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Book IV: The Hanged Man

Time passed far too quickly sometimes in Hell: before Zerrex knew it, he was walking back and forth with a frown, rubbing at his muzzle as both angels and demons stood in rows in front of him in the Entrance Hall of the Ravenlight Estate, with Raze and Cherry somewhere behind, both looking stoic and their arms crossed. Raze seemed a bit moodier than usual, but the Drakkaren thought that was because he had to stay behind... while Loki, who was off in Valhalla at the moment 'cleaning up,' got to go to the mortal plane... along with a few others.

"Alright." Zerrex halted in the middle of the area, and then he said mildly: "Sin, Lily, Amiglion and... Selena." The slightest of pauses, as the still-furious female refused to look at him at all. "All of you have to stay in Hell, and I'll be counting on each of you to go over the preparations we discussed at the last council meeting and start enacting them." One of the most awkward council meetings ever, by the way. "Raze is going to stay here, to act as an information courier between Heaven and Hell, and we can expect Mary to be doing the same up-top, in case anything serious happens.

"Vampire, Tinman, Cherry, Loki, Mahihko, and Lone will all be coming with me to the mortal plane." the Drakkaren continued calmly, looking over them, and a murmur passed through the group before the reptile held up his hand for silence. "As of this moment, Sabnock will be placed in charge of the Grand Council, meaning that her orders are to be listened to. Mist and Shine, you will act as Selena's bodyguards, and Desire and Cypress will protect Lily. You two will have to be out in the field in your provinces, and I don't want you left vulnerable... Sin and Amiglion, meanwhile, will both have detachments of Amazons and Royal Guards with them at all times, is this understood?"

The four nodded, Selena looking disgustedly at the floor... and then Zerrex closed his eyes for a moment, before he opened them and finished quietly, looking towards the back of the room. "Ixin, you're in charge of the mage council. Work with the Scholars, Scribes, and Historians, see if you can slow down the time distortions and theorize on what's going to happen when Hell rejoins the mortal plane. We need to buy time and get the answers to a few questions before it's too late and we end up learning the hard way.

"The rest of you will be split into teams, except for Mercy, who has already left on a diplomatic mission to President Balthazar to inform him of what's been happening, with Blueberry acting as translator and recorder." Zerrex continued calmly, despite the nervousness he'd felt in sending out two of his cherished and most vulnerable daughters to the mortal coil. Mercy, at least, he'd had the foresight to give a choker inset with a demonic crystal... and even if she couldn't speak, he knew she'd still be able to cast a few spells with it. "And lastly... Firenze, Driz, and Markus. I'd like to speak with you three in private. As for the rest of you... good luck with your missions. Normally I'd try hard to be positive, but..." He smiled grimly, saying quietly: "Get ready for the worst."

Near the back of the room, these three nodded, Driz and Firenze standing close together and Markus looking like an outcast on an island, in his own quiet corner... and Zerrex started to walk towards a side room before he heard someone clear their throat, and he turned with a frown to look at Anubis. The jackal stood awkwardly for a moment several feet away, dressed in his spotless white tuxedo and looking nervous... before he asked finally: "When will Judge White be returning?"

"Probably in a few hundred years, maybe a thousand or so." Zerrex replied mildly, and they looked at each other uncomfortably before the Drakkaren extended a hand, saying finally: "I hope you'll work with us, not the Old Gods."

Anubis looked at him for a moment, and then he smiled a bit as he crossed his arms, sour amusement mixing in his eyes with a grudging sort of appreciation at the gesture. "I don't shake hands with the people I hate. If you'll excuse me, I have to head off and file some papers..."

He turned around, saw Sin, and then he winced and created a portal, leaping through it. For once, Zerrex couldn't exactly blame the god: Sin had literally torn him into pieces once upon a time, and the reptile knew that wasn't exactly something you forgot. Then he shook his head before heading towards the side door in the hall again, nodding to the three waiting anxiously beside it and reaching out to grasp the handle... before he paused, looked over the emptying hallway, and then gazed at them quietly as he let his hand drop away from the knob. "This is private enough.

"Driz... I have high expectations of you." Zerrex said softly, but he was smiling a bit, and Driz looked at him with dour amusement as he crossed his arms, before his eyes roved over to Markus, adding softly: "You two, kiddo, even though you're the youngest. You guys have to watch out for your brother here... after all, if I end up dying, it'll be between Firenze, Driz, and Priest to see who takes my place, and I know you have as much taste for rulership as I do, Raven."

Firenze looked up in shock, his arms shackled and his collar in place, wearing only a plain white robe, shaking his head before he looked down at himself and his hands, saying quietly: "But... even now I feel their energy, and like it's trying to force into me... it's less now, but I barely made it through that meeting resisting all that gathered-up energy, even with these shackles on, and I still can't control myself if... if my body starts to feed on it..."

"You're wise, and a natural leader." Zerrex said quietly, overriding him as he reached out and squeezed his shoulders, and Firenze calmed as he looked up at his father quietly, before the Drakkaren leaned down and kissed his forehead softly in blessing. "If I had to choose... it would be you to rule in my stead as the next High King. You have the wisdom and gentle heart of your mother... and my only good quality, endurance." He smiled a bit, then he looked at Driz, adding quietly: "You and Priest would be excellent rulers too... but I know how much you'd hate to let anyone tinker with your power stations and Priest would have a fit if he wasn't allowed to work on his science projects for days at a time. But you'd have to at least advice Firenze here... after all, he needs someone with as many experiences and sharp an eye as you, Driz. Do you remember all that stuff I told you about being a big brother on the mortal realm?"

"How could I forget? You drilled it into me." Driz acted disgusted, but he was smiling despite himself, as he reached out and rubbed a hand against Firenze's skull, making him laugh and duck away as the chains between his shackles rattled. "I agree, though, Father. Firenze is a lot less frustrating than you."

Markus smiled warmly, patting his older half-brother awkwardly on the arm as he said softly: "If you guys have such confidence in him... then I'll lay my life down to protect him. I... I want to make up for the past anyway, and this seems like a good way to start really working to redeem myself. I want to be a part of Hell's glorious future... not a hidden-away dark relic of the past." He paused, then looked across at his Father, murmuring: "It means a lot you're trusting me enough to let me help in any way with these... big events."

Zerrex only smiled at this, not wanting to say how sorry he was that they all had to: if he had his way, he'd never have any of his children witnesses the turmoil these dark times were bringing to Hell. Then he shook his head, and he looked directly at Firenze, saying quietly: "Listen to me. If something does go wrong... if you are attacked, and if things become dire... take off your restraints."

Firenze looked shocked at this, and Zerrex looked steadily into his eyes as Driz frowned darkly. "You aren't a weapon, Firenze, believe me... I know that. But you have a power that rivals any god's, and I have faith that... if you truly had to, you could control it. You aren't like Aether... and you aren't like Atlas. You know right and wrong... and even if the darkness overwhelms you, that light of your mind will still burn inside it."

"You've learned to talk well over all these years, whatever else you might argue." said a soft voice, and Zerrex looked up in surprise to see Sin standing behind him, Anathema lurking nearby with her arms crossed and head tilted up towards the ceiling. Then Sin gazed at her son, adding quietly: "If there's one thing Lord Zerrex knows... it's the value of discipline, and that every soul can turn itself around, if it wants to."

Firenze hesitated... and then he finally nodded, saying quietly: "Alright. I'll... try. If things get too dangerous." He halted, then looked back and forth from Markus to Driz, smiling a bit. "So should I just return to my room?"

"No, I want you three to investigate something for me." Zerrex straightened and rubbed his hands together, and his sons looked up at him attentively. "There's apparently some kind of rift phasing in and out of reality in a village in the wastelands of the Eastern Province. Go and see Priest, he'll hook you up with some equipment to help you find it and tell you more... he should be in his usual lab."

The three nodded, and they headed off quickly, Markus waving almost shyly and Firenze offering his father a 'good luck,' before they vanished through the portal as the reptile rose a hand to them. Then he turned to Sin, and she hesitated for a moment before saying finally: "Selena's not cooperating very well with us... Lily wanted to know if you'd let her assign someone else to do her job until she starts... behaving herself, to use her words."

Zerrex sighed, then he finally nodded, saying quietly: "Have Mist and Shine take over, then... is there anything else?"

Sin nodded in return, replying quietly: "The Heavenly Council summons you, Lord Zerrex... technically, they have no jurisdiction over us... but I don't think it would be a good idea to upset them. While Lord and Lucifer might be on our side, many of the original Angels are almost anxious to war with Hell again. There are still deep lines of hate etched between our planes... and I think that if you explain to them what's going on, they might start to understand that we are not the enemy, nor the cause of this."

The reptile nodded slowly, and then he sighed, looking down at himself. Plain clothes, heavy combat boots, nanotech armlet and no chance as of yet to actually prepare his own goddamn gear because of people constantly badgering him... and he finally looked at his handpicked group, walking over to them and announcing sourly: "I have to go to Heaven and deal with some problems."

Raze looked at him with surprise, and Zerrex shrugged, saying flatly: "Something about some Heavenly Council. Do you know about that?"

"Fuckers." Raze spat, and Sin mumbled something in agreement as she walked up beside Zerrex, Tinman rubbing at his cheek awkwardly. "I'll join you, though. Let you know the proper etiquette and their bullshit on the way up."

The Drakkaren nodded, and then he looked over his group, as Cherry sighed and sat on the stairs with Vampire on one side of her and Tinman sitting down at the other. He looked at them for a moment, and the huge wolf beamed as he reached out and snagged both Mahihko and Lone, the two smaller wolves yelping as they were dragged into the gigantic, loincloth-clad black wolf's lap. "We'll wait right here for you, Boss!"

Tinman nodded, smiling up at him warmly as he rested his hands in his lap, wearing only jeans and a starched dress shirt, looking like your average, healthy mortal badger... and yet at the same time strangely fitting in with the massive demonic wolf and the huge... Cherry. Or maybe it was only the Drakkaren's memories of the Goth Legion that made everything seem to snap together so perfect, as the male said softly: "Please be careful, though, Zerrex... and you too, Sir Raze. Even I don't get the kindest reception in some places in Heaven."

Zerrex made a face, wondering how anyone could dislike Tinny, and then he looked at Sin, squeezing her shoulder quietly as he said softly: "Do me a huge favor and get Loki to the armory, okay?" When she nodded and smiled at him, he let her go, and she stepped away to open a portal as Zerrex's eyes turned to the others, looking at Lone's suddenly hopeful expression before he sighed and said mildly: "All of you can help yourselves to the armory downstairs and grab any gear you need from-"

Before he could finish, Vampire and Cherry leapt to their feet, the latter opening a portal before it sparked closed when Vampire tackled her to the ground, and an uproar ensued as Tinman stared and Zerrex simply rolled his eyes, the two yelling at each other about who got what weapon as Lone and Mahihko were dragged into the skirmish. Then Raze walked over to him, and the reptile let him lead him away towards the double doors of the hall, the reptile looking back and forth with surprise as he mumbled: "Wow, everyone's actually gone. It's like they're all starting to listen to me."

