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Chapter XI: To the Sun

"There is only so much you can hide from the public and if there was one thing Harm Chronos knew what to do, it was to put on a show. He caught the world's attention even if his face wasn't the one shown on the bulletin boards and newspapers.

"Thousands dead. Mirecragg in ruins. The Church blamed. Clockwork's plight hidden from all and the rebellion against Leandros. He started a chain of events that brought the Church crumbling around him.

"You want to know what the funny thing is? He wasn't even doing it to hurt the Church. I think that's what made is so goddamn horrifying."

Hunter was having such a pleasant dream. It mostly involved him and Eton standing side by side at an altar with the resident priest pronouncing them legally married with the blessing of the Mother Goddess. People cheered, flowers were thrown into the air and rice was tossed around them. As he ran down the aisle with Eton in paw, a hand seized his shoulder and hard, amethyst eyes stared straight at him.

"Hunter! Wake up!"

He winced.

"Aw fuck..."

The simple church, his friends and family vanished. He was back in the bleak, somewhat empty cavern that served as a room in the Lumbra tunnels. Eton lay behind him, back turned and quietly snoring away. Aria crouched beside him, looking pale and worried. He held back whatever scathing remark he had and quietly sat up.

The presence of clothes around his muscular figure reminded him of the lack of sexual activity the previous night. Without any doors to the caverns, they both figured that they would stall their raging hormones in exchange for privacy. Cuddling the previous night had been rather... sexually driven however.

Flicking an ear towards the opening, Hunter quietly slipped out from the blankets over the bed of cushions he shared with Eton and led Aria out of the room. They walked down a few metres away before turning to her.

"This better be good. I was having a really awesome dream."

"I can tell," she answered, nodding towards his crotch. He blushed and angled his erection away from her. "I need to use your Telecube."

"Having another crisis?"

"Of... sorts," Aria replied hesitantly. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Before we left Clockwork, I was informed by one of the Generals that they were planning something... big to counteract Chronos."

"Big?"

"The End of Time Protocol."

"That does sound big..."

She winced and turned towards the centre spire of the living quarters. "What do you know of the Purge of Time?"

What every Church-born son-of-a-bitch knows.

The Purge of Time was war over two millennia ago when the Chronomancers of the 11th Station, Temporal, rebelled against the Church. Just over a thousand fully-fledged Chronomancers, their Initiates and the post powerful Chronomancers known as the Thirteen waged a devastating war across all of Tower Thirteen. And they were winning. Only desperate innovations by the Church managed to win the day. Hunter never really studied history but he knew the Church won and for that, he was grateful.

Aria nodded at his retelling. "What you did not know is that Harm Chronos was both the cause and the solution to the Purge of Time."

Hunter's eyebrows rose. "Say what now?"

The Angel could not meet his gaze. "To become a fully-fledged Chronomancer, to become Time Locked, one must study extensively in the Chronomancer's academies. As you know, Time Locking is-"

"The quasi-immortal state Chronomancers willingly put themselves in," Hunter finished, rolling his eyes. "No matter how much damage is dealt to them, no matter what changes occur in their body, their physical forms will always revert to the state they were Time Locked in. They never age, they never bear any scars and they lose the ability to use any other type of magic except for Time Magic."

Aria ignored his rude interruption and nodded. "Yes, they cannot eat, never need to sleep and realistically speaking, they do not even need to breathe." She sighed heavily. "They will regenerate... forever more so long as a sliver of energy is left. Though the rate of their regeneration is inversely proportionate to how much damage they take. The more damage inflicted upon them, the slower they regenerate."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes. "Every three months, a group Initiates would gather and present research findings, new techniques or new devices that they hope will contribute to the mounting knowledge of the Chronomancer Collective. Those whose innovations were deemed worthy would become Time Locked and become a Chronomancer.

"You heard Harm's contribution was the Anti-Time Techniques."

"Right. The Time Bomb."

Aria shook her head sadly. "No. That was an innovation he kept to himself. His contribution was Final Hour." She bit her lower lip and gripped her left forearm tightly. "Chronomancers used to suffer from one drawback from being Time Locked; whatever state they were in when Time Locked is the state they will forever revert to whenever they are harmed. That means their level of strength is permanently locked in Time. They can never grow. Final Hour circumvented that."

Hunter's brow furrowed, dread mounting in his chest. "How exactly?"

"Harm created a technique that would steal the Time from an object and add it to the Chronomancer that used it. This was not a temporary store either. This permanently increased their storage of Time."

His heart stopped for a second. Hunter immediately reached for Zero Hour, his jaw dropping. "That..."

"Yes," whispered Aria. "It sounds very similar to Zero Hour." She smiled at him but it was small, sad smile. "I am confident the Mother Goddess gave you that Valour to aid us in fighting Chronos."

"Explains why you're so eager to have me join your team." He clutched the pocket watch tightly. "But what does this have to do with the Purge of Time?"

Aria turned away again, her eyes closed. "Harm's discovery allowed Chronomancers to grow. They realised that draining the Time from inanimate objects was minimal at best. Final Hour robbed the future of an object from the time stream, every possible instance, every conceivable alternate timeline. Everything. Inanimate objects were not capable of making decisions to create alternate timelines. But people were."

Hunter's eyes widened in horror. "Wait... are you saying the Purge of Time started because the Chronomancers were harvesting people?"

She nodded grimly. "They became power hungry. Millions died as the Chronomancers devoured their Time and became immensely powerful. Harm, regretting what he had started, joined the Church and developed the technologies we needed to stop the Chronomancers. He fought beside us... I do not know how he ever managed to face the Chronomancers who were charged on Time by himself but somehow, he did... he was the one that turned the tide of the war for us."

That was some sick irony right there and he could see the cause for Aria's worry. Chronos had turned against the Chronomancers and won. Now, he was turning against the Church and historically speaking, he had experience and a winning streak. No doubt he had countless campaigns behind him between the Purge of Time and the present that also spoke of his prowess. Plus, it sounded like he was holding back.

"What does this have to do with the Generals and this 'big thing' you were talking about?"

Aria gripped her forearm tightly. "Chronomancers are notoriously difficult to kill and even during the Purge of Time, Harm and the Church deemed the Chronomancers would not be gifted with a quick death. Many of the Chronomancers are merely... imprisoned."

"Imprisoned...?"

"In terrible torment befitting demons." She spoke with unbridled fury. "And now... the Generals want to free them."

Hunter dropped Zero Hour which dangled on its golden chain hanging from his pants. "Wh - What!?"

