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Chapter XVII: Ashes to Ashes

"Where did all that power come from? How did he get so strong? Did he start using Final Hour frequently? These were questions that kept plaguing us as we sat in the aftermath of Harm's battle with Titus. Aria told us that while she had been with him, Harm had only used Final Hour about fifty-two times before the Redaction Spell kicked in. She's not sure if killing Lumire counted as fifty-three.

"The thing is, Titus used that technique thousands of times and yet Harm was still stronger. Did all that strength come from the Seraphim? I could certainly imagine it. I mean they were deities two steps below the Mother Goddess. He even had Apollia on his side.

"That was the sort of power we were dealing with. And strangely... he didn't use it to kill us.

"He didn't even kill Titus. Not at Ironfrost."

"Congratulations. You're now a free man."

The world felt like it was crumbling around Aria. Everything that could have gone wrong just did. Titus betrayed them, Harm won the battle of the Chronomancers with ease and now the Siphon of Infinity dropped from around Titus' neck, sliced in two by Firefeather. She could only watch wide-eyed when Harm revealed his replication technique, looking on in horror as one of the replicates regenerated with frightening ease. A knot formed in her stomach when Chronos reunited with himself. Though not sensitive to Chronomancy, she could still feel the vast power that emanated from her one-time ally.

And now...

... now Titus was free too.

She gripped Gungnir tightly knowing full well what would come next. Harm would offer his paw as an alliance to Titus. The Goatex, intimidated by the vastly superior Chronomancer, would kneel and swear fealty. They would have two Chronomancers on the loose. This was what she feared from the EoT Protocol! A new Chronomancer Collective would be formed and at its head was the Wulfun that knew all the Church's secrets and had been Tower Thirteen's saving grace during the Purge of Time!

"Now don't look at me like that," Harm said to Titus, his cocky smirk returning. "I don't expect you to suddenly decide you want to be on my side just because I kicked your ass and handed it to you."

Titus blinked, a snarl rippling up his muzzle. "I would sooner die than ally myself with you!"

"Oh I don't doubt it," Harm laughed. He spun around, spreading his arms wide into the air and taking a deep breath. "But quite frankly, a battle between us right here has caused a lot of collateral damage and I'd rather not have explain to people why they were crushed beneath fifty tonnes of rock, saw the Mother Goddess in death and suddenly found themselves back here. Resurrection is such a nasty business. The paperwork is a nightmare."

He lowered his arms, tucking one paw into his pocket while swinging Firefeather over his shoulder. "No, the only reason I released you from the Church's grip is so that now..." Chronos glanced over his shoulder, a wicked grin on his face. "... Now, you owe me."

Titus' eyes boggled and he scrambled to his feet indignantly. "I do not!"

"Don't deny it," snickered the Wulfun. "I just freed you from the Church's death grip. I mean, even if you had killed me, you really think the Church would just let you go? I mean, just one word - Mori - and you'd be dead."

There was a loud shink-shink noise from just behind Titus. The Chronomacer lifted his foot slightly away from the Siphon. The anti-Time blades that jutted out of the collar horrified him.

"Now you're free to choose where you go," Chronos said, waving his paw absently. "Terrorise the countryside, build your own army, become an upstanding citizen or be try the free the others. Do whatever you want to do, Titus, but..." The Wulfun paused, his smile vanishing and the chilling unreadable expression sliding on to his face once more. "... if and when you want to take revenge on me, we do it at the Concave of Shadows."

Aria's staggered. "The Concave...?"

"The Concave...?" repeated Titus.

"That's where I'm going," Chronos clarified. "My armies are gathering at Chillfarn and when the last pieces of the puzzle fall into place, we are going to charge to the Darkened Lands and obliterate the plague of the south, the darkness that pollutes Incendius. If you want to have our..." Chronos tapped his chin with the tip of his blade absently. "... What do they call it...? That trope... Can't be as simple as 'Final Battle'? Was it the Final Fight on steroids? Final Boss...? No, that's for videogames..." Chronos shrugged. "Whatever the case, Titus, you want to fight me, we fight there."

At the Concave of Shadows? Aria didn't understand. The Darkened were already on this side of Chillfarn. What was on the other side? She recalled Eton saying something about Malfemir mentioning a plague but could the Darkened King be trusted? Was whatever lay beyond Chillfarn's icy wall truly worthy of all the armies of Incendius?

"If you think that I will be bound by some feeble debt -"

"You will," Harm interrupted, smirking. "Because now you get some time to do some weird training montage where you develop techniques and grow stronger. It will make our battle in the end so much more interesting." He grinned broadly, spinning around once more to face the Goatex. "Of course this could lead to my downfall. Don't bad guys do this all the time? They have their foe on the edge of death and yet they still leave them to grow stronger? Well, I welcome the challenge. Just don't hurt anyone in the process of growing stronger, Titus. Trust me, I'll know."

The Wulfun turned. "Now if you will excuse me -"

Aria charged forward, pressing her spear against Harm's neck. "You still have me to contend with, Chronos!"

He gave her an exasperated look. Gently, he pressed a finger against her Valour and pushed it away. "Aria, my dear Aria... No I don't." Somehow, Aria couldn't muster the strength to strike him down. It was not out of lack of conviction... it was... fear.

How had he become so strong?

"Do not think that she is alone, Chronos!"

She jumped at the thunderous voice. His eyes turned back to where Leandros stood with his resurrected Lupus troops. The other Paladins had extracted themselves from the rubble and were standing ready. Two shells slammed into a nearby building. Whoever was manning the Final Moment's guns was with them as well.

"Leandros," Harm said with an exasperated sigh, "don't make your death meaningless."

"I would rather die and be remembered as the Lupus who stood up against a manipulative, evil Wulfun than a coward who just followed like a lost lamb!"

Sighing, Chronos closed his eyes briefly, a smile spreading across his features. "I have a saying. War is a juggling act. In one hand a sword, in another a shield. In a third your people's hearts and in a fourth, your enemy's balls." He lifted Firefeather, a strange glimmer in his golden eyes. "Well, here is my sword."

He hiked a thumb over his shoulder.

A terrible, glistening, blue rip tore through space behind him. The three-eyed Avios glowered at them from beyond.

"There's my shield."

Chronos pulled his paw from his pocket and pointed straight down. "I have my people's hearts as Phalgymr and Alaric convert everyone to my side while all the leaders are away here, fighting a battle I knew I'd win."

Aria's eyes widened.

"As for having my enemy by the balls..." He pointed to the south. "Well... If I told you, then that'd spoil the fun." Turning his gaze back to Leandros, Harm said, "So be a lamb, Leandros. Go to Chillfarn with all your people. Bring Titus' betrayed mercenaries with you as well. Moonclaw's rebels would be a great addition too. You really have no other choice." His eyes went to Aria, freezing her in place. "And while he's doing that, Aria, why don't you head north back to Corona for Tynvandar's Sunrise Festival. Tell him where I am. Tell him that we're all gathering to the south at Chillfarn. Tell him that if he wants an opportunity to catch me at my weakest then sandwiching me between the incredible forces beyond the frozen wall and his own armies will be the best time."

"Tell him yourself!" Aria sneered, readying her weapon once more. "You are coming with us!"

Harm rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of 'catching me at my weakest'?" Chronos idly played with the tassels of his weapon. "See, by my estimate Chillfarn's defences will be wearing thin by now. The Shadows will have reached the gates in full force and I need to get my furry ass over there before they break through."

She shook her head defiantly. "If this threat is so great, why have we not heard of it?"

"You were kept ignorant because you were so obsessed with chasing me. Leandros didn't hear about it because he and Moonclaw were too busy playing chicken. As for the higher ups in Corona..." Chronos gave her an expectant stare. "Why do you think they called all those ships here?"