Raze grunted as he held up a hand, concentrating before a vortex crackled open, and they headed through it together to step out onto a large, circular stone platform in the massive city that was Heaven. The sky above was a brilliant blue, cliffs that reached the clouds above floating here and there as Zerrex looked back and forth, letting himself adjust to the different environment and the strange purity of the air before Raze pulled off the plain black shirt he was wearing, looking back at the Drakkaren as he tied it around his waist, the golden scales of his chest glinting in the light and making the black that covered the rest of his body stand out all the more beautifully as he smiled slightly at the lizard. "We'll take the long way instead of portalling."

Slowly, a pair of white wings pushed themselves out of Raze's back, flapping once as the angelic godling gazed at Zerrex... and the reptile couldn't help but smile amusedly before he extended his own wings, his glowing with a brighter, stranger ivory evanescence as they stood side-by-side for a moment before both leapt into the air, flying high up into the sky as Raze threw his head back and laughed. They circled each other, and then Raze dived forwards, and Zerrex followed as they passed low over the rooftops of the marble buildings below, following a clustered stone road filled with milling people and every now and then a small market full of stalls and little wooden shops.

They weaved back and forth, racing a bit as they flew past an immense statue of an Angel wearing a mask and holding a spear, circling around it as the diamonds and precious gems inset into the statue glimmered in the light, and then Raze dove low over a temple before he landed on the roof, and the Drakkaren flew down with a grin straight at him, but Raze reached up and grabbed his shoulders before he could be tackled to the ground, Zerrex seizing into the other reptile's as they spun around before their mouths met in a passionate kiss, both males closing their eyes before the scarred reptile's feet settled to the roof of the shrine, and they hugged tightly, the black-scaled male murmuring: "I don't ever want this to end..."

"Neither do I..." Zerrex said quietly, holding tightly onto him, their muscular forms pressing together. Despite their equal height, it was Raze that tried to curl himself against Zerrex... and the reptile closed his eyes, stroking slowly over the back of the cold-seeming angel's head. Raze's anger and coldness stemmed from vicious events in his past... and Zerrex had been one of the only people to ever see through his façade to the quiet soul beneath it, mostly because Raze reminded him... of himself, from the past.

Their relationship was a strange one: on the one hand, it was loving and would endure any strain... but on the other, the males rarely outwardly showed their bond, and only in moments like these did they show affection for each other. Otherwise, they seemed like only friends, whatever vows they had taken in a quiet shrine in Hell one day... and as Raze stepped away, they gazed into each other's eyes before sharing a soft, gentle kiss that lasted only a moment, but it calmed both of them visibly, as they regained their composure... yet even as they stepped away, their fingers remained locked together.

Raze cleared his throat, finally, and he gently let go of Zerrex's hands as he crossed his arms, looking awkwardly at the ground before he said with a bit of a smile: "I... I guess I should tell you about the Council, though... come on, it's not in Iliad, but in the countryside, nearer to the city of Oakum."

The Drakkaren nodded, and then the two took flight again, moving at a moderate pace as their strong wings allowed them to glide high above the rectangular, closely-packed marble buildings towards the city walls and spacious fields beyond in the distance. They flew side-by-side, silent for a few minutes, before Raze finally began to speak in his strong, calm voice, tinged with more than a faint hint of bitterness: "The Heavenly Council governs city-wide affairs and up to moderate matters of bureaucracy... and ever since our numbers were so severely reduced by the corruption of Narrius, they've been taking on more important matters, such as directing the Metatrons and several of the different Thrones of Heaven. They are pompous, pretentious, and arrogant, composed of surviving Naganatine, the original Angels created by God, and several self-proclaimed 'holy gods.'

"They will patronize you. They will talk down to you. They will try and be forceful with you. But they have little real power... all of that is held by Lucifer and Lord, and I expect both... my father... and the original High King of Hell will be present at this meeting." Raze said dryly, a bit of distaste entering his voice as they sailed over the squat stone wall that separated the city from the grassy fields beyond, the two following a long, tan-dirt road. "Do not display weakness to them, and try and keep your temper... which I can barely manage myself when I'm forced to be present at their little intellectual masturbation sessions."

Zerrex grunted, nodding as he made a face: sometimes he forgot that Raze was technically Heavenly royalty, as they passed above a large farm. The Drakkaren's eyes settled on an orchard below them, and he suddenly dived as Raze frowned at him, the Drakkaren flying low between the rows of trees and reaching his hands out to snag an apple in each, before he shot back into the air and offered one to Raze, who smiled dryly before he flipped upside down and reached a hand out to take it from his fellow reptile.

Then the two spun around in a wide, synchronized circle before Raze flipped himself back upwards, and they continued on, Raze biting a large chunk out of the apple and chewing loudly, silence spiraling out between them for a few moments. Finally, Zerrex asked mildly: "Do they have the authority and influence to be able to start a war with Hell?"

Raze shook his head, saying quietly: "Lord and Lucifer will not allow that to happen under any circumstances... especially right now. They're afraid, Zerrex, that's all... Heaven has few powerful warriors anymore, and the Corruption claimed many, many angels. Our power has never been in military strength, anyway: demons have always had the edge there. But now we're losing mages, too, and more and more, angels are clamoring to be able to travel to the mortal realm, while these... politicians want to keep Heaven's image of aloofness alive for some godforsaken reason. It's all a mire of shit, and the people in it are just trying to shovel that shit onto someone else."

Zerrex grunted, then he made a face as he looked ahead to a massive, dome-shaped building, reminded with distaste of the Marble Dome in the capital of Ire. It sat on a raised, square base of marble, and a huge mountain rose up at its back... and at the very top of the dome, there was some kind of figure. As they closed in on it, the Drakkaren realized it was a statue of a Naganatine with a blindfold over her eyes, holding up a set of scales... and Raze murmured: "Justice. The first and only Naganatine to die during the Betrayal; Mephistopheles turned her to solid stone, and instead of letting her rest in a crypt, the bastards who run the council thought it would be more fitting to hang her like a trophy on top of their Senate."

The Drakkaren snarled a bit at this... and then he forced himself to calm as both he and Raze dropped out of the sky, landing on their feet at the end of a wide stone path leading from the dusty road towards the massive dome. Zerrex realized it was a stadium design, with enormous statues of masked Angels holding the dome ceiling up on their shoulders... and inside was speaking area, surrounded by a row of benches, with the highest at the back near the base of the dome.

The wide stairs leading onto the platform the senate building were tall stone steps, guarded by both warrior angels in silver armor carrying short spears, shields, and holstered swords, and uniformed angels with longbows, many of them with arrows already nocked and ready to fly as if they were guarding a barracks during a war time, not a building of democracy. Zerrex also knew they weren't at all-out war yet, even if things were getting dire... and he paused to look at the caravan of heavy carts and carriages that had stopped nearby, soldiers inspecting this as Ascended mortals stood around, looking unnerved as an officer wearing a long cape jotted things on a clipboard with a look of distaste.

The Drakkaren shook his head as they approached the stairs... and immediately, two angels stepped forwards, readying their spears... but Raze snarled and slapped these away, and the warrior angels backed quickly off, both of them wincing and dropping, their silver helms gleaming in the light as the godling shouted angrily: "Stand down! The next person to even look at Lord Zerrex wrong deals with me!"

Zerrex smiled a bit at this, as Raze rolled his shoulders before his wings slowly folded back down, and the godling put his shirt on with a mutter as Zerrex allowed his own wings to vanish into his back, a few motes of energy glimmering around him before he headed up the stairs and paused outside the row of pillars. He didn't know whether to wait outside or to approach the steps at the sides of the benches and sit somewhere quietly... but the meeting inside already seemed like it had been interrupted by Raze's yelling, and the two drew a few interested looks as the godling walked up and grasped the Drakkaren's shoulder, steering him inside and into the well-lit open speaking area at the base... and the reptile made a face as he looked up and realized that the benches were kept in a state of shadow, and the balconies in the dome high above - how the hell do they get into those? - kept almost in total darkness, although at least today they looked unused. "Chancellor, I would like to present High King Zerrex Narrius of Hell. I believe you requested his presence."

An aged-looking Naganatine in a black and red robe smiled at Zerrex glibly from where he stood at the edge of the speaking area, and he walked forwards, saying in a calm, soft voice: "We were just discussing taxation rights... but I suppose we can let that issue rest a moment, if you must insist Lord Raze. Please, take your seat."

He bowed politely as he gestured towards the benches, and Raze walked up into them, Zerrex looking over his audience and wincing. It included the three Naganatine that he had already had issues with in Hell, faceless, silver-masked Metatrons with cold eyes, and although he couldn't see Lord, standing at the back in the shadows was Lucifer himself, in regal clothing and wearing a long, black cape. He stood out because of his strange features: a true half-breed between wolf and Naganatine, he looked like a genetic experiment gone wrong, the right side of his body that of a grey timberwolf with grizzled features, his left a Dragokkaren with a stony face. It was an almost perfect split down the middle, from the half-wolf's nose and thinner muzzle on the right, to the larger, more muscular left side, the reptilian eye amber and much like Raze's, but the other a cold, metallic color possessed only by ancient breeds of lupine.

Lucifer, Architect of Hell, an ancient once-mortal who had been drawn into Heaven and who had brought forwards his ideas to God after years of wandering a celestial plane filled with both good and evil beings. His experiment had failed, however, and he had been drawn back up to Heaven after placing four High Thrones in charge, and the first High King had then gone on to serve God as an Archangel and his left hand, with Lord - another ancient once-mortal -as his right. Lucifer was bitter, angry, and more than a bit cold: he made Raze seem like a warm, fuzzy bundle of joy. He did, however, have a certain amount of respect for Zerrex, since the Drakkaren had helped finally piece together the Hell he had always envisioned and aided in the defeat of Narrius from the Throne of Heaven... and Zerrex certainly respected the Archangel, who was ruled by unflinching duty to not just Heaven, but the universe as a whole.

Zerrex's eyes also noted a few gods present, and even a Reaper, the cloaked being mostly-hidden in shadows with his scythe resting against the wall behind him, his skull-mask removed but his face hidden by the folds of his cowl. The gathering was smaller than Zerrex expected, but there was a variety of creatures here that made him nervous... mostly because he worried they all had the same ideals in mind, or they were puppeted by politics when they should all be out doing their actual duties.

Finally, the Chancellor said in his soft but carrying voice: "Lord Zerrex, the Heavenly Council has called you here to ask what you were thinking when you freed the being known as Anathema from her imprisonment with the aid of the Naganatine known as Sin, whom we all know has long fallen from the grace of God and was one of the worst of Betrayers. All Naganatine who remain in Heaven are here, save Silven, a Watcher and Prophet who is on the mortal realm right now against the wishes of Heaven, I might add... but before we begin, first I believe several of esteemed members of the Council wish to speak their opinion on the matter."

Zerrex wondered for a moment why he was even here as he crossed his arms, hating being in the spotlight and having everyone staring at him while they tried to publicly humiliate him into submitting to whatever demands they had... and then one of the Naganatine stood up, and the Drakkaren recognized it as the one called Epoch... the one that had pissed Lily off. "Again and again, this so-called High King has interfered with the mortal plane, which goes strictly against the Code of God! He is a serious threat to our very survival... why, even the planes joining together could be his fault, for allowing so much interference and so many portals to be opened, damaging the fabric of reality!"

There were murmurs of agreement, and then Warden, the weapon-wielding Naganatine, stood and added as he slammed a fist into his other hand: "He needs to be punished. As his own history proves, he was a disgusting, violent mortal during his lifetime, and he is unfit to sit on the High Throne... instead, a god or divine being should be placed on the High Throne of Hell, someone we can trust to do the job and to do it right, and to not seduce the mortal plane for his own desires and ends!"

