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Chapter X: Ashes of the Past

"Incendius - hell, every Station - has a bizarre, convoluted history. It was made even more confusing when the Church ret-conned everything. People forgot facts. The past was re-remembered. The Generals became elevated and the leaders of Tower Thirteen. But that did not change fact.

"Just because we don't remember something, doesn't mean it isn't true. People will always remember. Somewhere, deep down, they remember. Maybe it's in their heart? Maybe it's in the sensations in their body or maybe their soul?

"Wherever the memory is stored, they will remember. No escaping the past. It's just what you do with it that matters."

'Mother' was what her children called her but in times past, she was just like the rest of the proud Custodia Lumbra; silent guardians of Undervein and a growing secret army for the esteemed Master Harm Chronos. But since then, she had risen to prominence. The first ever of her race to bear a child, she offered hope to her people and since then, the Lumbra have prospered under the careful guidance of the Last Chronomancer.

Five hundred years in the making, she and her brood had remained quietly in the shadows, forgotten by the Church, hidden to all but the great Chronomancer and a select few. Now... the plan was finally coming to fruition and the Lumbra would see daylight once again. The sins of the Church could finally come to light.

She quietly remained on her bed of cushions, watching as her men marched the invaders that Chronos had informed her about just a few days ago. There was the Templar, Aria Valkyrie. Stiff and proud. The former mayor of Clockwork, Elena Clox, feisty and full of spirit. Smallfang, a very important Lupus and grizzled warrior. Andrew Konran, the bright but slightly bizarre Initiate and his constant companion, the intelligent and level-headed Tanar. Then there was Hunter Hart, the Wulfun that looked like a gruffer, more brutish version of the refined, elegant Chronomancer. Lastly, Eton Slater, the Lupus Paladin.

Yes, he had expected them all and now, her role had come. Slowly, she rose from her cushions, her withered, aged wings folding against her back. Several of her personal handmaidens came to her, aiding her as she stepped down the steps of her dais to where her guests were gathered. They stared at her impassively. She did not make for a very intimidating matriarch. Centuries had withered her frame and childbirth had weakened her body but her soul would not die - she would not let it.

She approached the Templar first and looked up at her with her watery yellow eyes, inspecting her. Her soft, grey fur jostled slightly on her lupine muzzle, the thick, grey mane that ran all the way down her back waving as she moved.

"As young as ever, Lady Templar," she croaked, her voice feeling perpetually dry these days.

The Templar regarded her with cold eyes, hard as the stones they were coloured after. Then, her porcelain features broke into a surprising smile. "Time has not been kind to you Pradia."

All the tension in the room eased at that moment as the two fond friends embraced, Aria treating her lightly as her frail bones - no matter how magically enhanced - were still very fragile. Confusion ruled amidst the Templar's companions while the members of the Lumbra relaxed visibly and lowered their weapons. As was the custom with her kind, they folded their wings across their chests like a leathery cape.

Aria was the first to break the embrace and she regarded Pradia with confusion. "I had no idea you could live for so long. How many others were originally from the first brood?"

"Many," answered the Mother, gently taking Aria's hand and guiding her to the circle of cushions she had specifically prepared for her guests. Her guards ushered the remaining guests to the ring, gently prodding them. "The Lumbra are surprisingly long-lived. I believe Xanos intended for us all to outlive even the Lupus and the Vampiri."

"Good. I had suspected a Chronomancer had something to do with it."

Pradia crouched on the largest pile of cushions, folding her legs beneath her, being careful not to cut the fabric with her claws. She folded her paws on her lap the claws long weathered from use and age. The fur on her arms still felt so alien despite five hundred years of such an existence. She folded her webbed wings around her. The world seemed perpetually cold.

"Who is to say that he has not interfered?"

Lady Valkyrie stiffened and a frowned crossed her features, wiping all memory of that smile. "What did you say?"

"He has cared for us." A golden jug was presented to her marked with the insignia of the Apex Clericus Solis' household. Such little 'pranks' always amused her and she made a show of twisting the symbol for Aria to see as she poured them some wine into goblets from each of the major houses of Incendius. "He provided us with supplies, a place to live and luxuries." She waved a paw around her to indicate the vast, glossy, obsidian like sheen to the dome-shaped cavern. The walls were perfectly smooth without signs of a single blemish. "He built all this in the span of a single day."

Aria frowned. "How?"

Pradia tilted her lupine head to the side slightly, the long, elongated ears on her head twisting with her. "By using a Time Bomb. He had more control than what he originally displayed." Her eyes narrowed. "Did I not warn you not to trust him?"

She went rigid and leaned forward. "That is not what I asked. How did you know about Harm Chronos? I made sure your memories were rewritten by the Redaction Spell! You should not have remembered him!" She was shouting now. The Angel that had seemed to calm and friendly rose to her feet, eyes flaring. "Even if he had been providing you with countless supplies and fragments of technology, you should not have remembered him! You should not owe him any loyalty!"

The Mother laughed, a throaty, hoarse chuckle. "Do you think a mere re_writing_ of the memories will be enough to stop him?" The shadows around her twisted and curled, seethed in a gaseous mass that she controlled. For the first time, fear was clearly etched in Lady Valkyrie's eyes that Pradia had seen. "He called it 'Chronometric Tracing'. I believe he said all he did was find the point in time where our memories were rewritten and made us aware of it. Nothing has changed. What we have done since then was never altered but we are now aware of why we did it. We remember everything from the point the Church tried to erase him and we remember our loyalty to him."

