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And with that out of the way...

Welcome back, my lovely reader!

I sure dropped some heavy drama on you last time, eh? Well, there's going to be more and more, so steel yourself for that! However, let's not get ahead of ourselves here! I still plan to give you plenty of love and romance too, it's not just going to be a whirlwind of dramatics!

Speaking of romance... Let's open with some, shall we? Let's check up on our lovely fox as he breaks in his newfound powers, and who better to test those newfound powers against? Let's jump right in!

--*--

Episode 11:

Love & Loss, bonds forgotten

I had spent the evening having drinks with Ezekiel, and as usual, I had to see him to his quarters. Bishops had to abstain from pleasures of the flesh, but I think that lion would go mad if he had to give up his mead. At least I had the power to ease his morning hangovers now. I had left an enchantment on him that would detoxify his body through the night so he wouldn't wake up feeling like the nine hells.

The bishop quarters were on the other side of the citadel so I had to cut through the courtyard to reach the command's housing. It was late into the night even though as always, the light level of the area was the same as it always was. My ears perked curiously as I felt a presence suddenly bearing down on me.

My body responded as I drew my holy sword, spinning and parrying the incoming blow, a loud clash of blessed silver on divine orichalcum rang out. I saw the wide toothy grin on the wolf's face as her blue eyes shined with eagerness while her rapier ground against my longsword.

With a wag of my tail and snap of my wings, I showed my own approving grin as she withdrew, then pierced at me with the rapier. I deflected, spun the strike off course, and lunged forward with my own lashing strike from the side. Charlotte showed a grin as she simply lifted her right foot, the sword slamming into the heavy divine silver lining in the greaves she wore.

I leapt back with a huff and willed my armor fully upon me, showing a knowing smirk as I pointed my sword at my lover. "You put a lot of faith in the silver holding up against my blade, that could have taken your foot off."

The wolf had tucked into a roll and came up in her own stance, her white tail wagging, a childish grin on her face. "I've sparred with a Paladin before, but my my I didn't think I'd come back to see you as one, it's not even been a season since we saw one another last."

"A lot has happened, love, but perhaps we'll talk once we finish our current business?" I showed a crooked grin and sprang off my own greaves, blurring forward as the wolf met my strike, another loud clash of divine swords ringing out as sparks and energy crackled off our blades.

"Think the powers of a Paladin can make you compare, my love?" Charlotte barked the words as she met the strike, rolling my sword to attempt a disarm, but I moved with the motion before not so gracefully shoulder checking her as she barked out and stumbled back several paces.

"My new rank doesn't really improve my strength or swordsmanship, Charlotte," I hummed as I spun the longsword in my grip a few times before the wolf set herself.

"That right? Well, what's it do then, I'm keen to test myself against you in full." Her snow-white tail whipped about in the air as she dug her heels in, preparing to pounce again.

I let her lunge forward and focused my will, her blade slamming into a screen of divine energy. The wolf pulled back in shock, seeing a translucent shield just there between us hanging in the air. My teeth showed in a grin as I watched her curiously circle me, the shield of energy just following her movements. Of course I could will it out of sight, but I was humoring her at this point.

"Hey, this is really cute, how fast can you move it?" She barked out and then just blinked out of sight.

"Wha?" I yipped as I felt her above me diving, I threw the shield up as I also set my sword, the wolf giving me a wild grin as she blurred from sight once more. I yipped as I felt the rapier tip press against the base of my tail, digging just into my flesh where the plates of armor and chain were parted.

"Keep training, Ryder... you're still slow." Charlotte cooed the words as she stepped back.

I gave a childish growl as I sheathed my sword, the shield of light bursting out of existence in a glittering spray of energy. "I'm working on it, you do have a few centuries of a headstart you know."

"Calling me old, my love?" She sauntered up to me with a playful grin, a little taller than me so I had to look up slightly to meet her eyes.

"Am I wrong? Didn't you just say you knew the previous Paladin too?" I cocked a brow, taking a huff of the air and smelling a heat on her, no wonder she was so feisty.

Charlotte got a distant look in her eye, blinking a few times as she rubbed her chin as the question sunk in. "Well, kind of. I didn't know them personally."

"Really? But, weren't you an archangel then too?"

"Yeah, but I don't- I mean, I can't really bring myself to recall much about them other than they died and we trained. Maybe, since the crusade was so bad, I blocked it out?"

I got a similar response from Toroah and Samantha, I felt something was going on with this. Perhaps I'd speak with Ichiro about it later. "Huh... that's interesting." I mused the words as I moved a hand out to cup her face, eager to touch my wolf, it had been nearly a season since I saw her last.