Aria took a moment to wend her way through her fury, pausing to consider his words. It took a monumental effort to realise that Harm was right. Admiral Aureas had been called to Incendius and he brought with him an entire fleet. She had thought it was to help contain Harm. Perhaps it was but perhaps there was another reason... something far more sinister.

"You best run off there to settle things, Aria," Harm said, stepping away and waving absently over his shoulder. "If you don't, someone might just get a little trigger happy and start bombarding Incendius before an explanation can be heard."

Leandros roared, stomping his foot mightily into the ground. A pillar of ice sprang up from the ground in front of Chronos, stopping his retreat. "Why should I risk my people and my son for a monstrosity that the Church knows of and is eager to obliterate with a purge? Why shouldn't I just abandon this Station and leave!?"

A glint entered Harm's eyes... one that Aria knew all too well was a sign that Leandros had fallen into one of his traps.

"Because, Leandros," answered the Chronomancer slowly. "You're guilty."

The Lupus' eyes went horribly wide. "What...?"

"The darkness blinds," Harm said slowly. "They were here first and we are all guilty."

Leandros was shivering and his jaw was vibrating in shock. His long-drawn silence was evidence enough.

"How...? How could you know about that!?" Leandros stormed forward, crossing the distance between them and looming over the smaller Wulfun. "That was well before your time! Millennia before! It is not possible for you to know! It was stricken from the records!"

That glint again. "Just because people can't remember it doesn't mean it didn't happen. All records may have been wiped but deep down, people remember." Harm smirked and took a few steps back, hiking his thumb over his shoulder at the glowering three-eyed Avios that stared at them through the rip in space. "Frankly, Leandros, I'm surprised you didn't recognise the Brave Farmer."

The look on the Lupus King's face was enough. Ageless and the Progenitor of his race just like Phalgymr, Leandros was the only one amongst them who had stood beside the Brave Farmer as he waged war against the Darkened so many millennia ago. So the look of recognition blended with fear and defeat reverberated through his troops, through all those around him. One by one, Lupus and Incendians alike fell to their knees, eyes fixated on the creature. They bowed their heads, clasped their hands together... and began to pray.

"How...?" Leandros whispered. "He was never so... so big... And I don't..." His eyes went straight to Harm. "How...!?"

"Maybe," the Chronomancer scoffed, "I somehow found the Brave Farmer's soul and trapped it into the form of a sword to be used at my beck and call." Chronos waved a paw over his shoulder, the rip immediately closing. "Maybe still he is the true mastermind and I am merely being the good little faithful servant of the divine and executing his will? Or perhaps still that was just a very neat light show and I've managed to break the barriers of being Time Locked and gained the ability to manifest Fire Magic into the shape and form of a legendary, quasi-divine figure? Whatever the case..."

The Wulfun stepped up to the kneeling Leandro, muzzle to his ear. Aria had to crane her neck to hear.

"You and I both know you are guilty of a crime that you have been fretting over for millennia. You try to hide it with acts of bravado but it is an anchor that keeps pulling you back. It stops you from making progress. You hate yourself for it." Chronos straightened striding away from him. "This is your chance, Leandros. Your chance to finally move on," he said loudly. "I suggest you take it."

Another tear appeared in space, this time smaller, glistening an angry blue in front of Harm. The Chronomancer stepped through. He lingered there a moment, turning his gaze back towards Aria and the others.

"Time waits for no man."

A second later, the tear closed.

Aria gazed at each of the soldiers, men and women who remained on the streets of Ironfrost. All were still praying. No matter who they were, what race they belonged to, they were Incendians and Incendians believed the Brave Farmer saved them from the Darkened millennia ago with the help of the Sun Goddess Apollia.

If the Farmer was working with Harm...

She knew her next step.

*****

Leandros was taking his people south to Chillfarn. The rebels who would not listen to him followed Phalgymr and Alaric's words and accompanied them. Those still remaining loyal to Moonclaw were swayed by the news of the battle above and the appearance of the Brave Farmer at the Chronomancer's call. Few remained in Ironfrost, unwilling to follow the rest. By the look of their dwindling number, though, Hunter knew they would all buckle under peer pressure and follow suit.

Whatever the case, Ironfrost was lost.

Just like Mirecragg.

Hunter stuffed his ruined pair of pants into a bag, glad he had bought a spare pair. He had to borrow a pair of boots from a Lupus soldier to replace the one he had lost. Unlike the rest of the city, Aria was taking them straight to Corona this time with the help of the remaining starship, the Malicious Spear. It had remained hovering and disabled through most of the fight before it attempted an escape. The soldiers within reported seeing a white Wulfun with golden eyes stand amongst them and beat them to a pulp before forcing the ship to land. Through some strange, golden magical energies, the ship was instantly repaired.

A note was left on the captain's chair for Aria simply stating, 'Your carriage, madam.'

Hunter eyed Aria warily. She seemed even more disheartened than before. From the rumours flittering around, the fiery Avios was identified as the Brave Farmer and this shook the core each and every Incendian. At the heart of their belief system was the legendary Brave Farmer who sacrificed himself to bring peace to the world. To have that very same creature suddenly appear and aid Harm - the very same Chronomancer who put a stop to Titus... People didn't need very much more convincing than that.

It occurred to him that, once again, Harm was using the Redaction Spell against its original users. Now, no one knew who Harm was. To them, he was just an anonymous, powerful Chronomancer who was being guided by the gods. No one knew of the atrocities he committed and to them, the ramblings of their leaders that he was the one that caused the disaster at Mirecragg and Clockwork were just desperate ploys to maintain a tenuous grip on their power.

After all, Chronos did just appear out of nowhere, took Titus' accusations almost angelically and then saved the whole city from the rogue Chronomancer. Further, he resurrected people.

If Hunter didn't know any better, he would've been convinced to follow the madman himself.

But he knew... or knew at least enough to stop himself from just jumping on the 'Let's follow Harm Chronos' bandwagon.

"You know he only wishes for the best for Incendius."

Shinniah stood by his side, her gaze fixated on Titus who sat quietly away from the hustle and bustle of the refugees. The Chronomancer's golden eyes seemed dead and distant. He was constantly rubbing his neck.

"So what?" Hunter growled, zipping up his bag. "Just because he means well doesn't mean I agree with his methods. Is bringing the whole world to the brink of war really the only way to do what's 'good' for Incendius?"

She glanced away from Titus, eyes falling on Hunter. "Sometimes, one must destroy what is already built to make it better. A Phoenix used to perish in a burst of flame, leaving ashes. From those ashes, a new Phoenix would rise, stronger than ever before."

"I bet you knew a lot about that, didn't you?" Hunter slung his pack over his shoulder.

The ghostly apparition frowned deeply. "You are bothered."

"Of course I'm bothered," he growled back. "From what I hear, Chronos just convinced everyone of the same goddamn lie he had me believe!" He waved his paws sarcastically into the air. "Ooooh! There's a great darkness to the south and that's what I want to stop! I'm breaking the barriers of all races, armies and people of Incendius to unite them all to defeat the shadows! Ooooo!"

"That was no lie."

"Like the lie about revealing Eton and Serena's past wouldn't affect our relationship?" A couple of Lupus passed him. They did not seem to notice that he was speaking to someone that they could not see. Both seemed too preoccupied with each other's company. One was comforting the other, telling him everything would be fine. The one being comforted nuzzled his friend affectionately.

The sight made Hunter sick.

"Did it? Have you even talked to Eton since then?" Shinniah asked.

"Yes!"

Though it was mostly screaming to duck and shoot...

Shinniah had a bemused smile on her face. "You should talk to him."

"And confirm what I already know?" Hunter growled. He shook his head. "I'm happy for them, really I am. But I hate Chronos for lying. In fact, this is how much I hate him!"

He stormed past Shinniah and threw his bag at Titus' feed. The Goatex looked up, surprised. Then his eyes narrowed as Hunter stood in front of him.