"That is the End of Time Protocol," she responded bitterly. "Match Chronomancer against Chronomancer. And..." She lowered her head bitterly.

"What?" he pressed. "And what?"

Finding some deep, hidden strength, she lifted her head and her eyes became steely once more. "Their release was based entirely on my success of stalling Phalgymr's machinations to join Moonclaw's rebellion. However, considering what has happened to Mirecragg and the political fallout of such an action..."

Hunter's eyes widened. "They're going to free them..."

Aria spun towards him, holding out her hand. "That is why I need your Telecube. I must contact General Solomon immediately. I need to stop him from awakening one of those monstrosities!"

He immediately scrambled for his phone. "Of course! Here! Here!" His paws patted empty space. It was probably still back in the room in his flight jacket. "Hang on, let me get it."

Hunter scrambled back towards the small cave. He paused when he found Eton up, crouching on the bed of pillows with the Telecube in his paws.

"I swear, the girls there are just images sent by my brother!" he cried instantly. "I'm totally gay!"

Eton lifted his gaze and chuckled. The Lupus tossed him the cube. "Actually, I was more interested in who Daniel is."

Oh right... Daniel.

"My childhood friend that I have a monumental crush on."

He heard a loud smack and wondered if his mental strike to his own consciousness had been so hard and so loud that it reverberated into the real world. Then he recalled Aria was right behind him.

"You have a crush on your childhood friend?" asked Eton, eyebrows raised.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"Had. Had a crush on. It's... It's not going to work out between us." He quickly handed the Telecube to Aria who was giving him a look accusing him of idiocy.

"Why? Is he straight?"

...

"Something like that," he said, pushing the cube into Aria's chest. "There. Call them. Hurry."

He felt Eton's arms around his chest as Aria thanked him and quickly ducked away.

"So why is she taking your fancy holographic phone-slash-movie-player-slash-music-player thing?"

Heart still pounding and somehow depriving his brain of much needed blood, he said, "Because she's trying to stop the Generals from giving the order to release the Chronomancers. Oh wait..." He peeled away from Eton and poked his head around the corner. Aria was several feet away but still within shouting distance. "Hey Aria! Is the threat of the Chronomancer's return meant to be secret!?"

Aria flinched and turned very slowly towards him. "It was," she hissed back. "Until you shouted it across this very acoustically sound cavern!"

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"Hey -!"

A massive paw wrapped around his muzzle and pulled him back away from opening.

"Hunter, babe," Eton said with a loving chuckle, "you're a colossal idiot when you're stressed so why don't you just take a few deep breaths, calm yourself and let's have a shower, okay?"

The revelation of another potential Chronomancer uprising coupled with Eton finding out about Daniel and being 'imprisoned' by the Lumbra came crashing down on him. He felt like every fibre of his being was on fire and his heart was pumping the flames full of gasoline, only fuelling the conflagration. Every breath he took felt like razor blades were shooting down his throat.

He gazed into Eton's eyes... those soft, ice-blue eyes...

The ice just dropped right into the flames, instantly dousing them and he found himself calming rapidly.

"A shower sounds good," he responded.

Despite being a somewhat private cave, a shower and bath was gratefully provided in a connecting alcove. The pipes and metals that sprang from the walls glistened and shone with the same ethereal, silvery light that the Solamps held. Unlike the rest of the cave which was made of the black, glossy, obsidian-like stone, the shower was actually built with white tiling - a break from the gloomy scenery of the hidden city.

Hunter peeled off his clothing and tossed them on the floor. He switched on the water and let out a relieved sigh. It felt good to actually be under a shower for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Not that the impromptu bath with Eton on Mirecragg's surface wasn't so bad. As the water began trickling down his chest, he became aware of the presence of the bandages that were still very closely wrapped around his torso.

Oh... Probably not a good idea to get these wet...

Then again, I'm sure my wounds are healed...

He gently began to peel the bandages away, feeling that relieving sensation of the compressed fur being free to breathe once more. There was a light, pink gash where Chronos' blade had plunged into his chest. He traced it lightly and shivered. It felt odd that he never really felt the pain of the sword puncturing his flesh.

Strong, muscular arms suddenly wrapped around his waist and a familiar muzzle pressed against his neck. His tail fluffed out as much as it could and he went rigid.

"What?" Eton snickered, licking his ear lightly. "Did you think I'd let you shower by yourself?"

Hunter's left eye twitched. "Thousands of shower rape scenes just came to mind right now."

The Lupus laughed and angled himself so that he could look directly into Hunter's eyes. "When you panic, you just say whatever is in that mental little head of yours, don't you?"

"Not really. Sometimes I just repeat random movie lines. Or lie convincingly."

Eton rolled his eyes and reached down into the small stone alcove where some soap and shampoo were kept. From the looks of the brands, they were ridiculously expensive. "Come on. What's so panic-inducing about two gay guys who are going out showering together?"

Hunter considered it and shrugged. "Same reason why I thought there are only four positions when having hot man-on-man sex. You can call me sexually naïve."

He felt Eton's eyebrows rise more than see them. "Was that a lie? I can't tell."

"Talent of mine."

Eton picked up the bar of soap and sniffed it. It was flowery with a hint of musk that could appeal to men. He lathered it into his paws before gently rubbing it across Hunter's shoulders. It was an alien sensation and Hunter was half-tempted to take the soap and start lathering himself but he resisted. The Wulfun couldn't stop the mental images of those massive paws rubbing different areas.

"So was that thing about the Chronomancers a lie as well or was that true?"

That topic brought him back from the brink of begging Eton to pound him there and then. "Real, unfortunately. The Generals are enacting something called the 'End of Time Protocol'."

Eton stopped moving.

Hunter flicked his soaked ears back. "You heard of it?"

"Briefly. It was mentioned in the debriefing after the Fall of Haven. One of the many sanctions passed down by the Generals. I never gave it much thought. I just skimmed the damn thing. There were like five hundred sanctions in the manual and the Generals added another five hundred!"

"Thank the Goddess I have the internet."

Eton bumped him lightly with his waist. Hunter felt thick, plump balls brush against his butt. "We can't all have advanced technological marvels like you. Though I'm proud to say Incendius is benefitting from the free trade of technology and exchange programs." His eyes lit up. "Hey, you're an engineer, right? Maybe you can get transferred over here and help out! Hell, I bet after this, you'll get your own castle!"