"By the by, how long have you been sporting this new rank?" Charlotte hummed as she moved right in and gave my lips a quick kiss.

"Not long, a month tops, still working out all the kinks in it. I haven't even told Lorelai yet." I gave a smile, waiting to see her fussy reaction.

"Oh, I ran into her the other day, she seemed... angry, but happier?" Charlotte laughed as she rubbed the back of her head.

"She had a lot of-"

"I know, we had some drinks and talked." Charlotte interrupted me with a grin.

"Wait- You... and Lore, had drinks?" I gave her a flabbergasted look, putting both hands on my hips.

"She was in a bad mood and I could tell she was depressed, I'm not gonna be a bitch to someone in need. I asked if she'd like to go have a drink and talk about it, she agreed. I of course provided her drink." Charlotte shoved a thumb to her chest with a smug grin.

"You let her feed on you?"

"No way, I know what that does to you, hell no, if I did that I'd probably end up drained or waking up in her bed, then I'd have to deal with you yowling about not getting to be in the middle of us." She laughed out loud and trotted around me, brushing her hand along my black tail. "I just used a dagger and poured her a drink, no big deal, right love?"

"Of course not, it's your blood to do as you please with." I huffed out, my mind now daydreaming about her and Lorelai indeed in bed tossing around in the linens.

"I swear your tongue's about to loll out in a drool, stop daydreaming about me and that dumb sheep! You know we wouldn't be able to do anything anyway, not all of us have that fancy healing prayer defense, Ryder." Charlotte barked the words at me with a grin.

"I mean, in my defense, you brought it up, also did you come back because you missed me, or my cock? Because you reek of heat, love." I gave her a playful push of my hand against her shoulder, the wolf giving me a knowing grin.

"A little from column A, a little from B... wanna... go for a flight?" She gave me a hopeful quirk of her brow, her tail wagging behind her eagerly.

I said nothing as I simply summoned a gate beneath both our feet. She barked excitedly as we both just dropped out into the night sky. My arms were around her as soon as we cleared the gate, both of us tangled into an eager kiss.

We stayed in freefall for several moments, our tongues rolling together, hair whipping up above our heads from the plummet. Finally, I broke the kiss and held her tight as my larger stronger wings gave a heavy flap, halting us as Charlotte gave an impressed bark and clung to me, grinning as we held one another, my own wings doing the work for both of us.

"Oh, those aren't just for show, you seem to be holding us both up effortlessly, Ryder." She growled as she moved in, nibbling at my throat, her hands roaming through my now tangled and tussled hair, her own wings occasionally giving a flap just to keep her stable.

I moved down to brush her lips with my own before we drew into another heated kiss, our tongues rolling against one another as I listened to her growl and snarl with need, pushing her body up against my own.

My hands grasped at her backside, hefting her closer expecting her legs to wrap around me, but instead, she simply pushed away, clearing a few feet of distance. I gave her a curious look at the sudden halt of our kiss, seeing her eyes shine with mischief.

"Stronger, but, are you faster with those wings?" Her tail wagged eagerly as she asked her question.

"Only one way to find out, eh?" I gave a jerk of my head to a mountain peak several miles off and down below us. "How about that peak?"

"See you there!" She barked out, snapped her wings and blurred out of sight.

"Hey!" I snarled and snapped my own wings hard, launching myself down and straight towards the target as well.

She was obviously faster, once again bringing centuries of skill, to say nothing of the fact flying was one of her favorite activities, even with my enhanced wings I could see her slowly gaining distance on me as we soared through the night sky.

"Damn it!" I barked out angrily, I was still a Paladin, I had to maintain some level of pride here. Snapping my teeth together I focused on those prayers that gave me a boost, feeling the energy pour through my body as it started eating away at my stamina all the faster.

My wings seemed to give off golden trails as I snapped them hard and shot forward like a comet streaking across the sky. I heard Charlotte's shocked bark as I overtook her but had so much speed my landing wasn't exactly graceful, I managed to apply some halting flaps but unceremoniously crashed right into the side of the peak, snow scattering in all directions.

"You really didn't want to lose, did you? Even used that special trick Toroah taught you. I thought that was only to be used in combat during 'dire circumstances.'" Charlotte air quoted the words as I rolled over with an exhausted huff, my wings laying out in the snow. Thankfully the snowbank had absorbed most of my crash landing, but I was still aching a bit while waiting on the natural healing energies to kick in.

"Hey, I can't keep losing to you, I have my own pride and self-esteem to think about!" I barked out then gave a little grunt as Charlotte casually landed right atop me, straddling me as her hands spread over my chest. I had willed my armor away after our little sparring match, so her fingers pushed right into my robes as I felt her own healing prayers coursing through my body.