"It is a fool that approaches a Chronomancer so brazenly," growled Titus.

"It's also a fool who charges into battle with only revenge on his mind," answered Hunter. Those golden eyes began piercing into his very soul and he started to think that he may have put himself into another desperate situation brought on by an impulsive mistake. Stubbornly, he continued. "So Chronos wiped the floor with you. Get up off your ass and come on."

"What makes you think I'll be accompanying you? You heard Chronos. He will be in the Concave of Shadows and he will be at his weakest when fighting the Darkened."

"Those won't be the Darkened." Hunter hiked a thumb over his shoulder at where the pure-white nonhumans were helping with the mass exodus. "Those are the Darkened."

"You must be joking."

"Nope. Apparently, the Darkened are just like you and I. They are the natives of Incendius and were just driven out by the Church, locked in the Darkened Lands with whatever it is beyond Chillfarn."

I think I got that right...

"You did," Shinniah whispered sadly. "You believe that part of Chronos' story and not the rest?"

I said I didn't believe him about 'uniting the people of the world' not about the plague. He wants something beyond just ridding Incendius of its evil and using the Darkened as a smokescreen.

Shinniah was oddly silent.

"And who told this to you?" Titus said.

Hunter found his arguments starting to fall. "Well..."

"I thought so." Titus turned his head away bitterly. "I always knew Chronos to be the master manipulator." The Goatex's eyes grew distant but no less filled with hatred. "During our academy days, he was a pest, a constant disturbance and a prankster. In every class, he would constantly disrupt our learning with inane questions or planted explosives or some other form of practical joke that was far from funny. We all hated him for it. We consistently beat him up for his annoyances. It stunted our development.

"Little did we know that was exactly his plan." Titus snorted derisively. "Every explosive, every foolish question and every joke was part of his secret experiments. He was developing his Anti-Time Techniques even then. By the time of our review came, I presented my findings..." He lifted the enlarged golden wrench he possessed. "A wrench that could channel and amplify one's Chronomancy. It even configured your Time in such a way that you do not have to consciously control it. Just funnel your strength through it and it will do the rest." Titus ran his thumb over a switch and the wrench let out a few clicks. First there was golden lightning crackling between the teeth of the weapon, then golden fire.

"When he raised his paw to present his findings..." Titus laughed bitterly. "He showed us Final Hour. He destroyed an object that was Time Locked. The Thirteen, the most powerful Chronomancers and leaders of the Collective, were split on his elevation to Chronomancer. They actually had to consult with Haamiah on the topic!" Titus shook his head. "When he was Time Locked, myself and a few other newly made Chronomancers cornered him. We wanted to make him suffer, make it known that despite his elevation, he was still a pest. He revealed his Time Bomb then and there and we almost died."

He shook his head, eyes wide not with hatred but utter fear. "I can only imagine what he has been doing and developing since then... He has still not shown us a fraction of his power."

Hunter offered a shaky smile. "Come on. It can't be that bad. He -"

"He is fully capable of creating clones of himself across time and space with the same consciousness!" roared Titus. "Each clone is capable of using Final Hour to add strength to the collective! Do you know what that means!? It means that even while we are bombarding one with all our might, hundreds more could be elsewhere draining Time and just constantly growing! Worse yet, each clone is bound to the same consciousness! He has transcended mere mortal perception and understanding and is capable of thinking about different scenarios at any one time and still maintain his plans! We aren't fighting just a Chronomancer! We are fighting the Chronomancer! He is what the Thirteen and the Collective always wanted to become! He is -"

WHAM!

Titus hit the ground, eyes wide and his right cheek swelling slightly.

"Why did you do that!?" Shinniah exclaimed in horror.

Hunter's knuckles were throbbing. It felt like he was striking a steel wall.

I have no idea! He was panicking! Isn't that what you're meant to do when someone is panicking!?

"Punch them!?"

He tried to kill us and blew off my leg! Slapping him didn't seem enough!

"Do you have any idea," Titus growled, rubbing his cheek, "what I could do to you right now?"

...

"Um... You'll appreciate my bravado, acknowledge the fact that I was confident enough to punch you and realise that I am comfortable enough around you to do what a friend might do in the situation to suddenly decide that we can be the best of buds?"

Titus rose, eyes flaring.

Hunter held his arms up over his face, shying away. "Please don't squish me!"

When death did not come, Hunter peeked between his raised arms and saw Titus' back.

"How do you fight a god?" the Goatex asked gruffly.

"If videogames and movies have taught us anything, when the Big Bad reaches godhood, you always defeat them with a technicality or with the power of friendship, conviction and the united hearts of all those involved."

Titus shot him a dark look.

"Yeah, that's probably not that likely considering how Chronos has most everyone's hearts in his paws, he preys on technicalities and right now, your conviction is the equivalent of month-old shit."

The Goatex turned to him, frowning. "Insult me all you want. It will make your death all the sweeter."

"Is that all you think about? People's death?"

"I have lain trapped in agony for the past two and a half millennia! I have thought of nothing but Harm Chronos' death!"

An idea suddenly sparked in Hunter's mind. "Yeah? Well do you remember Rose and Tomas?"

"Who?"

"They were a mother and son combo that you trapped in eternal torment. You had a Blood Mage bind Rose's soul to her body, ensuring that it will never leave. She would continue to age for all eternity. Then you bound Tomas' son to a homunculus whose existence was bound to Rose. She thought only of revenge for two and a half millennia and Tomas could only sit and watch as she continued to rot away. Do you want to know what happened to them?"

Titus didn't reply.

"They were killed. Released from their torment." Hunter stepped up to Titus and jabbed a finger into the Goatex's chest. "So either you let go of all that anger or someone ends up killing you and all that hatred goes to nothing."

"I am not some weak Pyromancer who -"

"No. You're the asshole who put that Pyromancer in that position! People have more right to hate you than they do Chronos. You're very lucky no one is here to 'release you from your torment' right now."

Titus puffed out his chest indignantly. "No one here is strong enough."

"Yeah? Well maybe I'll just keep pissing you off until you blow a gasket and let you strangle me to death. Chronos will come, make some witty quip and then obliterate you! From what I hear, he promised to come back if you hurt anyone."

The Goatex's eyes went wide. "You don't have the balls."

"I just punched a Chronomancer. I'm pretty sure I've got some extra."

They glared at one another, challenging the other with fierce stares. Hunter was feeling braver than should have been logical and he hated using Chronos as a threat but it was the only ammunition he had. It was clearly working as Titus quickly backed down.

"What do you want?"

"Come with us to Corona." Before the Goatex could protest, Hunter held up his paw. "Let me finish." Titus nodded slowly. "Chronos wants you to fight him at the Concave. Well, let him wait. If he really has the Brave Farmer on his side, maybe we can get Apollia on our side. She's better than him, right? Hell, Chronos has ruined half of Incendius. The Sun Goddess can't be too pleased about that. If she is willing to give you her power, maybe you can match Chronos."

Titus' eyes narrowed. "It is not just raw power. He is smarter..."

"Then let's find something that'll yank the Brave Farmer out from underneath him. Maybe Apollia can convince the Farmer to abandon Chronos. If anything, we can get the Church and the Inquisition on our side and we'll wipe the floor clean of Chronos and his army." Hunter held out his paw. "Whatdya say?"

Titus seemed to consider it, then strangely... nodded. "It sounds farfetched but right now, I have no better option. I can still develop my skills on our travels. Very well." He seized Hunter's paw and shook it. "You have a deal...?"

"Hunter. Hunter Hart."

"Hart," Titus repeated. The moment he let go, he turned and began striding away, claiming that he was going to start his own packing.

Once he was out of earshot range, Shinniah began.

"You realise I am, in no way, going to grant him any sort of power."

"I know that," Hunter murmured softly.

"And yet you still offered him the possibility. Why?"