Hunter turned his head towards Eton, prompting the Lupus to start rubbing the soap across his chest. He resisted the shiver and the flood of blood pumping to his loins at Eton's soapy paws rolling over his pecs.

"You're already thinking about our future?"

Eton shrugged. "Well, yeah. Why not, right? I mean I'd like to think we're attracted to one another over more than just the fact we're fighting the same psycho."

Hunter blushed deeply. Sure he had dreams about him and Eton getting married but those were just dreams! Here was Eton telling him that they had a future together! Hell, Eton could have puppies! Maybe they could get a surrogate and have a kid from each of their genes! And did he say a castle? What would it be like to raise a family in a castle?

"Let's get married!"

Eton dropped the soap. "Wait... what!?"

Yeah... what...?

His brain was just starting to backpedal over its ludicrous thoughts but his muzzle was running faster than it could catch up. Tiny men were scrambling over the nuclear meltdown that was his consciousness, panicking as they tried to find the emergency 'off' button.

"Not now. I mean after we kick Harm Chronos' ass! Let's get married! Have puppies and live in a big castle!"

Eton's features suddenly turned very dark, his lips peeling back into a snarl. "You think this is funny? I tell you that I'm seriously considering pursuing this beyond just a fling during a war and you make fun of me by shouting bullshit like 'let's get married'!?"

Wait... No! I really want to get married!

Wait... do I...?

I'm twenty-four... Is that too early...? Why am I even thinking about this!? I barely know Eton!

Common sense would dictate that he apologise but he found himself being not very common nor having much sense. "What's wrong with that? Isn't that how these things usually end? Big war. Love interest. Marriage?"

"Get your head out of all those stupid books and movies, Hunter!" shouted Eton. "Weeks, months and even years pass between the big climactic battle with the bad guy and the day the guy gets the girl! Hell, do you think Incendius will just pick up from where it left off!? The Vampiri have nowhere to live! The Church has been proven to be flawed! How do you think Incendius will recover from that!?"

He felt his blood boiling for an entirely different reason. "Any Station that would lie to its own people to maintain the superiority of the governing body isn't worth saving!"

The moment he said that, he realised he had just said something incredibly foolish.

Uh-oh...

"This is my home you stuck-up, elitist shithead!" Eton slammed his fist against the wall, cracking the tiles. Blood dripped down from his knuckles but were quickly washed away by the pelting droplets from the showerhead. "How would you feel if your world was threatened by the Chronomancer!?"

"In case you forgot, it was! The bloody bastard killed my family and shattered Chrysalis!" Hunter was angry. All he saw was blinding rage. He wasn't even sure why he was shouting or what he was angry about. What he did know was that he was in the wrong but he didn't want to admit it.

"So you should know what it means to have everything you care for threatened by a lunatic! Are you telling me you don't care about what happens if the same thing happens to another Station!?"

Of course not!

But...

... Really, what is my stake in this...? Why am I fighting?

"You know what...?" he growled, straightening. "I don't think I really do."

Eton pulled his fist back. The look in his eyes were more disappointed than angry. "Then I guess that's where we differ." His ears folded back. "I don't think I can -"

Hunter held up his paw and pressed it against Eton's chest. "I don't care about what happens to this Station... I only care about what happens to you." He actually felt Eton's heart skip a beat. "The world is one fucked up place. In the past three days, we learned about the colossal lie the Church has been keeping from us, the fact that their heads are seriously considering unleashing the same bastards that nearly destroyed the world in the first place and that your entire species has been oppressed in order to keep a dependency on the Church... If that doesn't scream 'screwed up' to you then you're the one that's messed up."

His brain was finally catching up with what the rest of his body was doing. "And I guess that makes me even more of a screw up considering I'm the one willing to throw myself in a war I have absolutely no right being in because my boyfriend's home is in danger."

Eton stopped breathing for a few seconds. When he let it out again, it was in a half-choke, half-sob. "You're not just saying that because you know it's what I want to hear... is it?"

"Look at it this way," Hunter chuckled, gently pressing his cheek against Eton's broad shoulders. The soothing, calming wash of water from the shower eased the pointless anger that had burned inside of him. "On the one paw, I get crazy, mind-blowing sex, constant arguing, perpetually thinking of another person, having to learn things about a damaged Lupus whilst being put in the limelight for fighting a Chronomancer and being caught in the middle of Church intrigue. On the other, it's living alone in the hull of an aged starship, masturbating non-stop on short breaks and having meaningless sex with ripped marines who think engineers are lazy bums that can't hold a gun for shit."

He hugged Eton tightly, locking his fingers together and refusing to let go. "I've made my choice."

...

Slowly, Eton's paws worked their way up around Hunter's waist, locking in together and pulling towards that broad, muscular chest.

"You're an idiot."

For some reason, those words were replaced by three others that sent his heart soaring. Gently, he turned his head to the left where he pressed his nose against Eton's. Naturally, their lips gravitated towards one another and the found themselves sharing a breath. A gentle peck at first, the pulled away and stared into one another's eyes.

The sparks that few between them ignited a flame like none other.

Their muzzles met again this time in a heaving, passionate embrace that had their tongue lapping over one another. Eton's strong arms rolled over Hunter's muscular back, the pouring water splashing all around them as they moved across the broad stall. Hunter's back pressed against the tiles leaving the Wulfun gasping momentarily.

Hunter let out a soft laugh and dove for Eton's neck, lightly nipping at it to make the bigger Lupus moan. He traced the thick veins that crossed the iron-like cords while his paws eagerly squeezed those rock-like glutes. Eton's throbbing cock emerged from his sheath, rubbing against Hunter's already prominent erection.

Inch by inch, Hunter's paws travelled upwards from Eton's ass across the broad, muscular back. He enjoyed running his fingers up the distinct 'v' shape the Lupus' deltoids made. Just cradling them felt like he was gripping two, enormous, thick, juicy hams. He fingers rolled up to Eton's armpits where he felt the thick fur there.

His mind took a backseat once more as his body yearned for every inch of Eton. He rolled his tongue across Eton's broad, round shoulders, absolutely adoring the sharp cuts those thick muscles made in the thin, black fur. Part of him regretted being in the shower as the water washed away the taste of Eton, the delicate aroma of frozen pine mixed with creamy hazelnut and the arousing odour of manly musk.

Something clicked in his mind. He pushed Eton's right bicep upwards. Eton followed his lead, flexing the muscles there. Bulging veins pushed past the thin fur, rolling over the broad mound and running up the thick logs that were his forearms. Hunter ignored them much to Eton's surprise and drove straight for the thick underarm fur that was now very much exposed.

