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Interlude: Nautical Miles

"Tell yourself something is true and it becomes the truth. Immortalise that thought in one way shape or form and it will remain forever even if proven wrong."

Julia Delacroix

Lies and Non-Truths: Living with Falsehood

---

Frozen Sun

I honestly cannot say I am pleased that Jacob stormed off but I am relieved that he is showing his true colours at last.

I won't go on any spiel about how hiding your true intentions and emotions or bottling up your fears and woes is unhealthy. Nor will I remark on Jacob's own brand of single-minded innocence that drove him on a path of destruction.

No.

My reasons are entirely selfish.

That same reason walked into the orphanage, looking both puzzled and mad at the same time.

Rex Nebula.

Jacob Reaper's half-brother and Elemental Lord of Star.

His built, strong body moved like liquid. Smooth and agile. He had the ferocity of a wolf, the nobility of a lion and the dashing face of a movie star. Unlike his half-brother, Rex was more proportional where Jacob was just grotesquely muscular. His mortalities were geared towards the noble and I knew that if I were ever to become the princess in distress, he would save me if for nothing else than the fact that I was in danger.

He was perfect.

And I wanted him.

Sadly, I knew what Rex wanted and it was an even greater blasphemy than my own demon-worshiping past.

As Rex approached, I lowered my gaze and regarded my own hands. Jacob had granted me great power, that I will admit, and I was grateful. Perhaps I could finally be someone instead of simply living in my father's shadow. Maybe I could even rise high enough to impress Rex. However, as time passed, I found myself living in someone else's shadow.

Jacob's.

It was somewhat... pleasing to see that shadow brushed aside but at the same time, I found myself sliding towards Jacob's side in this. Canis truly tore him a new orifice but it was not his fault. I wasn't going to lie to myself and say that I knew all along that Jacob had been following some child-like blind fascination with killing Balthazar.

I followed him originally because I was afraid of what might happen to my friends. I didn't want to see Joanna or Taylor hurt or to stand alone at their funerals knowing I had the power to save them and stood still. That slowly evolved to my own ambitions to steal Rex away from Jacob but do you want to know how I had hoped to achieve that?

Correct.

Kill Balthazar.

If I was the one that slew Balthazar, I would be a hero.

My fists clenched and now I wasn't so sure if I could go ahead with that plan if Jacob was no longer part of it. It's funny, I wanted to step out of his shadow and yet the moment he took it away, I just wanted to dive back in. It made me feel... dirty and weak.

I didn't want to be that.

One look at the confused Rex, a baffled Leo and a concerned Taylor told me that none of them would ever feel that way. None of them were weak. Even Rex's powers which were, by their very nature, fickle, were strong and they brimmed with confidence that outweighed their weaknesses.

Rex asked us what was that all about.

Canis, in his usual brash nature, explained. "Simple. The baby cocksucker couldn't handle a little constructive criticism and ran off with his tail between his legs!" He puffed out his chest, grinning brightly. "Did you see that, Sierra? That's the guy you were going to recruit to help you kill Balthazar!"

He nudged the Elemental Lord but he made a note not to look into her eyes. I think he knew she was giving him a foul stare.

"You will find him and apologise," Sierra said.

"What?" Still, Canis did not meet her gaze. "The guy deserved it."

"Perhaps, but was it you who deserved the chance to deliver such punishment?" The Elemental Lord stepped forward, striking Canis's ankle with her walking stick. "Go."

"But -"

"Go!"

Canis rolled his eyes like a petulant child being forced to do something he would rather not do and shuffled his feet towards the door.

"Jacob!" he shouted and was off.

"You should've let him go and sulk," Max grumbled. "We don't need him."

"Are you so sure?" Sierra retorted. "Which one of you would have willingly killed Balthazar? Who would be responsible for murder? And how?"

Honestly, I was planning to play the part of the innocent doe that would have a knife hidden somewhere. In my mind, the scenario played out with myself and Balthazar meeting gazes across the room in the ballroom. I would be blushing deeply, my gaze lowered but bashfully sneaking looks at him as a smile slowly crawled across his features. He would approach me, ask for a dance and we would dance.

Some idle conversation later, a few innocent giggles followed by lewd suggestions and we'd retire to somewhere private. As he'd lean in to kiss me, I'd either slip a blade between his ribs or cut his throat there and there.

I was as close as you could get to 'high born' in our group. My father was rich and my mother was a socialite. Their only ambition for me was to flirt, bat my eyes and shake my hips. Marriage to someone powerful was always the best thing I could hope to achieve in that sexist household. Balthazar would recognise me and I could use my training to good use.