I growled but didn't protest as I felt my bruised and aching form starting to heal. Even without the crash landing, my wings were throbbing from the sheer force I had exerted upon them.

"Winning is fun, but not at the expense of your body, Ryder. If you were mortal these injuries would have put you on the mend for weeks if not months." She barked a laugh and gave a shrug. "Actually a mundane crashing into a snowbank at that level of speed probably would just be killed outright!"

I bit my lower lip at the words, thinking back to my vision of my own final moments. I'd suffered much worse wounds than what my former self did in those moments. It was an important lesson to remember. "Y-yeah, but I didn't want to look weak in front of you at every turn."

Charlotte gave me a brilliant grin, her messy blonde hair hanging about as she leaned in and gave me a kiss right on my forehead. "Silly, I don't think you're weak at all. You're a much stronger dog than I am in a lot of ways actually!"

We sat there together in the snow for several moments as I just looked up at her, she returned the gaze, her eyes looking soft and full of adoration. It was cold, but once again, we weren't mundane, our bodies could naturally withstand extreme temperatures. I'd imagine it would be like a mundane being out on a crisp autumn day without a coat, chilly but not unbearable.

"Hey, Ry?" She called out gently and I smiled.

"What's up, Char?" I smiled and moved my hands over hers, giving them a squeeze.

"Have I told you I love you?" She growled as she gripped my hands, moving in for my mouth.

"Not today," I growled against her lips.

"Well, I love you." She huffed out and pushed to me, both of us sharing a deep kiss.

I lingered on her lips for several moments before pulling back with a growl of my own. "I love you too, I always will."

She laid over me, hugging me tightly as I felt her tail wagging against my knees, her face pushing against my own in a nuzzle, then she called out once more, "Hey, Ry?"

"What's up, Char?" I tangled my fingers into her curly hair, combing through it and trying to right some of the tangles the flight had left.

She sat back up and gave me a crooked little grin, some of her dirty-blonde locks drifting over one eye as she growled out, "I've never done it in the snow before..."

"Ah, excited about another first, you and Lore really are very similar sometimes!" I barked the words playfully as I sat up, letting her settle into my lap, my hands moving behind her to begin pulling the drawstrings free on her leather chest piece.

"Hmph... sharing comparisons of one lover to another while in their arms. You're such a crass dog!" She pouted the words playfully, raising her arms as I stripped the leather armor off her, a gate appearing to her quarters as I tossed it through.

"Give me a break, Char. You know it's true! You two could be good friends if-" I grunted as she hugged me right up, shoving my face against her ample breasts through the simple silk top she wore.

"Shush about that, you make me feel you'd rather have the sheep here right now than me!" She growled the words down into my ears as I huffed and nuzzled at her plump breasts.

"Ngh... never! In all these years, I never draw comparisons when it comes to my feelings, I love you for you, Charlotte!" I barked the words matter-of-fact as she offered me an excited grin, then shivered as I peeled her silk top free, her full breasts coming into view, her peaks hard from the cold air we were in.

"Such a romantic... ngh!" She grunted out and moaned as I shoved my mouth right to her left teat, suckling hard upon her, feeling her hips grind upon my lap. The movements we were making made the snow beneath us crunch and settle, growing more compact. "Ha... you suckle upon me like a hungry pup, but you need to get some puppies in me if you want milk, darling!"

Perhaps I was a deviant for it, but when she was in heat and started talking of puppies or milk, it really did drive me wild. I think she knew it too because she had even started adding it to her regular dirty talk as well. I pulled from her breast, tongue showing slightly as I sighed at her words and moved to start working the sash on my robes free. "Guess we'll have to fix that!"

Charlotte gave me a hungry grin as she shifted to tug her leather faulds off her hips then hiked the mesh chain skirt up to show she was bared beneath, her tongue lolling slightly, her breath making a small plume of mist in the cold.

"Gods... you're stunning, my wolf!" I barked the words as I parted the robes as she scooted back, showing a hungry grin as my length surge forward out of the silk, tapered head dripping with precum.

"Less sweet talk, more breeding!" She growled the words as she climbed right over me. She made no ceremony of things, simply lining herself up with me, that tapered tip pushing past her petals as I felt her honey already dripping along my length, then her hips shifted down in one eager push.

I barked out and lolled my tongue as I felt her take me deep inside, the heat of her clenching walls a welcome relief from the biting cold of the mountain top. Snow crunched under us as she settled into my lap, sighing in relief as more mist came from her breath, then her arms were around me and we were locked in a heated kiss once more.