Aria's eyes widened like saucers and she staggered back. Pradia could see what that meant to her. The Church's greatest weapon against the Last Chronomancer and it was easily dispelled. Over a hundred thousand Lumbra had been affected and Chronos had cured them all.

Pradia had never truly trusted the Church and she had kept her people free of their help and aid for five centuries with the exception of the Last Chronomancer. However, she was never openly hostile to them. She knew her race could be wiped out by the Inquisition should they wish. But the Redaction Spell... it sealed her position in this war.

"Yes, Lady Valkyrie, he is perfectly capable of reversing the Redaction Spell. He just does not want to."

Pradia was not sure what the Chronomancer intended. She had always sensed a sinister edge to him like he was hiding something great and powerful not because he feared for the consequences of that power but for his own amusement. To her, it seemed like he was toying with them all. Five years ago, her people were still unsure where they stood in the war. They were exiles, abominations and while they owed Chronos loyalty, they were unknown to the world. Rising up out of the shadows to oppose a Church that knew of them and left them in peace did not seem wise.

But after the Redaction Spell and Aria's reaction...

She had no doubt Chronos knew of the Spell and was now using to his advantage. What better rallying cry was there than the threat of the great, theocratic government actually controlling the minds of its populace with magical spells?

Chronos was using their own weapon against them.

"You want to know what he intended?" Pradia prompted. "You have seen the Vampiri have you not? The creatures who can cloak themselves?"

"That came from you?" Aria asked.

The Mother shook her head. "No. That came from the Darkened."

The circle had fallen silent.

"You're shitting me." The Wulfun snarled at her. "You're telling me that the power those Vampiri used that nearly killed us and the same power you're trying to intimidate us with like you're flashing your big, black, shadowy cock comes from the bloody Darkened!?"

Everyone gave him a startled stare. Even Pradia was surprised.

"What?" Hunter replied with shrug.

Pradia reigned in the seething shadows. "Yes. Master Chronos has been in contact with the Darkened King, Malfemir. We, the Custodia Lumbra are the perfect hybridisation of Vampiri and Lupus. This fusion inspired Master Chronos to take some of the magic that binds us and use it to bind the strength of the Darkened to others as well. Those Vampiri you saw are the imperfect results."

WHAM!

Smallfang slammed his fist into the stone ground. "Be careful what you say next, witch." His chest was heaving, rage boiling in his eyes. "Chronomancer experimented on the Vampiri and because of their flaws, he had them slaughtered personally? Used them as bait to lure us here and then disposed of them when he was done!?"

Shaking her head, Pradia said, "I cannot say. He never divulged that part of his plan to me. This power, however, he granted to us as well. The perfected version."

"Why?" Aria asked, pleadingly. "Why would you take such dark powers unto yourself?"

The answer came so easily that it was frightening. "Because there is a war coming, Lady Valkyrie. A war that will plunge all of Incendius into chaos and reveal the truth behind the Darkened, the Sun Goddess and the Brave Farmer."

"Don't suppose you're going to tell us this 'truth' are you?" Hunter asked.

She could only shake her head sadly. "Unfortunately, I do not know it. Master Chronos granted us the power to control the shadows but only because it makes us immune to the corruption of the Darkened. Then, he told us of your coming and left." Her eyes shifted to the Leomian who was feverishly scribbling away at his notepad. "He did ask me to pass on a message."

The young Initiate sensed her eyes on him and lifted his gaze. Seemingly so innocent yet those eyes were frighteningly observant.

"They were here first," Pradia said. "He asked me to tell you, in particular, to look for the Aporcrypha Historia Umbra."

Andy lowered his pen and frowned. "The...?" He brought his pen to his chin, tapping it absently. "I see."

Aria reached for Gungnir. The Lumbra around her reached for the shadows which quickly formed dark, jet-black blades faster than she could draw her weapon.

"I cannot abide by this, Pradia," said the Angel fiercely. "You have allied yourself with a terrorist! You have allowed yourself to be corrupted by a vile darkness! You know full well that this power comes from an ancient evil and yet you willingly embrace it! By my duty as a Templar, I must slay you!"

She seemed entirely conflicted by that proclamation.

Pradia could completely understand. "Five hundred years ago," she said softly, taking her golden goblet and staring into the blood-red wine, "I was forced into servitude by Harm Chronos. I was a member of the Blind Sisters and had aided in the theft of the Red Crown, the last publically known source of Red Adamantine. I aided him in the pursuit of immortality that he promised me. He lied." A bitter smile touched her lips as she dipped the goblet into her muzzle. Even after five centuries, having a muzzle felt so alien. "Immortality is impossible. However, I turned my back on my sisters, my duty. When his deception was revealed to me, I was conflicted just as you are now. My sisters were corrupted by the dark influence that turned humans into what you see now."

She gestured with her free paw at her furry, winged body. "However, I made the choice to join them. I knew where the power came from and I embraced it. But by the end of it all, was I not capable of finding love? Was the Sun Goddess not capable of forgiving me? Did I not turn that very corruption into an additional blade against the false Bloodfyre?"