More yells of agreement, and Zerrex closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them as he did his best to calm the anger growing in his body, before a god of some kind stood up, the white-furred, tattooed rabbit shouting: "Anathema is a danger to us all, as is Sin and they must be locked away... Hell was never meant to be without Heaven's guidance, and this is exactly why, because without Heaven to watch over Hell, this filthy mortal has freed a terror that defies the Great Cycle and displayed abilities so powerful they could upset the laws of life and death as we know it, and destroy mortal existence as we know it."

"Calm yourselves." the Chancellor said, but his voice was mellow and pleasant, before he looked at Zerrex, asking in his soft, subtly-patronizing tone: "So, do you wish to defend yourself against these allegations, Lord Zerrex? Or to reason with us exactly why you healed a dangerous daemon known as Sin and helped free Anathema?"

Zerrex rubbed at his muzzle slowly, and then he asked flatly: "Dude, is anyone here interested at all in what's happening on the mortal realm right now?"

"Please watch your language here, this is not a social event among friends." the Chancellor said in a voice that was sudden ice-cold, and then he added almost angrily: "And not is that the issue up for debate. What we are currently discussing is your motives in continuing to make Hell a dangerous, threatening power, while Heaven continues to peacefully develop itself as a world that uses its voice and not its fist."

The Drakkaren snorted at this, earning a grumble throughout the crowd before he crossed his arms, saying coolly: "Chancellor... delegates or whatever you are... Hell is not developing its military power. Nor is it my fault that sinners who end up in Hell often happen to be people who are violent, or unstable, or simply misfit souls that develop abilities that are often... hostile, for lack of a better term. What I'm trying to do is train these souls to use their abilities for peaceful purposes... and to inform them that while violence against others is wrong, it is not a crime to defend ourselves against aggressors, using whatever means we have at our disposal."

"Warmonger!" shouted a voice, and there was a murmur of agreement as Zerrex's eyes roved through the crowd, but he couldn't figure out who had just said that. It made him feel disgusted, reminding him of politics on the mortal plane... and he closed his eyes, refocusing himself before he could let his anger and bitterness well up and affect his judgment.

"I am not. I don't like war, all I want anymore is to see people peaceful and happy, to rest in the calm and keep my family safe and protected." Zerrex paused, and then he said in a quiet, firm voice: "And I'm going to say this one final time. Sin and Anathema are not threats. Sin is far more gentle, loving, and compassionate than any other Naganatine I've ever met, including the four in this meeting hall right now... and Anathema is vulgar, rude, and maybe a little bit scary, but of her own free will, she wants to help in the fight against the threats to not only the mortal plane, but also Heaven and Hell. Everyone can change... but I think you four Naganatine know that better than you realize. Sin always told me such good things about the First Breed, after all... but whatever divine beings you started as, you four seem like far worse sinners than her now, since her only 'crime' was weakness."

"Shut up!" Warden leapt to his feet with a roar, and one of the other Naganatine and an angel sitting beside him restrained him, as the Chancellor's features hardened, becoming ugly as he laced his fingers together, and then Warden howled: "I demand that this maggot apologize to all of us or that we settle this like warriors, and-"

"Enough." said a cold voice, and there was instant silence, the air feeling like ice as all eyes slowly turned up to Lucifer, who continued to rest against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked slowly back and forth, and then he spoke in calm, age-worn tones: "Lord Zerrex has spoken out of turn and out of emotion. This merits little more than a warning. But he is right: the Naganatine have changed, from even what I knew. Just as he is right that we have a far larger threat facing us, and we are interfering with the plans he has set in motion... plans he has not discussed with us because I'm sure he anticipated that the council would treat him just like this.

"Epoch, Warden, Abel, and Job. All four of you will be disciplined... severely." Lucifer rose a fist and closed it shut tightly, his knuckles cracking loudly and making even the Chancellor pale, before Lucifer looked coldly at Zerrex. "And you, demon. Get out of here. You're supposed to be on the mortal plane right now."

Zerrex smiled a bit at this and the silent approval in the Archangel's eyes, and then he paused when Lucifer added calmly: "Lord Raze, escort the High King back to Hell. I'd rather not have any... accidents occur on the way there."

Raze grunted and nodded, and he quickly left the benches, shoving the Chancellor over when he passed and making a mumble roll through the crowd, but no one spoke up as Raze tossed a dark glare over his shoulder. Then he joined Zerrex, standing near him protectively before they walked down the stairs and past the divine guards as the black-scaled Drakkaren muttered: "At least Lucifer isn't a goody-two-shoes like Lord..."

The Drakkaren smiled amusedly over at the godling, who gave him a curious look before the reptile asked mildly, poking him: "You really have no mercy, do you? That's kinda hot."

Raze grunted in return at this, rolling his eyes as they walked to the end of the stone path, then stepped out onto the dirt road, continuing along it for several meters before the black-scaled godling glanced over his shoulder and judged the distance with a mumble. "Let's see... about here should be fine."

Zerrex tilted his head, then he watched as Raze rose a hand and created a vortex, a bit of a wince of strain on his features as his muscular body flexed with concentration and exertion. Then he let out a sigh of relief as the swirling portal formed completely into being, and he grunted at the Drakkaren, jerking his head at the portal. It made Zerrex smile slightly, thinking about how Raze often had the manners of a brute... and yet he was somehow all the more loveable for it.

The two reptiles walked through the vortex and emerged after a few moments on the road outside of the Ravenlight Estate, looking back and forth as the Drakkaren rubbed the back of his head, making a face. Then he blinked and looked down when Sammy appeared out of nowhere in front of him, jumping up to his hind legs and chirping cheerfully, and the lizard laughed and reached down to pay him gently on head. "Hey, how're things going here?"

Sammy paused and looked reflective, then he made a quieter squeaking sound, and Zerrex nodded as he recognized what the pseudodragon meant, making a face. Still, he had faith that even with a setback or two, things in Hell would take care of themselves... what he had to concentrate on and worry about were the problems on the mortal plane, which unfortunately promised much greater difficulties.

The lizard walked through the open gates and towards the main doors of the Estate, followed closely by Raze as he looked distrustfully back and forth at the makeshift tent settlements set up around the front lawn area and the demons being served food. Raze didn't understand Zerrex's charity, oftentimes... but on the other hand, he never argued against it, unlike a good few people the Drakkaren knew, and both reptiles were well aware that even the grounds of the Ravenlight Estate were far safer than a lot of homes in the great cities of Hell at the moment.

They pushed in through the doors to find Cherry and Vampire seated on the stairs with Tinman, the two demons readying their weapons as Tinman sat and listened to them chat with a smile on his face, his hands on his cheeks. Raze grunted something to Zerrex, and the Drakkaren smiled amusedly over his shoulder at him before the angel vanished back out the doors, likely excusing himself to head to the Central Spire to begin his messenger duties: something Raze didn't like, but he hated social situations far more.

The three looked up as the reptile approached with Sammy at his heels, and Cherry grinned, standing up and saluting in her full battle armor, the Great Diviner on one hip and her chain whip on the other as she said crisply: "Ready for deployment, Boss!"

"No guns?" Zerrex asked mildly, and Cherry huffed before she rose a leg and waggled her foot at him, showing off the revolver holstered at her ankle. The reptile rolled his eyes in amusement, and then he turned his gaze instead to Vampire, who was only wearing his Royal Guard loin-plate but had both the massive machine-shotgun and a black, plain-looking spear at the ready. "Can you carry both of those at once?"

Vampire nodded with a smile as he put on a bandolier full of shotgun shells, the weapon beside him as-yet unloaded and several long belts of ammunition sitting beside it. "It's got a strap, Boss... just like when I used to use the gatling gun, you remember?"

Zerrex nodded back, before his eyes roved to Tinny and settled on the utility belt he was wearing, covered in pouches... and he smiled to the little badger, who gazed up at Zerrex with both adoration and embarrassment. "And what about you? Your belt have enough stuff, because I can get someone to grab you some more materials..."

"No, Zerrex, I've got plenty, don't worry about me." Tinman looked almost embarrassed as he held up his hands, and then he added softly: "Little Arcy sends her regards, by the way... with the temporal distortions, she's having trouble getting out of the Great Shrine, but she promised she'd come down to Hell as soon as she could."

The reptile nodded, and then all four looked up at the sound of a snort, Loki standing at the top of the stairs in his usual, strange assortment of clothing, Gungir resting on his shoulder as he said with dry entertainment: "Aren't you such a sweet little family. Hey, I thought we were going to be taking more than this with us, I only count... one, two, three freaks."

"Shut up, Loki. And I expect they're getting their guns and stuff together." Zerrex rolled his eyes at this, and Cherry grunted before the Drakkaren stepped past them, walking up towards the otter and glancing over him before he said mildly: "Play nice, will you? I need to go and grab my gear."

Loki stuck his tongue out at Zerrex's back, and then he cursed when Cherry threw a shotgun shell at him, wincing as it bounced off his head before Tinman held a hand up, the shell flying through the air to neatly land between his fingers as he looked mildly down at the demoness, who coughed and cleared her throat. Then he handed it off to Vampire, and the female said dumbly: "Hey, the fucker heals like... mega-fast. Stop... looking at me like that, I know nothing about guns and how they work."

Zerrex snorted in amusement as he let himself out of the hall, walking down the corridor connecting to his room and hoping that they wouldn't kill each other by the time he was done. He figured it wouldn't take him long to get ready, however, as he tapped at his nanotech armlet and muttered under his breath about needing a list of clothing commands... and then he looked up in surprise to find Anathema going through his stuff, before one of his eyes twitched as she looked over her shoulder with a frown before it turned to a wince. "What the hell are you doing? Get out of there!"

"Oh, lighten up." Anathema grumbled, and then she pointed at Blackheart and his dragon-headed cane, which she'd laid out on the bed next to a sidepack. "Here, I got your stuff ready for you, polished and everything. I was just checking if there was anything else you needed... all that's in that little kit are strange odds and ends."

The reptile looked at her suspiciously for a moment, and then he grunted and nodded, looking at his cane and his sword before he decided mentally she was probably right: bringing both with him would give him some more flexibility in combat. Then he looked at her as she approached with a slight smile, and he asked mildly: "So are you ready to go?"

Anathema nodded, becoming skeletal before she wrapped her arms around his neck and melded against his body, the reptile wincing as he felt the bone plates sink through his nanotech clothing and attach themselves over his form, staying mostly-hidden, and her skull settled over his right shoulder instead of onto his back, golden flames burning in her eyes for a moment before they settled as her voice whispered in his mind: Ready as ever, Zerrex... the real question is, are you ready?

Zerrex grunted, hating how quickly she'd figured him out and wondering mentally what Sin and Anathema had discussed about him... and the female laughed in his mind, but otherwise remained silent, letting him go about his business as he placed Blackheart on his back, then tapped a command into the nanotech armlet to make it form into a belt that he attached the sidepack to.

Finally, he picked up his cane and gazed down into its eyes, and Anathema murmured in his mind: That tried to burn me when I touched it... strange, Zerrex, that you can handle holy objects like that. It must give you an excellent advantage over other demons, however...