Eton let out a soft whimper of surprise before it turned into a shivering moan of pleasure. Hunter caught the intoxicating smell of his boyfriend even though it was diluted by the water. He lapped at the fur, his tongue brushing up against the thick strands. Eton sounded like he was about to protest. Hunter reached out with his left paw, his fingers trickling down Eton's pectoral before he found his target.

"Awwww fuck..." Eton moaned. Hunter smiled softly as he gently tweaked the Lupus' erect nipple. His hunger for a manly scent sated, he desired more meat. Eyes firmly on Eton's still flexed bicep, he gripped the delicious mound with his free paw and brought it towards his lips. He gently pressed his fangs against it, tongue lapping at the enormous arm. Ever so slowly, he began tracing the veins with his tongue, eyes closed. A mental picture of the entire appendage was slowly forming in his mind.

He worked his way back to Eton's shoulder, peppering Eton's pecs with kisses until his found his target. Eton's moans grew louder as he suckled on the Lupus' free nipple. Framed by that enormous pectoral, it was simply perfect. His mental sculpture became more and more defined as he travelled further down, his paws running in parallel to his descent down Eton's hard, cut abs and finally reaching his prize.

Eton's throbbing cock bobbed in front of him. His paws continued to travel down Eton's thighs, pressing on the cut quads and hamstrings. His muzzle opened slowly, his tongue twitching eagerly. The moment the tip of that cock touched the first tastebud was like the first rocket in a fireworks show. His heart rate catapulted to an all-time high and he wanted more.

Hunter dove for the whole length, gagging slightly and thanking the gods for his slightly longer than average muzzle. Eton was huge - not only in length but girth! He could feel Eton's beating heart through the throbbing of his cock. Each whump spewed a fresh drizzle of precum into his muzzle, snaking its way down to his throat and tantalising the tastebuds along the way.

The overwhelming ambrosia was his drug and he desired more. He lapped at the cock in his muzzle, relishing the contours the veins made across the tapered member. He sucked gently as his paw massaged the heavy testicles, coaxing more and more of the precursor to his prize.

"Ah... Uh!" Eton moaned. "Hunter... S - Stop..."

Hunter blinked and peered up at his boyfriend, cock still in muzzle.

Eton gazed down at him, expression caught between ecstasy and barely restrained lust. "I wanna fuck you..."

Fuck yeah!

Hunter pulled his muzzled free of Eton's cock, giving the dripping tip one last lick before Eton hoisted him up by his armpits. He eagerly leapt up to his boyfriend, wrapping his thick legs around Eton's waist. He nearly lost his self-control at that moment when his throbbing cock pressed up against Eton's rock-hard abs.

Gripping him by his waist, Eton pushed him against the shower walls, panting heavily. Hunter lifted his tail and grimaced when Eton slowly pushed himself inside. The molten rod of the Lupus' cock inside of him brought back memories of a night and most of a morning spent in wild, unabated sex. But this time, it was different.

This time, he would remember it and this time, it had meaning.

For some reason, despite their first time being somewhat magical, this was the first time they made love.

Eton's lips met with his own, taking him away from the problems of the world and binding that connection between them. Hunter wrapped one arm around Eton's broad shoulders while the other snaked its way towards his cock. Eton thrust into him, his knot pushing up against his ass, working into a rhythm. Every undulating movement rubbed Hunter's fingers against those sculpted abdominals and prompted the Wulfun to roll his paws over his own edging member.

Their moans grew louder and louder, their thrusting and bucking reaching feverish intervals. Hunter arched his back, breaking their kiss and letting out a rising cry as Eton's cock pushed deep into him, knot prising his ass open and slipping into him with a loud pop.

Hunter was left panting but Eton was far from done. Knot firmly inside, Eton went wild. Eyes rolled into the back of his head, Eton's whole, muscular body was shaking like massive volcano on the verge of erupting. Every thrust edged him closer and closer to release. Each time Eton's knot pulled at the edges of his ass and then drove back in pushed the bubbling cum boiling in his balls further to the tip.

"Oh god... Oh fuck... Oh... "

"FUCK!" Eton howled, his cock jamming hard into Hunter's ass in a violent, shuddering thrust.

At the same moment, Hunter bucked his own hips as his cock erupted and sprayed semen all over Eton's chest. His ass instinctively clenched, squeezing the blast of cum right out of Eton's cock. The reaction sent Eton toppling to his knees. The moment he hit the wet floor, his cock was hit with another spasm. Hunter quaked himself, squeezing a second wave of cum right into Eton's chest, this one more powerful than the last.

Both wolves were suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion before the third blast hit them. Eton fell onto his back, moaning and drunk on pleasure. Hunter let out a shuddering gasp, his cock shooting the last few droplets the farthest than the last and setting a few onto Eton's muzzle.

He felt oddly full with all the cum buried and locked deep in his ass. The warmth that rolled out of Eton's load and cock filled him, making him feel safe... loved... and very, very, sleepy. He fell onto Eton's chest, slightly uncomfortable with the positioning of his legs. Still, he was in the prime position...

... to gently lick the traces of cum from Eton's muzzle...

... and then kiss him.

And Eton...

He kissed Hunter back.

*****

"Please pick up. Please pick up."

Aria had been pacing relentlessly ever since Hunter had disappeared back into his cave. Considerable distance had been set between herself and the Wulfun. He had the terrible habit of spouting out whatever was on his mind when panicked. The only time whenever he was truly focused was whenever he put on his headphones.

She made a mental note to pay more attention whenever he did that.

For the moment, she shut her eyes and prayed.

The Telecube continued to ring softly.

A fifth ring...

... a six... seventh...

"Goddess, please..." she begged.

Click.

"Hello?" came the sleepy reply.

"General!" she exclaimed, relief washing over her. "I am sorry to wake you at this hour..."

"Aria...?" General Solomon responded sleepily. "Goddess... What time is it...?"

"... it is barely five in the morning," came the weary reply. A woman. The yapping of pups could be heard in the background. "Goddess... Will you take this to the den? I'll see to the children."

Solomon had a wife and children... What must it be like to be living as one of the major leaders of the Church and constantly having to hide and fear for your life because of a terrorist like Harm Chronos? Did Solomon live constantly in fear?

"One moment, Aria."

She waited patiently, hoping the General was not too annoyed at her.

After a few minutes...

"Aria, I know what this is about."

