"Papa lost?" Nox's eyes turned upwards and stared into his father's. Of whom shook his head whilst scratching the child's neck fur.

"No," he replied slowly, smiling as his son purred softly, "I simply expended far too much energy necessary to restore those who became my Familiars, and as such, I paid the price for performing thusly."

"Muu. Papa be careful," grumbled the young hybrid, as he snuggled up against the other's abdomen once more. Whereupon he did turn so that his own abdomen was visible to the God King, and was rewarded with it being scratched and tickled. "Nuu," he crowed with glee, lightly attacking the paw which came down to perform such an action against his person.

"I am always careful, Nox," the Ageless gave a dignified expression, one which borderlined haughtiness, "My past self, on the other hand, was far more reckless than needs be."

*****

As such, I did awake from my slumber with Grub standing over my person with a drooling maw and features full of worry. "Master wake," his yellowed eyes bulged as our locked on to one another for a brief moment. Afterwards, he did attempt to embrace my weakened form, but was shoved aside by Brutus and my soon-to-be-Chosen. Of whom were the first to hold my body as they propped it up slowly.

Such a gesture then allotted my person a glimpse of where my person resided, of which was in a grand room of scorched wood and half melted stone. At my feet was the same stone, but half scorched with ashes of what could have been a carpet or rug of some sort. Whereas behind my person was a four posted bed with many a gold filigree etched into the marred posts. The bed itself was large enough to fit a dozen or so Goblins, and appeared to have housed just that. For the covers and sheets were dirtied beyond what was necessary, whereas the area in which I had laid was as white as it should have been.

This was due to the fact that the Summoners had been busy, bringing forth many a dozen Goblins into the world. Whereas King Grub directed them to watching over my person as the city where we were all within burned around our ears.

"Burned?" My voice was hoarse as I coughed the word out, which caused the slapping of many feet to rush off to find a liquid of some sort to quench my thirst, "City?" Both of my hands rose up, and I did spy that they were still illusory as they drifted to my face and hair.

Yes. I was still in my Human guise, but I had to make sure. For my past self desired to be sure with such a thing for some unknown reason. No. I do not recall such a thing, nor do I desire to do so.

After such a ritual was complete, did I stare about their persons, of whom held the appearances of someone who had been worried to the point of becoming ill. Especially Brutus, who even went to such lengths to make sure the drink the Goblins brought back was not fouled. This was done by way of magick, but he had never performed such a thing to anyone's food or drink. Believing that they should be able to perform such a check themselves.

Yes. I had been able to perform such magicks in the past, but upon becoming a Devil King, I did not need to eat or drink to sustain myself. Instead, I used the energy of the world around my person, as well as those who prayed. Which meant yes, I did at one point hear the voices of my people, but have long since removed such a thing. For it is a double edged sword, if one were to rely on that for power, then the sudden lack of voices results in a God's demise.

Of which was what occurred with my person, but I survived, else I would not be here to speak about such a thing.

In any case, I had drunk the liquid slowly whilst everyone watched as I performed such an action. The liquid, by the by, felt as thick as molasses as it traveled down my esophagus, and tasted of nothing. For I had long ago given up on the wonders food and drink could achieve, opting instead, as I once spoke of, of feeding upon the energies of the world and the prayers of those under my person.

After finishing the drink, I turned to stare upon Brutus just as King Grub wormed his way to my the front of my person. Whereupon he did fall to his hands and knees in obvious worship. However, although my far past self would have felt powerful standing above such a creature, the me of that time bade the other to stand, "I do not need your worship, Grub, but I do need a strong entity to drain."

"Ah," Brutus's right primary forefinger rose up in order to intrude upon my words, "I might be able to assist with you, my Lord God," and promptly left the scorched room. Of which he did enter a brittle hallway of the same melted stones and burnt wood, causing more than a few groans of such things as he left my person fully.

"Where has he gone?" came my inquiry, scanning the eyes of those who still remained.

However, of those who remained, only King Grub frantically called out for my attention. For he did leap into the air, frantically pulling on my right hand towards the broken wall to my left. There, he pointed towards the outside, and what I begat was quite amazing, as an entire city of stone and wood was overrun by Goblins that wore tattered leathers whilst holding up iron spears. Each of which were pointed towards a group of barely clothed Beast and Lizardfolk as they were led to varying parts of the city below.

"It appears the Summoners were busy," came my remark with a mirthless chuckle. However, I did spy Brutus running towards one of the groups, bypassing many an angered Goblin as his four clawed hands did reach in and pull out for burly males from them. Each of whom were of the Wolf tribe, and had distinct silvered collars around their necks, marking them as, "Casters."

My eyes flared a baleful crimson, for I had found such beings full of the energies required to keep my person stocked full of energy. Unfortunately, I would need to continue to fill my person with such beings if I were to keep up my excursions as I had performed thus far. Yes. The restoration ritual I had cast would be one of such spells.

"What of Melephas?" I called out, turning away from the world outside just as Brutus began his trek back towards my person, and towards the rest of the group.

To which I was surprised by way of Amira rolling her eyes at the mention of he who called himself my "brother", "He's playing dice with the Goblins." Her own voice held a tinge of disgust as she spoke of such a thing, continuing with, "He's set up something he calls a "Casino" at one of the more fancier inns in the city."

"He tried to use the city's own temple," growled Sisstra, who folded her armoured arms over her chest, "The gall of that Human, Master. If you forbade us from harming him, I'd have his head on a pike by now."

Whereas I merely sighed at everyone present, for the rest of the soon-to-be-Chosen nodded in agreement towards the pair. Each of whom chimed in their own opining of the Mage, or begging my person to rescind his immunities from harm. However, before I was able to respond to their persons, four Wolf Beastmen were tossed near my feet. Each of whom groaned and did their best to stand, but due to the collars around their necks, could not. For such a thing drained their persons of all energies, which included their mental and physical abilities. Thus rendering them helpless to an outside force.

However, there was a drawback to such collars. For if they were removed in a quick fashion, then the one who had once wore such an object would become catatonic. This was due to their absorption of energies to refill their bodies would become too much for their minds and bodies to handle. Whereas those who are familiar with such a process, as I was, would be able to tap into such a thing in order to refill their own stores of magickal energies.

Yes. One by one, I did forcefully remove their collars, draining their persons of energy in order to refill my own. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of what I used to have returned to my person. Which only meant I would need to complete this war sooner, so that I may drain Roj and his Tribunal of Fools as soon as possible in order to feel... full.