“And this only proves I am in the right,” sighed Sarah as she set down the book near the basin of her tub. One where she relaxed in to allow any and all stresses to be washed away. Behind her, a pair of mostly naked Elven women massaged various shampoos into her scalp, causing her eyes to droop as she enjoyed the applications.

“What is that, if I may be so bold to ask, my Lady?” wondered aloud one of the pair.

Which led to the Goddess to smile softly to herself, “The Ageless's past self quickly gave into his lust, so what makes his current self any different?” A small part of herself tried to vocalise that this was not so, as he was 100% faithful to herself and their son, but it was washed away by the current of her most recent thoughts.

Behind her, the pair did not speak out against their Lord, knowing full well that the price could lead to their end just as quickly as the thoughts had formed. Instead, they continued their application of her scalp, until one came over with a golden bucket filled with warm water, which was immediately dumped onto her head.

Her smile never faded as the water was poured, and the colours of her body danced with satisfied merriment. Another pour of water was doused over her head before she climbed out of the pool, the book still upon the basin, untouched by the sloshing water as though it rejected it completely. Whereas the servants present stood tall and dried her body carefully, more so on her more sensitive parts. Thus leading to them spending more time than necessary within the bath house.

Upon her release of the confines within, she skipped merrily down to her room. Along the way, Sarah had a sneaking suspicion she was being watched by something. Glancing around, her colourful eyes widened as the heads of her husband's Living Armour each turned towards herself. Underneath their helmets, a pair of glowing, glowering red eyes watched her as she past them.

It was as though they knew of something, but this ancient race of Armours did not have the capacity to speak vocally. Therefore, their silence spoke volumes of the secret in their minds, but to herself? She was only confused, as her feet brought her swiftly to her room.

Even the ones to the sides of her doors glared at her person, as she entered into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. “What is going on?” she asked the empty room.

“They know of what you've done, Goddess Sarah,” replied a young, but tired voice.

“Who's there?” her eyes widened as she peered around, but found nothing.

“Someone who cares, and doesn't want to see you perish for your foolish deeds.” No body accompanied the voice, as she continued to stare about the room, “If you continue down this road, then... shit. I thought I had more time.”

The door behind Sarah burst forth, rocketing her body into the bed with a yipe escaping her throat. From behind her, Sia and Brutus stood in the doorway with a fury in their eyes as dozens of small Shadowlings scurried into the room. Each running all over the surfaces therein, including the Goddess's own bed where she clung to both the book and her sheets with widened eyes.

“The Temporal Disturbance was just here, Brutus,” commented the skeletal Wolfwoman as she kicked at the air.

“Yes,” nodded the Lich King, “but it seems we have missed it.”

“Brutus! Sia!,” squeaked out a small voice, waving a claw from underneath a few boxes within a far corner of the room, “We founds it!”

Immediately, the pair moved towards the location, and had the others tear apart anything and everything that wasn't important. Clothes, shoes, and special garments were flung behind them and to the side until all that remained were a pair of Shadowlings holding up a jeweler's box with a broken antenna on top. “See, see?” they asked excitedly, “We founds it!”

Brutus leaned forward and took the object from the pair, who then received a pat on the head by Sia as the lights in his eyes flared blue. “What do you make of it, Lord Brutus?” she asked slowly, her lights flashed a light green.

“Unknown, Sia, and we'll need Rojaahn's intake on this,” spoke the other with some curiosity in his voice.

“Um... what's going on?” Sarah's inquiry floated over them, and they turned as one towards herself. Even the Shadowlings joined in on the movement, as their eyes flared a bright red. This resulted in the Wolfwoman to shiver with dread as the group left the room.

As the doors were about to shut, Sia poked her skeletal head back in in order to glare at the Goddess still huddled on the bed. “I thought you were better than this, Sarah.”

“Huh?” the Wolfwoman and her colours swirled with confusion.

“We're all disappointed in you, especially after you hurt our Lord High God like that,” after which she shut the door, not allowing the other to speak up.

“But... what did I do?”

*****

Deep beneath Necropolis was the Undercity, a place where the dead and those whose arts are shunned, thrived just as the world above. Here, the darkest of arts were allowed, but there were rules set in place to keep the unlawful from becoming animals. Such as the Tenets of the Black Parade, and the Laws of the Terran Pantheon. Without these in place, the denizens of the dark would have run rampant upon the Overworld long ago.

Within the centre of the Undercity, however, stood a replica of the castle above. Though, instead of being made of a white stone, its structure was made up of a dark stone which absorbed all darkness. Thereby causing the city to appear as though it were lit up underground, and no longer needed fires or mage lights to fill the streets.

Of which was given the name of Void Stone, as it was harvested from pocket dimensions within the Void itself.

Within the castle itself, and far beneath the throne room, was the dungeon. Inside, the screams of the damned and the dying flooded the hallways, giving off shivers to those not numbed by it all. At the heart of it all was an alchemical lab run by mutated sorcerers who have delved into the madness of each other's psyche, and plied it to their own flesh and bone. In that they each had a variety of various limbs, eyes, and orifices beneath tattered and bloody rags and robes.