My hands rested on her firm toned hips, feeling her eagerly grinding them, stirring me inside her at her deepest points. Our tongues rolled together as we both groaned in relief to be joined together once more, my large wings snapping out a few times to dislodge snow before they wrapped around her, as if to offer her warmth while we made love in the cold.

"Gods I love you... I live for you, Ryder... my life and very soul are yours, my beautiful fox..." She pushed a hand to my face, pulling from the kiss as we stared upon one another while we gently shifted and ground together.

"I don't need your life or soul, love, ngh!" I shuddered as I felt her clench down, her tail wagging against my folded wings as she gave in hard around me, more of her honey soaking my lap. "Gods... your love is already more than I deserve, Char..." I whimpered the words while she crushed me inside her.

The wolf lolled her tongue more at my words, our breath creating plumes of mist in the air, the very act of our sex making steam rise up from between us as well while we fervently mated.

"Ooooh, I wish I could give you puppies, Ryder! Ha... I'd be a mother for you, give you strong wolves and foxes worthy of my beautiful perfect fox!" She barked the words adoringly into my face, her eyes looking drunk with love for me as I showed a grin at her words.

"Heat drunk, doggy..." I cooed the words playfully into one of her white ears, any flakes on her tail looking right at home as it wagged hard between my knees, smacking the packed snow again and again.

"Ha! I mean it! I never offered it to Toroah, or any other, but with you... ngh!" Her teeth snapped together hard, her fingers clenching at my open robes as she gave in again. My own ears folded as my tongue lolled while I ground under her, my knot pushing against those petals now with each stroke.

"Eager to be a momma-wolf for me, love?" I brushed my lips against her ears, grinding and bucking my hips, feeling her clutch to me hard, nodding her head as she moaned, even howling a little with each deep stroke I made into her.

"Yes! Gods yes! Claim me, Ryder, make me yours with your puppies!" She snarled the words as she pushed her mouth to my own, her lips crushing against mine. I felt her tongue push out, rolling against my own in fervent desperation.

I was going to make a snappy comment about having my pups, but she just shoved her hips down hard into my lap, forcing my knot deep inside under her own power. My tapered head pressed deep and I shuddered as her walls clenched around me.

Words refused to find me as I broke the kiss, rolled my eyes up, and howled as loud as I could in ecstasy as her body drew forth my release. Her own moaning howl filled the night air as my heat rushed into her.

"Yes! I love you! I love you! All of it... give me all your love, my sweet fox!" She barked the words as I kept erupting into her even after our moans ended. Her eyes sparkled with adoration as she jerked with each rope I sent into her.

My ears folded and I weakly groaned as the last was milked into her. My wings slacked and I hugged tight to her, shuddering as the adrenaline from the release cleared my system, leaving me panting in relief, mist rolling with it.

Charlotte gave a victorious hum as she pulled me closer, petting my ears and down my hair while we held one another. "Ryder that was so good... gods if I could get pregnant I'd have a pack's worth by now from you... perverted fox!"

I grunted at that and looked up at her with a weak huff. "Hey, that's not fair! It's your kink, Charlotte, I just-"

"You saying you don't enjoy it?" She gave me a smug grin.

I frowned at the words and blushed. "Uh... well, yeah, I really like it when I'm with you."

"Then it's your kink now as well, lover." She giggled and moved in, giving me another kiss. I fussed against her but eventually settled into the kiss, growling and holding her tight.

After several moments I parted from her lips and huffed out, "Can we go back inside? I can't feel my backside." She barked a laugh and simply opened a gate to her quarters, gripping me and rolling us right over out of the snow and through the portal where we landed atop her bed with me atop her.

"Better?" She grinned up at me as I loomed over her, still knotted but my numb cold backside was tingling from the warmth of the room as I frowned and tried wagging my own tail out I'd been mostly sitting on the whole time.

"Y-Yeah, thanks." I offered a smile to her and moved down, giving her another quick kiss. "Guess I'm staying the night with you then?"

"Damn right you are, and we're not sleeping until I've got puppies!" She gave me a grin as I felt my heart leap at the words, then growled as she showed me a knowing smirk. "I felt you jump and throb a bit inside me, I've really gotten you into that talk, haven't I, love?"

"Shut up, damn wolf!" I barked out as she giggled and pulled me down into her arms, pushing her mouth to my own, kissing me once more, her hips working and grinding, feeling my knot had given way just enough for her to start working me inside her again.

My body was happy to respond, my own hips starting to grind as our tongues circled one another once more, our next round getting started, but mercifully in a warmer location this time.

--*--

Demon Lords:

Demon Lords or Archdemons by some, are the very pinnacle of power within the Underworld's aristocracy. Every Demon Lord is known as a Gatekeeper and maintains dominion over a single level of the nine hells, all of them are children of the Lord of the Underworld.