Aria's face contorted with rage and sorrow. "Do you expect forgiveness for a repeat offence!?"

"No. I expect tolerance based on my past accomplishments." Pradia rose, meeting the height of the Templar despite being slouched from her age. "I do not know what Chronos plans but I cannot say that I am an ally of the Church." She spread her wings, the massive appendages enough to dwarf the Angel. "War is coming, Lady Valkyrie. Know that it is only our loyalty to the Chronomancer that keeps us from tearing you and your companions to shreds right now. He has asked us to tend to your wounds and to bring you to Corona. But know this; the moment you leave, we will be throwing our lot with him. The Church has earned our ire for the Redaction Spell. "

"He is just using you!" Aria shouted.

"Aria, that's enough," Tanar barked.

The Dire Wolf was ignored. "Cannot you see it?" demanded the Angel. "He is manipulating you! He has used the Redaction Spell to his advantage!"

"And who was the one who implemented the Redaction Spell in the first place!?" shouted Pradia in return. "Hiding the truth to avoid war? That was a sign of desperation and is utterly despicable! At least have the honour of meeting your death head on instead of pretending it was not there!"

"He killed Lumire and shattered the Infinos Arcanum! Tower Thirteen would have been made whole!"

"Whole for those living in the light! Whole for those who were unoppressed by the Church!"

"Who is being oppressed!? You chose to live your existence in the shadows! Palamdour and the rest of the Inquisition offered you sanctuary but you chose to hide away beneath Mirecragg! You have no one to blame but yourself for your exile!"

Pradia had been prepared for this. "We chose our fate but what of the Vampiri and Lupus?"

Aria's eyes widened in panic and she flung around to face Smallfang and Eton. That gesture alone damned her.

"What of the fact that they are fully capable of reproducing naturally?" she pressed, driving the point home. "You claim the Church has not oppressed anyone? You force interbreeding amongst the Vampiri to keep their population down, convincing everyone that they can only breed with others of their kind. You instil this stereotype that Lupus are incapable of breeding naturally and must only accept volunteers from other species in order to maintain control over their otherwise independent race."

She let the shock of her words settle in. Eton's eyes were wide as saucers. Elena and Hunter both had their jaws hanging open, regarding the two Lupus of their group. Smallfang was oddly unreadable.

"Who is oppressed?" concluded Pradia. "Everyone. Everyone who is not human. The Church maintains its grip on you all whether you know it or not. The only way to truly be free... is to bring revolution."

Gungnir was shaking in Aria's hands. Her gaze was as fierce as ever and what sorrow she felt for Pradia faded in exchange for her rage. Pradia had no allusions. The Angel could slay her there and then with ease. She was second only to power to Chronos and while she could wipe out a large number of her children, she would go down eventually.

Aria knew this... but it still did not ease her anger.

"You better storm out, Aria," Tanar said darkly. "Before you do something we'll all regret."

It was somewhat amusing to watch the Angel huff loudly and spin on her heel at the command of the Dire Wolf. She stormed away, the rest of the Lumbra giving her a wide berth. Eton was instantly on his feet and giving chase.

Tanar flicked his ears at Hunter. "Go after him."

"What?" Hunter exclaimed, surprised. "Why?"

"Your boyfriend just found out he's not impotent and his sperm can impregnate a woman. How would you feel?"

The Wulfun looked puzzled then blinked several times as if coming to an epic conclusion. "Oh... Right..." He was on his feet and bolting after the Lupus, leaving Pradia lone with four of the visitors.

The Mother sat back down on her cushions, letting out a soft sigh. "I am too old to be this exerted."

"Imagine how Aria or Chronos would feel," Tanar rumbled. He leaned forward, a dark smile on his muzzle. "So... Tell me more about the Darkened and Chronos' contact with them."

Pradia smiled in return. "He told me you were the most reasonable out of them." She leaned back in her cushions, holding her goblet to her lips. "Now where to begin..."

*****

Chronos... Harm...

Everything was going according to some insanely convoluted plan that he had in place. It had to be.

He was playing on their fears. He had no remorse. Even his lackeys were clueless about his true motives and he was laughing quietly somewhere as they ran around like headless chickens. It was all some twisted game to him.

And he was winning.

"Lady Valkyrie!"

Aria froze.

Eton's big paw rested on her shoulder and she immediately knocked it away, spinning around and levelling her spear at him. He leapt back, paws in the air.

"I am in no mood for chatting, Paladin!" she snapped.

Eton's brow furrowed and a frown creased his muzzle. "Alright, listen here, Lady. So far, I've chased what has to be the only Chronomancer in existence, been thrown down to the bottom of an enormous cave, met some fucking hybrids and been told that I can have puppies!" Eton flicked out his Valour, Comet. "You're not in the mood for chatting!? Well fuck that! I want a goddamn explanation!"

Her incredulity rose. How dare he demand an explanation from her? She was a Templar. She was stronger, more accomplished and wiser than him. She was a protector of the Church and he was a lowly Lupus! A dog that would have madly reproduced if they were so much given the chance!

"I owe no explanation to the likes of you," she said in a low, dangerous voice.

"You owe an explanation to the whole goddamn Lupus race!" Eton roared. "For crying out loud! Do you know how easily the Lupus rebellion could be stopped if the Church just came out and said that we can reproduce!? Moonclaw will stop slaughtering people on the streets, Phalgymr wouldn't have a rebellion to support and Chronos wouldn't have an army!"