"Only to a point." the reptile muttered, as he headed back towards the entrance hall, carrying the cane by the neck, asking as he approached the door: "What kind of effects do you think it would have on a so-called 'holy being' like Animaxander?"

Hard to say. If he believes he's holy because he's pious... his heart could be as dark and black and dead as ash, and that cane will make him suffer in unbelievable ways with only a single blow. Anathema replied with a twisted relish, adding quietly as he stepped into the expansive hall: And believe me... many so-called 'holy saints' are more warped and twisted than even I am... and you've seen what the hell I've become.

Zerrex didn't respond to that as he walked down the stairs, towards where Cherry was barking orders at Vampire, Tinny, Loki, and Lone and Mahihko, who she'd lined up like troops. The latter two wolves, Zerrex was glad to see, hadn't overloaded themselves with gear: Mahihko had his hoops at either side of his waist and a short-barreled rifle holstered in the backpack he was lugging, and Lone had a handgun near the front of his waist, a revolver hanging low on his hip, and a shotgun in his hands... as well as a collapsible pole strapped to his back.

Cherry looked up as Zerrex came down the stairs, and saluted, as did the others; Loki tried to follow along with the latter, but he failed somewhat, only looking confused but obviously not daring to go against the demoness. Then Zerrex halted at the bottom of the stairs and looked over them all, saying without further ado: "Our first step is going to be heading to my home on the mortal plane. Cindy and Marina are there, and we can seriously use their help... it'll also let me get updated on how President Balthazar is doing. From there, we're going to borrow a large-size vehicle and travel to Animaxander's location... it'll be a long trip, but I want the bastard to know we're coming and I want to try and draw his forces back from the other cities, make them try to converge on our location. If the humans are hardwired to their leader somehow, even if they can't possibly reach him in time, they'll still attempt to get to him... we did the same thing years ago when we fought mages using construct armies, it's a maneuver Ixin taught me.

"We're going to be a larger group than I usually like dealing with, but I have confidence in all of our abilities... and I'm well-aware by now that Animaxander might end up being far more challenging than we gave him credit for at first, especially with his connections to the Old Gods apparently intent on invading our world." Zerrex continued quietly, and Loki twitched a bit at this, looking nervously back and forth. "Any questions?"

There was silence... and Zerrex nodded with a grunt before he held up his cane, concentrating and opening a vortex, which spluttered for a moment before solidifying... and the reptile made a face, that feeling of pressure entering his mind again as he muttered: "Okay, get through quick, I'll follow last. Something's attacking the portal again."

Cherry immediately took the lead, yelling and scaring Lone and Mahihko through with her before Vampire, Tinman, and Loki followed, and the Drakkaren waited a moment before he ran after them with Sammy at his heels, Anathema muttering in his mind: Strange signals... but the world I saw was far stranger than Hell.

Zerrex didn't even know how to argue with that, and a few moments later, he found himself standing in a very-crowded kitchen, Cindy looking mortified by the counter and holding a teacup in one hand as Marina simply continued to sketch where she was seated at the table. The others were clustered all around... and then the Drakkaren cleared his throat before Cindy glared at him, asking flatly: "Are these all dinner guests?"

"No, we have to move against Animaxander shortly... but first I wanted an update and to beg for your help." Zerrex replied mildly, and Cindy smiled a bit at him, although she admittedly looked somewhat strained. He gazed over her for a moment, and then he looked at Marina, who was smiling up at him benevolently, looking... strangely unharmed, and as if all this was just part of everyday life. "How are you two holding up?"

"I'm fine, Daddy... but Cindy's stressed. President Balthazar is currently on the phone, by the way. It's in the other room, sitting on the charger, but he asked us to leave it on until you got home." Marina replied softly, and Zerrex nodded before he frowned a bit and looked at Cindy. Before he could even ask, however, Marina said softly: "It's been half an hour. The time lapses must have really affected Hell."

She's a terrifying psychic... Anathema murmured... and then she winced inside his head somehow, as Marina looked up sharply, her eyes flashing. Then the eyes on the skull glowed gold as her voice said irritably: "Stop that, I'm no foe!"

Cindy stared in shock, almost dropping her teacup... and then she put it down, grabbed Zerrex, and dragged him out of the kitchen as Cherry took over, telling everyone to re-check their gear and introducing Marina to Loki, as Cindy muttered: "This is pretty goddamn sudden, Daddy... not that I wasn't expecting it. But fuck, I'm just..." She looked at him quietly, saying softly: "All the zombies vanished after only a few minutes, fuck knows why, but the humans kept attacking... and Balthazar was attacked in his office and wounded, but he survived... I just feel run-down."

"Try being me." Anathema grumbled, and Cindy looked at the skull sourly before she stared in horror when Anathema's skeletal upper body rose up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, golden flames burning in the sockets before it twitched back with a disgusted grunt. "You're an angel? But I thought... Zerrex, how can you have an angel as a daughter?"

"Long story." Zerrex said shortly, replying to both Cindy's stare and Anathema's question, and then he rolled his right shoulder several times, making the skeleton settle down and mold itself back to his body, the skull grumbling loudly as the light faded from its sockets. "Anathema, Cindy. Cindy, Anathema. Anyway, you'll have time to rest on the way there, and we'll take it slow... I want to intimidate the bastard if I can."

Cindy nodded slowly as they stepped into the den, and then Zerrex picked up the phone off the charger, watching as Sammy jumped up into Cindy's arms and she smiled at him, calming a bit before she looked further relieved when the Drakkaren said mildly: "Balthazar? It's me. We took care of the undead issue... how are things on your end? Did Blueberry and Mercy show up, yet?"

There was silence on the end of the line... then a loud click, followed by the President saying in a relieved voice: "Zerrex, first... let me thank you for sending these Ambassadors. Having them around makes me feel... more than a little bit safer, even if they've just arrived."

There was a long pause as Zerrex sighed in relief, glad to know that Balthazar was alright... and then the ferret continued softly: "They just started filling me in on the events that have been going on in Hell... and let me also extend my thanks for getting rid of these undead... I'm correct in assuming you had something to do with that, aren't I?"

"Something. The real thanks go to Anathema... which is a being I'm getting yelled at a lot in Hell and Heaven for releasing, but... sometimes faith goes a long way, doesn't it?" Zerrex asked with a bit of a smile, and Balthazar chuckled quietly on the other end of the line, before the Drakkaren said in a more serious voice: "Right now, my plan is to head directly to the source of the problem, Animaxander... I have a team assembled that should be able to deal with him, and we're going to advance at only a moderate pace to try and draw out his forces and scare him."

Balthazar was quiet for a moment... and then he said softly: "I realize that... a negotiation with him is impossible. That even taking him alive may prove difficult... but the problem I'm faced with, Lord Zerrex, is Kafka. If you kill Animaxander, he'll make me out to be a tyrant like many of our past presidents have been... and of course, he's already started broadcasting about how the human forces were not attacking people, but the undead and the Possessed. You see, as an authority figure, he automatically holds sway over a great population of people, especially with how he always appears in his military-style uniform... and worse, in a situation of mass hysteria, people are prone to believing in anything you give them, especially false hope.

"Kafka will destabilize the government if you kill Animaxander... meaning you'll likely lose all the protection I can offer you. My worries aren't for myself... it is for my people, and my nation, who are being led astray by poisonous rhetoric and lies." Balthazar's voice was quiet and soft, and Zerrex knew he was genuine by now: one of the few people, let alone leaders, he'd ever met who was. "I recognize Animaxander must be destroyed, however... so in these last, desperate times, let me offer the aid I can." He paused, then his voice became a bit fainter as he ordered clearly: "Send an SDDS Heavy Transport immediately to Lord Zerrex's home and put all SDDS units on full alert. I want the roads that still work cleared from Valise City to the human cathedral."

"Balthazar, really, you've already given us enough kindness..." Zerrex babbled, and then he closed his eyes and realized how foolish that sounded, given the situation, and instead he said quietly: "I mean... thank you."

"Not necessary, Zerrex... not in the slightest." Balthazar replied softly, and then he smiled a bit. "But I won't hold you on the line any longer... instead, please. Try and come back alive, will you? I'd miss your company... and if Kafka doesn't have me locked away as a criminal, perhaps we can still enjoy the occasional lunch and debate together."

"Believe me... it'll take more than just Animaxander to kill someone like me." Zerrex said firmly, and then he smiled a bit, saying softly: "Blueberry and Mercy should be able to offer you a bit of new information for the moment, though. I'll leave you in their capable hands."

"Good luck, High King Zerrex Narrius. I fear you may need it." Balthazar replied gently, and Zerrex murmured the same to him before he hung up, looking down for a moment as he held the phone in his hand. He glanced up for Cindy, but she was already gone... and then he shook his head slowly, wondering for a moment if he could manage to take Animaxander alive.

Not a chance. Anathema said quietly in his mind, her voice cold. People like him, fanatics, do not go quietly, and nor do they allow themselves to be taken as hostages. To them, that's far more shameful and painful then any torture you could inflict... and you know it. Even if you did capture him... he'd find a way to kill himself. They always do.

Zerrex didn't ask how she knew that, since it sounded like some twisted personal experience... and so instead he shook his head, then walked down the hallway, pausing at Marina's room to gaze inside and watch as his youngest daughter carefully adjusted a katana that was slung behind her, making sure the handle was in easy reach. There was also a handgun at her side, and several clips in her belt... but Zerrex knew she didn't need any of them to be lethal in combat, with her psychic ability.

As he began to turn away, she gazed up at him with a soft smile as she pulled her top off, saying softly: "I like it when you watch me, Father... your gaze makes me feel both safe and protected." She paused as she reached out, picking up a tight black exercise top and slipping it on over her bra, revealing most of her form and cleavage but pulling her breasts a bit tighter to her chest. "You're important to us all."

"Marina..." Zerrex said softly, not knowing what to add... and she only smiled at him again, before she picked up her sketchbook and a bag of pencils. She walked over to him and offered her arm, and he gently laced his with it, the two heading down the hall together before Cindy joined them silently, a heavy sword on her back on a magnetic holder as she slowly pulled fingerless gloves onto her hands, a bulletproof vest over her torn clothes and thick, protective pads covering her elbows and knees and Sammy sitting on her shoulder.

Cherry was already waving people out the door, and Zerrex looked at her as Loki walked past grouchily, the Drakkaren asking mildly: "Don't you think we're going to stand out just a little bit? And where the hell is that rock wall?"

"I smashed through it." Cindy piped up, and she rubbed the back of her head embarrassedly as Zerrex stared at her. "Well, someone was out on the street alone, trying to run away from a swarm of humans... what was I supposed to do?"

"Let them die?" Cherry replied flatly, and when she received stares from Zerrex and Cindy. "What? Dude, they were probably going to go to Hell anyway. But well, it's goddamn crowded in here. This house wasn't meant to hold all kinds of people in it."

Zerrex grunted at this, then he finally walked past, through a crude archway that had been torn into the stone wall and out onto the damaged sidewalk, looking back and forth as their group stood awkwardly in plain view. The streets were deserted, however, not even any humans present, corpses littering the road... and the Drakkaren wondered where they had all gone to before he looked up as one of the huge Scanner transports approached quickly, rolling over dead bodies heedlessly and then grinding to a halt just past them, the back doors flying open and a soldier leaping out to salute them briskly. "Sir!"

