AN: The votes are in from yesterday's poll, and most are undecided. Well, can't say I blame them, really. Anyways, tomorrow is April Fool's Day, and I've nothing really planned for it. Which means I'm not going to prank people beyond that glitter bomb I sent someone. So blame Admin if something happens to the site.

Anyways, thank you for reading thus far. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don't hesitate to post them below or in my PM box. Even if it's just a "Thanks for the chapter", I'd love to read it. You guys are way too quiet, ya know?

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"How long did it take for us to realise the creature was amongst us?" Is what you are all asking within your hearts. The answer to such a question is, though it pains me to say it, "Not until after we had reached the base of the mountains."

For you see, the small stone-like creature had latched itself onto one of my leg bones, and did not seem too bothered by the poison it was coated in. In fact, it seemed to revel in such a thing. Of which earned its place amongst our number, for I was intrigued by such a creature. "My Lord God?" Asked Brutus, whose emerald eyes were upon the creature as it embraced the foreclaw upon my right primary clawed hand.

"Such an intriguing creature, wouldn't you agree, Brutus?" My own crimson orbs reduced themselves to pinpoints, as I continued to watch the creature dance upon my clawed hand. "It appears to be resistant to my acidic poisons. I have not seen such a creature since our time upon Terra."

"Of which you had the entire tribe wiped from the face of the world in the off chance another of their number proved to be resistant to your poisons as the female was," spoke up a skeletal Undying, whose eyes of sapphire continued to watch the creature which had the tip of my clawed forefinger inside its head. Rather, what I assumed was its head, as it did not have any eyes to indicate where it might be located. No, instead, its body seemed to open and close all over its small frame, absorbing its nutrients in such a manner.

"Regardless of what had happened within the past, we must strive forwards with heads aloft towards the future," my voice dropped lower, as it grew much colder, "We shall retake our world of Terra soon enough, and when we do, nothing will take it from us again. This I swear to you all."

Iron striking iron flowed around us, as all struck their chests in salute to my continuing vow towards them all. They then turned towards the mountain, scattering to search for the ruins about it in quick succession, whereas I turned my attention towards the small stone-like creature who was busy trying to suck out the poisons within my clawed hand. However, instead of allowing this to continue, my left clawed hand gingerly raked a claw full of stone from the side of the mountain.

Much of it was coated in my poisons, which caused the small creature to turn towards the hissing and popping sounds coming from the pile as it appeared near it. With great elation, a small squeak erupted from its body, and it leapt onto the now small pool of acidic stones. It then rolled its body around the substance, absorbing it much like a rag would with spilt liquid upon a hard surface.

"Gahn," my voice was quiet, as I stared upon the small creature rolling around upon the palm of my clawed hand, "Your name will be Gahn, and you shall journey with me until we claim our world of Terra once more." From my statement, curious energies flowed from my person in the form of silver mists, and wrapped themselves about the small creature now known as Gahn. From there, the energies flowed into my chest, binding the creature to my person forevermore. Though, of course, I did not know this at the time, and would only come to realise the meaning of such words at a much later date.

Soon after this binding took place, my Undying returned with news of the ruins. "We have found them, Master," claimed one of the female Undying, whose body was of a serpent, "It is not as guarded as one would believe."

"Perhaps they believe themselves safe because of the mountains surrounding it," chimed in a male wolf Undying.

"Regardless of the why of such actions," muttered Brutus who had conjured up a host of ghostly skeletons, "When do we attack, My Lord God?"

"We strike now," my voice shook the earth as my body stood tall, and turned towards the mountains themselves, "Now, while we hold the element of surprise."

*****

"Is everything prepared for tomorrow night's ritual?" Asked a nasally and high pitched voice belonging to a mutated and hunchbacked human, whose face looked as though it was tenderised by several small hatchets before sewn onto its misshapen skull. Indeed, the skull was deformed enough to make its mother cry, as horns and feelers had sprout forth from the left side of its face, marking it even more hideous than the bulbous hump upon its back. What was more startling were the creature's eyes, as its right was far larger than its left, and took up one fourth of its skull. Perhaps if such a creature was not my enemy, it would have become a tool for my own needs, but such a thing was not possible at this point in time.

No, but on a later date...

"Yes, Lord," whispered a normal sized human male, whose entire body was covered in scar tissue and pus filled welts. This male, like all others within a cavernous hall beneath the ruined castle of the Blood King, wore only a loincloth whilst showing off their scars and welts to the world. It seems the more scars and welts a human has, the higher standing it gains as a result. Which means the hunchback was their leader, whereas the one it spoke to was the next in line.

No. If I had more time upon the world called Nova, I would have poisoned their minds enough into joining my side. However, as things stood, I had only a single turn of the sun to complete our mission and return the princess to her father. Else, we would not be able to visit the "tribunal" once more.

"Everything is prepared. All that is left is the full moon's zenith upon the morrow, and your presence," it sneered in secrecy at the back of the creature, believing it was doing so in secret. Unbeknownst to it, the hunchback was viewing its reaction upon its person by way of a small mirror.