"Please do not enact the Protocol, General," she begged. "Chronos -"

"Aria, what happened to Mirecragg has sparked the fuel that has polluted Incendius since Moonclaw began his rebellion and the Vampiri seceded from the Church. Tynvandar made it safely back to Corona but unrest is all over the Station. Thousands are flocking to Moonclaw's cause. The remaining Vampiri are doing the same."

"But unleashing them is not the answer!"

"No but it will give us a weapon against Chronos. At least something to keep him occupied while we do some damage control."

Her eyes widened in fear. "Damage control...?"

"We have charged Tynvandar with bringing Incendius back to peace. I believe he has a plan. Something revolving around the Sunrise Festival. I was not at that meeting. I was trying to persuade Methuselah to stay his hand with the EoT Protocol."

Her heart leapt to her chest. She suddenly became aware of someone watching her and turned. Elena stood by, looking worried. She mouthed that Pradia wanted to see them and Aria nodded, indicating that she wait.

"You wanted to the Protocol stopped?"

"Limited. Not stopped. I talked Methuselah to unleashing one Chronomancer instead of them all. He gets to choose which one, unfortunately."

One... At least that was better than the entire army. However, she knew she was on thin ice. If she failed to stall Chronos' next attempt at anarchy, every trapped Chronomancer would be unleashed and then the Church would be caught between vengeful time-benders, a powerful traitor and rebels.

How could the Generals not see that!?

"Aria."

She straightened at her name.

"You are to head straight to Corona. I want you and your team to give Tynvandar whatever aid you can. We need to ensure Incendius does not fall under Chronos' control. Perhaps he has learned from his previous mistakes. He waged a war on all fronts. Now, he is focusing on the single one and it is devastating us.

"The eyes of the world are on Incendius right now, Aria. Whatever you do, whatever you say, know that it is being very closely monitored. You are a representative of the Church. Please, please_, think of that first before pursuing the Chronomancer. The people first. Tower Thirteen first. Not vengeance. Please?"_

It hurt her to have the General begging. Solomon was perhaps the only General she truly respected. The others were harsh extremists who were scarred by the events of the Chronos' first rebellion. Solomon was level-headed and cared about the people. To have him beg her like that... It just was not right.

"I will try, General."

"Thank you, Aria."

The General cut the connection.

The Telecube suddenly felt like it weighed a tonne and she lowered her arm heavily, letting out a shaky sigh that was halfway to a miserable sob. Her mind races back to two and a half millennia ago when she had personally faced the might of the Chronomancers. Millions had died and millions more were subject to the torment of the Chronomancers.

Her eyes shut tight as she recalled the birthing pits where the Chronomancers forcibly had males and females mate, accelerated the birthing process and then aged the resulting offspring to the point of self-awareness. Children capable of making rational children yielded more Time as they alternate realities of themselves were also absorbed by Final Hour.

She recalled the multitude of Chronomancers that had invaded Incendius. So many of them... Which of them would the Generals choose? What kind of horror would be unleashed upon the world? What kind of twisted state must their minds have become after millennia of imprisonment?

"Lady Valkyrie?"

She opened her eyes, trying for force back the fear, worry and frustration that bubbled in her chest. Her first instinct reduced her features back into a stoic mask.

"Pradia wishes to see us?" she asked.

Elena looked surprised for a moment before nodding. "Yes. She mentioned that it was time for us to take our leave."

"Leave?" It was barely a day since they had arrived and now Pradia was kicking them out? What was the purpose of keeping them within the confines of their civilisation? A threat? Aria straightened and gave her a nod. "Very well. Gather Hunter and Eton. Let us be off."

Smallfang's heavy footsteps came down from the spiralling ramp leading to the individual caves. "You might want to delay that order, Lady Valkyrie," the Lupus said with a sly grin. "Those two are... bathing."

"Interrupt them. We have little time to waste as is."

"No, ma'am. They are bathing."

Part of her was jealous that Hunter found some degree of happiness in this situation despite the world crashing down around them. He truly was a man of the moment... even if he tended to get lost in it from time to time. To her surprise, she found her stoicism broken by a faint smile. She hurriedly wiped it off before turning back towards Elena.

"Very well. Let us fetch Andy and Tanar. Then, let us be off. I do not wish to spend any more time in the company of enemies than necessary."

*****

"This is the Shadow Network," Pradia explained, waving her hands towards the immense tunnel. The jaws of Aria and her group had hit the floor in shock at the gargantuan, cylindrical tunnel that housed an equally massive, artificial, worm-like construct. Black and gold plates made the structure and the blue-green crystal typically seen in Haven formed windows and decorations across its surface.

"This was one of Master Chronos' projects ever since the Lumbra were established," the Mother continued. "There is an entire network of tunnels running underneath all of Incendius. Outposts and defensible forts populate key locations all across the Station. Transports such as these carry up to two hundred troops quickly from one location to another using a blend of Chronomancy and Geomancy."

"Geo..." Aria began. She shook her head, the worry clear in her eyes - even to Hunter. "How can Chronos use other forms of magic? He is a Chronomancer. Time Locked. He should be incapable of using other types of magic apart from Chronomancy."

Pradia haughtily turned her muzzle away from the Angel. "Even I do not know the answer to that. However, considering his exponential growth, how can you be sure that Master Chronos has not been able to circumvent that limitation?"

Hunter tore his gaze from the Mother and regarded the transport. It looked a lot like Havenese transports in terms of colouration but it seemed more... organic. Havenese ships and vehicles tended to be angular, sharp and menacing. This looked like each of the plates was a fibre in an enormous muscle.

The implications of such a system were not lost on him either. An enormous network of tunnels beneath Incendius meant the Lumbra and Harm's troops could be anywhere at a moment's notice. It was impossible to tell where they would appear. If it took Chronos centuries to make such a thing, it would take the Inquisition just as long to collapse the tunnels. If they could find it...

Why is she showing this all to us?

Hell, why even appear to us in the first place?

I was recovering, we all were. They didn't need to pop up at all...

Pradia waved her claws at them. "This transport has been programmed to take you immediately to the closest exit to Corona. It is within the farmlands of the city. No more than a few hours walk to the main city. You should be at the city just a little after noon."

"Corona is hundreds of miles away," Andy observed. "It'd take about a week or two to get there by conventional transport. Even vehicles would need at least two or three days to get there."

"This network is far from conventional." She hiked her chin at them. "Go. My orders were only to ensure you got to Corona quickly. I was not ordered to ensure you arrived safely."