He didn't seem to know what to say past that... so the Drakkaren simply nodded, saying mildly: "At ease." A pause, then he made a wide gesture to the others, and they lined up and began to pile into the transport, Loki looking confused but following the line as he muttered something about stupid mortal technology.

Another armored soldier jumped out of the front, approaching him and snapping off another salute as he announced: "Sir! Sergeant Jericho, ID 452225, at your disposal, sir! We are to follow any and all orders you give us."

"Good. Lone, Mahihko, take the front." the Drakkaren said mildly, and the wolves immediately ran up to the cab before the reptile turned his attention back to the two soldiers, pointing at his house. "Guard that and make sure no humans invade. Help yourself to the food in the kitchen and make yourselves at home, just don't go through my stuff. You know, basic etiquette."

The two soldiers looked dumbfounded, and then both of them shrugged before the first one snapped a salute again and said stupidly: "We'll... guard it with our lives, sir."

"Excellent." Zerrex smiled slightly, then he turned and hopped into the back as he pulled his sword off his back, taking a seat beside Cindy near the end of one of the long benches in the transport's rear as Vampire stood up and closed the doors, seated on the bench opposite. Cherry, near the front, leaned over and rapped on the sliding window that separated the cab from the transport compartment... and Lone slid it open, his eyes curiously peering through into the back as Zerrex said quietly: "Time to go. Just follow the GPS out to the Row of Skulls."

Lone nodded, and then he turned around as Zerrex looked around the huge compartment: large enough to carry a platoon of troops, and more than big enough to let them all sit with a fair amount of comfort and for Sammy to be able to run up and down the middle of the transport without hitting anyone's feet. He looked back and forth as he held Blackheart awkwardly for a moment longer across his lap, and then Cindy tapped him on the shoulder and pointed upwards, and the reptile was surprised to see several sets of clamps, one of these already holding Cindy's sword safely above her head against the wall.

Zerrex carefully slid Blackheart between the clamps, adjusting them and locking them into place with the blade of his weapon slightly overlapping Cindy's sword, and when he sat down again, the female gently squeezed his leg, saying softly: "I'm glad you put that sword back together, Daddy... it really is a good thing to see, I think."

Zerrex nodded a bit, rubbing awkwardly at his head as he smiled at her, and then Vampire laughed, gun in his lap and spear cradled in one arm as he winked. "I remember the first time I saw that goddamn sword... dude, did I ever wanna steal it! Still do now, really... but you know, it is goddamn good to see."

The Drakkaren shook his head in amusement at this, and as they travelled, they went through intermittent times of chatting and silence. It was almost relaxing... but the whole time, Zerrex felt a growing tenseness in the air, as Mahihko and Lone communicated bits and pieces of information from the front every so often, from detours to places where humans were attacking or retreating, as information came in over the radio to them.

It took four hours... but they had no skirmishes, made no stops, and were even escorted here and there by other vehicles, both military and police. And finally, they came to a halt on a circular lookout on a high, grassy hilltop, and Lone leaned back as he called through the window: "Last stop, everyone off!"

"Wait... what's that?" Mahihko's voice asked with a tremble, and Zerrex frowned as he got up, Vampire throwing open the doors and leaping out as the Drakkaren and his daughter took their weapons off the wall before following. The reptile looked back and forth, realizing they were at some kind of... memorial site, not just a lookout, by how well-maintained it was and the nearby wall covered in etched names and meaningless phrases, one of the last 'shrines' set up by old Ire... names not of people who had died here, but more of a list of people who had 'died for Ire...' and every single one of those commemorated and 'honored' names now resting in Hell somewhere and suffering punishments to this day for their sins.

Zerrex walked past the wall and stepped onto the grassy hill, joining the others already there as he rested Blackheart on his shoulder, cane in his other hand... and he narrowed his eyes at the sight of the enormous cathedral that awaited them. It was beautiful... and yet to have been built so quickly, it was also undoubtedly a castle that was created by either illusion or magic, the rooftop layered domes like bubbles that had merged together, the stone either ivory white or brilliant gold, massive alabaster crosses standing tall out of the rooftops and all manner of holy design etched over the building. The Drakkaren winced as a pain stung at his eyes, and he closed them... and when he opened them, purple runes glared out of the tapered walls, towering pillars, and even over the flowing staircases, and unnatural light shone out of the many sectioned and thin but tall windows, as the reptile murmured: "And big as it is... how could it have that many soldiers?"

There were no more tents set up around the area, after all... but instead, in front of two immense statues of human figures wearing flowing robes and marvelously-detailed for what looked like stone, were row-after-row of humans. The reptile narrowed his eyes coldly at this, Sammy growling as he ran up to his feet... and then he looked to the side in surprise as a voice said in a cool softness: "Those are neither alive, nor are they construct. They're a very old type of elemental spirit, rarely summoned these days."

"White." Zerrex smiled a bit, and Tinman looked up with surprise to see his father, the colder badger dressed in his western style clothes and his gun hanging loosely at his hip, duster brushed back so he could reach it easily. His hat was pulled down over his features, and he was leaning against a tree, safely in the shade... but standing beside him was a benevolent-looking Naganatine dressed in a robe, exuding a quiet glow that made even the judge look younger and gentler... but perhaps it was only the sight of his son.

"I see you brought a friend." White said, nodding at the skull... and golden fire burned in the sockets as the skull ever-so-slightly turned towards them, Zerrex sensing Anathema's interest. "That's fine... I did myself. This is Silven."

"We've met." Anathema murmured, and Silven smiled hesitantly at her, as her voice asked softly: "Tell me, brother... why is the rest of our kin so hostile?"

"Because they're afraid, that's all... just like they rejected me when I started helping White Phoenix, after he took the power of Mephistopheles." Silven replied in a soft voice, before he glanced down at the group of humans, adding quietly: "But things are worse than just an army of elementals made of sand and clay."

White grunted, and when Silven looked at him, he straightened and sighed, adding dryly: "I did some recon, and those four spirits that vanished from Hell? Well, now they're here with Animaxander. I've seen them... and my guess is, Animaxander is going to use them to slow you down."

Zerrex made a face... and then he tucked his cane into his belt, flexing his right arm as he muttered: "Well, it's not like I expected things to go smoothly, anyway... we'll deal with things as they come, as always." He paused, then looked at White with a slight smile, asking mildly: "I don't suppose you're going to join us, are you?"

White hesitated... then he looked at his son, and he said finally: "It's been a long time, but... I will, I think."

He slowly drew his revolver as he flexed his gloved hands... and then he rubbed his fingers down the three-foot, rifle-length barrel on the huge weapon, trading a look with Silven before Tinman said quietly, smiling faintly up at him: "Thanks, Dad."

White grunted, looking down as he adjusted his hat and stepped out into the light... and then Zerrex faced forwards as he began to stride down the hill, ordering calmly: "Fan out to either side, no charging, no panicking. We're going to take this one nice and slow... and see just how Animaxander reacts. If these things are elemental spirits, it makes sense what happens to them when they die... don't attack them until they attack us."

There was a murmur of affirmation down the line as Loki fell in next to Zerrex, muttering in an urgent voice: "Are you insane? There's got to be hundreds of them down there, and there's only a handful of us! At the very least they'll keep us busy enough for Animaxander to call in something far worse to come in and attack us!"

"Trust me." Zerrex smiled slightly at the otter, and he gave him a frustrated look before he grumbled and nodded as they approached... and as the Drakkaren expected, the 'human' soldiers stood and waited for them mindlessly. Once they came within a hundred feet, a pair of massive doors at the head of a long, sweeping marble staircase opened, and four figures stepped out as lightning sizzled between the statues, before an image of Animaxander's face appeared, floating in midair and looking down at them like a ghastly phantasm.

There was silence for a moment, only a gentle wind blowing in from the sea, carrying the smell of brine and salt even to this distance... and then Animaxander said coldly: "A foolish maneuver, Lord Zerrex. You are not an army... and numbers will always overwhelm strength. There are many of my zealots, and only few of you... and better yet, I have four special bodyguards here, all of whom are designed with your past in mind. Mythos, Logos, Pathos, and Ethos... amusing mockeries of nightmares from your past."

Zerrex didn't speak and Anathema hissed in his mind: What are you doing? He's right! And those beings are no longer simple demons... they're all be reengineered, redesigned like your mortal machinery... you can't defeat both an army and all of them, then expect to win against Animaxander!

"Well? Don't you have anything to say?" asked the Grand Inquisitor callously, and then he smiled calmly, asking in a voice that was almost gentle: "Or are you finally considering surrender?"

"Animaxander... many years ago, this was a great battleground." Zerrex said calmly, and in his mind, Anathema quieted... before he almost felt the cruel grin on her features as the eyes of her skull lit up with golden flames. "Fighting together, my uncle... my mentor... and I, killed countless demons... before we died ourselves. But I came back here, after I became a demon, after years and years in Hell, and defeated a puppet-monster just like you are."

"Fitting, then you'll die here again if you refuse to bow your head." Animaxander replied quietly, before he asked in a voice that was almost pleading, if not for the sardonic undertones: "Won't you at least think about sparing the lives of your friends and allowing them to decide?"

"None of us will surrender." Zerrex said coldly, and then he looked down in surprise as his arms spread, Anathema's bony armor crawling down it as they glowed with a terrible purple energy, the skull on his shoulder sparking with ghastly light. "And you're wrong, Animaxander. I do have an army. An army far worse than yours."

The light in the air seemed to darken as the ground underfoot trembled... and slowly, phantasms began to rise up from the cold earth, ghosts of demons all bearing terrible wounds as in other places, the ground exploded as if from some a seismic charge, skeletons ripping their way upwards with their bony grins on their faces as Animaxander's expression turned to one of shocked anger, before his projected image shouted: "Attack and destroy them, all of you! Stop them from entering my cathedral!"

The human army immediately tried to move forwards... but as the others watched, the undead quickly stepped into the way, and human weapons uselessly passed through angry spirits and clanged off skeletal bodies, the undead clawing into faces, bodies, anything they could reach, the larger undead demons smashing false humans to the ground like toys and the more-intelligent members of the living dead picking up fallen weapons to better kill their opponents as more and more undead rose up from the battlefield.

Zerrex winced as energy shocked over him, and then Anathema's bone armor receded towards his back as the glow faded, the undead Naganatine saying amusedly in his mind: A delightful trick, Zerrex... your memory and faith in my powers has served you well.

"Wait, not yet." Zerrex held up a hand when the others began to move forwards, watching as the human lines began to break up as the undead surged through them... and then he looked at Loki before he said clearly to the others: "Follow me, and listen to Cherry! I'm taking Loki with me into the cathedral... the sooner we kill Animaxander, the sooner this battle ends."

There were no arguments as Sammy leapt up and curled himself tight around Zerrex's shoulders, and the Drakkaren tensed his body before he dropped his hand forwards, and he sprinted into the chaos as the clashing waves of undead and false human swayed back and forth, the spirits and skeletons automatically moving to protect the group of mostly-alive beings before false-humans and undead alike were blown away as a powerful, hurricane-force wind blasted the battleground, Zerrex anchoring himself as Loki staggered and Mahihko clung to Lone with a yelp, barely managing to keep on their feet as the Drakkaren looked forwards with a snarl, before his eyes widened as two terrible figures sprinted side-by-side towards him, automatically drawing Blackheart and readying himself for combat.