Aria nearly dropped Gungnir.

That was his plan.

He was coercing them, cornering them into an inescapable situation... and he had them. He was tearing half of Incendius apart just to reveal some deep truth that the Church had buried for the betterment of the entire Station! Phalgymr knew the truth so that would explain his allegiance to Chronos. Moonclaw was just a tool, a front to push Leandros to publicly come out with that same truth.

So that was the ultimatum...

Either reveal the truth about the Lupus and Vampiri, end the war or... have something like Mirecragg happened again.

"Of course..." she whispered, her voice breaking at the realisation. "It's what he wants... Goddess, why did I not see it sooner!?"

"Oh come on!" Eton exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Everything is about him isn't it?"

"Of course it is! You saw what he was like! He danced and conducted the music to the destruction of Mirecragg! He killed thousands in Clockwork just to lure us here! He killed dozens of people at Eclipse just to lure Andy, Tanar and myself here! Did you not hear about that disaster at the Gate Cathedral where your Marshall was severely injured!?"

Eton's face broke into a shocked expression. "What...? I thought..."

"I would have honestly thought you would be used to the Church's secrets by now, Eton Slater," Aria scowled. "Artem Ford was not injured as part of the massacre that occurred on the Gate Cathedral 'Eclipse'. He was injured by Harm Chronos." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Chronos killed a dozen priests including the Bishop in the Cathedral and arranged their bodies in a pile before the altar. Ford and half a dozen Custodia Solis attempted to stop him but he killed all the Solis and pushed your beloved Marshall to the brink of death! Then he wrote 'We are all guilty' all over the walls in their blood while crucifying them with fiery swords!"

She swept her hands behind her before pointing Gungnir into the air. "Tell me how we cannot be mere puppets to his strings!? How are we not just pawns to a game he is playing against himself?"

They stood in the dark halls of the obsidian tunnel. Like the chamber they had been taken to, the walls were a glossy black, smooth and perfectly carved like it had been naturally constructed in such a way. Solamps hovered in the air to provide lighting. The remnants of their shouts faded off into the distance and they were left in utter silence.

Eton bowed his head after a moment, letting out a soft sigh. "Whose choice was it to go to Clockwork after the massacre at Eclipse?"

"It was my duty as a Templar -"

"Where was the connection, Lady Valkyrie?" he interrupted. "Who said anything about Chronos being in Clockwork? Yes it was in trouble but it was being assaulted by Ghouls. How could Ghouls be connected to a Chronomancer?"

Someone shouted out his name from behind. From the sounds of rumbling and slightly coarse notes, it was Hunter.

"They were connected," she protested in soft, harsh whispers. Why she was whispering she couldn't tell.

"You didn't know it at the time." His eyes were judging her, accusing her of foolishness and seeing ghosts where there were none. Even he could see the phantom of the Chronomancer looming above her that continued to haunt her every waking hour. She hated that stare. Her family gave her the same look. Even the Generals did the same though she could never see their faces.

"Irrelevant," she sneered. "The Mother Goddess -"

"Guides us but it is our decisions that decide our fate." Eton flicked his ears backwards. Hunter was rounding the corner. "Think about that Lady Templar. We have no one to blame for the state of the world except ourselves." He lifted his muzzle away from her, lips curled in disgust. "We are only puppets for as long as we let ourselves be pulled by the strings of others. Think about that next time you blame Harm Chronos for your own mistakes."

Hunter approached cautiously, ears twitching like he was a scavenger poking his nose into a fight between two ferocious predators. "Um.... Am I interrupting anything...?"

"No," Eton rumbled, turning around and curling his big arm across Hunter's chest. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"I'll catch up."

Aria stared daggers at the Wulfun. She was in no mood to be lectured by another wolf. Eton was too eager to leave to argue and he vanished into the tunnel. Hunter regarded her with the worst kind of stare - the one marred by pity. First there was Eton's disgust and now Hunter's pity?

It was utterly despicable...

"Say what you will, Hart," she scowled. "Then leave me in peace."

Hunter shoved his paws into his pockets. He fished out his Telecube. "I have no idea what you're going through and frankly, I don't really give a fuck. All I know is that my boyfriend can get a girl pregnant and for some reason, I am suddenly very scared of kids. I figure no one here can give you any advice you really can use so..." He offered her the device. "Here. Why don't you call someone who can?"

Aria stared at the device in surprise. "I do not need your pity."

"Yeah? But sounds like you need someone to talk to and it's either me, the guy that just reamed you, the Dire Wolf that made you his bitch, Smallfang or Elena. Judging by how you just revealed that Lupus can make pups and the last time you had a girl's night out with Elena, I don't think you want either of them."

"What of Andy?" she retorted.

"I'm pretty sure he's currently drawing that old, wrinkled bat-wolf thing nude." He shivered. "Incidentally, that horrific mental image just made me more gay. So if you don't mind, take the goddamn phone and make your call so I can go and get fucked by my boyfriend."

She was at a loss for words... So she reached out and gently took the Telecube. It took her a moment to realise she had no idea how to use such advanced technology. She had spent so long hunting Chronos that recent advances such as the Telecube were lost on her. "How do you...?"