Hunter was the first to walk stiffly towards the alien transport. A sliding door opened the way to a strangely white waiting room. It almost looked like a luxury waiting room in a Xaosian airport. Rows upon rows of plush, leather seats were lined neatly from one end of the room to the other. Hologram screens were provided for entertainment and it looked like there was a fully functioning bar and kitchen. The floors, ceiling and walls were all a polished white metal, glistening and almost crystal-like.

"I call shotgun!" Andy exclaimed, pushing past him.

"There is no shotgun," Tanar rumbled.

The Leomian stopped, appearing stunned for a moment. Then his features brightened. "Okay! Then I call driver!"

"No!"

Hunter was surprised that he wasn't the only one to make the somewhat frantic cry - even more surprised when he heard Aria's voice join in the shout.

Andy's tail flopped on the ground. "Awww... But I wanted to drive the freaky worm thingy. If anything, I want to see its safety features! Who wants to be a crash test dummy!"

Hunter leaned toward Tanar. "He's insane..."

"Give it a second..." Tanar replied.

Andy caught sight of something and let out a cry of excitement. "Whoa! Are those shrimp cocktails!?"

The Leomian was instantly bolting towards the well-stocked refrigerator. Hunter could only shake his head in amazement at the short attention span of their resident Initiate.

"How does he stay focused on anything?"

Tanar padded towards one of the seats and sniffed it. He shrugged and leapt up onto it, seating himself across three to fit his enormous frame. "Andy doesn't have a short attention span. He merely processes things far quicker than the rest of us. Flash him a complex math problem and he will solve it before you are even finished presenting it to him. Show him the a picture and he will recall it perfectly a second later. What would take years for us to master will only take him days."

Hunter seated himself beside the Dire Wolf. Tanar took the liberty of resting his enormous head on the Wulfun's lap and Hunter obliged him with a complimentary ear scratch. "Any particular reason to that?"

"It is just how he was born."

Eton's weight caused the seat on Hunter's other side to groan loudly. His thick, muscular arm wrapped around Hunter's shoulders, a casual gesture but one that spoke volumes. Aria remained standing though Elena and Smallfang took up the seats on the same row as the others. The metallic doors shut with a loud hiss. The massive transport suddenly shuddered.

The obsidian walls outside the crystal windows slowly pulled away and suddenly, they were moving.

Andy pushed a tray of food across the aisle and parked himself on the edge of the aisle right beside Tanar. One paw was constantly in the cart and the other was shovelling the food into his muzzle. The scene reminded Hunter that he hadn't had eaten good food in a while. The temptation was there to reach over and grab a bit of fried, battered prawns but he was still under the impression the Lumbra hoped to kill them and he'd lose a finger if he so much as got close to the food cart.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!"

Someone screamed and Hunter immediately covered his ears. Elena had scrambled back up her seat, her eyes fixated on the holographic screens hovering in front of them. On each three dimensional cube of light, Harm Chronos' features were plastered, smiling at them pleasantly.

"Goddess!" Aria cursed.

"Welcome to Time Travel, your friendly, Chromomancy-based transport system that will get you to your destination before you even decide to leave." Chronos frowned suddenly and turned to his right. "Really? That's going to be our slogan? That doesn't even make sense."

"Harm, I am a king not a wordsmith."

That sounded strangely like Phalgymr.

"I'd have thought you'd at least have some talent in making catchy, memorable speeches," Harm said with a shake of his head. He turned back to them, that gentle smirk back on his muzzle. "Suffice to say, thanks for choosing to go along this trip everyone. Still, you've got about three hours before you reach your destination so I thought I'd entertain you."

Hunter leaned forward, poking the hologram with his fingers. He wasn't sure what he was hoping to achieve but he had to make sure he wasn't just hallucinating. "Is anyone else seeing this?" he asked.

"Clearly," Aria sneered, eyeing one of the holograms that flashed in front of her.

"Now, I've been advised that slaughtering live puppies even if it is on recording isn't very advisable especially to people whose mental stability I have a vested interest in. Thank you very much, Phalgymr." He added the last with a heavily sarcastic edge. The off-screen Phalgymr merely coughed.

"So, in lieu of my first option which would have involved two hours, thirty-seven minutes of wanton, gratuitous bloodshed, I've decided to split up my entertainment segment into smaller activities. Starting with..."

The screen zoomed out. Chronos was shown standing behind a table with a large square sheet of paper in front of him. There was also an apple beside him... an apple made of paper. Chronos picked up the odd fruit and grinned at them all.

"How to make an origami apple!"

Hunter wasn't sure if he had just suffered from a concussion or his mind had somehow automatically thrown up a hallucination to defend him from the horrifying realisation that Chronos was currently mentally torturing them with a snuff film involving cute, yapping puppies. But...

"Am I the only one that heard him saying he's going to teach us how to fold paper?"

"Origami is a brilliant art!" Andy exclaimed, dusting off his paws free of some powdered sugar. "Originally created in the northern states of Diatollia, it is considered a talent and a craft and it sharpens the mind and clam the soul." He rubbed his goatee then recalled he still had some sugar on it. He quickly lapped up the last bits of stickiness. "Darn, I never learned how to make an origami apple. I wish I had some paper..."

"If you want to follow along, there is some paper in the seat pocket in front of you."

Curious and a little frightened, he reached into the pocket in front of him; one of those small satchels made for storing vomit bags, flight magazines and safety instructions. To his surprise, there was a packet full of large square pieces of paper with one side being quite glossy and the other being somewhat rough.

"You're not seriously going to follow along, are you?" Eton asked.

Hunter shrugged absently. "We've got a few hours to kill and it's better than watching him massacre puppies."

Elena was already reaching for the paper as was Smallfang. Eton rolled his eyes and sat back, arms folded and looking dubiously as the hologram. He gruffly snorted and watched the presentation with fiery eyes.

Harm was instructing them on how to form a tessellated triangle pattern across the paper. Hunter found it difficult to follow. The paper would just not fold precisely as he wanted. Where folds and creases should have aligned perfectly, Hunter found them off and at one point...

Rip!

"Son-of-a-bitch!"

"This is a waste of time," Eton rumbled.

"We've got time to waste," he countered. Thinking about time brought an idea to mind. He reached for his Telecube, hit a soothing, soft song that could play in the background while he could still listen to Harm's instructions. He then pulled his headphones over his ears. The world instantly became a spiralling world of spinning gears and ticking cogs.