Little wonder I secretly participated in blood rituals and prayed to demons here and there.

Kidding.

I know there's no such thing as demons.

But Sierra did have a point.

Really, had any of us truly killed anyone without Jacob's help? We'd slain Unsealed and we'd severely injured people but truly 'murdered'? Maybe there were some people that died when Joanna caused an earthquake or maybe I froze someone too long and they're now a dead log but I guess there was a sort of detachment between killing someone with an alternate purpose as opposed to killing someone because we wanted them dead. Or getting help from a supposed murderer to kill someone who deserved it.

It's like our actions were justified somehow because we were doing something noble. At Pollenburn, we probably killed a lot of MODD soldiers because we wanted to free the people they had wrongfully imprisoned. At Graesham, the plagued were dead anyway, Belford was just using their bodies so it was never truly killing.

But this time...

We needed Jacob.

"Why do we even need him dead?" Max asked. "Can't we just find proof of him going nuts and have him imprisoned or something?"

"You would be hard-pressed to find that sort of incriminating evidence against Balthazar," Sierra answered. "He is far too intelligent. He has plans over plans and contingency plans for those plans. Believe me, I have tried."

"And he has all of MODD behind him," Taylor added. "You really think we can take him down with some legal tricks?"

"And charging in and murdering him is better?" Max countered harshly. "If we just right and out kill him, MODD will come down on us with all they've got! How is that better!? At least if we try to catch him in a loop hole, there's a chance we might win! Even if we do kill him, the consequences are too big! None of us will survive!"

Joanna spoke up, her voice filled with conviction. "Better to die for the good of Mortaelis than to rot oppressed."

"This is bull!" Max roared, stamping his foot like a child having a tantrum. "Don't any of you think!?" His eyes glared balefully at Sierra. "I expected more of you."

The Elemental Lord just shook her head sadly. "You have your convictions, I have mine. Trust me, I have tried to expose Balthazar for who he is. But like all things in this world, even the most tantalising of offers, the most beautiful of flowers and the most incriminating evidence is not what they seem. In fact, I'm not even sure Balthazar will come. He knows what I am after."

Max threw his hands into the air. "Then what's the point!?"

"Where can we go?" Taylor countered, changing tactics. "What else can we do but more forward? Do you really want us to go back to MODD or hide out the rest of our lives pretending none of this ever happened?"

"Can you live with yourself knowing MODD is mass-producing Seals and knowing where those Seals come from?" Rex added. "Can you really go back to your old life after how deeply you're involved now?"

The dragon shook his head angrily. "Well how about this then?" he snarled, tail slamming against the floor angrily. "What will we do after Balthazar is dead, huh? Imagine if we do kill him and MODD doesn't raise a finger against us. Imagine if everything turns out sunshine and lollipops like you all seem to think! What then? MODD will still be around. They'll still be producing Seals. We'll still be Branded! Where will we go? What will we do!?"

I looked from face to face and I instantly knew the answers.

Leo would go wherever Jacob was going. If Jacob decided to run away and life in seclusion like I thought he would probably do, Leo would follow him. It was sad but those two really fit. Both were innocent in their own way, both here big, muscular, brutish and testosterone-charged. They'd be together, of that I was sure.

Taylor was likely to go out in search of his fortune and adventure. I wasn't sure where his path would lead but now he had the power to do whatever he wanted and I was sure he would put that to good use. He had a noble heart and no doubt we would hear of his exploits soon enough.

Joanna... well, she's probably join the Rebellion and try to bring down MODD. It made me sad that out of all of us, she'd be the most likely to keep fighting. If she died, none of us would hear of it because she'd just be 'another rebel'. I didn't want that but at the same time, I didn't want to follow her.

My eyes settled on the one person I did want to follow and it broke my heart that he was likely to follow another. Rex was lonely and wanted a family of his own. I don't know where his career would go if he was caught as one of the conspirators attempting to bring down Balthazar Palmers but he was going to chase down Jacob wherever he went.

... and bring me along with him.

I'd do that for him.

Those thoughts filled my heart with despair because I realised then that the chances of me actually having Rex were slim to none. But, I resolved to hold onto him no matter how long and how far he had to drag me along. I'd keep pulling, trying to convince him to stay with me instead of chase his broken and disheartened half-brother.

"We'll do whatever we have to do," I answered, bringing a sudden silence to the entire atrium. I felt their gazes on me, shocked that I had been the one to voice the most conviction when the others all seemed to doubt.