Their power is directly related to the domain they control and scales vastly the deeper one goes. The Lord of the uppermost layer of hell is much weaker than the one just below them, to say nothing for going several layers down.

--*--

"I can't believe I agreed to this!" Ezekiel roared out as he threw a fist straight into the muzzle of a large werebear, the ursine-beast giving a roar from the blow before the lion sent a follow-up right under its jaw.

The beast left its footpaws and was already back to the form of a mundane before it hit the ground in a heap. There were actually nearly a dozen unconscious bodies dotted around at this point.

"Deal with it, Bishop! Be thankful we protect your followers at your side!" Lorelai snarled back at the lion, her eyes blazing red as she leaped forward, bringing a sharp punch of her own that sent another lycanthrope to the ground unconscious.

I stood with my back to the two of them as they squabbled, saying nothing as I was contending with two more, one slamming into the screen of light from my shield, the other lashing forward with its claws as I simply grabbed its wrist, brought it forward and sent a knee right into its jaw.

Val was with us as well, but his 'fighting' was much more eloquent than ours, simply making contact was enough to send the werebeasts straight into unconsciousness. I didn't bother trying to imagine what he was doing to them in their headspace.

An entire pack of nearly thirty lycanthropes went mad near a rather large mundane settlement of a few thousand souls. Contending to them wasn't an issue so much as trying to deal with so many without them slipping through. Even a few mad lycanthropes could pose a serious issue for a densely populated settlement.

One of the magi circles reached out to Lorelai about the incident and since it fell within the jurisdiction of her family, she sought me out for assistance. She asked me to bring any that were willing and given Rachel and Toroah were indisposed on separate assignments, well Ezikiel was my only option.

The lion hissed as he shook his hands out before pushing one through his flowing hair, righting it as his wings gave a sharp snap. "I sense no others, was that the last?"

"It would appear so, we've certainly tallied up a worthy body count," Val gave a sigh, but seemed rather chipper and buzzing on all the energy he'd no doubt be sipping off each one he brought down.

"Speaking of bodies, how many did we lose?" I gazed over the fallen as I prepared to channel my energies to start tending to the injured.

"I crushed the windpipe of one of the first to lead the charge when I was aiming for its jaws." Ezekiel gave a shrug.

"Likewise, I caved one's skull in when I had four on me, but other than that, I think the rest I subdued are alive." Lorelai sighed as she brushed her leather armor off and looked at me as I started tending to the unconscious ones that were worse off than the others.

"Protecting the faithful is one thing, but explain again to me why we do not strike the lot of them down and be done with it?" Ezekiel cocked a brow, squarely focusing upon the sheep before him as Val moved to her side.

"Because whatever drove these beings mad, was beyond their control. These are perfectly sane mundane just trying to band together and survive. Several of them may indeed be followers of your gods," Val spoke flatly to the lion who snarled at the words.

"Ezzy, chill out, this was a good experience for you, it shows you that-"

"I need not your placating words, Ryder!" Ezekiel snarled as he stomped over towards me.

My own teeth showed as I stood and threw my hand out, sending a healing wave over the whole area, not having time to deal with each individual one when I had a smarmy lion to tend to. "Bishop! You let your prejudice cloud your vision!"

"That's, High Bishop." Ezekiel hissed the words, clenching a fist as he narrowed his gaze at me.

My ears perked as I snarled in response, "You wish to pull rank, Ezekiel? Need I remind you-"

"Enough!" Lorelai moved between us, give me a hard look before returning another towards the lion. "The task is done, I'll see that the magi circle properly tends to this pack to ensure the madness will not come again with the next lunar cycle."

Lorelai fully shifted her focus on Ezekiel. "I thank you for your aid, High Bishop, even if our reasons did not align, I am thankful as is my family."

I watched the lion clench his teeth and snarl down at the vampire, choosing his words. "I would never willingly assist your kind normally, but in this case-"

"Tell me, do you think you are alone in your loss? That my kind are mindless and unfeeling? Have you any idea how many friends and family I lost during that time when you fought the elders?" Lorelai folded her arms, glaring hard upon the lion looming over her.

"Your kind initiated that incident!" He roared out and I could feel the rage pouring off him.

"No! Three individuals started it, High Bishop! We were not united, we had no hierarchy as your kind does! We did not form the council until your kind nearly brought us to the brink over three, fucking, individual, choices! None of my kind was deserving of the ensuing slaughter your people enacted upon us!"

"Lorelai, I've tried explaining this to him many times over the years," I snarled as I folded my arms.

"Perhaps you should learn to open your eyes, High Bishop, did you not see what blind prejudice did for the one my lady felled some five decades past?" Val cooed the words in as diplomatic a voice as he could muster.

