“Look over here Grandma, there are lots of them!” A young boy with black hair shouted excitedly, bouncing up and down. He hopped from one exposed tree root to another, holding his wobbling, brown flat cap in place with his left hand and pointing towards a patch of red-spotted, low-to-the-ground bushes with his right.

“Those are wild berries dear, a few is fine but take care not to eat too many.” An elderly woman with curling white hair called back, pushing her pink panama over top of her eyes.

The child got onto his knees and started piling the small fruits onto his palm, occasionally popping one into his mouth. “They're just raspberries aren't they?” He asked while simultaneously chewing, spitting red splotches onto his bright yellow t-shirt. “What's the harm in it?”

“Your lips should remain sealed until there's nothing left on your tongue. Only when you can speak without showering your company in juice can you open them.”

“Ah!” he hollered and jumped onto his feet. “There's blueberries here too!” He sprinted forward as fast he could, diving down onto his stomach. He grabbed a handful in one sweep and bit into them all at once. With a loud, exhilarating hum, he declared, “They're so sour! Do you think you'd be able to put these in a pie later Grandma?”

...

The boy shied away from the food, propped himself up on one arm and looked over his shoulder. “Grandma?”

The old lady held a white handkerchief out in front of her, pulling it taught. Her neck was cranked a full ninety degrees from her grandson and her stare was cold, yet her eyes glistened with concern. Her entire body was stiff, not showing any sign of movement whatsoever. “That's...” She whispered quietly.

The boy followed her gaze to a teenage girl with silver hair stumbling from tree to tree, using them as support. She clutched the patch covering her left eye loosely and dragged a once-white hoodie, now stained an assortment of colours through the grass behind her. Her hands and knees were caked with dark, wet mud and she panted, grunted, or did both with every step.

The older woman pushed her panama down, casting a shadow over her face. “Whatever twits did that to her are lucky. It looks like she chose to walk away, or rather allowed herself to be pulled away.”

“Do you know her Grandma?”

She nodded slowly. “As do you sweety.”

“I do?” He looked at the stumbling girl with bags under her eyes. “I feel like you're right... but I'm sure I've never met her.”

“You haven't.”

“I haven't?”

The grandmother then walked at a brisk place towards the lass. “Come now. We must repay the favour.”

“What favour?”

* * *

A plague... Humankind is a plague. Stop the spread, turn them to ash.

“Again? Just shut up already.” Luna spat as she gripped a branch hanging just over her head. “I don't give a damn about humans, but I'm not going to take orders from anyone or anything else. If I kill them, it'll be because I've decided to.”

Insolence... She suddenly dropped to her knees with an immense jolt of pain and gritted her teeth. Her hand involuntarily began to reach for her eye patch yet she held it back with her other. This is our destiny. Our purpose. We cannot coexist with them. We are living evidence of the sins of humanity. We are the result of their failures, their shortcomings, their mistakes, and their guilt. Kill them before they kill us.

“I told you to shut up.” Luna snarled as her fangs bared and her nails sharpened. “You don't sound like Abaddon. Who are you?”

The humans... The voice turned into a low growl and a grey, scaly hand with talons as long as Luna's forearm grasped her shoulder. A drop of a warm liquid landed on her head then turned into a steady fall of crimson down her face, creating a pool in front of her. It spoke again, releasing a black mist that stunk of death. Give them to me. Finish what your father couldn't. Earn your keep. Kill them, kill again then kill some more. Slaughter them all. Massacre every last one of them. Tear them limb from limb. Punish them for their transgressions. Eradicate them!

“You poor thing... they've absolutely ruined your sweater, haven't they?” A sweet voice asked. “Are you stuck, dear?”

“Get lost.” Luna barked, her voice coarse like sandpaper and her tone threatening.

“I'm afraid that won't do, so let me help you instead. You're too young to lose already after all.”

Luna began to shake but forced her head up so that she was looking straight ahead. “Who said anything about losing?” She spat, her voice strained but otherwise normal. “Don't give me that shit.”

The voice chuckled. “Very good. Now listen closely; the memories that bind you also contain the key. Search through them very thoroughly and you'll be able to release yourself from your shackles. If you're anything like him, your will to protect should outweigh your will to destroy. He broke free of his restraints, you will do the same.”

Him? Luna thought to herself and closed her eyes. Papa...

“Four bandits worth and she's still in such a weak state.” A woman explained during a bright flash of light within Luna's eyelids. A beautiful woman with silver hair and scarlet eyes leaned over top of a scrawny, sickly red-haired girl with cracked, greying lips. The lass had red marks and blisters on her wrists, ankles, and necks and her green eyes didn't seem to react to the light at all. She stared off to space as Lilly spoke. “Does your magic have any effect?”

Crackle!

“Big brother!” shouted a little bunny girl with brown hair as she ran down the dirt path, waving furiously. When she reached Luna, she jumped up towards her and two arms, one donned in black armour, the other bare but muscular, emerged from either side of her field of view and caught the girl. “Welcome back big brother! Did you stop lots of bad guys?”

“Of course.” A deep voice responded. “I took the opportunity to procure a gift for you as well.”