"We're going to go our separate ways," I continued, "or we're going to stay together. Whatever happens, we all have goals but for this one instant in time, we have the same goal. That's what brought us all here together. If you doubt that, Max, then you're free to leave."

The dragon growled. His eyes flickered to Joanna for one moment and then quickly to Leo. When they returned to me, fear filled those brown orbs. "Are you kicking me out?"

"I never said that. But it seems to me that when you were speaking of killing Balthazar, you always said 'we'."

Max looked like someone had struck him with something cold, hard and wet. He shook his head several time's, shaking away the droplets of surprise as he blinked them out of his eyes. For a moment, he just stood there agape.

Then...

"Damnit..."

"He does have a point, however," Sierra said gently. "We must consider the future. Tell you what? It has been a long night and most of you must be exhausted. Come, I'll have the chefs prepare a late night meal. We'll discuss the future and if it helps, I can make some assurances. For now, however, I have many children that need comforting. I will see you back at the palace."

With those words, she turned and headed into the safe room of the orphanage.

I turned away as well, regarding my 'team'. Leo was the only one who seemed quite excited, his tail wagging and his eyes bright with excitement.

"There will be food?" he asked excitedly.

Rex smiled at him, patting his head tenderly like a father to a son. "Yes, Leo. There will be food."

"I enjoy food!"

Maybe Jacob would turn out to be a fine person if some of Leo's innocence mingled with his own and he did not corrupt this rather adorable ball of fluff. Even his bright smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

As I regarded the other members, however, I saw the doubt in their eyes that Max had planted. Whether he had intended that, I wasn't sure, but looking at the dragon's eyes, the doubt was there too. Joanna looked lost, Taylor was gazing out to the distance and Rex held this sad expression on his face like he was desperately trying to hide his worry.

I wondered how I looked.

"I'll meet you at the palace," I said, pushing past the others to the door. I brushed against Rex, my flesh tingling just at the mere contact with his armour.

"Where are you going?" Rex asked. I hoped he would try and stop me but his heart still belonged to his half-brother... for now.

"I'm going to look for Jacob." It wasn't a lie. Jacob was what was holding us together. Leo was in love with him, Rex was too. I followed Rex. Joanna believed in Jacob's goal of killing Balthazar and Taylor wanted to go along for the adventure and excitement. Why Max followed was still not clear but I believe he followed Jacob too.

"I'll come with you," Taylor said.

I would have preferred if Rex accompanied me but Taylor was a good friend and I had very little time to speak to him in days past. I smiled, telling him I would like that and we headed down the orphanage's stairs, heading out into Angelsea itself.

The sad thing was, neither of us had any idea where to start.

"Shall we just go looking for the place that has the most destruction?" Taylor offered.

I considered that then shook my head. "I think the Jacob that goes out giggling about how he likes blowing things up is just a facade. Let's go look for some place that's peaceful." I turned towards the brightening sky in the east. "Let's go that way."

Thankfully, Taylor didn't object and we walked side by side through the wending streets of Angelsea towards the east. The destruction from our fight grew progressively less noticeable as we progressed towards the eastern reaches of the city. Still, there was very little people on the streets. Small surprise considering it was the wake of an enormous Unsealed's attack and it was just approaching dawn.

I wondered how people could live in constant fear of attack like this. In the cities like Shellington, Unsealed attacks were just something you heard in the news about far off cities. None of it ever occurred in the city itself.

"Hey Kerry... Is there someone out there you really want to see dead?"

I froze for a moment.

It was a question that I thought I had answered and then buried because of just how impossible it was. However, now that Taylor asked it, the sparks of hope began taking the shape of revenge.

"Yes..." I whispered softly.

"It's not Balthazar, is it?"

"No." I turned my gaze to him. "You?"

He shook his head, a nervous laugh emerging from between his lips. "I'd love to say I really want to see Balthazar dead for all that he's done but really..." We locked gazes and I saw that doubt again. "I guess that was back then."

"As in about a month ago when all of this started?" I asked with a small laugh.

"I think it's a little over a month but yeah." He rolled his eyes. "Hard to think it's happened so fast, huh?"

"Definitely."

His footsteps ground to a halt and he pressed his back against a nearby wall, staring up at the starry sky. "Back then, when I heard about what Balthazar did to Jacob, I was pissed. I was mortified that someone would do that to a child. It was easy to say then that I wanted to kill Balthazar because I thought by the time I got to the point where I was holding his life in my paws, I would be stronger and it would be miles away."

"Easy to say things when you don't have to confirm them until much later, huh?" I asked. I leaned against the wall beside him. "I never had that luxury."

"Your father always pressuring you into those arranged marriages, right?"