He shook his head slowly. "Honestly? I don't know. I just figure that we need a Chronomancer. Someone that'll help us against Chronos and after seeing him... He's just like us... falling prey to Chronos' plots. I remember being on the receiving end of that torment... I almost killed myself. If it weren't for the others, I would have. Titus... he looked like he was in the same boat."

"Perhaps he would be better off dead."

"What? And have Chronos use him as a Ghoul? I don't think so."

*****

Leandros was in such a hurry to leave that most of the mass exodus was already out the gates of the white city before the Sun Spire set. The Paladins and their group were left with those who remained, picking up the pieces of their lives. They all agreed that they would take those unwilling to fight back to Corona. It was safer there than in the abandoned city. Aria was still suspicious of the Malicious Spear and was still examining it closely with a fine tooth comb. Andy aided her with the ever-present Tanar.

That, unfortunately, left dinner in the hands of others and after tasting Smallfang's rabbit stew, Hunter was already missing Andy's divine culinary skills.

"Why didn't you go with your father?" Hunter asked, swallowing a chunk of rabbit whole without chewing. They sat inside Leandros' castle, huddled around a large fire. Ford and his Paladins were crouched nearby, having their own discussions. The fact that Eton and Serena were sitting so close made Hunter relieved at Smallfang's quick reply.

Smallfang sat down beside him, a bowl in his paws. "I will take my father's place one day but right now, I feel my duty is elsewhere." A smile crossed the Lupus' face and he squeezed Hunter's shoulder. "We started this journey together and we shall finish it together."

Elena sat on his other side, swinging her legs up as she did so. "It has been one fantastic journey too," she commented. "Renegade Chronomancers, hidden cities and species, deep secrets of the Church and ancient divine beings. Not to mention deep family issues." Her father sat beside her, about a foot or two between them. Elena rolled her eyes and slid away from Hunter, pressing up against Moonclaw's enormous, muscular frame. The leader of the rebellion looked about ready to leap out of his hide. "Daddy, I find it hilarious that you are more uncomfortable about this situation than I am."

Moonclaw blushed beneath his grey fur and idly began stirring his meal. "Frankly, I had been expecting you to throw a tantrum, alienate me and go into denial about having a Lupus for a father."

"You had your reasons," answered Elena brightly. "I admit I was surprised but as I said before, I had accepted that I had lost you. Getting you back was a bonus."

Huh... I wonder how many people could possibly be so accepting of such a revelation...

"You realise you're inhuman in that way, right?" Hunter began. "I agree with your father. I'd honestly be throwing things across the room, punching people in the face and plotting his murder in an attempt to hide the fact that my father abandoned me to be a Lupus for all eternity." He leaned forward so that he could see Moonclaw clearly. "No offence, sir."

Moonclaw waved the apology away.

"If you remember," Elena replied. "I grew up always pining for my father's attention. When you fail, one cannot simply dwell on it. You must simply move on and try the next thing."

"Don't you get depressed with so many failures?"

Shaking her head, Elena said, "It's a goal. A purpose. Failure merely means another way not to achieve your goal." She nudged her father in the ribs. "Eat your stew, daddy. Tomorrow, we have a long trip ahead of us."

"Not really," Hunter said. "An Antioch class gunship like the Malicious Spear can travel fairly fast despite its bulk. We'll be at Corona about twelve hours after we leave. From what I hear, the controls have also been tampered with. It's got only a single destination plotted out."

He wondered what would await him at Corona. Tynvandar would just be returning to fly to Mirecragg and make an appearance, calming the refugees and offering them sanctuary at Corona where he would herald the beginning of a Sunrise Festival. It was meant to be a sign of the peace that his loyal Paladins had brought upon the world. Unfortunately, Hunter could see it going down as a desperate ploy by the Church to maintain their tenuous grip on the world. Those on Corona would be alienated further. The Vox de Sole would have a greater argument for their anti-elitist cause.

Strangely, he found himself laughing and being the subject of confused looks from those around him.

"I was just thinking of a story I read some time ago," he said. "There was this king. I can't really remember his name. He was a big idiot. Boisterous, wasteful and a real ass. His queen, however, was smart, brave and the true ruler of his city. While the king threw lavished parties, the queen ruled fairly and justly. However, true rule still belonged to the king.

"One day, he pissed off the wrong noble from another country. War was raged. The king, while boastful, was a coward. He continued to throw parties while his soldiers died on the field. His queen begged him to appear to the people if only to boost their morale but he would not and continued to party away. He became so drunk, that he never noticed no one else was room with him. They had all abandoned him. When the enemy forces came, they were so disgusted at the king that they just left him to his delusions. They locked him in that room, listening to him sing drunken songs and dance. The story ended with the 'rumour' that if you find that castle, you'll find the door where the king is locked and you can still hear him celebrating."

"That is no story."

Hunter perked his ears and lifted his gaze.

Titus stood a few short feet away, arms crossed. "That story is true," the Goatex murmured. "He was no king but a merchant. A fool. He angered the wrong Chronomancer. The man became condemned to forever drink and dance in one room for all eternity."

"Don't suppose you were the Chronomancer that did that, were you?" Hunter asked.

Shaking his head, Titus said, "No. Some other one. Well beyond my joining the Collective. I recall the tale, however. It was a case study on looping someone in time."

"Your people were big on cruel and unusual punishments, weren't you?"

Titus laughed softly. "For millennia, people's understanding of Time was that it was linear. It takes much imagination to view it otherwise. Chronomancers must be creative by nature." He tapped the side of his head with a finger. "Time is the ultimate limiter. A man can grow, occupying more space. Mortals can traverse the Void, can build new forms of materials, create great machines and buildings and even alter the very nature of an object through genetic mutations but Time is consistent. Chronomancers bend Time. They cannot create it and for a long time, we believed we could not destroy it."

Hunter didn't want to say the obvious follow-up statement.

Smallfang did. "Until Harm Chronos."

Titus nodded grimly. "Yes. The only mortal who ever dared to consider the possibilities of obliterating time completely."

The Lupus prince set his bowl aside, tilting his ears curiously. "Chronos once mentioned that his name was given to him especially because they believed he was a 'harm to time'. What is the meaning behind your name?"

Strangely seeming a little more relaxed, the Chronomancer sat down opposite to them. "My name was given to me for the initial incarnation of my weapon. 'Titus' in some distant past means 'saved' and 'Shockarm' is my weapon because originally, it only channelled the Chronomancy technique, Time Shock."

"Saved? Why 'saved'?"

The Chronomancer turned away. "Classic story. Poor family. Perpetual misery. Rose from it all with my ingenuity and noticed by a passing Chronomancer. Brought to the academy and became a Chronomancer myself. I was 'saved' from my live of poverty."

Elena piped up. "Chronos also mentioned he was given the moniker 'Destroyer of Time'. Were you given one?"

Titus nodded. "Time's Unerring Channel." He lifted his right arm, bolts of golden lightning dancing between his fingers. "Most Chronomancers are generally limited by their understanding. Various theorems of Time contradict one another but are still entirely possible thanks to the user's understanding. This means most Chronomancers will not be able to use techniques that come from contradicting theorems. For instance, if a Chronomancer views Time as a single point and all Time existed in the same moment and nothing else, they will not be able to understand let alone use any techniques that use a theorem that views Time as a constantly flowing stream or a vast ocean.

"My invention, Shockarm, allows Chronomancy to be used regardless of theorem. All it needs is some Time."

Hunter frowned, regarding the immense wrench that Titus slung across his back. He instinctively reached for Zero Hour and the thousand or so years that lay within it. With what Titus said, it would be possible for him to use Chronomancy too. It would be an outlet for all the Time he had stored. He shook the thought from his head.

Bad enough he was an unauthorised Paladin and officially bore the name of a notorious criminal. Adding a user of Chronomancy would just make the exiting target on his back even bigger and paint the words 'You can't hit this' over it.