“A gift?” She echoed excitedly and dropped down to the ground. She put both of her hands in fists in front of her chest and her brown ears stood up straight.

“Here.” One of the arms disappeared and returned holding a long object wrapped in a white cloth. The little girl held it still at first, silently staring at it. A bird chirped in the distance and snapped her back to reality where she grinned ear to ear with her tongue sticking out slightly and pulled the cloth away. Under the wrap was a sharp short sword with an ivory blade and a steel handle painted yellow. She ran one finger along the hilt and a series of gold runes glowed brightly, reaching up just past her elbow. “You should be old enough to learn how to use a weapon now.”

She continued to gawk at it, her mouth hanging open. “I can fight alongside big brother?”

“With some practice, absolutely.”

“Then... I can protect everyone?”

“Not quite.” He replied and the bare arm reached out and patted her head. “We'll protect everyone. I won't let you fight alone.”

Her eyes began to gloss over and a tear fell down her cheek. She hugged the handle gingerly and grabbed the hand patting her head at the same time. “Yes!” She exclaimed.

“Isn't that great Cosain?” A much older brunette, also with brown rabbit ears, asked. Without waiting for an answer, she looked towards Luna. “Her and Lasair will be adventuring together in no time at all, huh?” Luna felt a tug on fabric at her waist and looked down to see a healthy, red-haired girl half hiding. She shyly looked away as all eyes fell on her. “I know you'll keep them safe.”

“Leave it to me.”

Ridiculous.

Luna's eyes snapped open to find herself kneeling down in a scarlet lake, glistening under a crimson moon. She checked over each shoulder and looked up into the sky but saw nothing.

Absolutely ridiculous.

“Big brother...” someone whispered but their voice rang out over the blood's surface like a gunshot in an enclosed tin shed. Luna covered her ears, keeled over, and grunted in pain. Sticking out of the dark liquid, just in front of her, was a short sword with a yellow hilt. A disembodied hand floated by and bounced off its flat. “In my next life... Can I call you... Papa too?”

“Papa?” sounded another voice. Luna whipped around to see a black rapier protruding instead. On the blood's surface, a red-haired girl with green eyes stared directly at her. She had tears running down her face and stood deathly still. “You're just sleeping... right, Papa? Hey, Papa? Please wake up now. Papa? Papa...?” She slowly reached towards Luna but stopped short. Her tears dried and she looked down at her feet. Her teeth clenched together and her shoulders started bouncing up and down. “Give me...” She whispered then whipped her head up where her left eye condensed, becoming a thin, red vertical line. Three long, narrow triangles surrounded it, pointing in clockwise directions. “Give me my Papa back!” She screamed as her entire body was coated in ebony flames.

He resisted my pull, and look at what it brought him.

Something bobbed off of Luna's hip. She looked down to see a skull floating in the blood around her. The lake contained limbs and corpses as far as the eye could see.

This is your fate should you not accept me. At that moment, several scaly hands emerged from below her and started grabbing at anything they could. Surrender yourself to me. Don't repeat your father's mistakes. I can save them.

“We promised we'd never abandon each other, right?”

Luna blinked hard and was suddenly standing beside a calm creak, without even so much as a slight gust of wind. Something soft and pale reached around her from behind and squeezed her stomach lightly. She could hear neither rustling leaves, nor birds chirping. Instead, she could only hear what seemed to be someone singing a gentle, soothing melody that carried all the way across the cloudless sky. “This song...” she muttered to herself and someone rested their chin on her shoulder. A strand of silver hair fell into the corner of her eye and Luna asked, “Mom?”

The woman smiled, squeezed a little bit tighter, and whispered, “It's not your time yet. As much as I can't wait to see how you've grown, leave this side to us. Dimisit.”

“Welcome back.” Luna opened her eyes one last time to see an elderly woman kneeling down in front of her. “It seems like you found your answer rather quickly. Or at least, in comparison to what previous records show.”

Without moving, Luna caught her breath and asked, “Who are you?”

The woman grinned sweetly and folded Luna's stained sweater, speaking simultaneously. “I'm Eolas. This,” she pointed at a young boy watching from a few metres behind her, “is my grandson, Iarr. We originally came out here to pick some berries but colour us surprised when we happened upon the Wolf literally stumbling through the forest.”

“Wolf?” Luna's ears shot up and the fur on her tail puffed as she came to the realization that she had torn off her hoodie.

“Relax.” Eolas gestured towards her and took off her hat. Two white rabbit ears sprung up like a clamp had been removed from them. “We're one and the same. You don't need to hide in here. There aren't currently any humans of concern within the perimeter, I'd hear them if there was. That being said though,” she turned so that she could see her grandkid out of the corner of her eye, “Iarr, could you go find the Raven? It would seem she and one other are meeting relatively nearby. Just bring her -or both of them depending- back to the house.”

“The Raven?”

“You'll know her when you see her.”

“Well, I'll try.” With that, he turned on his heel and took off. After about twenty metres, he stopped, waited for a moment, turned, and took off again.