He looked at Andy's work as the Leomian was following the instructions precisely and getting the results he wanted. It all made sense. Hurriedly, he picked up another sheet of paper. Lightning fast, he was twisting the paper and making the folds with frightening ease and precision. Gears were fitting together perfectly. As they were making the folds, Hunter could envision the final product. He waited a few more steps to confirm his suspicions...

"... And now we make this fold here..."

I knew it!

He eagerly pushed past Harm's instructions, folding the sheet in a dizzying array until he found himself starting to form the apple. One corner actually made the leaf! How could he not have seen it before! The gears in this altered world were fitting together perfectly and just as Harm was telling them how to start making the first few fold to form the actual apple...

"Done!"

He surprised stares from the others.

Wow... I never knew I could do that...

Before, it had been an exercise of fixing broken gears, making the machine that had stopped working tick again. But this... This was different. It was taking an existing, working machine and manipulating it in such a way that it became something entirely different. Through his eyes, he saw the apple as a spinning tower of cogs with a central spine that twisted in tandem with the others.

He reached for another piece of paper and regarded it. It was just a single cog to him. When he folded it in half... it split into two. A smile crossed his muzzle as he began making the tessellated pattern once more. After a few folds, he began reforming the apple without aid. The pattern was so simple!

"And there you have a perfectly shaped origami apple!"

Hunter pulled his headphone off his ears and stared in awe at the two apples he had formed. "Damn I'm good."

Andy said nothing as he stared at the apple in his own paws and regarded Harm's grinning features. The Chronomancer stated that they were going to start making apple strudel next and there was cooking equipment in the kitchen. They could join him in there for a hands-on experience or just sit by and watch the entertainment.

"Incidentally, for those of you who decided not to participate, Aria_, I've prepared origami apples for each of you. They're under your seats."_

Hunter stared at the hologram and at Chronos' grinning features. All of them immediately twisted over and peered beneath their seats. Of the hundred or so seats in the cabin, there were seven perfectly folded, differently coloured origami apples... all seated underneath their seats. Aria, who was still standing, had hers underneath the seat beneath Elena.

"He knew where we would sit..." Elena whispered. "How could he have known that...?"

"He's here..." Aria whispered, her eyes wide. "You are here, are you not, Harm!?" She instantly drew Gungnir and let out a startling battle cry. She charged straight into the kitchen. Pots and pans clashed making everyone in the main cabin wince.

"She went charging somewhere, didn't she?" Harm said, still grinning but looking like he was a little exasperated. "Whenever she gets back, tell her this is a recording. I'm somewhere else causing whatever chaos she thinks I'm doing. Anyway..." Harm waved his paws in the air. "Off to making apple strudel..."

Eton picked up his own origami apple and stared at it with a look of wonderment. "I guess I'd be more impressed if he actually suspected Aria wouldn't sit down. But..." He tossed the apple over his shoulder. "That was very impressive."

Hunter regarded the apples in his own paws and wondered...

Was there a purpose to this...?

Or was he just being random to mess with us?

I mean, he wiped the floor with us back at Mirecragg then proceeded to show us his massive, underground railway network and the army manning it... Why would he put out this recording...?

"Perhaps it is because he is telling you something?"

Hunter's eyes flicked past Andy onto the aisle. There, Shinniah stood.

Haven't seen you in a while, he thought with barely restrained hostility.

"I have been busy," she answered softly. "But now you are approaching Corona... and the Sun Spire. Have you given any thought to what I asked?"

He growled softly, causing Eton's grip around his shoulders to tighten slightly.

"Something wrong, babe?"

I haven't, he thought back at the ghostly girl, because my answer still stands. I am in no way going to help you by destroying the Sun Spire_._

She smiled softly and turned away, her gaze set straight forward. "You will change your mind. He said you will."

Hunter turned back to Eton and offered a shaky smile. "Just wondering what sort of sexual innuendo I could use in relation to apples."

Eton raised his eyebrows. "What...?" he asked, laughing lightly, eyes darting back towards the others. "Here? Hunter... we just had sex this morning and I don't think you would have recovered yet..."

"I'm joking."

His Lupus bent one ear back. "Are you sure? I saw that spark in your eye..."

"Talent of mine." Hunter heard another crash somewhere behind them. "Should someone check on her?"

He sensed movement to his left and felt Tanar leap off the three seats he occupied, scrambling over the back of the chairs. "I'll calm her down. In the meantime, someone write down that recipe. It looks like he's baking some sort of cheese into the crust. Sounds bizarre but I love cheese."

Hunter smiled at the final comment and settled himself back into his seat, watching Harm Chronos' antics in the kitchen. It was frightening how easily he could ignore the ghost that hovered across the aisle or the fact that his enemy was giving the entertainment. There were just too many things to worry about that they were getting caught in the doorway of his consciousness and failed to get anywhere his heart.

I'll deal with that later...

Right now...

He snuggled back into Eton's embrace.

Right now, I'm good.

*****

Hunter had never been to Corona. He had entered Incendius through military channels, being dropped off at a military base near Clockwork and riding with a few travellers to the city. But now, as he emerged from the tunnel hidden beneath a dilapidated barn, he wished he had extended his leave and visited the city first.

"Holy hell..." he gasped, approaching the nearby window.

Outside were flat, grass green planes that gently sloped upwards to a massive, snow-capped mountain range. At the top of the highest peak stood a shimmering, silvery city and at the very rear of the city, he could see the immense, white tower and sprayed a scintillating light that spread across all of the Station.

"I was wondering..." he began. "How can people live underneath a tower that shoots light across vast distances? Wouldn't they go blind or... you know, sunburnt?"

Andy leaned against the window of the barn beside him, tail doing loops behind him as he stared at the city with a grin. "The Sun Spire is actually powered by a powerful, ancient artefact known as the Scorium Axis. It is said to be the mace the Sun Goddess wielded. This artefact is the light you see now. The Sun Goddess' consciousness physically bends light around it so that Corona and the rest of the farmlands around the city are given a normal amount of light while the rest is focused across the rest of the Station. It's why you can look directly at the Sun Spire and not have your corneas burned."

"Wow... Power of a god, huh?"

"Yup!" Andy bounced backwards. Just as his feet touched the ground -

BOOM!

The ground beneath them shook violently and dust erupted from the tunnel they had just emerged from. Smallfang, who was the last to emerge immediately spun around, reaching for his bow.

"What the hell was that!?" Eton shouted, Comet in his paws.

"I didn't do it!" Andy exclaimed, holding his paws into the air.

Tanar sighed softly and began padding towards the exit of the barn. "That was Chronos stopping us from tracing his Shadow Network."

