Jaden lay unconscious upon the ground. He snapped his eyes open and jolted his body upright. A sharp pain filled his senses, forcing itself into every fiber of his being. "What the hell happened?"

You fully activated the skill, despite my warning. Effects to follow. Skill Set [Divine Void](Formerly [Divine Intervention]):

[Void Sphere](Formerly [Divine Bubble]): The Divine Energy that produced an impenetrable barrier has become warped from the Void aspect of the Anomaly. It is now a corrosive barrier. Anything, hostile or friendly matters not, coming in contact from outside the barrier will be disintegrated. It is possible to overcharge the Sphere forcing a void explosion. Not recommended. Ever.

[Spacial Blending]: From within the barrier a spacial distortion makes short-range teleportation possible.

[Void Corruption]: Each use of [Divine Void] will further corrupt what remains of the Divine energy you still possess until only the Void remains.

He rubbed his painfully throbbing head while absorbing the information. "What happens when I'm fully corrupted?"

Do I look like I have all the answers?

"My apologies, I mistook you for a perfect system." Jaden looked around, seeing only a flat empty plain bereft of life. "...Where am I?"

It's fair you wouldn't recognize your home in its current state, so I won't judge you too harshly.

Images of everyone he knew and cared for flashed through his mind. He shook his head. "Then what of my clan?"

They're alive. I can't see beyond that.

Jaden's face hardened. He heard something running; whatever it was he sensed an urgency behind their pace. He opened his map. The Liralau? And she's coming from the rat nest.

He relaxed and rose to his feet. He turned in the direction he could hear her footfalls were coming from and waited. Before long, the feline appeared in his vision running on all fours. She stopped nearby and stood up on her hind paws. A golden and ornately colored short fur dominated her tiny frame.

"Royalty?" Jaden asked rubbing his eyes. Just how long was I out?

"Never mind that for now." she averted her eyes as he looked her over, "They need you."

"I'll assume you're referring to my clan." Jaden sighed. "My mind blanked, so give me the condensed version of what happened."

"There's no time." she turned around and bolted in the direction she came from. She'd traveled 30 meters before she was halted in her tracks, a firm grip on her wrist held her in place. "I'm making time."

"You don't understand..." the Liralau pleaded, "We have to hurry."

"Fine, tell me on the way." Jaden glanced in the direction she was headed. He expressionlessly scooped her into his arms and took off running. "Now talk."

"You don't know anything from two weeks ago?" Jaden simply nodded in response.

"Whatever you did..." he felt her body shiver. "You harbor a power the scale of which I doubt this world is ready for."

He ran in silence, waiting for her to continue. "You moved the city."

"Huh?"

"You moved the city. I don't know how, nor do I want to. Creepy darkness ate the city and everyone in it, with you as its origin. When we could see again, none of us recognized where we were. We were together, but you were nowhere to be found."

"The ratfolk?" Jaden asked.

"They invaded the city. I wish I knew how they found the new location." she held her breath, "After several days of fighting a losing battle we surrendered. They took everyone to the nest, and that's when I came looking for you."

Hearing that, his grip tightened on her body; she winced in pain. He kicked the ground, modifying his course as he ran, he left the path and headed straight for the nest.

I hope they know the ire they've brought upon themselves. His death grip on me suggests a bleak future.

Health pool: 15/1000

"Hey," Jaden asked suddenly, "Was anyone hurt?"

"From what I could tell, no. Only repeatedly engaged until they lacked the energy just to stand."

Jaden's grip relaxed slightly. "And you?"

"Brawn picked me to 'play with'." she smiled self-deprecatingly. "After his pitiful display against you, I didn't realize he was holding back too."

"You're saying he could have won?" Jaden asked doubtfully.

"I'm just saying it's a possibility."

Queen clapped her hands thrice, galvanizing her subjects into action.

"For the Horde!" her subjects screeched, then busied themselves in all manner of tasks, from preparing exotic meals to preparing guest rooms for occupants.

Forgive my methods, King, but you forced my hand. Queen mused to herself as she took part in preparing a meal. I just hope you're not too upset to hear my tale. After all, both our races have suffered.

"Queen, are you sure you want to assist... you're overheating the oil." Cook interrupted her thoughts.

"What I wouldn't give for the [Cooking] skill." she sighed in resignation, "I want you to set aside time for me again."

Cook shuddered, "Just so long as I don't have to eat your failures anymore. I doubt the hole in my gut will ever fully heal."

"Eating my cooking should be considered an honor." she retorted.

"An honorary death at best," he muttered under his breath.

"If I'm unable to gain [Cooking] under your tutelage by the time the King arrives, your life is forfeit." Queen declared.

"Can I just kill myself now?" Cook asked seriously, a frown evident on his face.