"Yeah... I learned to treasure every moment I had and not to make promises that I couldn't keep. Because when your whole life might end the very next day... it's just hard to tell someone that you can't keep that promise they were holding onto for so long."

I could feel his eyes asking the question that we were both thinking.

"So why did you come with us?"

I offered him a smile, a sad smile but a smile nonetheless. "Because I promised myself I'd take care of you guys. You and Joanna... Both of you are more family to me than my parents ever were." A short laugh escaped my lips. "Did I ever tell you I was married?"

Taylor jumped back in shock. "What!?"

"Twenty-two times, actually," I giggled. "All business arrangements. All arranged marriages. The first time was when I was twelve..."

"Is that even legal?"

"You'd be surprised. I got 'divorced' six months later. I didn't get married again until I was sixteen. For three weeks. My father is a very cutthroat businessman. Once he got what he wanted, he went out of his way to go behind my husband's back and ruin his business so that he would have no choice but to come grovelling to my father's feet and beg for a buyout. I always ended up getting traded like a piece of meat."

"No offense, but you are venison..."

I nudged him in the ribs for that. "Carnivores."

"Gay carnivore," he corrected. "You're great Kerry but I like my venison with 'a horn of cream'." He grinned at his own joke, making me roll my eyes.

"Of course." I sighed softly as he turned to regard him. "My father would find some way to make you two an asset to him. I'm sure of it. I bet when we graduated, he'd probably approach you with a job offer and make you work for him. Your loyalty to me would automatically make you accept. Joanna would probably be the same. I swore to myself that I would never let any of that happen to you."

"Did that come with the stipulation that you would be running around undoing MODD with supernatural powers and following a crazy, pyromaniac wolf?" he asked with a grin.

"If it helps undo my father, then I'm all for it."

His smile faded slightly. "You hate him, don't you?"

Did I hate my father...? No. I loved him. He was my father, after all. How could I not? He used me as his tool for countless years and he never showed any affection towards me besides what was required by the media. Did he care for me? No. Did I care for him? No.

But I loved him.

"No. I love my father. Which is why I must stop him."

"By killing him...?"

I spoke with such conviction that it frightened me. "Yes."

"Isn't that a little extreme?"

It was... But...

"Tayl... Did I tell you I have a little sister?"

"You've mentioned you've had several brothers before..."

"No. A biological sister. My father wanted an heir. Instead, he got me and my sister. He gave up after two tried and started adopting boys so he can seed every company out there... quite literally. For my mother, myself and my sister... We were just pushed into the background and expected to come out on formal occasions and pretend everything is fine."

Taylor winced loudly. "I get the eerie feeling that there's more to it than just being pushed into the background..."

I didn't want to mince words. "My father raped my little sister."

He looked pale. "I... I sort of expected that but... Yeah... What?"

I held myself tightly, trying to hide the fact that I was repeating words that I had kept locked up in my heart for so long. "I am the eldest biological daughter he has. I am the 'trade daughter'. The one who gets traded to someone to be their trophy wife. The lucky gentleman that gets me is given the 'greatest honour' of having a biological specimen of my father's family effectively making them part of the family in more ways that my 'brothers' could ever have.

"But my sister... She's the 'trophy daughter'. The daughter he'll keep around forever and ever. His perpetual 'little girl'. Until she's not so little anymore."

"What kind of father is your father!?"

"Someone obsessed with maintaining a legacy," I answered darkly. "He wants to rule, Tayl. He wants to be MODD and he wants to make sure everyone remembers his name long after he has died. When he realised that beating MODD isn't so easy... He started slipping into other ways of preserving his name."

"I'm almost afraid to ask... but... 'like'...?"

"You don't want to know," I responded, clutching myself tightly. "Just trust me... Before, he wanted to be remembered as the guy who built an empire. Now... he just wants to be remembered."

"What's the difference?"

"What he gets remembered for."

A chill ran down Taylor's spine as it did mine. I pushed back memories of what my father had done to my mother and my sister. I was always ignored because I had to remain pure and untouched since other people would touch me. But everyone else... They were fair game.

I wanted my father dead.

And I wanted to save my family.

I banged my head lightly against the wall behind me, wondering. "What about you, Tayl? Anything driving you forward except for that promise of fame and fortune at the end?"

The cougar gave it some thought. He rubbed his chin lightly then a smile crossed his features. "Love."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Seriously?"

"I was in love once," he answered. "Madly in love." His eyes dropped as did his shoulders as a long, lonely sigh left his lips. "Then I screwed it up. I'm still in love, holding out for the day he'd forgive me but at the same time, I'm not opposed to finding someone new."