"Your attempt at sentimentality is admirable," growled Moonclaw, "but I have not forgotten that you fired upon us."

Titus snorted derisively. "Do you think events would have turned out differently had I not? Chronos clearly wanted everyone alive else he would not have resurrected everyone." He rose, golden eyes dark and pointed once more. "And whether you like it or not, old man, I am coming to Corona with you. I wish to petition to Sun Goddess for the strength to defeat Chronos."

"Do you think she will answer your prayers? A vile, foul creature such are yourself that slaughtered countless people and consumed their Time?"

"If not me, then who?"

The discussion was quickly turning hostile. Hunter wanted Titus to get along with everyone else not out of some sentimental reason but because he was effectively a very good meat shield against Chronos. While those two fought, Hunter had a clean shot and even managed to catch the Chronomancer by surprise. Yes there had been backup plans and yes Chronos made a fool of them but he became occupied with Titus. That was something they needed and could take advantage of.

Moonclaw was rising, his hackles lifted. Golden bolts of electricity were racing across Titus' arms.

Panic quickly setting in, Hunter did what he always did... say the first thing that came to mind.

"You know what this soup needs?" he exclaimed. "Bread. This soup needs bread."

He was given puzzled stares.

"It's a stew," Moonclaw said.

"Erm..." Waving away the statement, Hunter said, "Anyone got any bread?"

"Leandros and his troops took most of the supplies," Elena said, relief in her eyes. "Unless you want to go searching for more in the city, I doubt you'll find any."

Unfortunately, Hunter completely and utterly forgot something about bread... Bread was made by bakers and Eton... Eton was a baker's son.

"I can make some."

Hunter nearly shrank back in horror as the Paladin Lupus stood up from where he and his squad were sitting. He had completely forgotten about them.

"I think I saw some supplies in the kitchen," Eton said. "I don't think Leandros took them because no one will have the time to make bread on the road and they were in too much of a rush." He smiled weakly. Hunter knew exactly what that smile meant. It was an invitation to talk. "Anyone want to help me make it?" He was staring pointedly at Hunter.

Then came the excuses.

"I'm full," Elena announced, setting her half-filled bowl down. "I can't move!"

Smallfang smiled and set down his own bowl. "Why don't you go ahead? I'll check on Aria and the others. They must be getting hungry."

Turning towards Titus, Moonclaw said, "I'm going to keep an eye on our resident Chronomancer."

Rising to the challenge, Titus crossed his arms and smirked back at Moonclaw. "And I shall make you regret that statement."

Across the fire, Ford said, "I need to keep an eye on Ophelia."

And Ophelia proclaimed, "I'm crazy!"

Hunter regarded Serena pleadingly. She stared back at him with a gentle smile.

"You two need to talk."

Crap!

He found Eton's bulky frame hovering over him, the Lupus offering a paw.

"I'm allergic to yeast!" he exclaimed in a panic.

"No you're not," Eton replied.

"I was joking!"

"It wasn't very funny."

"I'm suffering from haemorrhoids!" At that statement, Smallfang and Elena shied away from him an inch or two.

"Then you should be standing."

"Isosceles-steak-tuba-iridium-locust-lance-long-oblong-volcano-envelope-yellow-orange-umbrella!"

He saw Titus reel back in utter surprise. The Chronomancer leaned towards Elena, infuriating Moonclaw at the closeness.

"Is that normal?" the Goatex asked.

"Very," Elena replied, a smile on her face. "When he panics, he just says the first thing that comes to his mind."

"Utter, nonsensical gibberish?"

"Actually, if you take the first letters of every word, it spells out what's really on his mind."

Titus gazed up at the ceiling. "Let's see... that would be I-S-T-I-L-L-L-"

For once, Hunter's brain was faster than anyone else's and he immediately jumped to his feet, seizing Eton's paw. "Bread sounds good! Let's go!"

Lightning fast, he was dragging Eton away from the rest of the group before Titus could finish his analysis. He dove straight into the kitchen of Leandros' castle, shutting the door hard behind them. Every part of him wanted to turn to Eton but through sheer force of will alone, he managed to exclaim that they should starting making some bread and marched stiffly into the deep, dark kitchen.

"Hunter."

He completely ignored Eton's cry and hurriedly plucked his headphones from around his neck. Music blared into his ears but he was only partially listening. Quickly, he sifted through his Telecube, navigating through scores of bread recipes until he found one that suited him. Measuring utensils were required. He turned and almost bumped into Eton.

Hunter muttered a quick 'excuse me' before trying to slip past the big Lupus. Eton seized his arm before he could escape and pulled him back. Big, meaty paws gripped his headphones and pulled them away.

"Serena's right. We need to talk."

'We need to talk' was already devastating but for some reason, starting it off with 'Serena's right' felt all the more crushing.

"How about we sing about it instead?" Hunter suggested. "You like singing, right?"

"I like you singing but we're not going to be singing about our emotions."

"Too bad. I had this really sombre, catchy but somewhat depressing song in my head about love lost to the truth."

Eton gave him a pointed stare. "I need you to just shut up for a moment and listen to me. Read my lips, Hunter."

"I really can't. I wish I could. I'm pretty good a sign-language though. Want me to show you?"

His paws were suddenly gripped in the vice-like grip of the Lupus. "No. No more random babbling, no more distractions! I just want you and me to sit down and talk. Got that?"

Hunter glanced around himself. The kitchen was rather medieval. Stone walls and brick ovens were all that surrounded him. The furniture was no different. With little natural light, it was very dark. He could barely make out Eton's shining, blue eyes in the darkness. The few windows that hung high above them allowed for faint starlight to stream in. There were so many stars now.

"There really aren't any chairs..."

"Hunter!"

He choked softly. "Guess we couldn't really bake bread anyway... fur on paws after all..."

Eton sighed and released him, backing away slowly. The distance felt like miles away. Every inch between them hurt. However, Hunter stuck to his motto.

It's my mistake that got us separated... I put the wedge between us by trusting Chronos... This is my fault.

And... I have to accept that.

"Okay," began softly. "Let's talk. But can I go first?"

Relieved to be making progress, Eton just nodded wordlessly.

It took a moment to collect his scattered thoughts. The panic was still there and the temptation to just blurt out whatever was on his mind was overwhelming. His lips were actually moving in random syllables that gave Eton a worried look. Hunter had to physically clamp his paw over his own muzzle and shut his eyes. After a good long thirty seconds, he opened his eyes and let out a breath.

"I still love you."

Eton smiled softly. "I gathered that from the 'yellow orange umbrella' thing."

For some reason that, flared up a burst of rage deep inside Hunter. "Is everyone a master at anagrams here!?"

"Hunter..."

Calming himself, Hunter nodded. "Look... I... We... You..." He growled loudly. "Shit, I had it. Now my thoughts are all scattered and for some reason, it's dominated by the colour yellow, oranges and umbrellas!" He shook his head. "Can we... I don't know... Just do something? I work better when there's something to ignore."

Eton's eyebrows rose. "What do you mean?"

Hunter pointed at his headphones. "It's why I always perform better with my headphones on. It just... helps me focus. Considering how talking needs... well... listening... I just need to do something!" He glanced around. "Ooh! Let's make yellow orange bread shaped like umbrellas!" He smacked his forehead. "I mean -"

"I get what you mean," Eton chuckled, carefully reaching out and gripping his paws.

"Marry me," Hunter whimpered.

The Lupus just laughed and ran a finger from the base of his palm to the tip of his index finger. "Sit fur non effudit."

A strange, glossy, transparent film wreathed Hunter's entire paw. It almost felt like he was wearing a very thin glove, almost gossamer thin.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Something I learned when I remembered the things Serena and I went through," Eton responded with a chuckle. "She loves cherry pies. I hate them. But after I turned into a Lupus, I would always make her some. Being covered in fur meant that I needed to be able to somehow bake without leaving fur in it. So a spell that stops fur from shedding."