"Like this."

Hunter gently guided her to the phone mode. Once she had the number dialled, he took several steps back and folded his paws behind his back in the typical 'at-ease' stance of the military. Aria pressed the phone to her ear and eyed him warily.

"This is private," she said.

"That is my phone."

Point taken.

The phone clicked.

"Hello?"

"Hello..." she responded. Her eyes went to Hunter, at a loss of what to say. The Wulfun rolled his eyes and mouthed, 'This is Aria.' "This is... Templar Aria Valkyrie," she said. "Calling for Darius."

"Aria!" came the cry of surprise. "It's been so long! I haven't heard from you since that unpleasantness five years ago. How have you been?"

"Good," she lied. "Actually... Not so good. Listen Darius, I need some advice..."

"Always, Aria. What do you need? What is bothering you?"

The words were difficult to form but somehow, she managed. "I... I am haunted, Darius."

There was a pause on the other side.

"Are we talking a literal haunting or are you being figurative?"

A small smile touched her lips. "Figurative. A ghost of the past, someone I truly care about, has come back and I cannot stop seeing him in everything that happens. It has gotten so bad that others have so kindly pointed out that it is affecting my performance."

"Ah," answered Darius like he knew what he was talking about. "Well, I'm just your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-"

"Darius..."

"...great-great-grandnephew but it is my opinion that whatever it is that is bugging you certainly can't be solved easily or with a few words. I think the only way to truly settle your heart will be if you admit to yourself what you truly feel."

She bristled in agitation. "What makes you think -"

"Lady Valkyrie, you are a strong woman but even a blind man can clearly see that you are too proud to admit to any sort of feelings_. I don't know what happened. Nobody on my side of the family does. But something long ago really hurt you and you've been trying for so long to keep it all bottled up."_

A heavy sigh escaped her. "No, Darius... It is the exact opposite. I was not hurt."

"Oh... Oh!" He paused. "Well... In that case, my advice still stands. Stop lying to yourself."

"I am caught in a web of lies..."

"Webs can be undone. Start with one and I am fairly sure the rest will unravel itself."

"Countless others will get hurt."

"More so than if you keep up the lie?"

That was the conundrum that Chronos put before them. Let the war rage under some terrible pretence or... reveal the lie and discredit the Church.

"The Church -"

"Lady Valkyrie," Darius responded calmly. "The Church is your employer. But it is the Mother Goddess that is your God. Do not hold yourself accountable for whatever the Church has done. Whatever lie they have concocted, it is not in your place to uphold or maintain. The Mother Goddess wouldn't want you lying. Right?"

That always amazed her about Darius. He was so observant and insightful. Almost like a clairvoyant, intuitive Andy without the random bouts of insanity and short attention span.

"I suppose you are right," she responded with a gentle smile. "Thank you, Darius."

"Hey! No problem! Happy to help. Oh, speaking of which, if you're ever in town, want to come over for dinner? The kids would love to meet you."

The smile on her face - for once - held no trace of the Chronomancer. This was one part of her life that Harm did not permeate and for that, she was utterly grateful.

"I would be honoured. Thank you, Darius. Goodbye."

She shut off the Telecube, feeling her heart lift as she did so. Turning back towards Hunter, she handed him the device. "Thank you."

"If I ask who that was, you're not going to tell me, are you?" he asked, smirking. It wasn't a smirk of condescension or even that cocky arrogant twist of lips that Harm Chronos wore whenever a plan came together. It was a friendly smile. Something that told her he didn't expect an answer. The question was just there for the sake of conversation.

"You will have to earn that honour, Hunter," she responded.

"So not giving you my phone to ease your breaking heart isn't enough?"

"Not when you eavesdropped on my conversation." She was smiling despite herself. It was indescribable. Perhaps after the depressing defeat they had experienced at Chronos' paws, to have someone just live in the moment, to take life every second at a time like Hunter... it uplifted her. He pulled her back from plots and the roads ahead to just the soil beneath her feet.

"It's a really important phone."

****

None of them really trusted Pradia or the Lumbra. They were enemies. She said as much. The only thing holding her back from attacking them was Harm Chronos' words and that frightened Hunter more than anything else. It cemented the idea that Chronos wanted them for something. But he wasn't going to let himself fall into another depressing spiral.

Come what may, he would face it head on.

At least he wouldn't do so alone.

He rapped his knuckles on the stone wall of the little cave that had been assigned to himself and Eton. The Lumbra's living quarters were arranged like a hive. A spiralling walkway marked the various levels of the underground cavern with a central spire rising from the centre with thin bridges that connected the levels for ease of access. Moderately sized caves were scattered across the levels which were each equipped with strange, silvery pipes that served as internal plumbing and arrays cushions that were basically beds.

Eton lifted his head from where he was doing some push ups. Some heavy blocks of ice were resting on his back for additional weight.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Hunter asked, just poking his head around the corner.

"Not when you know what you're doing," rumbled the Lupus. He rolled the melting blocks off his back and leapt to his feet nimbly, his pecs so ridiculously firm that veins were simply popping past his short, black fur. "What took you so long? Didn't start making out with the Angel, did you?"

"Goddess no. I... uh..." Hunter slowly emerged from around the corner with his paws firmly clasped behind his back.