"And getting rich and famous will do that?"

He flashed me a grin that seemed partially filled with excitement and partially used to mask his sadness. "Hey, if I get to be a star, guys will throw themselves at me."

"You're becoming just as depraved as Jacob," I laughed, pushing him away slightly.

"You don't like Jacob either?"

I immediately shook my head. "The only person that really hates Jacob is Max. Me? I disagree with his methods and his attitude but he's the only one holding us together. Besides..." It was my turn to flash him a grin. "... He's done a lot of good. I think Canis just focused on all the bad and shadowed the good."

Taylor placed his paws on his hips, giving him an exasperated look. "And you're going to use that junk to try and convince him to buck up and fly right?"

I just shrugged. "Hey, it's worth a shot!"

We returned to our course due east, the destruction from our battle with Neptune slowly becoming less noticeable. I still found it unsettling that there were few people crowding around the sections of the city that lay devastated. Back in Shellington, there would be news crews, bystanders, gawkers and protesters lining the streets trying to get a better view or use the incident to make their point.

But here...

A soft sniffle emerged from one of the alleyways between the pristine, white buildings. I dared a peek down the dark path and caught sight of a little boy, a mouse no less, soaked to the bone and wearing nothing but a damp nightgown and shivering in the cold.

"Tayl," I began, gesturing for Taylor to follow me. "Over here."

We ventured into the alley where the little mouse didn't seem to notice us despite his large ears. He continued to lean against the wall, shaking from head to toe and clutching himself like he was afraid his shivers would shake the bones from his body. When we approached, I noticed the boy's startlingly beautiful blue eyes. They were the colour of ice, clear as day and seemed to glow.

"Hey there, little guy," I began, reaching out and touching his shoulder. I instantly withdrew. His fur was freezing cold. "God... You're like an ice block! Tayl can you do something?"

Taylor nodded and rubbed his paws together. A moment later, a tongue of flame appeared in both his paws which he held out towards the boy. His fur glimmered in the dim firelight. Reds flashed against the greys of his thin coat.

"What's your name?" I asked softly. "Were you attacked by the Unsealed?"

He didn't answer and merely continued to shake in front of us.

"He looks really spooked," Taylor observed grimly. "Maybe we should see if there's a hospital we can take him too."

I appraised the boy one more time and spied something on his nightgown. My fingers slowly dropped to his chest were a strange emblem stood. It looked like an 'R' and a 'C' pressed against one another back to back. A long, vertical bar stood atop of them both, connecting them like bridge where the two letters hung from.

"'RC'," I mused. "I wonder what that could mean..."

"Remote Control?" Taylor offered. I gave him a puzzled look and he answered with a dismissive shrug. "Hey, considering everything we've been through, would you really be surprised if there were remote control children running around?"

"That's not even funny," I snapped, gently pulling the boy to his feet. Just touching him made my palms go numb. "Come on, let's bring this guy to the palace. Maybe Sierra can find a place for him."

"What about Jacob?"

Indeed, what about Jacob?

"He's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

Taylor picked up the boy, cradling him in his arms. I think it must be his control over Fire that stopped him from freezing to death. One would think considering my control over Ice, I wouldn't freeze but the boy was just so... unnaturally cold.

When the sun began to rise, I realised just how far our battle had taken us from the palace. Dawn had come and gone by the time we reached the dock that would take us into the palace proper. As we approached, we found that black wolf with red hair snoring quietly to the side. He was one Sierra's lieutenants if I remembered correctly.

Joul, I think.

I approached him quietly and prodded his shoulder. He woke with a start, staring up at me with bleary eyes.

"Oh! It's you," he said with a loud yawn. "Glad you made it back safely."

He stood up, towering over me. Maybe a little shorter than Jacob but still intimidating. Maybe it's just that I found all carnivores intimidating. Taylor not so much because... well... He's Taylor and my friend. Even knowing that Sierra possessed incredible powers as an Elemental Lord of Water, the fact that she was a squirrel made her more approachable.

His eyes switched over to the boy in Taylor's arms. "Who's that?"

"We found him on the streets after the attack," Taylor explained. "And after Jacob stormed off. Speaking of which, has he made it back yet?"

The lieutenant shook his head sadly. "Not yet." He stretched, muscles flexing beneath the MODD uniform. Like most lieutenants, his uniform was customised. There was the usual black cloak trimmed with his Elemental Lord's colours but also a sash of ocean blue that had several badges attached to it.

"You missed dinner, though," Joul continued. "Sierra was a little worried about you and posted me out here to keep at eye out."