"You have so little faith in your ability?" Queen questioned raising her eyebrow.

"On the contrary, I have full confidence in your ineptitude and wish to spare myself the agony of trying," Cook replied with a sigh.

"Request denied." Queen shook her head. "You're our best cook, which is why you're still around even after all the insults. I'll be back later for instruction."

Cook was left dumbfounded as Queen abandoned the hot oil and left the kitchen without another word. Cook's death wails ricocheted throughout the nest halting all activity momentarily.

"Sounds like Queen is going to try her hand at cooking again."

"How many times has she tried to learn now? Twenty?"

"Not everyone is meant for the kitchen, she should just focus on ruling, that is her forte after all."

"I'm not so sure about that, her diplomacy etiquette is right up there with her cooking ability."

"Perhaps, but she gets results."

"I want this place spotless and a feast prepared for our prisoners!" Queen shouted through the nest.

"There goes her latest diplomacy failure... prisoners? Feast?"

"She's brilliant." a new voice interjected.

"How do you figure? Who sends a war party to impress a potential mate?"

"The war party was the invitation; she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. They're more like guests than prisoners anyway, they're all getting pampered in our finest rooms. They're like royalty here. Even that one that can't move we have our best alchemist tending to her."

"You're as messed up in the head as she is."

"Tell me you're not excited that despite his disinterest, the king will be here any day now.."

"...And given the circumstances of his arrival, do you think it will be a peaceful visit?"

"It's highly likely," Brawn spoke in passing while shaking his head with a sigh, "such a waste of strength, skill, and talent."

"Didn't he beat you, Brawn?"

"It was just a fun spar as far as I was concerned, I didn't expect him to suddenly get serious." Brawn rubbed a lump on his head, "From a raw strength standpoint he is the victor, but that's not all that matters in a fight."

Brawn headed to the kitchen. "He's a strange Brawn. The only one I know who has a solid mind about combat, even if everything else is mush."

"Brawn are better off that way... the things they have to do, it's better not to comprehend."

"Stepped on by a catastrophe you say?" Alchemist inquired.

"That's what I said," Brains replied, "Don't ask how she's still alive, I don't know either and I watched it happen. What I do know, she's very important to the King, so make sure she gets better."

"R-right..." Alchemist looked her over. "I'd rather find out how she survived."

"Restoring her health is your only concern." Brains reminded, "We need to convince King we are beneficial to him."

"Why are we going through all this trouble? Isn't that our King as the prophecy dictates?" Alchemist asked.

"He's named... all of them are." Brains replied.

"N-named? A-All of them?" Alchemist stuttered as he shuddered.

"So you understand." Brains nodded, "They've been unbound from the shackles of predetermined destiny, they forge a new path in life now."

"Who wields such power?" Alchemist grabbed hold of Brains who shook his head.

"I don't know, but we're going to do everything we can to keep our own destiny from falling apart." Brains gestured to Vivian, "I'll wager she's been fighting her own fate for a while now. The hand of death intervened when she was up against that catastrophe, made her defense fail and so she got crushed. Some miracle intervened after that though and she still lived. The catastrophe nearly stepped on her once more. That had to be the hand of death trying to reach for her again, only to be foiled by the King."

"She had to have cheated death before that..." Alchemist surmised.

"If this is King's mother, I'd go as far as to say she should have died the day he was born. Or more accurately, she was supposed to die. Fight on, woman. Your existence is an inspiration to everyone alive."

Brains observed as Alchemist selected a vial and poured the contents in her mouth. "Your strongest one?"

Alchemist nodded somberly in response, he couldn't tell if it had any effect or not.

Emily's eyes sparkled as rat handmaidens presented her with hundreds of dresses. "Miss, these are the...?" Emily ran around the room gleefully; her excitement pushed the cork off the bottle and she exploded with smiles, joy, and merriment. She ran circles around the several handmaidens, danced circles around the room, finally somersaulting and landing on the bed to catch her breath.

"Wow...Okay, as I was saying. These are the finest clothes, and the height of fashion here in Talhaven. If you'll pick one, we'll help you get dressed..."

"All of them!" an excited, yet out of breath reply came from the little heap on the bed.

"A-all? Miss, pardon but there are nearly three hundred dresses here..." the handmaiden gulped.

"And timesh washting!" Emily beamed. "I need to try them allllllllllll on!"

"Right away!" the handmaiden clapped her hands. Emily was assaulted by four pairs of hands, stripping her clothes and getting her into dresses one after another.

"Too tight, too loosh, not enough color, too much color..." Emily started to find fault with each dress.

Finally, the last dress came up. "Pash, that one ish ugly."

"This is every dress available in your size." the handmaiden was fearful what Queen would do if they weren't able to satisfy this little one.