Cherry immediately stepped up and snapped the Great Diviner forwards, and it smashed into the ground in front of the two, the males skidding to a halt with matching snarls on their features... and she cursed under her breath in disgust, her eyes burning with fury as she snarled: "No fucking way..."

Xerrez and Narrius stood only twenty feet away, on the other side of the line of the sword buried into the earth... and the former was grinning psychotically as the latter only continued to snarl like an animal. Narrius looked the same as always, cold, callous, and with animal fury etched on his features, wearing heavy black Dragokkaren Enforcer Armor as his crimson eyes burned with hatred, standing out even with his red scales... and he rose a hand, pointing at Zerrex as he said darkly: "Don't think I've forgotten our last encounter..."

"Neither have I!" Xerrez screamed, then he threw his head back and laughed maniacally, his ragged white hair swaying around his face, green eyes burning out of his skull. He was wearing only torn-apart black pants, his body gargantuan and covered in muscle and bloody, self-inflicted mutilation instead of scars... before he looked forwards and licked his muzzle hungrily as he slowly dragged a single, gnarled claw down his cheek, leaving another ragged gash... and twenty feet tall and covered in the horrible wounds and gargantuan muscle or not, he was still visibly a near-clone of Zerrex, as he whispered: "I worshipped you..."

And the Drakkaren snorted as he realized that they weren't actually Xerrez and Narrius... but Nicolas Eagle and Slaughterhouse Jack... and then he snorted as black-furred wolf strode up beside them, a cold smile on his features and his eyes massive black spheres, wearing a leather jacket and a pair of heavy jeans. He looked just like Lone, who was breathing hard, Mahihko whimpering beside him... but the wolf's head hanging on a chain around his neck was the clearest giveaway that it was Tobias Wulfe, as he said darkly, holding up a hand that sizzled with electricity: "Now I'm the powerful one... and I shall be alone, the sole Wulfe left in this world, once I kill you two..." A pause, and a chilling smile. "Alone... a fitting name for me, since you, Lone, were such a failure."

"That's because... I'm not alone!" Lone yelled shakily, and Mahihko stood tall and nodded beside him, pulling his hoops off his waist and standing at the ready as Lone rose his fists gamely, shouting: "We did it once, we'll... we'll do it again!"

"So you want to make a game of this?" Alone rubbed at his muzzle thoughtfully, looking at the others, and the not-Narrius smiled coldly as he let his body drop loose... except Zerrex could see that one of his hands was still tensed, ready to deliver a counterattack if anyone made a stupid move towards them. "I think that would be a delight, wouldn't it?"

"We follow orders..." murmured a ragged voice, and Vampire closed his eyes and bowed his head forwards with a quiet curse as a figure stumbled forwards, his eyes empty. The six-foot, six-inch black bear was emaciated now instead of muscular, an ancient Irenic Military uniform hanging off his body in tatters and an empty holster at his waist. Augustus Randalls, better known as Twister, was the last surviving member of the Goth Legion... and he had no demonic characteristics whatsoever visible on his body, but instead was a pathetic sight with patchy fur and those soulless, damned eyes. "Animaxander ordered us to destroy them... we destroy them... no games, Logos."

Alone snorted in derision at this, before he made a face as a ghost of demon shot towards him, and the black-furred wolf easily caught up and grabbed it by the throat, electricity bursting out of his hand and frying the ethereal being as it twisted and shrieked soundlessly in his grip before exploding. "You need to learn to have more fun, Ethos, or whatever you call yourself now. Just like Pathos does... and even Mythos, or Xerrez, or... whatever you like. Or are you scared, Zerrex and... friends."

"No, let's play your game..." Zerrex narrowed his eyes, wanting badly to stay behind... but knowing that his target was still ahead, as he said coldly: "Lone and Mahihko, you can deal with Alone yourselves. Vampire, Cherry... as two members of the Goth Legion, it is your duty to see that Twister gets put to rest. Cindy, I believe you have a serious issue to discuss with Xerrez. Marina... Slaughterhouse Jack... is all yours. White and Tinman... you two and your friend can help stem the tide of the human army and deal with any possible reinforcements."

"You forgot two people!" Slaughterhouse Jack roared as he suddenly sprinted forwards, and Cherry snarled as she snapped the Great Diviner backwards to try and catch him in the spine, but the Narrius-copy was fast, catching the chain and jerking hard on it to lash Cherry sideways, the female cursing as she was thrown through the air before she managed to twist around and land on her feet, wincing... and then Zerrex stepped forwards as the Narrius copy reached a hand towards him, and in a lightning, vicious movement, Zerrex smashed him with the flat of Blackheart and sent him rocketing through the air to crash somewhere in the crowd of warring humans and undead, and the Drakkaren's eyes burned before he ran forwards, Alone staggering out of the way in shock and Twister simply standing there vacantly.

Xerrez attempted to grab him as Zerrex charged by, but White brought his revolver up almost as if bored and fired a round into the giant's skull, and he staggered backwards as blood burst up from the hole it made in his head, before his eyes bulged and he clutched at his skull, screaming in agony as he staggered back and forth, letting Loki slip by in pursuit of the Drakkaren. "Why does it hurt why does it hurt why does it hurt why has the pain lots its beauty, why, why, why?"

"Silver bullets, filled with blessed mercury." White said calmly, and then he tipped his hat to Cindy as she cracked her knuckles. "I'll let you do your job now, little miss."

"You there, do something! Fight!" Alone shouted, pointing at the group... and Twister only looked at him dumbly for a moment before Alone cursed, then he snorted as Lone and Mahihko charged in towards him, his hands sparking with lightning and his expression grim and furious. "You think I'll let you kill me twice?"

The wolf released two quick blasts of electricity at the wolves, but Mahihko and Lone dodged both easily before the smaller wolf swung a hoop in towards him... but Alone reached up and caught it with a grin, sending a blast of lightning down it and making Mahihko scream in surprise and pain as it surged over his body, his body unable to absorb it for some reason before Alone kicked him hard in the stomach and knocked him to the ground. Then he snorted and blocked a hard punch from Lone with his arm before grabbing his shoulders and slamming his head into his face, the other wolf falling heavily on his ass as the black wolf spread his arms and laughed loudly. "I feel like I'm twenty again! Come on, get up!"

He slammed a foot into Lone's stomach, and the wolf wheezed, letting out a gurgle as he rolled over... and Alone snorted, his fingers sparking with lightning before it slowly began to form in to a terrible, pulsing orb in his hand, saying softly: "Such power... such delightful, divine power..." He paused, then snarled and rose his hand above his head, clenching it into a fist as the sphere exploded in a terrible blue flame that covered his arm, shouting: "Now if only you hadn't wasted it!"

Lone stared upwards in horror... and then time seemed to slow, Alone's hand rising a bit higher before his body twisted, the white wolf able to see even the bunching and moving of his jacket over his chest... and then he reached down, feeling like he was moving through jelly, and drew his revolver, pointing it upwards with a grunt as the expression changed slowly on Alone's face, a grin spreading over Lone's muzzle before he squeezed the trigger of his gun once.

The sound came out muffled as the bullet slowly slid through the air, the white wolf watching it move upwards lazily at first, able to even make out the spin on the round... before time returned to its normal speed, and it slammed into the underside of the black wolf's muzzle, sending him staggering backwards as he gargled and clutched at his throat, blood spilling down his neck before Mahihko kicked a leg out and hit him in the shin, knocking him heavily onto his side. It gave the two lupines enough time to climb to their feet as the once-Tobias slowly got to his, coughing and then spitting out a crumpled bullet as the wound slowly healed in the underside of his jaw, his eyes glowing with his fury before he roared and lashed out an arm.

A blast of lighting shot from his hand, and Mahihko tackled Lone out of the way, the enormous bolt of electricity shooting past them and ripping a swathe through both undead and false human alike before Alone cursed and released another massive blast of lightning, but the wolves rolled to either side before Mahihko yelped and leapt into the air when Alone shot a spiderweb of electricity out from his fingers that tore up the ground near his feet, the black wolf's face contorting with anger as he shouted: "Stop that!"

A bullet smashed into his side a moment later, and Alone staggered with a grunt, a spray of blood shooting into the air before he glared at Lone as the wolf cocked the hammer back on his gun, but the next round he fired ricocheted as the very air seemed to ripple, and then Alone grinned darkly as he held a hand up, and electricity sizzled over the gun in the white wolf's hand before it exploded, knocking Lone onto his back as Mahihko screamed his name and leaving the lupine wincing and covered in blood, coughing hard with the front of his body ravaged and charred, chunks of shrapnel sticking out of him here and there. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this!"

He turned towards Mahihko... and then a massive fist smashed him across the face, knocking him staggering before the now fifteen-foot tall wolf roared and threw another hard punch down towards Alone.. but two suddenly-large arms blocked the blow before Alone stepped forwards, his height increase at the same time as muscle bulged through the fur, becoming even larger than Mahihko before he punched him hard enough to send the wolf flying through the air to crash limply onto his back as electricity surged over him, Alone laughing loudly as he flexed his now-massive body. "I have all your abilities and more! You worthless excuses for scum have no chance of defeating me."

He snorted, then he walked over to Mahihko and stood over him as the wolf regained his senses... and then he screamed when Alone stomped a paw hard into his stomach, before he arched his back with a shriek of agony as electricity began to surge over his form, making him convulse wildly as Alone laughed darkly. The sounds slowly brought Lone back to his senses, and then he winced, climbing up to his feet before he rose a hand and fired a weak blast of electricity into the black wolf's back, knocking him forwards with a grunt before he snarled and turned around, his paw slamming outwards in a hard kick that sent Mahihko's brawny body flying through the air as it rapidly shrank down to his normal childlike size and stature, and he crashed limply in a prone position to the ground as Lone stared in horror... before he looked up at the towering Alone, as the black wolf spread his arms and then tilted his head back, electricity arcing back and forth as his size increased even more, becoming a terrifying twenty-five feet tall as he thundered: "Fear me, and bow before me... and I'll make your end quick, traitor!"

Lone shook his head with a snarl, and Alone smiled coldly before he drew a hand back, saying softly: "That's exactly what I wanted to see. Defiance." A pause, then he snapped his hand forwards, and a curved blade of electricity shot through the air and smashed Lone off his feet, making him howl in agony as it sent a terrible jolt of lightning through his body. "So that I can crush it out of you... like I crushed the life out of your worthless alter-ego..."

Alone approached slowly, and then he threw a hand out, laughing as he blasted Lone with a stream of electricity, the wolf convulsing on the ground beneath the terrible power as the black wolf grinned ruthlessly, his eyes burning with hatred and wrath... and then he frowned suddenly, grasping at his head as the flow of lightning stopped, and he shook his head as he looked down at his hands. Lone looked up... and then he rolled backwards and drew the telescopic staff off his back, Alone snarling as he tried to fire another bolt of lightning at the wolf, but he only produced a weak arc. "I... I don't understand!"

"Guess you used up all your juice!" Lone drew the pole back like a javelin, and Alone glared at him furiously before his eyes widened as the rod of metal glowed with electricity, Lone yelling as he stumble-ran into the throw: "So here's some more!"