The ruse did not go past Eton and the Lupus tilted his head to the side, a knowing smile on his muzzle. "What's behind your back, Hunter?"

The Wulfun sheepishly pulled the bouquet of glistening, aquamarine-coloured flowers from his back. The emitted a gentle, blue-green glow. The orchids of some sort also let out a soft, musical ringing that wasn't too loud to be annoying but soft enough to be gently soothing.

"Awwww," Eton laughed, gently taking the bouquet from him and sniffing them. "What are these?"

"The Lumbra call them 'Songbird Orchids'. Apparently, if you leave them by your bedside for a while, the music that they emit activates some part of your brain that elevates dreaming and gives you a natural high."

The Lupus held the flowers at arm's length, a puzzled expression on his face. "You gave me drug flowers?"

"No! I mean - Okay, so maybe it's outlawed in Mirecragg because some teenagers tend to sneak them into their bedrooms and end up being addicted to dreaming to the point where they never want to get out of bed and sleep all day... And there have been cases of people overdosing on sleeping pills due to their addiction but..." He rubbed the back of his head. "I have no idea why I thought this was a good idea..."

Eton laughed, making his blush underneath his fur. "I suppose that's... sweet, in a weird, drug-related sort of way but I don't really need any cheering up. I'm fine, really." That said, Eton walked past Hunter and tossed the flowers over the edge of the path.

"I wasn't trying to cheer you up," Hunter admitted.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He was blushing heavily. "I... I never really got to apologise for being a colossal idiot and basically likening you to one of those weird werewolves in all the pornographic stories and surprisingly visual movies that infect others with sex."

The look Eton gave him indicated he clearly said something wrong. "Do you frequently read and watch such material?"

"No! Of course not!" He shook his head and paws. "Look, this isn't about what I did or did not jack off too before I met you." Eton's jaw opened halfway in partially amused, partially surprised shock. "By that I mean from this point on you're the only one I'm going to envision naked when I get off."

Hunter smacked his forehead. "Gah! I mean -"

Eton gripped his paws tightly, pressing one finger against his lips. "Hush you silly wolf."

He immediately pulled away, shaking his head vigorously. "No! Look, I'm going to apologise and I'm going to apologise right."

"Then just say you're sorry!" laughed the Lupus. "It's not that hard."

"That's not how I apologise." Hunter gripped Eton's paw and pulled him to out of the small cavern. Eton protested half-heartedly as he half-dragged, half-led him out of the living quarters saying something ridiculous like he wasn't wearing a shirt.

The Lumbra that they passed just gave them a passing, dismissive look before returning to whatever it was that they were doing. They all knew that none of their 'guests' could escape. Hunter ignored their smug looks and the creepy way they tended to disappear in a cloud of swirling, black gas and reappear elsewhere, yellow eyes the only thing lingering as they did so.

The glossy road slowly began to slope upwards, the incline gradually increasing the further their progressed.

"Where are we going?" Eton demanded, his amusement waning.

"Just trust me!"

"I'm supposed to trust the guy who had a mental breakdown just twenty-four hours ago and was contemplating suicide?"

Hunter stopped and turned to Eton, giving the Lupus a fixed stare. "Look, you love me right?"

Hesitation and confusion was on Eton's face. He couldn't meet Hunter's gaze and couldn't even hold onto the Wulfun's paw.

"Bad question," Hunter said, raising his paws. "We're going out, right?"

Ears perked, Eton said, "Yeah... Yeah, we are."

"Good." He placed his paws on his hips, tail wagging happily behind him. "Then I hereby invoke the trust clause."

That confusion returned. "The what now?"

"Isn't it a mutual agreement between two people who are going out that one party trust the other?" Hunter said it so matter-of-factly but he was grasping for straws. His heart was racing with excitement. He really wanted Eton to see what he had in store.

Any normal person would have stepped away with paws raised in self-defence. Not Eton. No, Eton moved forward and gripped Hunter's paws in his. "Did I just sign my soul away in some infernal contract or something?"

The fact that Eton didn't doubt him and just joked about it made Hunter's heart flutter.

"Sort of," Hunter responded with a wink. "Your soul for my heart."

Eton's eyes widened.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Hunter exclaimed, releasing his paws and shaking his head. "Seemed like the most appropriate thing to say at the time. Didn't mean it."

"You didn't?"

He looked hard into Eton's ice-blue eyes. "Did you want me to?"

The Lupus looked caught between riotous laughter and breaking out into tears. He was biting his lower lip like he was trying to keep in whatever he was going to say next. In that moment, Hunter's heart stopped.

Crap... what if he says 'I don't want you to mean it...?'

What if he says 'yes, I wish you had'?

"Why don't you get your apology over with and then ask me that again?"

His heart got a restart and he nodded numbly. Taking Eton's paw once more, he hurried further up the sloping road. The narrow tunnel opened up into a broad ledge. The night sky was visible clearly through the cracked ceiling. Mirecragg's ruined face was revealed once more before them only now the fires were exhausted. A creepy silence fell over the ruins of the city; a venerable graveyard of a once great civilisation.

"As far as dates go, this is probably in my bottom ten," Eton admitted.

Hunter fished out his Telecube and began flipping the panels. "Sorry about the ambient background. The other places are crawling with the Lumbra and I want this to be just between you and me. Plus, I'm pretty sure Tanar has me bugged. I want to be as far away from him as possible."