"That'd be really handy for extremely furry pets." Hunter's mind travelled back to Haven and the few military houses that were designed purely for grunts like him to live and rest while off duty. "Would be really handy for guys in military housing. They wouldn't have to pick up all the fur everywhere before leaving for the next guy. I should get a dog..."

"And name him Eton?"

"What? No. I always liked 'Alabaster'."

Eton moved away and plucked some measuring cups from a cupboard. There was a clay jar filled with flour that sat beneath the bench that Hunter picked up for them to use.

"What other names do you like?" asked the Lupus.

"I like short, punchy names that are memorable. I like Bastian and Cole. Leon is cool too. For girls, anything that doesn't end in 'L-Y' or a vowel sound."

"You mustn't like Elen_a_ or Ari_a_ much then."

"I don't like their names, not them."

Eton began carefully measuring some cups of flour and dumping them into a bowl. Thankfully, some eggs had been left for them. Butter and milk were surprisingly abundant though Hunter guessed that such food was easily perishable and in the freezing weather of the far south, they were likely to be used as weapons than actual food. Eton began gathering and measuring the different ingredients while instructing Hunter on how to make the yeast mixture. Not a single strand of fur dropped from his paws.

"Can you chop up some of that parsley and bacon?" Eton asked, flicking an ear to his left where he had laid out the ingredients.

Hunter nodded and moved around the big Lupus. Bacon was something he suspected Leandros would have taken but there were dozens of strips for them to use. Eton was making large batches of the bread as well so he guessed they were definitely going to use all of the cured meat. Eton moved towards one of the ovens and lit it with a flint and a piece of steel. A fire began roaring moments later, giving Eton time to move back towards his batches of dough.

"So you still love me, right?" Eton asked.

Hunter realised he had been staring. Before his mind could speed off in another direction, he went back to chopping away, finding surprising focus in the act. "Yeah... Hard to let something like that go after just a few days."

Eton poured some of the yeast mixture into a well for one batch of dough, kneading it expertly and with practiced paws. Hunter couldn't help but watch the muscles move over Eton's forearms and biceps. He pulled himself back to his task, fearful he might end up slicing himself.

"Yeah. Imagine what it's like for Serena and me. After five years of hate and self-loathing, we found out we were really in love. Hard to just let that go, right?"

Let what go? The love or the hate and loathing?

Hunter shook that fragment of hope from his heart, wringing out his pounding muscle and dusting it off. There was never any doubt where Eton's heart lay.

"I guess so. You two were at it pretty bad."

Eton laughed softly. "Sorry about that. You must've gotten an eyeful."

"Glad to report I'm still gay though."

They shared an awkward laugh. Eton reached for some parsley. Hunter instinctively shied away from him, pretending it was to keep his constantly moving knife from the Lupus. After a light dusting of parsley into the dough, Eton dropped some cheese into the mixture. From the strong, pungent smell, it was parmesan. He added a few eggs a short while later, returning to kneading it.

"Glad to hear it," Eton said at length. "I never got to catch up to you before the fight. I'm glad you held your cool through it all, though. Mostly, I'm glad you survived."

Hunter finished with one batch of bacon and picked it up, tossing it into the mixture upon Eton's instruction. Like before, he put as much space between himself and the Lupus. "Funny thing is, Chronos actually gave me a thousand years' worth of Time. I'm pretty sure he needs me for something."

"So it isn't just to end up at the other end of the world fighting 'the great darkness' over there?"

Hunter smiled at Eton's sarcasm and returned to his chopping. "Something tells me there's more to it than just that. I mean, he's strong enough to do it himself. You saw him. Titus said so himself. He's nearly god-like in power. I'm not sure why he had to plunge Incendius into war, why he's trying to bring everyone to the south or why he needs me of all people. Seriously, I'm just a mistake. I wasn't meant to be here. I wasn't part of his original plan. I wasn't meant to end up at Clockwork, wasn't meant to have his name, tag along on this bizarre quest or fall in -"

He choked once more and went right back to chopping up the bacon vigorously.

"You've got to believe that you're more than a mistake, right Hunter?" Eton finished with his first batch of dough and set it aside to rest. Hunter noticed for the first time there was a small jar marked 'yeast'. It was going to be one of those rising breads.

"I think he's got something planned. But I wouldn't bet my life on it. After all I've seen, Chronos is just as deadly because of his adaptation as he is because of his foresight. If we mess up one plan, I don't doubt he's just got another one up his sleeve."

"Kind of a grim assessment," Eton grunted as he started on another loaf. "Where is our freewill if he's got everything planned?"

Hunter shook his head and set down his knife. "Don't ask me about freewill. I'm a military grunt, remember? As far as the higher-ups are concerned, as long as I follow orders, they don't care. All of these are done, by the way. What else do you need?"

Eton flicked an ear towards the rest of the prepared loaves. "Want to mix some of that in with the rest of the bread and work on them?"

Nodding, Hunter took some bacon and parsley and mixed it into another piece of bread. He dusted the bench lightly with flour before starting to knead it all in. To his surprise, Eton's spell worked wonders.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked.

Eton took a shape breath. "Sure."

More than anything, Hunter wanted to ask if their time together meant anything. Some part of him wanted to comfort of knowing that despite the choice Eton had made, there was a special part in the Lupus heart for him. Unfortunately, with the kneading of the bread providing him with clarity, he knew exactly how awkward such a conversation would be.

"Was it ever awkward having... Wulfun-like features after transforming?"

Eton's eyebrows rose. There was a mix of disappointment and amusement in his eyes like he was expecting another question but at the same time was glad it was something so inane. "What do you mean?"

"You know. The dexterous ears." Hunter wiggled his ears around a little. "Long, flexible tongue, fangs, muzzle, claws... sheath and knot? I mean was it hard to learn how to pee again?"

Snickering, Eton set aside another well-kneaded loaf. "I admit it was a bit of a culture shock back then. For one thing, I was fat before I became a Lupus."

"Get out."

"No, seriously! I must've weighed... I don't know... two hundred plus pounds? Not all of it good either. Only after Harm started training me did I actually start losing weight. My arms were awesome though, even then." Just for emphasis, Eton flexed the bicep closest to Hunter. Oddly enough, the Wulfun was just amused at Eton's obvious attempt at flirting. "When I became a Lupus, losing all the weight, gaining all that muscle, height and the different anatomy... It was... pretty shocking. I tumbled and staggered all over the place for days. Going to the bathroom was awkward, I'll admit. Thank the Goddess for nonhuman urinals, right?"

"Right."

"The heightened senses took a little getting used to," Eton continued. "Fur maintenance was another thing. Talking. Now that was both difficult and embarrassing."

Hunter smiled faintly and set aside his own dough. "I guess since I was born with a muzzle I take that stuff for granted. I remember Serena saying you used to have a ponytail too."

Eton laughed and idly ran his big paw over the back of his broad neck. "Yeah. Got annoying. That long strand of hair rubbing against my fur felt like someone was dusting my back with a feather duster all the time. Weird how little things like that change."

They both reached for another loaf, the last one, but Hunter quickly pulled back. Eton took it and began kneading. Desperate for something to do, Hunter picked up the knife again and began twirling it in his paws.

Eton eyed him warily. "Is that safe?"

"You regenerate and I've got a thousand years to spare. Besides, before Captain Rushwater taught me how to use a sword, she gave me this teeny-tiny knife to practice with. She told me that if I ever wanted to be a proper swordsman, I needed to be able to do this without cutting myself." For emphasis, Hunter began spinning the blade between his fingers at blinding speed to the point where it was just a blur and flash of steel. "Over time, she kept giving me bigger and bigger knives. Then she told me to use my left paw."