He fell forwards onto his hands and knees, but there was a crack like thunder as the pole flew from his grip, ripping through Alone's stomach as lighting blasted out of it in a terrible torrent, the black wolf convulsing and screaming in agony as he staggered backwards, his fur bursting into flames and one of his eyes popping like a goo-filled balloon, and then he slowly tipped backwards with a gurgle, disbelief the last thing on his face before he struck the ground hard on his back, fire rapidly consuming his body and the pole standing like a warped, melted totem in the middle of the inferno as Lone staggered over to Mahihko, breathing hard as he fell on his knees beside the tiny, battered wolf... and he picked him up, whimpering as he looked back and forth over the battlefield, tears flowing from his eyes before he said raggedly: "No, not yet... not today!"

And with that, he turned and ran through the ranks of undead and false-humans, not even noticing the occasional sword reaching out to bite at his limbs and body as he headed out of the battlefield, intent on keeping the smaller wolf alive and terrified of the consequences that his death could bring about, and knowing that the others were dealing with problems of their own.

While Lone and Mahihko fought Alone, Vampire and Cherry had exchanged looks before they'd approached Twister hesitantly at first... but he only stood vapidly, and in the midst of the chaos, as Cindy kept Xerrez busy and Marina strode brazenly through the battleground, fearless of any attack, the huge, muscular wolf finally said in a kind, gentle voice: "It's time to go, Twister. Come on, let's get out of here."

Twister looked from one to the other, and then he said slowly: "No... I have orders. I can't go against my orders... and they are... to destroy all trespassers."

"Dude, come on." Cherry slapped him on the back, and Twister went rigid before the female winced as she realized what was coming, saying across to Vampire: "Yeah, uh, next time, remind me-"

Twister threw his arms out, and a massive blast of wind caught both of the demons, sending them hurtling through the air before Vampire landed on his face with his legs hanging awkwardly over his head, Cherry crashing onto her back as she squeaked: "Not to do that!"

Cherry rolled backwards up to her feet as Vampire pushed his hands against the ground and arched his body through the air, leading neatly on his paws as Twister looked back and forth over them with a terrible expression slowly dawning over his face, as he whispered: "I have my orders. Orders are to be followed. You shall both be destroyed."

Cherry snorted, but before she could even spit out a one-liner, Twister threw a hand towards her and caught her with a sudden violent rush of air that knocked her skywards, the female cursing at the fact her precognitive powers couldn't manage to lock on to the nearly-invisible blasts of wind: instead, her vision went crazy with ghostly images and everything blurred together... but at least it doesn't hurt that much, other than that horrible rushing feeling...

Vampire cursed as Cherry was literally blown away into the air, and the huge wolf tried to rush forwards towards the bear... but before he could manage more than two steps, Twister swung his hands out and released a shockwave of air that sent him staggering backwards before a second curtain of air swept down at ankle level with the wolf before it shot upwards, and the force of the wind knocked him onto his back before he winced and covered his face with his arms as Cherry fell through the air towards him.

She flipped herself gracefully at the last moment before that blur of vision hit her, and instead of landing on Vampire, she was slammed backwards through the air before another vortex of wind caught her and this time threw her straight down, crushing her in an awkward belly-flop against the ground as the air wheezed out of her. She shook her head dumbly, then scampered to her feet as Vampire slowly got to his, groaning in pain before both of them were crushed under the terrible weight of a gale-force wind that pushed them both straight down into the ground, steadily grinding them into the earth as Twister muttered raggedly: "Destroy... destroy... destroy..."

"Fuck, do something!" Cherry wheezed as she tried to shove herself upwards, but to no avail: even when she managed to get her limbs under her, she was simply crushed into a different, even more painful position by the continuous, terrible blast of wind. Vampire mumbled and only wheezed in return, and the demoness managed to shove herself forwards, wincing and then glowering as she ended up by the huge wolf's paws, muttering under her breath. "Yeah, this can't get worse."

"What?" Vampire yelled over his shoulder, but his sensitive ears were being battered by the wind and any response Cherry made was swallowed in the terrible howl and pain of the gale, and the wolf cursed under his breath before he managed to pick up his machine-shotgun and tilt it upwards, growling as he set the stock against his shoulder as Twister stood with his arms raised and his head tilted back, a perfect target.

The demonic wolf opened fire, aiming at the bear's face, and the rounds smacked again and again into the chest area of the ursine, knocking him staggering backwards as he grunted in shock more than pain even as blood exploded over his form, and Cherry immediately jumped to her feet and snapped her chain whip out: before it could hit, however, a maelstrom tore around the bear's body, obscuring him from view in a cloud of dust even as Vampire continued to fire wildly, cursing... but then the female winced and ducked behind him, the wolf pausing to look stupidly over his shoulder at her before he grunted, then yelped as first wind, and then what felt like bullets tore into his body: and he wasn't far off, as he looked down at several of the large, iron bearings imbedded in his hands, before he grunted when Cherry tripped him as she ducked low herself, and a gout of wind carrying the rest of the rounds Vampire had emptied into the cyclone shot over their heads as the wolf asked over the howl of the wind: "So how exactly do we deal with him again?"

"Fire's out, the wind's too goddamn strong!" Cherry shouted back, and then she stood up with a growl, biting her cheek as her hand settled on the Great Diviner, and her eyes narrowed as she called: "Follow my lead!"

Vampire nodded, and then he readied himself as the female threw the sword hard forwards, not aiming at the whirling storm but instead to the side... but the blade was pulled towards the rollicking, windy cylinder nonetheless, twisting around it before it shot back at Cherry, and she grimaced as she reached up and caught the sword, the chain continuing to lengthen from the manacle like fishing line as she whipped the blade again towards the tornado.

It spun around it and was lashed violently back once more, and Cherry caught the sword again, throwing it from another angle this time to crisscross the chains before the sword shot in her direction again, and then the female leapt up in the air and threw the sword not at the tornado but instead into the ground at Vamp's feet, yelling as the chain snapped upwards: "Haul, motherfucker!"

The wolf reached out and seized the end of the chain, wrapping around his arms quickly as his huge muscles flexed and he gritted his teeth, and Cherry grabbed the end of her side of the chain, feet skidding along the ground for a moment as the cyclone tried to jerk her into it, but she threw her head back and growled as she managed to set herself, back arched as she roared: "Come on, heave!"

Vampire and Cherry slowly began to make their way backwards, the chains jingling and tightening in the wind as the storm increased in ferocity, trying to pull them in... but they both resisted, only pulling harder and harder, and the rings of chain surrounding the tornado tightened tighter and tighter... before the two roared and jerked the chains as hard as they could with them as they leapt backwards, and Twister screamed, the tornado vanishing from around him in a burst of wind as the chain rings tightened viciously around his body.

Before he could attempt to struggle free, Cherry snapped her whip off of her waist and let it uncoil before she threw it hard forwards, and it spun through the air before the body of the whip collided with the bear and either end of it snapped around him like a bolo, the hooked end up the weapon locking into a link near the handle and holding it loosely closed. It bound the chain of the Diviner tightly around Twister, and he screamed in outrage as the two demons held tightly onto either end of the longer weapon, exchanging looks before Twister howled miserably: "I can't go back! The mission isn't over, I can't fail, I... I can't..."

He slumped against the chain links... then he looked up with a snarl, and Cherry had that terrible twisting sensation before she and Vampire were both slammed upwards into the air, each of them clinging tightly to a chain before thin, terrible funnels of wind drilled down from the skies into either demon and knocked them flat into the ground, Cherry desperately holding onto the chain at the end of the manacle as Vampire clung to the Diviner, before they were both spun around as the funnels widened and the wind currents reversed themselves... but Twister's voice rose in not triumph but agony as the chain and the Diviner wrapped tightly around Vampire as he was thrown upwards, and Cherry's eyes widened in horror before she could only grit her teeth and look away, trying her hardest to ignore the splatter of blood as a shiver passed through her body, before the winds died down and Vampire thudded heavily to the ground with a groan and then a wince as he murmured: "Oh shit."

"Rest easy, Twister..." Cherry muttered, opening her eyes despite wishing she didn't have to... and the ursine lay in mutilated chunks from the chains ripping their way through his body, a death neither member of the Legion felt that he'd deserved as they both stood slowly, before Vampire kicked his spear up to his feet and Cherry glared as human soldiers turned from the undead they had been battling to charge in towards them, the female raising her fists. "Fuck, you guys are still here?"

While the others went to their opponents, Cindy's charged her, and Xerrez - or Eagle, but she didn't think it mattered anymore - knocked her flying with a backhand that she barely managed to block with her forearms, the angel flipping herself gracefully as she landed in a crouch before she grabbed a human that tried to stab her with a sword by the throat and wrist, jerking him down almost as if dipping him... except her knee also went up into his spine and snapped it, and dust and ashes filtered out through his armor as it crumbled to the ground, before the female looked up in shock as she saw both humans and undead go flying as Xerrez screamed: "Mine, mine, she's mine!"

He threw a massive fist out, slapping away more soldiers like toys before trying to pounce on top of her... and Cindy simply phased her body out of existence, walking forwards as he flew threw her and crashed onto his stomach to skid along the ground with a stupid gurgle, before her body became physical again as she turned around and rose her fists grimly, the behemoth scrambling up to his knees to slowly stalk around on all fours as he licked his muzzle and she only looked back with disgust, saying coldly: "Surrender. This is the only chance I'll give you."

"Never!" Xerrez threw his head back and laughed crazily, and then he leapt at her again... but Cindy reached out and caught him by the face with both her hands before she spun and threw him hard in a wide arc, and the enormous male grunted, his arms pinwheeling through the air before he managed to land on his feet more out of luck than anything else, staggering backwards on his tiptoes... and then all the breath whooshed out of his body as Cindy smashed a fist into his solar plexus in a lightning-fast movement, the male's eyes bulging in pain and shock before she drew herself back slowly, taking a breath as Xerrez clutched at his gut, then finally expelled a toxic burp before wheezing for air, looking down at her with a furious snarl.

Cindy raised a fist and an open palm, her eyes cold and calm, her body ready... and then Xerrez slashed out at her with his gnarled claws, but the female didn't even move, the claw missing by mere inches before the giant stepped forwards and slammed a fist towards her, and the female guided this to the side before her own fist collided with his abdominals... but Xerrez only grinned before he backhanded her to the ground, the angel letting out a cry of pain, then a hiss, refusing to scream as the giant stomped on her side, grasping his ugly foot and trying to shove it upwards as he attempted to crush her into the ground with a wicked laugh. "Weakling little bitch!"

Cindy snorted in disgust at this, and then she rolled onto her back, protecting herself with her forearm as the giant tried to bear down on her, snarling and looking furious... and then she jabbed two knuckles into several pressure points along the sole of his foot, and the male grunted in surprise before his eyes widened as his leg twitched violently before falling loose, the limb going completely numb for a moment.

Before he could do anything, the female reached up and snapped his ankle... and Xerrez disregarded this with a snort of disgust before he tried to stomp down on her. Cindy easily rolled out of the way, however, and the giant toppled as all of his weight went down onto the one limb, cursing and flailing his arms uselessly before he fell heavily on his side, and Cindy grabbed his other leg, snapping his other ankle and at the same time using it as an axle as she swung both feet up between his legs, aiming not for his crotch but instead his thighs.