"Sorry for keeping you up," I said, bowing to him ever so slightly. "Is there some place you could find for this little guy to warm up? He's freezing cold."

The wolf grinned at me and I had to keep my bones in my skin. Wolves grinning at me brings out a 'prey species' instinct in me. I don't mean to be racist but if there's one thing my father taught me, it's never to trust a grinning wolf. I'm sure he meant it metaphorically but in the literal sense, it's just as intimidating.

One thing I can attribute my father with...

Scaring me to death.

"We'll see if we can get him a room," Joul answered. "Sierra can decide where we can put him. God knows, she might decide to adopt him."

"She adopts strays?"

Joul gestured that we follow him and we gladly headed up the spiralling stairwell to the palace. "Of course. Not everyone gets thrown into the orphanages, you know. I was one of her adoptions, actually."

That surprised me. I thought considering Sierra's condition, she wouldn't be taken anyone under her wing. Then again, considering hour Joul was compatible with a Seal...

"Did she give you yours Seal?" I asked.

"Yes." His ears flicked backwards towards us. "I know how this must sound but everyone in the orphanages gets a change to try out some Seals. If they're compatible with them, they get to join Sierra's guard or go to the rest of MODD."

I had to raise my hand slightly at that. "Isn't that a bit counterproductive of what we're trying to achieve here?"

"She can't help it. Balthazar himself enforced that mandate. I think he doesn't want Sierra raising an army of MODD soldiers against him so he forces her to send a few of her 'chosen' to the rest of the organisation. Forcing them to leave their home, their friends... everything they have. It makes them bitter."

My mind instantly went to James Canis. We found him on Graesham and gathering from Joul's information, he was forced to leave as well. Even without a Seal, he was kicked out. I don't know what the criteria was for choosing who got to go or who got to stay but Canis must have felt that he was lacking to have been sent out on his own.

It was admirable that he still showed so much devotion to Sierra.

"I can see why Sierra wants to stop Balthazar," Taylor said grimly. "It's like he's forcing her to give up her children."

"That's exactly what it is," Joul answered, pushing open a set of large doors. We were once again in the large hallway lined with columns and the wall to our right being the open balcony with an expanse of Angelsea as our canvass. "I don't know if you guys are exhausted or not but Sierra's training session has actually begun." He held out his paws and took the child off Taylor. "If you follow the path, the door at the end of the hallway is the training grounds."

I didn't feel physically tired but mentally and emotionally... When James Canis berated Jacob, it was like he was shooting down all our hopes and dreams. Well... except for Max.

What he wanted, I didn't know.

Joul took the child from us and bid us a good day. We followed his instructions and came to the door marked as the training grounds. I really wasn't that surprised to find that there was another flight of steps leading us upwards. We walked for what seemed like an eternity before we finally found open air again.

We found ourselves standing on the very top of the palace. The floor was chequered and tiled with a heavy, metal wall rising up around the circular arena. Sierra was standing near the centre while Rex and Joanna were facing one another with their weapons drawn. Leo was sitting quietly beside Sierra, tail wagging excitedly while Max was not too far away, arms crossed and looking as grumpy as ever.

Jacob was nowhere to be seen.

"It is important for you to design your techniques to your own fighting styles," Sierra lectured. "Joanna, how do you fight?"

The vixen gave her a blank stare, lifting her sai. "I stab?"

The Elemental Lord shook her head, a gentle smile on her features. "My dear, the sai are excellent at stabbing but they are also a fantastic defensive weapon, perfect for catching enemy weapons and disarming them."

She hobbled over towards Joanna, Leo following along on all fours like an obedient dog.

"The idea is to always have at least one sai pointed at your enemy," Sierra said.

"For stabbing?" Joanna asked.

"For defence. The other sai is the one you use for stabbing." Sierra's eyes finally caught us. "Ah! We missed you at dinner!"

Rex's ears perked up at our mention. "Did you find Jacob?"

I think my heart broke a little upon hearing that but I took it in stride. He would love me eventually. I just had to impress him. "No, we didn't."

"Damn..." Rex looked towards Sierra and sighed heavily. I guess he really wanted to find his half-brother but other responsibilities kept him here.

I'm glad that he chose to stay.

"Come in," Sierra beckoned. "Time to train."

"We're not waiting for Jacob?" I asked.

"He will come to us when he is ready. One must strengthen your heart just as much as one must strengthen your body."

Truer words were never spoken. I believe all of us had our hearts somewhat shaken with Canis' brutal burst. Maybe our resolve was somewhat shaken but I believe it was time for us to strengthen our bodies. Reinforcing one might solidify the other.

