variety just a few feet away.

“Hey!" cried the marsupial. “My name is Craig!"

That lifted spirits and got the team conversing about what kind of starship they could afford and what each of them would want to see in said ship. Still, Kane couldn't shake the feeling that JD had a point. Were they being led for some reason to end this drug ring?

Maybe Maxwell was not dead after all.

Maybe he had to fake his death and was now working through a proxy - aka the Godslayers - to do what he could not.

That line of thinking brought him to make a mental note that the next time he met that MC, he'd be sure to interrogate the burn victim about his 'master'.