Xerrez grunted, then he rolled onto his stomach and tried to lift himself up... except his legs refused to work, and he snarled in fury as he clawed at the ground and screamed in frustration, his lower limbs working rustily and his knees barely bending before Cindy threw a solid fist into his lower spine, shattering it like a block of ice dropped from a cliff. His eyes bulged as his body spasmed, and then he fell forwards, breathing hard and snarling, looking desperately back and forth... and then a shiver went through him as he felt a cold metal blade push into the back of his neck, Cindy saying softly: "Life and death mean nothing to the brave. But to cowards... the darkness of eternity holds no secrets and bears no fruit."

"N-No, no, no!" Xerrez screamed, rolling over and holding up his arms in denial, and Cindy slashed her sword outwards in a neat, slightly-curved strike, slicing off both of his hands at the wrist before she slammed her sword down in a merciless blow that decapitated Xerrez neatly, her eyes closed as she half-rested on the handle of the sword half-buried into the cold earth, her eyes closed.

Then they opened as a false human charged at her back, and she turned and delivered a hard palm into his chest that turned it back to dust, falling apart around her as the sword flew from its hands, and she yanked the blade out of the ground, looking up and making a face as she saw Cherry and Vampire fly up into the air, propelled by a gust of wind... and then she winced away as their opponent turned into a gory fountain of blood, and instead her eyes roved over the crowd of fighting undead and false humans, wondering where Marina was.

The only remaining mortal family member of Zerrex walked fearlessly through the warring crowd, looking back and forth and ignoring both humans and undead as she felt the not-minds of everything around her... before a terrible sentience shot towards her, and she smiled coldly, holding up a hand as Slaughterhouse Jack pounced towards her before he froze in midair, his eyes bulging with shock before Marina waggled her finger slowly... and the massive Dragokkaren swung back and forth through the air with her, the creature struggling wordlessly against the psychic bonds that restrained him before she said softly: "Show some dignity, animal."

She reached up and flicked his nose, and the Narrius-clone shot straight up into the air as if launched from a rocket, flipping several times violently through the air as Marina walked beneath him and closed her eyes, waiting to sense him beginning to descend... and he twisted his body down into a dive, snarling furiously before her eyes snapped open and she threw her head back, taking in a long breath before she breathed out a cone of terrible flames that shot into the sky like a lantern and burned over his body, the force of the attack so great that the inferno knocked Slaughterhouse Jack upwards again once it barreled over him.

He howled as he flipped several times out of the orange blast, and Marina spat smoke to the side as the flames died down before she drew her sword, watching as the Narrius-clone crash-landed on all fours with a grunt, then he shook his head violently before loping forwards with a snarl, his claws ripping gouges in the ground as he shot towards her with his crimson eyes burning... but when he lunged and swung at her, the female deflected it with her sword, shouting coldly into his face: "I can see everything you're about to do..." A twist of her body and the weapon, and his claws only raked against metal, the Dragokkaren wincing and withdrawing his hand as two of his claws cracked apart. "I can get into your mind... I was made unstoppable!"

The Dragokkaren snarled as he lunged towards her, but Marina let herself fall back, catching him with her feet against his stomach before she kicked him backwards, and the Narrius-clone crashed and skidded along on his back before he quickly rolled to a crouch, his eyes burning with malevolence for a moment... and then he only looked stupid, his mouth falling open in a gape as the world around him turned to darkness... and he growled as he stood up, before his eyes bulged and he hissed in pain as slashes ripped their way back and forth across his back from an invisible assailant, before Marina appeared beside him, leaning against him with one hand on his shoulder as she whispered: "I can do anything... and what can you do?"

Slaughterhouse Jack trembled with fury... then he spun around and swung a hand out, and his claw caught Marina across the face, shattering the illusion and sending a spray of blood up from her features before he grinned and lunged forwards, at the same time preparing to stroke at her chest and rip her heart out to end the conflict quickly... and then he was frozen in place as the world around him shattered like glass, and terrible mental chains wrapped around his limbs as panic and anxiety suddenly charged through his head, chasing after each other's tails until they mixed into one terrible, overwhelming fear.

The chains tightened, and he screamed, shaking his head back and forth before he clenched his teeth and tried to fight off the emotions that were driving him insane... and then he screamed, reality washing back in around him, Marina standing in front of him and meeting his eyes as her own burned with anger, her sword buried through his stomach as she whispered through the stream of blood running down her face: "I'll make it slow now..."

Slaughterhouse Jack snarled and tried to grab her, but she drew back as she tore the sword downwards, and instead he grunted in pain, half-staggering as he was almost disemboweled by the attack before Marina swung her katana upwards, catching him under the jaw and knocking him staggering backwards... but more by luck than anything else, the huge Dragokkaren managed to grab the blade of the sword, grinning mirthlessly as he snapped off more than half of the katana before he spun the blade around to hold it like a dagger, saying raggedly: "Slow works for me."

He snarled as he stabbed forwards, but Marina ducked before she slammed the broken sword down through his foot, and the Dragokkaren howled as he swung his fist down at her, managing to clobber Marina in the back of the head... but even as she half-fell, she slid backwards, and then she stood up with a grunt, looking almost like she was about to faint as Slaughterhouse Jack reached down and tore the sword out of his foot, looking furious as he rose it to stab her... and then she held her hands up as if in a time-out gesture, and a psychic shockwave tore through the air, static filling the Dragokkaren's mind as he grasped at his skull before Marina took a breath... and he looked up just in time to be covered by a terrible blue mist she vomited out in a viscous stream that slunk along the ground, the monster freezing in place as his features contorted with horror before he turned into a gleaming blue statue, and the light died in his eyes before Marina coughed hard as she stepped forwards and grasped the frozen male, murmuring as her head rested against his chest: "None are allowed to hurt Daddy..."

She paused, then smiled, and it was a colder expression than the Dragokkaren as she shoved her hand forwards, ripping through his now-brittle armor and body until she grasped a cold, wet organ... and then she pulled his heart out of his chest, gazing down at it as it pulsed weakly once, and then she leaned down and licked it slowly, squeezing it in her hand to make half-frozen blood leak out over it as she murmured: "Oh, if only this was Narrius... if only I could feel that true joy..."

She sighed... then glanced over her shoulder almost irritably as several humans charged at her, before simply raising a hand and tearing their weapons out of their grips with her telekinetic abilities... and then they shot forwards and slammed down through the chests of the mortals as she bit into the heart like an apple, chewing it meditatively as White and Tinny shot by, the latter wincing and paling a bit as White only rose his enormous revolver and fired three rounds into the base of one of the massive statues, tearing massive chunks out of the concrete as he said calmly: "Reinforcements are arriving on all sides... I suggest putting those powers of yours to good use."

"Fine." Marina flicked her wrist dismissively, and the cracked base of the statue White had weakened shattered before it fell forwards, crushing a good dozen under its heavy body before she glanced over her shoulder as a human ran towards her with a spear, and she simply glared at him, his helmet imploding before he fell to the ground in a pile of dust. She took another good bite out of the heart in her hand, then she threw it to the ground as she kicked the fallen spear up, catching it and spinning it around her body to test its balance as she muttered: "This is for my father, not for you."

White ignored her as a human with a mace ran towards him, coldly raising his revolver and blasting the head off the puppet to send it rocketing backwards even as it turned to ashes, and then he spun to the side as another human tried to attack him with a sword, bringing his huge gun up to block the strike with the barrel before he snapped it hard to the side, slapping the human across the face before his hand smashed into its stomach, ripping through the puppet's armor like it was made of paper and releasing a stream of sand from the malformed earth spirit beneath, the puppet groaning before even the sand that made it turned to unusable ashes that vanished quickly into the air.

The badger turned as two more humans approached, and he blocked a sword swing with a gloved hand, the sword blade cutting through fabric and making a sound as if it struck against metal... and as the glove tore, there was a flash of silver before White's hand seized around the puppet's neck, lifting him into the air and using him as a shield as another soldier swung at him with a broadsword that uselessly cleft into the spine of his comrade. The puppet turned to ashes in his grip, and as the uniform, helmet, and random metal bits fell past him, White pulled a single bullet out of his belt as he swung his revolver upwards, knocking off the helmet of the human that had just felled its own comrade as he struck him under the chin and at the same time snapping the cylinder open. Empty cartridges fell from it in a tinkling rain, and White pushed the bullet calmly but quickly into the cylinder before he snapped the chamber closed with a practiced push of the palm, and as the false human recovered its balance, White rose the revolver and fired a round through an oval-shaped, featureless face of sand, and it was blown completely away as the silver bullet shot through it and then smashed into another human behind him.

Another soldier ran at White's back... but Tinman threw a metal disc at it and cleanly cut away its head before returning to his hand, and the angel pointed away across the hill, saying urgently: "Look, the others are over there and in trouble, near the van! We need to go and help them!"

"Not yet. First we finish cleaning up here." White ordered, and when Tinman hesitated, he looked at him squarely, saying in a quieter voice: "Trust me."

Tinman finally nodded after a moment, and White nodded in return before he returned to the fight, even as he tossed a look towards the distance, where the transport was being besieged by humans, three figures fighting with the few undead at such a great distance against the surging human horde.

Lone was currently inside the transport, cursing as he tried to get it working and wincing as he tinkered with sparking wires under the wheel. A human that had been chasing him had stabbed his weapon into the brittle, plasticky walls of the inside of the vehicle, and it had severely damaged some of the circuitry... and the wolf was having a panic attack trying to fix the machinery and take care of Mahihko, who was laying in the back and burbling to himself as he twitched every so often.

Cherry and Vampire were here, protecting him as best they could, the huge wolf using his spear to fend back attackers as Cherry slashed away at close-range attackers with the sword in one hand and struck distant enemies with her whip in the other, shouting all manner of obscenities and vulgarities. Lone cursed under his breath, wanting to be out there fighting with them and the undead that were ripping away at the puppets, but steadily starting to deteriorate... and the he winced as the wires sparked at him, before he suddenly felt like an idiot and simply rammed his hand into the hole in the wall of the car, wincing as he seized onto all the wires he could and sent a burst of electricity into them.

The engine roared into life, and Lone slammed the door of the transport as Cherry and Vampire ran around to the back, the black-furred wolf spinning his spear in a violent windmill to drive the human forces back as Cherry leapt inside and he followed, reaching out to grab the open transport doors... before several thrown weapons struck him and knocked him onto his back, the lupine landing with a heavy groan as the doors slammed shut, one of the handles broken and hanging at an awkward angle.

Cherry looked down compassionately at Mahihko, who was laying on the bench beside her, moaning... and Vampire sat up with a grunt as the vehicle lurched forwards and tore through the ranks of puppet humans like a scythe through corn. The two former members of the Goth Legion looked up, listening to the crushes and thumps of enslaved earth spirits being flattened and bashed by the vehicle as it smashed through part of the old memorial and roared down the hill into the chaos below, and then Vampire grasped one of the swords in his body and pulled it out with a grunt, the wound immediately healing as he held the weapon out to Cherry, asking mildly: "Want a keepsake, babe?"

"Fuck you." Cherry reached down and grabbed a spear in Vampire's stomach, jerking it out quickly, and he squeaked before she grinned widely, winking at him as she leaned forwards and asked meditatively: "Just like old times, huh?"

"Yeah... 'cept now I can admit I'm worried about the Boss." Vampire replied quietly, as he looked down and pulled another sword out of his body, and Cherry grunted as she looked at the ground, not voicing her own fears as she nodded slowly and gently stroked over Mahihko's face, the black wolf adding in a soft murmur: "Big bastard better be okay."