I nodded in agreement and joined the other trainees.

Sierra hobbled away from Joanna and stood in front of us all. "Have you ever wondered why most Elementals Lords and their lieutenants have attacks that are named?"

"Product placement," Max grumbled bitterly. "MODD is still a company. If you get their star players to start shouting slogans and their 'trademark attacks', they get more people buying their stuff. Plus, the morning cartoons always gets the kids shouting out those bloody same names over and over again, pretending they're murdering one another."

Sierra chuckled softly, almost motherly really. "That's part of the reason. But truly, it is to focus our Elements into the shape that we desire. Sometimes, our techniques manipulate our Elements into ways that are otherwise outside of that Element's normal bounds." She lifted the multi-coloured necklace she wore. Only now did I realise that each segment of her necklace held a vial with a differently coloured liquid. "They call this my ' Seven Vials of the Rainbow'. Each vial contains a specific type of liquid that has various effects. She lifted the red vial. This, is blood."

Most of us recoiled in shock. Leo actually poked his nose against the vial and pulled away, grinning and tail wagging.

"It is blood!"

"Blood," Sierra confirmed with a chuckle. She even petted Leo's head. "The mortal body is made mostly of water. Blood itself is mostly water. While it is a faint distinction, it still falls under my Element's jurisdiction. However, manipulating blood is difficult for even me. That is why, shouting out attacks helps. It gives you something to focus on, a mental image that focuses all the efforts to make what might otherwise seem an impossibility into a reality."

"It's still stupid," Max grumbled. "We've been focusing our abilities without shouting out our attacks."

Taylor coughed loudly. "Speak for yourself. In all our combinations with each other's powers, something just clicked inside of us. We always just shouted out our attacks in sync! It was cool!"

"That's because you're all dreamers. You especially." Max glared at Taylor with so much hatred I'm pretty sure he would have melted metal. "You're in it for the glory. But I bet you haven't even see what you have to sacrifice for glory. You -"

Rex held up his paw, silencing Max immediately. "I'm going to stop you right there, Scales. If you think you're going to try and break us down like Canis broke down Jacob, you can think again. We're fighting for what's right here. Someone has to stop Balthazar."

"You don't even know what he's doing or what he's up to!" Max protested, throwing his hands into the air in frustration. He seems to like doing that.

There, Rex grinned broadly. "That is why I'm going to get the Elemental Lords of Light and Dark to help me."

Even I had to give him a suspicious look. "What are you talking about?"

"It's my little secret," he answered, tapping his nose smugly. He nodded towards Sierra. "Let's go on with the lesson. Forget the grumpy, lazy dragon that's trying to demoralize us."

Sierra chuckled softly and turned back towards us.

Her mouth opened but nothing came out.

Instead, it was left gaping.

It took a moment for me to realise that she wasn't looking at us. I followed her gaze, tracing it all the way to the arena entrance.

Was I really surprised to see him standing there?

A little bit.

I guess I wasn't surprised that he had arrived.

I was surprised by the look in his eyes.

Jacob Reaper strode up towards us, his movements were... liquid, fluid and calm. There was no overbearing confidence that made me want to either shrink and shrivel up in a corner or kick him in the balls. He walked like he knew what he was doing but had no intention to tell everyone about it. His eyes shone like sapphires, a clarity had entered them and the smile on his features didn't have that cocky, cynical edge to it. It was a genuine smile.

I don't think I've ever really seem him genuinely smile before.

And he exuded power. Not the power of one's body or one's heart. It was a perfect balance of both and I'm pretty sure that against any of us, he would stand the strongest.

Even against all of us I was willing to wager he'd defeat us all.

"Don't stop on my account," he said.

Here it comes, the snappy remark.

I realised that I was actually the closest to him and I almost stepped back, ready to hide behind Rex or Joanna but he reached me a lot faster than I could retreat.

"Hey," he greeted, that smile on his face incredibly unsettling. "I heard from the grapevine that one of your father's banks has recently opened near the central business district of Angelsea." He winked at me. "What do you say we go over there after this a drop an unattended bag?"

Wait... what...?

I think my brain shut down because I distinctly remember him grinning broadly. It was a wolf's grin but for some reason, I felt like he was looking at me like a friend and that grin wasn't a 'I'm going to eat you with these massive teeth' kind of grin.

"Great!"

He then headed over to Joanna, flicking out a pair of tickets. "Remember that guy that painted that 'Mortality' painting? Orville Brian?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Well, I caught up with him and he gave me these passes for a private showing tomorrow night. Want to come with?"