He collapsed the tunnels behind us... Damn, he thought of everything.

Shaken but nonetheless excited, Hunter followed Tanar out of the barn and onto the farm. Aria brushed past them both and quickly swept her hands behind her. The air simply sizzled with magic. A loud, melodic tune like a thousand xylophones playing at the same time rang in the air. Bright, light blue light erupted in front of Aria, forming a glistening, pure white ground vehicle that had a menacing, beak-shape to it.

"If we make for the city now, we'll be there before sunset," the angel said. "If we hurry, we can make it into the Holy District before they shut the gates."

That was an order not a statement.

Hunter boarded the large vehicle just as Aria was taking the controls. As he did so, however, he noticed that Eton was lingering, his eyes off into the distance at the abandoned farmhouse.

"Eton?"

Eton's lips moved soundlessly. It sounded as if he was saying, 'This is...' Icy blue eyes switched to Harm, looking forlorn. "Hey, I'll catch up with you guys. I know my way to the city anyway. If anything, I'll find us a place to stay."

Hunter debated taking that offer but decided he had best stay with his boyfriend. Eton was there when he was distressed. The least he could do was be there for him. He stepped down from the transport and banged a fist against the van's flank. "Go on ahead guys."

The surprised but grateful expression on Eton's face told him he had made the right decision - for once. The doors shut and Aria's crystal vehicle zoomed off towards Corona. It was gone before the dust settled.

Turning towards Eton, Hunter gave the Lupus a puzzled look.

"Let me just confirm something," answered the Lupus, turning towards the farmhouse. They walked quietly up a winding, dusty path that seemed to have been made from the grooves of carts and hoof prints of feral animals.

They wound their way across a field of tall grass almost as high as their calves. Rotten, wooden floorboards creaked beneath their feet as they stepped onto the porch of the dark farmhouse. Eton pushed open the old door...

"Holy shit!" Hunter exclaimed, leaping back. "That's a dead body!"

"It's not a dead body."

He pointed at the strangely serene features of the young human man, no older than sixteen, lying against the wall at the foot of the rickety stairs. "That sure looks like a dead body!"

Eton shook his head sadly. "That... he was a homunculus." Giving Eton a puzzled stare, Hunter could only shake his head. "Homunculi are artificial bodies created from the self-perpetuating materials magically bound to look like something normal. They do not age. They do not need nourishment."

"They're immortal bodies?"

"No. They can still be killed. They just don't rot." Eton sighed heavily. "This is Tomas."

Hunter angled himself away from Eton slightly. "This isn't where you keep your artificially, non-aging sex-dolls is it?"

Whack!

"Of course not," the Lupus half-growled, half-laughed. "Tomas was a survivor of the Purge of Time."

The Purge of Time was millennia ago...

"Are you saying...?"

"Tomas and his mother, Rose, lived here," Eton answered, sadness in his voice. His muzzled tipped upwards, pointing up the stairs to the half-open door at the top of the stairs. "Rose was a budding Pyromancer but refused to join the Clericus Solis because she wanted to live the simple life. The Chronomancers didn't care, however. They came at her and destroyed her other children save for Tomas. The Chronomancer responsible Time Locked Rose's mind and soul to her body while he snatched up Tomas' soul and implanted it into the body of a Homunculus."

Hunter couldn't imagine why... so he just asked.

"Why?"

"Torture." Eton spat the word. "Rose would continue aging but her soul would never leave her body. For over two millennia, her body continued to wither away due to age until she was left as a bedridden husk, forever unable to breathe but still conscious, still living in her husk of a body. Tomas constantly cared for her, trying to sustain her. The Church kept trying to persuade her to let them free her but she refused. She was appalled at the Church's inaction. When she was under attack, Church officials merely stood by and watched it happen as they were too afraid of the Chronomancer. She wanted no help from them."

Eton hiked his chin at Tomas. "Tomas was bound to Rose. He would continue to live as long as she lived. It was sort of some mental anguish for them both. Rose would age and rot away while Tomas would remained forever young."

"That's some hell right there..." Hunter commented, suddenly feeling very sorry for Tomas. "But wait... is he...?"

"Dead? Yeah... It happened about ten years ago. Serena and I were still training to be Paladins then some shit went down with a Demon Lord. Our instructor told us that when we are obsessed with something, we tend to ignore everything else around us and the obvious signs of rejection in favour of a future we can never have. Serena learned that the hard way... and so did I." Eton sighed and regarded Tomas sadly. "Rose was the same. She was so obsessed with her hatred for the Church and the Chronomancers that she didn't see her son's suffer or care about her own."

"How do you get over that kind of obsession...?" Hunter asked, thinking about Aria.

"Either someone forces you out of it or... it consumes you. Our instructor called it the 'Flames of Passion'. It's good to keep us warm, keep us motivated but nurture it too much and you'll just end up destroying everything in your path and burning yourself out with it." Eton shook his head and turned away from the scene. "When Serena and I graduated, we both came here. We asked Rose if she wanted us to release her. Naturally, she refused. We killed her anyway."

Hunter froze. "You... Why?"

"She was consumed and she was letting her son suffer for it." Eton turned his muzzle up to the sky, fists tightly clenched and shaking. "It was really the last thing binding Serena and I together, you know? I had been in love with her and then she basically told me I wasn't good enough for her. I guess... in some part of my mind, if we had Rose... it would've kept that flame alive. But we both killed her... I let it go... because it could never be."

Hunter regarded the serene, peaceful expression on Tomas' face. Obsession really ate at people but when it was released, there was so much relief and peace around them. "Why did you want to come here...?"

"I don't know," answered Eton with a sigh. "Might be Chronos trying to mess with me. I mean, of all the farms in Corona, it had to be this one." He shook his head. "Don't worry. I'm over Serena. It's just... Though you let it go, that doesn't mean it never happened, you know?"

Sort of like the Redaction Spell...

Just because the Church made everyone forget... it doesn't stop what has happened...

"I know," he murmured softly. He flicked his ears at Eton, smiling softly. "Hey, I'm glad you came here. It just reaffirms that you're over that bitch!"

Eton laughed and threw an arm over his shoulders, hugging him tightly. "Glad I am."

Hunter took in Eton's scent and guided them away from the farmhouse. "Hey... if you don't mind me asking... Who was the Chronomancer that Time Locked Rose? It wasn't Chronos was it?"

"No. His name... His name was Titus."

For some reason, Hunter felt a chill run down his spine on that name.

"Titus Shockarm."