Indeed, it had been nearly half a century since that incident with Hagen. Lorelai had stepped down from her family to fully lead the Bloodstone council at large. I had been keeping tabs on Sarnai's family from afar, keeping my word from centuries past, even helping her with her naval engagements, though unbeknownst to the vixen.

"I see no reason to believe the words of demons and abominations, Ryder may be likened to a brother to me, but his vision is clouded with his twisted love for you." Ezekiel snarled the words and my eyes widened.

I parted my lips to scream my rage but Lorelai beat me to it. "You will not sully my love for him, Ezekiel! I have been by his side for nearly a century. You will apologize or I will beat some sense into that skull of yours myself!"

The lion showed a cocky grin as he clenched a fist. "Ha! I've longed to see if you could live up to your reputation, vampire-whore. Let's see if-"

Even I didn't see the whole thing happen, before I knew it Lorelai was landing from a jump and Ezekiel was sprawling back, bouncing against the ground in a tumble, the sheep having sent a sweeping kick right into his midsection.

Ezekiel coughed out, a mist of red coming with it before he started to pick himself up, his left wing looking broken from the sprawling tumble. Lorelai was already before him, arms crossed as she looked down upon the lion on his knees and hands. "Rise and I'll put you to your knees again, High Bishop!"

He snarled furiously then gasped out in shock as his body seemed to freeze. I recognized that oppressive force as Lorelai showed a crooked grin. "That is, if, you, can..."

To his credit, he managed to get halfway up, his knees shuddering before he collapsed back to his hands, a furious snarl in his throat. "Damn you!"

"Lorelai... please, I think you've made your point." I moved over to her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder, making sure to focus my prayers so I didn't burn her.

She looked up at me with her red eyes, clicking her tongue before I felt her oppressive will ease, the lion finding his shaky feet, his wing giving an awkward snapping crunch as he set it back in place for his body to start healing itself.

"A mindless, heartless abomination would have finished you just then, mull on that back at your precious citadel." She snarled the words, pulling from my hand to walk back over to Val. "Brother, our business is concluded, we leave this place!"

"You okay?" I asked Ezekiel, moving a hand over to heal his wing. The lion slapped it away, glaring at me and saying nothing as he simply turned to walk away. A moment later a gate opened before him to the citadel and he was gone.

"Is he stupid or just too proud for his own good?" Lorelai called out to me as she and Val rode up on their primitive horses. I looked over to see a handful of mages collecting the fallen lycanthropes.

"I'm not sure. I had hoped standing with us all like this would-"

"I know a lost cause when I see one, Ryder," Val interrupted me with a frown. "It would take something cataclysmic for him to change his views."

"Upon my word, Ryder. If he belittles what we are ever again in my presence, I'll put him to the sword and not even bother drinking his tainted blood," Lorelai hissed the words as she pushed her horse into motion. "I love you."

"I love you too..." I frowned as she moved on.

Val gave me a nod. "Good to see you again Ryder, take care of yourself, old friend." The incubus pushed his own horse into motion and after a few moments I was alone in the field, all the gates the mages had opened gone.

I saw the two dead mundane remained, so I clasped my rosary as I moved to them, already uttering a prayer as I began to perform their rights. Once their bodies were burned in the divine flames I had summoned, I simply walked through the blades of grass while thinking about my life and situation.

After a few minutes, I gave myself a frustrated snarl and simply lifted off into the air. I flew hard and fast, cussing and spitting out loud as the cold wind slammed into my face. "Why are you so fucking stubborn! Why can't you see how blinded you are! Gods damn him!"

By the time I had finished my cussing and fuming I found myself above the cloudline, the sun rising in the distance, giving a good indicator of why my lover had been quick to leave. I blinked at the sun's rays, thinking about Ezekiel, along with all my loved ones. I was a Paladin, my task was to unify and band others together, yet I couldn't even do that with my best friend.

"We can feel your heartache, my son. Would you care to join us and speak of things?"

My ears lifted and I simply thrust a gate open, flying through to the now-familiar locale of the empty blue nothingness. A small table was there, a cup on a saucer with some black tea already brewed as if it were expected I'd have come.

I collected the teacup and took a long sip from it, then sighed out as I took a seat right there on the ground equivalent of the area, crossing my legs. "Why can't I make him see? Seeing my loved ones at each other's throats is heart-wrenching..."

"We are sorry, my son. Matters of the heart can be difficult to overcome."

"Can't you just pull him in here and tell him it's okay?" I grumbled the words while sipping on my tea.