"Exactly what have you got cooked up?"

"Give me a second. Ah! Here we go." Light spilled out of the Telecube in glistening, blue bands. The bands splayed all around them. A brilliant, vibrant, green forest unfolded before them, replacing the devastation of Mirecragg with emerald canopies and gently swaying branches. The rocky ledge became completely replaced by verdant foliage littered with blossoming flowers. The night sky remained but it was unobstructed by the shattered remnants of Mirecragg's face. A clear, starry night sky was unveiled before them.

"What...?" Eton began.

"I can't draw, I can't paint and I certainly can't play any musical instruments," Hunter admitted, taking Eton's paw and pulling him towards the ledge. He sat down on the edge, feet dangling over the edge. "But give me a musical synthesiser, a strong enough graphics engine and an awesome 3D rendering suite and I can build you a world, any world."

Eton's eyes sparkled in awe. "You... You did all this?"

"I -"

Before he could finish, the musical score he had built in the past two hours began. An acoustic guitar played soft chords as a piano played gently in the foreground. After a few bars, a violin began. Hunter found himself blushing and avoiding Eton's gaze.

"Hunter this is -" He didn't get to finish either as a somewhat gruff, bass began to sing some choice words from a hit song on Haven. The same voice began as a bright tenor in the background, gently serenading another song that melded with the first. Another instance of the voice joined in a moment later just making soft oo's and ah's that joined with the first two.

Eton's eyes turned to Hunter, muzzle halfway open in a smile of amusement and awe. He pointed towards the air. "Is that you? Are you singing?"

"Horrible, I know," Hunter answered with a deep blush on his cheeks. "I don't really have the voice for it. Too gruff. Hoarse. Can't hold my breath for shit. The best I can do is belt out a few bars before taking a breath and synthesising the gap out from the final score."

He was surprised with two, big, muscular, slightly sweaty, arms wrapped around his chest and a muzzle pressed against his hot cheeks.

"It's amazing." Eton couldn't stop smiling and his eyes drank in the beautiful, breathtaking scenery eagerly. "How long did it take you to do this?"

"About two hours. Well, two and a half. I didn't quite get the ambient light right and didn't get the whole song done so it's just playing the first two verses and the chorus in a loop. I was doing the finishing touches on my way to the room and was doing it with one paw as I had the drug flowers in my other paw." Hunter blushed even more deeply. "I was sort of hoping the flowers would sort of dope you up so you wouldn't notice the flaws in my program."

Eton laughed and poked him with his nose. "You were hoping the drug me? Hunter, not a very good first date."

His tail fluffed out, eyes wide. "This is a date? A first date!?" The cogs in his mind began spinning rapidly.

Romanic scenery? Check.

Boyfriend in arm? Check.

Flowers? Double-check.

"Oh shit! Crap! Crap! I'm sorry - I - I didn't make dinner reservations! Oh wait! I've got some pirated movies on my Telecube. Give me to seconds to grab some popcorn and soda and I'll -"

His stammering was cut off when Eton pressed their lips together, tongue diving for his tonsils. All the blood that had collected in his cheeks instantly flooded to another source. He moaned softly and fell back onto the hard, stone floor. While the imagery around them showed grass and plants, it was just a hologram.

Eton pulled their lips away, smiling brightly. "You just admitted you have pirated movies. As a Paladin, I could so get you fined."

Hunter's eyes widened. "Did I say pirated movies? I meant... pirate movies. You know? Eye patches. Peg legs. Parrots on your shoulder?"

The Lupus laughed and pulled back up to a sitting position. "Don't worry. I've got some pirated movies too. I've got this particularly feisty one where a Wulfun gets it on with a Lupus."

"Oh really? I don't think I've seen that one. Is it a rom-com?"

"Nope. It's porn."

Hunter's tail fluffed out again. "Y - You can get that kind of stuff here?"

"No." There was a glistening in Eton's eyes that made Hunter's heart stop.

He held up his paws. "Before we get to crazy... can we wait for the finale?"

Eton pulled back, ears perked. "Finale?"

Just as the song reached its most triumphant rendition of the chorus, the sky was suddenly alight. Dozens of bright, streaks cut through the night sky. Their brilliant, white beams shot momentarily through the air, illuminating the emerald canopies beneath them before vanishing off into the distance.

"Comets!" Hunter exclaimed proudly. "Because, you know, your Valour is called Comet?"

Eton chuckled, gripping his paw tightly and resting his head on Hunter's shoulder. "I love it, Hunter. Though... one bit of criticism."

"We aren't have sex right now?"

"Okay... Two." Eton pointed at the 'comets'. "Those are meteorites. Not comets."

...

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Hunter pulled away from Eton and turned towards the Telecube. "Hang on, I can fix this. Just give me five minutes to get to the rendering program and - yipe!" He was pulled back to the ledge by the tail. Eton's massive weight suddenly fell on his back, the massive Lupus resting on his back belly down lightly.

"I love you, Hunter, but sometimes you can be a colossal idiot."

Hunter sighed softly. "Yeah... well I guess apart from -" He cut himself off and angled his head slowly towards Eton. "Hang on... did you just say you love me?"

Eton's eyes glimmered mischievously. "Well, that phrase has been tossed around so casually these days. I mean I could say I love custard pies but I'm not about to fuck it or spend the rest of my life with it."