Emily weaved her way through the room and the mess of dresses. Sifting through she picked up an aquamarine dress with a purple bow that she'd previously complained was too tight. "Thish one."

"Miss..." the handmaiden sighed, "that's the first dress you tried on."

"Your mishtake for not shaving it till lasht." Emily smiled brightly, "I shaid I wanted to try them all on! Shtill, thish ish my favorite one."

"Very well." They had her in the dress and all dolled up in no time.

"Did we overdo it? She outshines Queen now..."

Molli was ripe with worry over Emily when her door burst open and several handmaidens entered carrying a series of dresses. "Miss, if you'll please select an outfit for the feast to be held later today..."

"You just played dress up with my Emily, I can tell from your wary expressions." Molli smiled for the first time in two weeks, "I don't understand why you attacked us though."

"The will of the Queen is the will of the Horde." they shrugged, "We do as ordered."

"Ehm... why are you hiding that dress?" Molli asked.

"This is the same style and color dress the little- er Emily ended up choosing, after trying on every dress, so I was trying to save it for last..."

"That won't be necessary, I'll just wear that one." relief washed over the handmaidens' expressions. "You treat us like royalty, but why are we being isolated from each other though? I mean, we surrendered."

"The will of the Queen." they shrugged. "Often we wonder what she is thinking with her actions."

Anya paced her room in anxiety. This is wrong. This isn't home. This is...

The door to her room opened startling her. The plants surrounding her shriveled and withered instantly.

"Miss? Please try to relax..."

I don't belong here. This is not my territory. I can't heal Vivian here. I can't...

Anya's frantic ranting filled their minds. "Please, try to calm yourself..."

The others, are they safe? I can't sense anything or anyone... I'm lost in darkness.

If only I hadn't evolved. If only.. I'd been able to protect myself and everyone. The gentle and fragile grasses growing from her head turned into thorns. Take me back to my paradise. My Territory. My Home.

Anya. Be calm.

Jaden? But how? I'm not in my territory. I can't sense you. How can I hear you?

I'm almost there, I'll take everyone home soon. Just be patient a little longer.

"Orders from Brains, the three males are to be moved to a single room."

"For the Horde!"

"Honestly, a simple 'okay' would suffice at times like this." Brawn mused as he took a bite of fresh bread he liberated from the kitchen.

In short order, Brawn was waiting near the room, watching Evan, Bayne, and Daryl getting ushered in at spear point. Seems they resisted a bit. Stupid, but gutsy. Brawn chuckled lightly. He struck up an imposing demeanor and made sure to shake the ground with every step he took closer to the door.

He pushed the door open, and three pairs of terrified eyes greeted him. He laughed it off as he slammed the door behind him and walked casually to the table. "Nice to see you, boys, again."

"Nothing nice about it." Daryl retorted.

"You get to know you're all still alive and well, isn't that a bonus to seeing me?"

"..." Daryl couldn't argue that he'd been worried over Evan's safety and now he knew for a fact he's unharmed.

"Your women are fine too. But that one plant woman, she's a bit... well. Off the cuff. We're doing everything we can for that other woman too."

"I don't understand, what do you gain by healing her?"

"A King's debt of gratitude hopefully." Brawn shrugged, "Queen intends to become his partner, as dictated by our prophecy."

"I've heard nothing about that." Daryl rebuked, "I am a prophet, something of that nature concerning my race's savior should be privy to me."

"The paperwork must have gotten hung up in the system somewhere. Our own prophet has become a right mess." Brawn shrugged then pointed at Evan. "You. Sit."

Daryl grabbed his son's shoulder, "I don't understand your methods."

"I'm a Brawn, not a Brains. It's all over my head." the rat-man smiled disarmingly. "Sit."

Evan felt a pull at the back of his mind, something started demanding he listens to Brawn at this moment. Like a puppeteer guiding him into a specific course of action. Evan brushed his father's hand off his shoulder and took the chair.

"What's your name?" Brawn looked at him curiously.

"Evan."

"What does destiny mean to you?"

"Destiny is a road, paved in permanence; it can't be deviated from. Prophecies are a destiny. We all have our own road to follow."

"A good answer." Brawn nodded, then countered, "But wrong."

Evan looked at the rat-man confused and waited for him to continue, "There are anomalies throwing destiny off course." Brawn sighed, "We are struggling to keep our own 'road' as you call it, in place."

"Such beings exist?" Bayne interrupted.

"There are three such beings in this room with me, three more isolated, one more that we're currently trying to heal. Let's not forget the one who should be our King, he's on his way here I'm sure." Brawn continued, "Our prophecy said that when we found our king, he would have the appearance of a four-year-old, and he'd be alone in the woods."