"We've spoken of this before, you are the lone exception, even the Archan-"

"Yeah yeah, I know." I sigh and climb to my feet, setting the teacup down with a growl, "Some Paladin I turned out to be, fifty years later and I can't even bring my own best friend out of his hatred."

"My son, you must have faith that all will be set right in time."

"And maybe you should accept you may have made a mistake! Maybe I'm not suited to the task as much as you thought!"

"My son..."

I threw my arms out, my teeth showing as I snarled, "Time to play this game again! Why don't the other archangels remember the former Paladin? If we are meant to be such a guiding beacon, then how could one be forgotten or hazed over so easily?!"

"In due time my-"

"Five decades is due time enough, answer me! Tell me or I'll quit this place and not return! You can keep the sword, armor, and title!"

A long silence followed and after nearly five minutes of glaring at nothing, I grabbed the scabbard of my sword, unbuckling it and slapping it onto the table next to the teacup. I waved a hand, throwing a gate open to the courtyard of the citadel, and even had a foot in it when they finally spoke out, "Wait."

With an angry growl, I stepped back and shut the gate, glaring over my shoulder at nothing in particular as my tail snapped about in an angry wag.

"Retrieve your sword, we will explain."

Without a word, I snatched the sword and buckled it back into place, then folded my arms with an expecting scowl on my face.

I didn't imagine it, I heard the sigh plainly before the voice spoke out, "When the former Paladin fell, our children were distraught, all from the newest cadet to Ichiro. She faced two of the elders who had banded together in their injured states in a gambit to turn the tide. She fell... saving the ones you call brother and lover..."

My ears sprang up at that. "Ezekiel and Toroah?!" I rubbed my chin in thought. "Wait, Ezekiel was just a regular Cadet during that time, why would he be with Toroah and in peril, to begin with?"

"Because Toroah had his own squad and division at that time, you must remember we still had Raphel as the High Commander at that time. Ezekiel was one of several dozen soldiers under Toroah's command during that time."

"I see... so the former Paladin fell, and somehow something happened to her soul before the sword could pull it back to her body?"

"That is correct."

"Then why do none of them recall her?" There was a long silence and I snarled and moved to unclasp the sword once more. "Answer me! I demand an answer if I am to keep this position!"

"We masked their memories of her."

"You what?! How... how could you?!"

"Please understand, the whole of our children were distraught and their spirits crushed, we still were locked in a war. We had to do something."

"So, everyone remembered the Paladin as a symbol that fell but not the being behind it. You... made her a martyr... All of her bonds she formed, dreams she held... all washed away but for the fact she fell for her cause..." I pushed a hand to my face, feeling tears on my cheeks, crying for my predecessor I'd never even known.

"She and Ezekiel were very close, not lovers but the best of friends, they had even sworn a bond of siblinghood. Even our masking couldn't fully quell the anguish in his heart."

"The war is long over, why keep these memories buried?" I snarled the words through the tears, wiping my face before glaring.

"Because it would be too painful, Toroah and her were... They had spoken of exchanging swords a few months before the war began."

I pushed a hand to my mouth, feeling my stomach twist at the idea of it. He was so casual and loving, aloof but happy. Losing his fiancee, Ezekiel losing his sister. I closed my eyes, feeling more tears as I sighed, "I see your heart is in the right, but... the pain aside, they have a right to know these things."

"We will eventually reveal this when we ourselves have more information on the fate of her soul. To do so prematurely would simply send several of our children into a spiral of depression and madness to solve a problem even we cannot."

"You said it yourself, you are not all-knowing beings, more hands make for lighter lifting, Seraph!"

"Perhaps you are right, we will council upon this more, but for now, will you be satisfied with what we have elaborated on, my son?"

"I don't like it, but... Yes, thank you. What should I do about Ezekiel then?"

"He will have to find his own way. We cannot force a change of heart, it must come within and neither can you, my son."

I gave a nod and pushed the gate open to my quarters. "As always, what I've heard, I'll keep to myself, but..." I pushed a hand to my chest, feeling my heart aching. "I will find my predecessor, for everyone's sakes that have lost her, so they may at least have closure and so she may be mourned properly by her loved ones..."

"You are beyond worthy of your post. Go, my son, our hope."

"Worthy..." I glanced back at the nothingness as I muttered the single word, then stomped through the gate.

--*--

Bonding of Words:

Even in the mundane world, the act of giving one's word can have extreme ramifications depending on what your lot in life is. However, this takes on a significantly greater responsibility when it comes to those of other realms.

Magi and daemons can have their powers stripped away, while being such as Fae and Celestials can outright cease to live over breaking one's oath. Vampires can also grow dramatically weaker for breaking their oath and some families will outright execute for it.