Hunter rolled his eyes and tried to wiggle out from beneath the Lupus but he was securely pinned down. "Asshole."

He felt Eton's lips brush against his right ear lightly. "I suppose I am." Eton sighed softly. "Hunter... I'm sorry for blowing up at you that day. I should have just told you that having sex with me won't turn you into a Lupus."

Hunter gripped his paws tightly. "And I'm sorry for fitting you with a terrible stereotype. I guess I was just... I don't know... I freaked out."

"I forgive you."

"And I forgive you too."

*****

The world was afire. It was a bitter world of ash, flame and lava. High above them, the dead planet continued to rain down fire upon the burnt world. It was a familiar sight. Five hundred years ago, she had seen this desolate world in a terrifying battle between a fiery god and the Last Chronomancer. Beside Sanjev, she had watched in utter awe as Harm Chronos battled the being known as Adramelech with nothing more than his wits and golden blade.

Back then, the world was far more terrifying. The skies were angry with thunderheads crackling with red lightning only parting to give way to the dead planet eclipsing a dying sun like a massive eye staring through the darkness at her very soul. Fiery corpses rose from pits of lava and constantly clawed at her. There were rivers of lava that flooded every inch of the dark realm save for a thin passage to a throne constantly afire.

Now... so much had changed.

The lava had dried up save for the miniscule rivers that trickled pathetically between the black and cracked earth. The skies were clear. A bluish-purple twilight filled with stars glistened around the dying planet that seemed so close to them now that it almost consumed the entire sky. The sun that it eclipsed seemed so much bigger as well. There were no longer any flaming chunks of rock that descended from the skies from the planet. The Burning Throne's flames had trickled to a few crackling tongues.

And the occupant... it was no longer the enormous four-armed Avios that had been bound by fiery chains.

It was Master Harm Chronos, legs propped up against the enormous armrest and leaning back casually against the other with an apple in his paws.

Pradia glanced to her right where Lord Phalgymr du'Vampiri stood. Even the King of Bats seemed to wither and cower before the Chronomancer. She could not blame him. Chronos did just devastate his city, killing thousands without remorse. The reflection he cast on her, however, was abundantly clear.

What would happen to her people in this war Chronos was waging?

Would he weep if thousands of the Lumbra died?

Would their sacrifice be worth anything?

Was he even capable of crying?

"You're both wondering if I'm a monster, aren't you?"

They snapped their attention like two soldiers caught slacking. Chronos was regarding them with his golden eyes, sparkling with mirth and that sly smile on his muzzle. Very casually, he took a bite out of the apple, chewing on the succulent fruit whilst waiting for their reply.

It took Pradia a moment to realise just what that simple action meant. She held her breath, eyeing him closely as he continued to taunt them both by taking another bite out of the apple, chewing... and swallowing. They said nothing. She glanced at Phalgymr who was equally horrified.

"What kind of monster cannot eat?" Harm Chronos asked, lounging back in the Burning Throne. "What kind of monster would allow countless innocent civilians to perish in a fiery conflagration of his own making while he danced to haunting organ music and tormented his foes?" He dangled the half-eaten apple over his muzzle. "And now you find yourselves questioning what kind of monstrosity you have allied yourselves with, right?"

Neither of them moved. There was no escape. They had stepped into this portal of their own accord.

"Why yes," Chronos said, dropping the apple - core and all - into his muzzle. He chewed it a few times and swallowed. For a second, he looked like he was choking but then made a show of gasping for breath and beating his chest as if he was pretending to swallow it all. "Boy, swallowing feels odd after you haven't done it for a while." He belched loudly and said, "As I was saying, I have been planning this for a long while. Even after all those centuries we've known each other... you haven't seen anything yet."

He waved a paw absently over his shoulder. Terrible, crackling rips of energy appeared across the skies. Ragged, bright blue wounds split the starry skies. Through each of them, Pradia spied different scenes... other worlds just like this one.

"What...?"

Harm flicked his wrist and the wounds instantly closed. "It doesn't matter." His mood became incredibly sombre. Those golden eyes regarded the paw hovering in front of his muzzle. In an almost inaudible whisper, he said, "Just hang on guys... I'm coming to save you..." He blinked and suddenly, his smirk was back.

"Aren't you just so happy you picked the right side?" Chronos asked, leaping off the Burning Throne.

Pradia was numb, unable to say a word.

Even Phalgymr was quiet.

The Chronomancer turned his back to them, gazing up at the falling planet. He then reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out what appeared to be a phone. Pressing it to his ear, even with his back turned, Pradia could see the big grin on his muzzle.

"Hello Callahan. Yes. It is time." He laughed. "Oh come on, you love my time puns. And before you free him, do give Aria some heads up, will you? The poor girl has been through enough." Again, he chuckled but it was dark and sinister. "Perhaps death would be a greater mercy than being subject to my plots. But don't be so depressing, Callahan. We must all make sacrifices."

He flicked his ears. "Oh. I hadn't really thought of who yet." He snickered. "Yeah, you caught me."

His golden eyes flicked towards Pradia and Phalgymr.

She froze, attentive and knowing full well that next words would be meant for her.

"Of course I know who exactly to free. Why don't we go with..."

His grin was back.

"...Titus Shockarm?"