"We combed that forest found neither hide nor hair of anything aside from Beldereavers." Brawn sighed.

"That's enough Brawn." Brains pushed the door open, "You'll hurt yourself if you think too much."

"Thanks, I did feel the gears inside starting to grind." Brawn uncorked a bottle and took a swig.

"Allow me to finish what he was getting at." Brains took a seat next to Brawn. "Prophecies are indeed set in permanence, normally. And they resist change."

"All our actions... everything we've done. I'd like to say that my success was from my own doing. Fact is, I only succeeded because my path to victory was predetermined. Sure, you lot can alter your own road and make deviations, but it's fighting back against what you do to maintain a much bigger picture."

"I don't get it Brains," Brawn said and took a bite of bread.

"It's fine Brawn, they do." Brains sighed lightly. "Now, I'd like to get the matter why I've brought you three here."

"When you were named what was the intent you received from the name-giver?" Brains asked seriously.

"Intent?" Brains received three blank stares.

"You...weren't given any direction, just a name?" Brains paled considerably, "And the women?"

"I can't say for Vivian she had her name before she named the rest of us."

"I'm confused," Brawn stated and took a long drink.

"As am I Brawn." Brains took the bread from Brawn and took a hearty bite before returning it. As he chewed it, some color returned to his face.

"My bread, Brains." Brawn frowned, "My head hurts more than yours."

"Not today I'm afraid." Brains replied as screeches filled the nest. "Seems our King has arrived."

Lulu rubbed her face in disbelief as she observed herself in the mirror. She was certain the debris that struck her from the explosion would have marred her skin, but there she was looking as pristine as ever. "I don't know what was in the mixture, but it's a miracle."

"Excuse me," her door opened and Queen walked in.

"And you are?" Lulu turned away from the mirror.

"I am Queen of this little nest, Talhaven." she curtsied serenely.

"Talhaven is your name?" Lulu asked.

"No, the name of the nest. Queen isn't my name either; it is my role. My duty, and my title. None of us here have names, no one is capable of giving them. What is your name? And the purpose behind it?" Queen spoke with obvious reverence.

"I'm Lulu, but what do you mean, the purpose of it?" Lulu asked, "I suppose I was originally named "Matriarch" I'm unsure if there was a purpose behind that, but I asked for a different name, and I received Lulu instead."

"I had assumed you were the fated child's mother, and you'd named everyone else." Queen took a step back in shock, "You are the oldest among them after all."

"Damn!" Lulu turned to the mirror and looked closely upon herself. She looked as youthful as ever.

"Age goes far beyond skin deep. The old man in appearance is less than half what he looks like, while you are double." Queen stated, "Everyone else looks their age. Since you are not his mother, perhaps you can tell me who is."

"Vivian is." Lulu replied, "We were trying to aid her healing when you attacked us. We had her bathing in as potent a passive healing mix as we could prepare, I hope that wasn't discarded... we added a potent healing solution the likes of which we'd never seen before. Taking her and Anya from the city wasn't a wise move either, but who am I to judge the decisions of royalty?"

"Oh... I wonder at what point she left?" Lulu mused to herself.

Queen dashed through the halls, bumping into servents left and right as she made her way to the infirmary. She slammed the door open to see Alchemist injecting a concoction into Vivian's arm.

"Where's the water she was in?" Queen gasped for air.

"Repurposed... most of it was primitive compared to what we can prepare, but there was something I used to enhance the shot I just gave her." Alchemist replied smugly.

"For the sake of the nest, you'd better be right." Queen's eyes flashed dangerously, "If she dies in our care... no god will be able to change our new fate."

"Calm down Queen. Her condition just stabilized. She'll be able to recover naturally the rest of the way, but as for how long that will take... I can't say."

"You always know how long it takes to heal, how can you not in this case?" Queen asked.

"She has a health pool the likes of which I've never known could exist."

"King approaches!" the nest sentries saluted sharply with their spears. Jaden paused in his run, Sasha started incremental increases on his mother's health pool before it settled on a number.

Health pool: 25/1000

...Despite them attacking and forcefully taking my clan, I'm in their debt for healing Mother? Jaden scratched his head. Assaulting their home as I'd planned doesn't seem like the proper course now...

"Can you put me down, I think I can keep up from here."

"Oh right." Jaden near dropped her unceremoniously, but thought better of it and set her down on her feet. He walked passed the sentries, entering the nest proper.

The sentries didn't move until they heard the door close. "Man, King is intense." the left sentry stated as he relaxed.

"I don't know what... but something happened that saved us from certain doom." the right sentry replied.

"We saluted properly, that's what."

"Keep telling yourself that, he looked at us like two dead rats until just before he walked by."