"Good," it hissed slowly, stowing away the mirror with its own version of a sneer. It turned around to glare at the human before it, whose expression had become neutral, and caused the other to question whether or not its eyes had seen what it saw within the mirror. "Very go-," the creature's words were cut off, as the whole of the cavern shook under a great weight. "What was that?" Its voice grew in pitch, as its eyes moved in search of the disturbance that caused the shaking.

The sound of feet slapping against stone alerted the pair, who turned in time to see a dark robed human shouting, "We're under attack," as it ran past them. However, its head soon rolled back towards the two, and spied the facial expression full of shock and pain, as something metallic scraped itself upon the stone floor.

"Hurry, Lord," hissed the scarred human whose arms flailed in motioning the smaller towards its position upon the opposite wall, "We must leave before-"

"Ah," hissed a voice, as a sickly green smoke filled the whole of the chamber, "Found you at last." A pair of glowing crimson orbs floated above them, as they noticed the ceiling being eaten away by something acidic in nature.

"Gather them all," its voice shook the earth, causing the pair to fall onto their hind ends as they stared upon a great, four-armed skeletal being before them, "We shall complete this in time to greet the tribunal, Brutus."

"Indeed, My Lord God," spoke another voice, whose body was still shrouded within the smoke.

*****

"Well?" I had sat upon the crumbling rampart of the old castle as all of the near naked humans were paraded before my person. Each was mutated in some way, and had a variety of scars and pustules about their bodies. The lot of them were curious in my eyes, but none of them seem to be female in the least.

"The king's daughter is not amongst them, Master," reported a female Undying, whose body was in the form of a small wolf, "They do not seem to know where she was kept, and most did not know what we were speaking of when questioned." By 'questioned', the female Undying was speaking of the torture session Brutus the Lich put them under in order to ferret out any and all knowledge of what we desired.

"What of that one?" My right, lesser clawed hand pointed towards the bound hunchback, whilst my left was currently within the maw of Gahn who had sat upon my left femur. No emotion was seen upon its features, as it continued to try its best to sap my poisons from my body.

She shrugged her shoulders slowly, primary arms raised as her head shook from side to side, "Then bring them here, and I shall take from it, everything." The female did so, not caring for the thing as she shoved its small form close enough for my right primary clawed hand to reach forth, grasp its body, and lift it close to my skull.

"I shall ask only once, thing," my voice was barely a hiss, which turned into a great roar as I asked, "Where. Is. The. Princess?" The earth about my person shook greatly, causing much of the mountain to create several avalanches of rock and earth.

Its eyes had been glaring towards my skull, but after my question, they had rolled backwards as he fainted from the stress of my voice. This reaction caused my mental state to become angered, to which I growled, "If you will not speak, then I shall take everything within your mind. So give it to me, for I desire it greatly. >."

The thing in my grasp screeched a high pitch screeched, as my magicks tore their way into his mind. Within the shadows, a robed creature emerged with a scream of, "NO," as it revealed itself to be a female with soft facial features and golden blonde hair. There was even a small, silver tiara upon her head which accented her sapphire and gold eyes.

"Stop," she rushed my person, only to be apprehended by Brutus, whose eyes glared down upon her self, then tore off the robe about her person to reveal a mist linen dress. Mist linen, by the by, is a transparent fabric which allows the world to see everything, and many females have found it comfortable to wear underneath their clothing.

The hunchback within my grip had fallen to the ground at this point, as my attention was now upon the female who had fallen upon her hands and knees. Yes, the silvered orb had formed outside of the creature upon the ground, and yes, it did flow into my skull, but I did not pay heed to the images flitting through my mind. "You are the princess?" My voice shook the earth, as I looked more closely upon her figure.

By Terra's standards, the female before us would have just barely come of age, as she had the figure and form of one who had just become an adult. However, upon Nova, their standard for females becoming of age is around twelve cycles old. Far too young, if one had asked me, and yes, their laws would change once we returned upon a later date.

"Cornelius," she whispered frantically, cradling the misshapen head within her arms. It seems she had snuck closer to the thing nearest my clawed feet, as I had not noticed her movements. "Are you okay?"

"P-prince-," it began. One of its hands slowly touched her cheeks, just as streams of tears flowed freely upon the creatures own face.

"That is enough," I commanded, forcing the both of them to focus upon my person with heated expressions, "Are you, or are you not, the princess who was kidnapped?"

"What? What lies and slan-"

"Answer the question, thing," Brutus hissed, a broken sword pointing towards the creature upon the ground.

Her eyes widened at such an action, and shielded it with her body, "No, I won't let you hurt my beloved." The pair was separated shortly thereafter, which elicited a scream from their mouths.

Reaching down, I once more scooped up the creature, and intoned the spell, ">." This time, however, I took everything from his mind, which gave me the information I needed most. Which was yes, that was the kidnapped princess before us, and she was crying as I dropped the lifeless body of the hunchback upon the ground.