Joanna must have worn the same expression I did when Jacob approached me with what seemed like a friendly offer. Her eyes were wide, her left cheek was twitching in disbelief and her muzzle was wide open. "Um... sure...?"

Jacob smiled at Taylor next.

"Jacob," the cougar said, raising his paws. "Whatever it is, I don't want it. You don't need to go proving to me that you're my friend. I already am."

The big wolf just smirked. "Male. Strip. Club."

Taylor's eyes widened. "I'm in."

Fame and fortune was going to be hard to attain for Taylor if he stopped at every brothel along the way.

Jacob then headed towards Leo, grinning at him. Leo immediately sprang to his feet, throwing his arms around his mate and licking Jacob's cheek tenderly. Jacob returned the gesture with a gentle nip on the shoulder.

"There's a museum that we can go to after this," Reaper said. "I think it's about time you learn about Rillotian society." He turned to look over his shoulder, winking at Rex. "You're invited too, bro."

Rex's tail wagged.

I wished that it hadn't but at the same time threatening one of my father's banks...?

It was an opportunity too good to pass up.

My eyes turned back to Jacob who then turned to Sierra.

"And what will you offer me, Jacob Reaper?" she asked, clearly amused. "There is only thing I want."

Jacob smiled and offered her a shrug. "I'm not promising I'll kill Balthazar. I still want to hear his side of the story. There's no denying what he's done and I won't deny that there's a part of me that still wants him dead. But..." His eyes momentarily flicked to Max. "... I agree that he must be stopped. I'll catch him. You do what you want with him. Deal?"

That brought a smile to Sierra's face. "That is acceptable."

He pulled away from Leo, flashing us all a big, friendly grin. "Alright! So who wants to get beaten to a bloody pulp next?"

"Whoa!"

Naturally, it was Max who broke the mood. He stormed forward, puffing out his chest and trying to push himself between Jacob and Leo. His eyes were focused directly on Jacob but there was something in the way he shoved Jacob back hard and gave Leo a gentle push that sparked something in my curiosity.

"Just a few days ago, you were dead set on killing Balthazar," the dragon snarled. "Less than a day ago, you were running off with your tail between your legs. Now you're back and for some unknown reason, you're suddenly all buddy-buddy with us!? No one has a turn-around rate like that! What changed!? What happened!?"

Jacob regarded him for a long moment, his features impassive and unreadable. Then, he gave a few short nods and said, "You want to know what changed?" He straightened, smiling down at Max. "I talked to my dad."

We all froze.

His father...? But Isaac Reaper was dead... Wasn't he? Where could he have...?

"You spoke to your father?" Sierra demanded. "Where? How?"

Jacob lifted his paw towards her, gently asking for silence. He then turned his gaze back to Max. "I found out my dad had big plans for me. Very big plans. Plans I could never live up to. I'm sure you understand."

Max didn't speak but I could see the flickering resolve in his eyes.

"We talked," Jacob continued. "I'm out of his shadow. I'm not going to follow the path that he wants for me. Not anymore. And he supports me." He placed a paw on Max's shoulder, squeezing tightly. "I'm not going to say that we should be best buds now. But we've both got dads that wanted something from us that we just could never give. Not in a million years. It's not the best way to start a friendship. But at least we have something in common, right?"

In a perfect world, Max would have taken Jacob's paw and shook it.

But the world was far from perfect.

Max knocked Jacob's paw away, growling deeply and storming past him. "I am not your friend, Reaper."

Strangely, the smile on Jacob's face filled me with confidence. I didn't feel like he was about to explode like he usually did. "But you're still going to help us stop Balthazar, aren't you?"

It was a question that froze Max in place.

"Yes."

"Good."

Max's fists tightened and I thought he would be the one to explode. "Where did you meet your father?"

Jacob's grin frightened me. It was that same, predatory grin he showed whenever he was about to destroy something. Looks like the insane, psychopathic, pyromaniac wasn't gone. Just... subdued.

"I met him in my head."

Oh... Okay...

"We had a nice, long chat." Jacob turned to face Max, his smile mocking now. "We talked about how he basically screwed me over from the start. How his plans were always on the big picture and I was just a miniscule pixel on that picture. He apologised for manipulating me this entire time, laughed about old times and we promised to stop telling me to burn things.

"I'll still burn things though."

Max shook his head, disbelieving. "You're crazy."

Jacob's eyes flashed at that moment and I knew, at that moment, Max was finished. "Yeah. So are you." He paused, just for dramatic effect.

"Crazy with love."