Each of theses dedicated themselves to the mysteries of the macabre. Though they've uncovered much, there was still room to grow. Unfortunately, their victims were many, and their screams only added onto the others which flitted around the ears of the damned and dying.

Off to one side, within a sealed room, housed the leader of these “Researchers” was the creature known as Rojaahn. Once a Bear Beastman, now an unnatural Horror, he is the Ageless's Unraveller. In that if there was ever a mystery to be solved, he would leap onto it and abandon anything that was being worked on previously.

Here, the Ageless and Horror stood near one another as the latter tinkered over the odd jewelry box found in the former's wife's room. Half a dozen mouths were present on the creature's features, and each were frowning as the item was broken apart and examined. Every now and again, chanting in various voices were heard coming from him, but each faded away with a huff.

Soon enough, the item in question was laid out in pieces over a blood stained counter, and the creature slowly turned to his Lord High God with a frown as a multitude of voices spoke as one, “It'S onLY An ampLiFIER, mY LorD HigH GOD. The reAl iteM for tHe diSTubanCe iS noT amOng it.”

“Is that so?” the God King's voice hummed slowly, his tails flicking with annoyance.

Rojaahn spotted the disappointment in his master's eyes, and decided to change the subject immediately, “Is it TrUE wE'rE goiNG to HAve AnothER FeaST?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes. There will be around six individuals, all female,” he commented slowly, his eyes growing cold with hatred as his pupils flared an icy blue.

“FemAlEs, LoRD?” the Horror's body writhed underneath the stained robes, and a dozen tentacles emerged unbidden, “AnD thEIr CriMes?”

“Breaking my heart.”

“ThEN WE shoulD BreaK thEM Now,” rage filled Rojaahn's entirety, the tentacles retreating in order to pull out various torture tools ranging from scalpels to bone saws. His body then turned away in order to reach for the door, but paused as it reached for the handle. “My LORd high GoD... WhEre ARE theY?”

The Ageless then chuckled at the sight, his Unraveller quivered with embarrassment as he stepped forward in order to lie a paw atop the other's shoulder, “Now is not the time, nor will you be able to have them until after they've shown us where the rest of the infestation lies.”

“LoRD?”

“You see, Rojaahn,” the paw was retracted as it bunched into a fist, his own eyes becoming a pair of orbs devoid of colour as fumes of chaotic energy drifted around his body, “we have been made aware of more... rats in our System. So instead of conducting the Feast immediately, they are being used as lures to fetter them out of their holes.”

Multiple eyes blinked upon the Horror known as Rojaahn, “ThATs... actUALLy a GOOd ideA.”

“I am aware,” his features and voice took on a somber tone as he continued, “Unfortunately, one of the lures was something you created long ago. One which was a mistake in the eyes of all who knew about it, and,” he took a slow breath as sadness caused his eyes to swirl with a tinge of violet, “I'm afraid they were right all this time.”

Realisation immediately dawned upon the other as the memory of a long ago request made by the Ageless surfaced into his mind, “No... LoRD, shE was MADE PerFEct iN aLL ThInGs!”

“I am aware, Rojaahn,” the male Kitsune bobbed his head sadly a few times, “but it is as they had told us so long ago.

“Created love is not true love.”

*****

By morning, the air had changed within Karastak's mansion, and nearly all could feel it. Annata walked around in her gown as though she had gone on a long horse ride for several hours, whereas their master held the air of satisfaction about him as he strutted in only a pair of trousers. His demeanour was better as well, less brooding and more joyous as he swooped down upon Puella before she could break her fast.

The child yelped with surprise before giggling as she was spun around in the hallway in front of the door leading to the dining room. One where Lupa paused nearby to knuckle her eyes before glancing upon the scene with a yawn. “Morning,” she mumbled, and was lifted into the air to rest against his chest.

“Morning,” he grinned at the pair just as the Cat-kin hugged his neck with another giggle.

“That was fun, Mr. Kar,” she smiled before leaping off from her perch, straightening her gown, and skipping into the dining hall. Thus leaving the pair behind her, the sounds of chair legs being dragged across the floor was heard from within.

“You're happier,” the Wolfgirl commented as the pair entered into the room. From behind, others filed in as well just as Karastak set her down into a seat to the left of Puella. After which he settled down into a chair across from them.

“I am, indeed.” A smile stretched across his lips as his eyes fell upon the pair before him. The younger of the two children hummed an off key tune to herself, whereas the older perked her ears at his person with some curiosity. “Perhaps I should take the opportunity which has presented itself before my very person more often.”

“What'd you do?” Lupa's own eyes drooped with some suspicion.

“Something which I will not speak of in front of children, no matter how old they were in a previous life.” Upon finishing, the doors opened to reveal the Rabbit-kin, of whom still walked with a soreness that was visible to all. Those who knew what this meant kept it to themselves with a small smile or grin, whereas the Wolfgirl shot a glance towards himself. One that revealed she knew what had happened, and he gave her a knowing smile just as several push-carts were rolled out. Each were covered in various foods or drinks as the rest of the household filed in in order to break their fast of the morning.