Just as expertly, he threw the knife towards his left. Eton's fur stood on end for a moment before Hunter caught the weapon in his left paw. Once again, he was spinning the blade without thinking.

"You must be very dextrous with your paws then."

Hunter decided to skip the obvious innuendo. "Nowhere near as I'd like to be. The Captains says I'm still more brute strength than agility and I only start putting in smarts when I've got my headphones on which actually robs me of my sense of hearing." He shrugged. "Anyway, I recall Lupus are able to change back to human form. Why don't you?"

Eton nodded firmly. "Ah, remember the Alpha Protocol?"

"That weird magic spell that lets Lupus recruit anyone from any race and lets Lupus form packs with the physical strength of the Alpha being directly proportionate to the number of people the Alpha has under their command?"

Eton blinked at him several times.

"When Smallfang told me, I did a lot of research on it. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to look up some muscle growth porn."

"You like that sort of stuff?"

"I like my guys big and buff and when you're surrounded by jarheads with more muscle than brains, you get used to muscle. So I end up wanting more muscle." It was odd that he didn't feel awkward about making such a confession. Eton was a friend, someone who he could confide it. There was no stigma about their relationship developing into something more so he didn't have to carefully guard his words... or at least as much. As more and more sentences were exchanged, he was feeling more comfortable around Eton.

"I see... Well, back to the Alpha Protocol," continued Eton, a strange smile on his muzzle, "one of the stipulations was that Lupus lost their previous form permanently. With all the rumours about how sex with us will turn anyone into a Lupus, you don't want the guy you're sleeping with to suddenly sprout fur and fangs and rape you just to get more power. The Church wanted to make sure that there was no secrecy with the Lupus and their intentions."

"Funny how Leandros and Smallfang turned out."

Eton shook his head absently. "I leave my paws clean of that mess. I'm a Paladin, not a politician."

"Wise move."

With the kneading finished, Eton set the loaves aside to rest and rise. He dusted his paws dramatically before leaning against the bench, staring at Hunter with a smile. "So we've been beating around the bush. We need to talk about us."

Hunter finally felt prepared. "Okay. You want to go first?"

"I think it's better if you start."

Taking a deep breath, Hunter collected his thoughts once more, finding it infinitely easier as he fidgeted with the knife. "I'm happy for the two of you. I really am. I've come to terms with the fact that I made a stupid mistake in trusting Chronos but also... Well... I'm glad that at least between us, we don't have that looming 'what if' scenario anymore. It's been answered and I guess I lost."

Hunter's mind was quickly being distracted by other thoughts concerning a one last pity romp before they parted forever. Desperate to get that out of his head, he plucked a butterknife from where it lay on the bench and began twirling that in his free paw while he was still juggling the other. "I guess it always bothered me what a relationship between us would be like if you remembered everything about your past life involving Chronos. Now I know. Now we know. I just hope that despite the fact that you're straight and we had a thing going, Serena doesn't hate my guts for it. Or you, for that matter. I hope, that despite this all, we can still stay friends?"

Eton smiled softy. "You make it sound like we're breaking up."

He nodded grimly. "You're right. We never were really an item. Sorry."

"Now you're talking like you're apologising to a complete stranger."

"That's sort of what this really is," Hunter admitted with a slight blush in his cheeks. "I mean, do you really know me? Do I really know you? Chronos didn't do his memory thing on me, remember? For all I know, he might actually be my biological father and I'm the first ever child of a true Chronomancer."

Eton's face suddenly fell. "Goddess... you're right... Maybe the Church just... they rewrote your memory. Maybe your father was just your adoptive parent while Chronos... Oh Goddess, you've got to -"

"I was joking."

The Lupus lifted an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You were surprisingly convincing."

"Talent of mine." Hunter threw the knives at one another. They momentarily clashed in the air before bouncing back at their respective paws. Hunter caught them both without blinking. "Remember Chronos said that my dad modelled me after him; that my dad was saved by Chronos and as a result, my dad saw him in some sort of hero-worship-like-status. If he wanted to mess with my head, he would have just have said 'I am your father' then and there. Now, if he tried it, it'd just lose its impact." Hunter shrugged. "He's too diabolical to let something like that happen."

Eton looked more relaxed. "I guess." His eyes were still watching Hunter juggling the knives warily. "Do you really think that if Chronos revealed who you were before the Redaction Spell, you'd be a different person?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe in reality, my dad and I patched things up? If my dad remembered Chronos, he might have realised just how stupid it was trying to model his kids after some impossible figure instead of chasing a dream that could never be. He had this image in his head and after the Spell, he might've thought it was just his ideal guy instead of a real person that he could never replicate. I don't know. I never got to talk to my old man before he passed away."

Hunter shrugged again. "Or maybe I did. I don't know. Maybe we did patch things up and I didn't have this daddy complex that eventually led me to requiring another man's approval which, in turn, led me to being gay."

"You really think that's possible?"

"It happened with you, didn't it?"

A strange, knowing smirk was on Eton's muzzle. "I don't know. How about a test? Take off your pants and see if I get hard."

Hunter jabbed the knives into the stone bench. "Right. Shouldn't we stick the loaves into the oven now?"

Eton rolled his eyes and agreed reluctantly. They placed the ten loaves they had made onto a stone plate lightly greased with butter to prevent the loaves from sticking. Together, they pushed it into the wood fire oven and shut the large, steel door.

"Shouldn't take too long," Eton commented. He sniffed the air and grinned. "You can already smell the parsley and cheddar."

"It does smell nice," Hunter responded, turning back to the knives. He pulled them out and began juggling them once more. He added a third just for good measure. "Anyway, I'm not going to pull my pants down just to prove a point. I don't want Serena suddenly coming in here in that situation. She might think I'm trying to seduce you."

He could just see that situation. Serena was a very nice person - last time he checked. He liked her and was hopeful they could become friends at the very least. In some way, he felt it would be fun to make fun of Eton with her. Comparing notes on their respective love lives while Eton was in earshot range seemed like a fun hobby. The last thing he wanted was to become a wedge between Eton and herself.

Or will I be that if I end up becoming a friend of either...?

"Who says I don't want you to?"

Hunter was surprised by that statement but he managed to maintain his concentration, never skipping a beat with his juggling or lapsing into panic.

"Uh-huh," he responded.

Eton made a puzzled noise. "I was kind of hoping for a more startled reaction."

"When I've got something to distract me, I'm surprisingly clairvoyant." Hunter spared Eton a glance before returning to his juggling. "So... What exactly are you saying, Eton?"

"I'm saying," Eton answered, a smirk on his muzzle, "that just because Chronos made us remember, it doesn't change what we did. It puts a new perspective on things but really, it can't change the past five years."

"Doesn't it nullify the past five years though? I mean, five years spent in hatred is nothing compared to years of unbridled love, right? Love trumps hate? Isn't that how the stories and movies always go? A couple lose their memory or someone gets amnesia, does crazy things for a few select scenes and then just as one of them is about to give up, their memory is returned and they have a fairy tale ending?

Eton folded his broad, muscular arms thoughtfully. "Let me see if I can put this into terms you can understand... What would make for a better story? A couple falling in love, having a whirlwind, seemingly lasting romance to the point where the guy actually had a ring which he was going to use to propose with only for something to occur that wipes their memory. This is followed by the two falling into mutual hatred for one another, finding other people for a short duration and then their memories returned to return to each other's arms or the exact same thing but the two coming to terms with both sides of their relationship, gaining a better perspective on their lives and emotions but still choosing their respective partners?"

Hunter balked for the first time. It was just a brief moment of hesitation and one which he quickly remedied. Just a small skip in his juggling act that caused one knife to be a little closer to the other. "Eton... What are you saying...?"

"That I spent the last five years sucking cock, getting cocks up my ass - sometimes more than one - and I fucking love it. I'm gay, Hunter. And honestly, when I compare the five years I had with Serena compared to the five weeks I've spent with you, I pick you." Eton reached forward and gripped Hunter's waist, the Wulfun catching all three knives he had been juggling and setting them on the table.