Needless to say, when giving one's word in any of these circles, it is never given lightly but like all contracts, you must be cautious because a clever mind can find ways around the bond if things are not explicitly stated. Fae have a murky reputation for just such acts.

--*--

A few decades later, I found myself in the chambers of the archmage of the Circle of Shadows. Their guild had been within our sphere of knowledge for centuries, but knowing something existed was not the same as knowing where it was. I had called the favor in with Lorelai, one of the rare times I used my lover's connections.

The cobra-kin before me was fairly young-looking but I could feel his youthful appearance was unnatural, easily sensing he was over a century along. He had a folded hood behind his head, no hair to be seen but large runes and magical sigils spread throughout it along with various other portions of his body. He wore rather regal-looking robes and I could see the faint scale patterns where his wrists showed out of it.

"I'm excited to meet with you Paladin, Ryder. You understand this is quite a gesture of good faith on our part to have you here." The cobra hissed the words politely as he gave a bow before sitting at his desk.

I folded my hands in my lap, giving him a nod, trying to keep my wings pulled close so I didn't knock anything down while I sat before him. "I do, and I am thankful for your consideration, Kazemde. Know this is personal between you and I. Though, I will tell you we are not in the business of hunting mages down unless they are killing our flock."

The cobra nodded and folded his own hands on the desk, setting me with a business-like gaze. "So what can the circle do for you, celestial?"

"I need you to... find me a soul, or the fate of one as it were," I got right to the point as I met his dark eyes while speaking my request.

"Intriguing, is it not your kind that are shepherds of souls, Paladin?"

"And that is why I am reaching out to you..." I proceeded to explain as much as I could without exposing too much about the Seraph or what I had sworn to keep to myself.

"Fascinating, but such a long time ago, my father was still the Archmage at that time." Kazemde rubbed at his chin, his hood slightly popped out as he hissed the words.

"Beg your pardon, but just how long-lived are your kind, Kazemde?"

The cobra hissed out in a chuckle, "Well, Ryder. You know we do not make a habit of offering information without some sort of payment, but in a gesture of goodwill, I will tell you, my father was over four centuries old when he retired. When my time comes, barring any unfortunate accidents, I'm sure I'll be near the same age, then my son Kazemde will take over."

"So he's named after you?" I showed a grin.

"I do not have a son yet, but when I do, he will share the same name as I, and as I shared from my father from his father." Kazemde gave a nod as he hissed out, "To answer in short, three-hundred to five-hundred, barring dark or blood magicks."

"Dark or blood magick?" I tilted my head curiously.

The cobra waved my curiosity off. "You've had enough free tokens, celestial. Let us return to the business at hand."

I frowned but gave a nod. "Fair enough, you have the details, what do you want?"

"Let me study your sword for a year and we'll call it even," Kazemde set his terms plainly.

I frowned as I looked at the sword at my hip. The Seraph would know I was without it and offering up a relic of the gods for mortals to study would be a near heretical offense to them. I unbuckled it and tossed it right on the desk as I thought about the lost Paladin. "You swear no damage or tampering of it?"

The cobra grasped the scabbard as he hissed out in awe, "It will be returned with no alterations, I simply wish to study the orichalcum and mithril in it, as both substances have been long lost to our word."

"Fine, no samples though, I better not find any chips or anything in it. I've polished her every day for nearly seventy years, I'll notice anything amiss," I growled as I folded my arms.

"You've my word. No guild member shall touch it but me, and I will treat it with the utmost respect, it will never leave my study." The cobra collected the blade, setting it out of sight and I frowned, already feeling oddly underdressed without it at my side.

"So how long will this take?" I quirked an ear and brow.

"A simple question with a highly complicated answer given how little we've to go on. It could be years, decades, even centuries, but we will find the knowledge you seek somehow or another, we always do."

"Fair enough, I am thankful for you trusting me enough to come to the table to trade at all." I stood and gave a bow.

"Of course. The Bloodstone council has been a faithful ally to us over the years, if you are in Lorelai's good graces, I would be a fool not to hear you out. I pray I can gather the knowledge you seek in a timely manner, but I fear I'll need to contract with demons if the soul is lost in the underworld, that is always a lengthy process."

"The underworld? Do you truly think a Paladin's soul would be in one of the nine layers of hell?" My ears sprang up, my words sounding offended at the notion.

"Where else would it be that the very hands and eyes of the gods would not find it, Ryder? The Faemarch?" Kazemde scoffed with a sharp grin, showing he knew more than he let on, as I had never mentioned the Seraph in this exchange.

I simply gave a nod to the words. "Very well, thank you again Archmage, I'll return one year from today to collect my sword." I offered Kazemde a bow before opening a gate and stepping through.

---

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