"You're shitting me."

Eton's long tongue brushed against his neck. "Try me." For emphasis, he rubbed his crotch against Hunter's ass. There was a definite lump there.

"But... but the kiss! You and Serena!"

Eton's muzzle brushed up against his ear. The touch of the Lupus' warm breath on the sensitive fur made him shiver in delight. "It's impossible to let go of what Serena and I had," said Eton. "But I think it says a lot that I spent five years in love with her and despite that, after just a few weeks, I still choose you."

Without the aid of his juggling act, Hunter was starting to panic with countless possibilities flooding his mind. What if halfway through Eton decided to go back to Eton? What if Serena wanted to get him back? What if Chronos didn't really remind Eton or Serena of their past and it was just some powerful hypnotic suggestion spell that he concocted to control the masses?

Somehow, he managed to compress all his worries into two words. "But why?"

Eton took a moment to reply. Then he said, "I don't know. Maybe it's the way you always freak out whenever things get awkward. Or it could be the fact that when you screw up, you make breathtaking worlds with your fancy crystal cube thing and sing. Maybe still it's the fact that I still want to see that strip video of yours."

"It was a military recruitment video!" Hunter cried. "I didn't strip down into anything except my underwear!"

Smack!

"That came out wrong..."

Eton laughed, kissing his cheek lightly. "Hunter, I can't put one, solid reason as to why I choose you over Serena. You're both great. But Serena and I did spend five years separated from one another, reviling one another and quite frankly, I had sex a lot and only with guys. After living my life as a Paladin with a girlfriend that I couldn't even mess around with, my perspective is pretty skewed."

Hunter gave Eton a surprised look. "You mean in five years you two never...?"

"General Solomon only made that amendment after Chronos blew up the world, remember?"

"Oh right..."

Eton smiled and kissed him lightly. "We both changed in that time. Chronos made us remember but he didn't change who we were. That's impossible."

Hunter's heart skipped a beat. An entire second passed before he could fully comprehend what was happening and what Eton was telling him. He surprised the Lupus by pulling away and standing directly in front of him, eyes locked.

"Okay, I'm not juggling knives and you just dropped a bombshell on me. I'm going to be a little neurotic now."

Eton smiled brightly and folded his arms. His huge frame leaned against the stone table and he nodded. "Okay, shoot."

"Are you sure you're not just bi and this is just a fling?"

"Totally gay." Eton looked idly away. "In fact, the more I look at it now, the more I realise I'm gay. I used to always admire my father's arms. Being a tubby as I was, I used to be jealous of other men with better physiques... My father was quite fit, actually. I wanted to model myself after him so much when I was a kid even to the point where I thoroughly attempted to memorise every inch of his sculpted, bronzed, lean, vascular body down to every cut his tight, compact muscles made against his frame. His cock was pretty juicy too."

Hunter gave Eton a sour look. "You're trying to make me envision you and your father fucking to get me hard, aren't you?"

"Is it working?"

"Not even the slightest. I can't imagine boning any member of my family." Hunter lifted a finger. "If I tried that with my dad, I'd get first degree burns as I'm pretty sure he's frying in some hell somewhere." He lifted another. "My oldest brother is so tight-assed I'm pretty sure that if I tried to stick my cock up his butt, I'd be castrated." He lifted a third finger. "The only family member I'd even remotely consider screwing around with is Jerry but by now, I'm fairly sure he's crawling with so many diseases that he's both the collation of all the evil viral diseases in the world and the first step to a universal panacea."

Hunter shook his head. "Getting side tracked. How do I know those memories from Serena aren't just going to spontaneously resurface and you'd scream out her name during sex?"

"Firstly, never had sex with her, remember?" Eton countered.

"Right! Repressed hormones!"

"Counter argument." He pointed at himself. "Lupus. Fucking and getting fucked by a guy once a week is considered a warning sign to prepare yourself for emasculating comments. I've had sex a lot Hunter. Honestly, my balls are blue right now. We haven't had sex since we left Corona and right now, I really want to get fucked."

"Then who is to say that in one moment where your balls are fit to burst, you don't just grab some other guy and fuck him like crazy?"

Hunter knew he was pushing the limits of his interrogation and he equally knew that at some point, he was going to push too far. Strangely, Eton took it all in stride.

"Well, on that same vein of thought, who is to say that in a bizarre panic attack, you don't go off sleep with your older brothers in a very sexy three-way to bridge the gap between you three?"

"Touché..." Hunter growled softly and ran a paw down his muzzle. "Okay... okay... I'll concede you're undoubtedly gay. Last question..."

"I'm surprised it was so short," Eton snickered.

Hunter swallowed hard. "Why me?"

That caught the big Lupus off guard but only for a moment. A smile crossed Eton's features, his shining ice-blue eyes glistening in the dark kitchen. "Why not?"

"That's not a real answer."

"I honestly don't have a better one apart from..." Eton moved closer to Hunter, wrapping his big paws around the Wulfun's. "... I just love you, Hunter. You have no idea how much you've done for me."

"Like what!?" Hunter exclaimed, throwing his paws into the air. "Get you involved in a world-wide conspiracy concerning Chronomancers, ancient powers and Gods!? Guilt you into pulling me out of a crippling depression that was bordering on suicide!? Make you remember just how much you lost thanks to the machinations of our theological government!?"

Eton continued to smile. "Or you could think of it as you opening my eyes to the truth in the world. Making me realised just how much I care about you and cementing even further that the past is the past and the present is now."

Hunter shook his head. "Eton..."

"Hunter," replied the Lupus, firmly gripping Hunter's paws. "Come what may, right now, I love you. You were so confident about our relationship that you willingly bet on it! And the best thing is, you were right!"

"I... was...?"

"Nothing changed! I still love you! Regardless of what I remember, regardless of what happened or what I felt back then, I still love you."

...

"You realise, of course, Chronos knew this would happen and is probably rolling on the floor laughing, right?"

Eton rolled his eyes and pulled Hunter against his chest. "Come here! Any more talk of Chronos and I'd think he's the one you want to have our first threesome with!"

Hunter couldn't find any reply and just pressed his lips against Eton's. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but think just how lucky he was. Eton chose him. He wanted to keep poking holes in the proclamation, keep asking Eton why after it all he would still pick the neurotic, panicky, idiotic Wulfun over the calm, collected and beautiful Serena.

But then...

Eton pulled their lips apart, smiling softly. "Does that mean you're done playing the Inquisition?"

Returning the smile, Hunter pulled away and gently leaned himself back against the stone table. "Just one last question."

"For some reason, I sincerely doubt that but okay. What is it?"

Hunter pointed past Eton. "Is that thing meant to be smoking?"

Eton spun around, his eyes wide in horror. Plumes of black smoke were pouring out of the oven. Eton's thin fur stood on end as he scrambled to the oven. Hunter couldn't help but laugh even as he grabbed a bucket of water and tossed it into the oven, dousing the flames. Their loaves were ruined but really, he didn't care.

"Hey," Hunter began softly. He picked up a burnt loaf with a pair of tongs. "I know you're horny and all but... can we park the hormones for a bit. We just got back together."

Eton nodded, his ears drooping but it wasn't from the lack of sexual activity. "Yeah, I know. Burnt bread is a bit of a mood killer for me."

Hunter smirked as he sat down set down a large clump of blackened dough. "What? Did your dad used to yell at you whenever you burnt something?"

"Yell. Spank. Beat with a belt. He hated burnt bread."

"Really?" He settled against the stone table, folding his arms. "Tell me more."

The little sparkle in Eton's eyes took away his disappointment at their disastrous baking project. He shut the oven once more, leaving the rest of the evidence inside.

Standing across from Hunter, Eton began with, "Well... Let's see..."