Eolas turned back toward Luna. “Whoever attacked you really did a number to this.” She exclaimed and held the stained sweater up in front of her. “I'm not certain these will come out either. Are you thirsty by chance? I can make you some tea and loan you a change of clothes to wear until you get back. The drink should help calm any lingering doubts as well.”

* * *

“I didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon,” Stella commented as she and Thomas followed the beaten-down path through the woods. “I was certain you'd be in shock for at least a few days after that ordeal.”

“Unlike a man of science, a man of the cloth isn't bound by physical limitations. To see 'humans' sprout wings, among other things, isn't that strange of a concept when you believe in angels.” He responded. “Still though, to think that there were others with inhuman traits like that girl. Even if I was expecting it, wrapping my head around it is a different story altogether.”

“That girl? You mean Luna?”

“Yeah. I knew from the moment I met her that she was possessed by a demon.”

“Not possessed by. She is a demon. Half and a bit anyway. Her mother was a succubus, her father was born half-human, half-demon and later became a werewolf of sorts. A conriocht to be more specific.”

“A demon in the flesh? That's impossible.”

“What happened to not being bound by physical limitations? Regardless that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Ah, but what about the police guy?”

Thomas glared at her in silence for several seconds before explaining, “He's resting at home, last I heard. His family thinks he has the flu. It also seems that he's realized that people won't believe him if he says he got poisoned by a woman with wings, so he's not bothering. Now, I answered your question, so I'd like you to answer mine.”

“Ugh. I shouldn't have asked. Fine, go ahead.”

“Who was that man that showed up as you were leaving? He seemed very particular about wanting to kill you. Enough so that he didn't seem to care if I or Kent got caught in the crossfire.”

“Seriously? A priest doesn't recognize an angel when he sees one?”

“I'd thank you not to pull my leg.”

“The only thing I'm pulling is your faith straight out the window. I shit you not, that man was an angel. Albeit a counterfeit, but still one of the angels you people consider a messenger of your 'lord and saviour'. That holy cunt was Sandalphon.”

“Impossible. An angel would never allow humans to come into harm's way, especially not a faithful.”

“Believe what you want but it is the truth.”

“Then, assuming what you've said is fact, what was he doing there?”

“Oi, that's two questions.” Thomas didn't reply and only kept watching Stella as they walked. She sighed, “Fine. You had at some point been growing Beast Bane, yeah? Assuming that he didn't already know that it was taken, it's likely he was there to steal it himself.”

“Steal Bestia Nocuit? What for?”

“A whole three questions? Come the fuck on. You said it yourself, didn't you? He seemed content on killing Aileen and I. That was no coincidence. The Gods and their servants, those old enough to know about demi-humans, hate us and actively try to wipe us out. Why do you think we're so rare that basically no one knows about us?”

“What brought that on?”

“Fou- no, I guess we are getting into the actual subject of interest now so I'll let it slide. I'm assuming you've gathered by now that there are three general types of humanoids? Humans, Demi-humans and demons. Gods and angels fall under the demon tree and are worshipped by most humans. Demi-humans, on the other hand, do not and never will swear fealty to the gods. They've been hunting us down for centuries hoping that if we're out of the picture, there will be no one to disrupt their order.”

“Have you done so? Disrupt their order I mean.”

Stella grinned. “Maliciously.” Her expression then became serious again. “We believe in mother Earth before anything else. It was the Gods who put the humans here even after we had already called dibs. It didn't take them long to start tearing the planet apart to satisfy their selfish desires. If we hadn't of intervened, the planet would have become unsustainable long before now.”

Thomas looked down at his feet and after a moment stated, “I can't imagine our merciful lord would willingly invoke such a conflict. Could it not have been resolved through more diplomatic means?”

“I know you have your doubts about Sandalphon but you said it yourself; he wasn't pulling his punches even though you two were there. Gods and Angels don't give a damn about what happens down here as long as it doesn't interfere with their peace up there.”

“Then why did that savage attack you? What reason does God have to eliminate demi-humans if they can't affect his peace?”

Stella hummed to herself and stroked her chin. “I hope you don't have plans, it's a long story.”

* * *

“It is nice to be able to meet with a fellow demi-human, especially one as young as yourself.” Eolas told Luna while handing her a mug of steaming tea. “It can be quite tiresome having only Iarr that I can be completely open around. All that energy of his makes it difficult to talk to him. As annoying as it is though, I'm sure I'll miss this side of him as he gets older.”

“You two are probably only the second family of demi-humans that I've met. Well, second that I can say with certainty. Iarr is your grandson I think you said? Where are his parents?” Luna replied and blew on the hot drink.

“I'm afraid they aren't with us anymore. They fell ill, and we didn't have the means of curing them. It's been just him and I since he was only a few months old. It happens far too frequently to us because we're afraid of being turned into science experiments should we go to the hospitals. There isn't enough of us to pull off our own facility, nor would we even know how to keep such a place hidden from the humans. Please, excuse me for a moment while I grab you a new shirt. Your tank top is looking rather pink, though I'm certain it's supposed to be white.”

“Sure. Thank you.”

From the other room she continued to explain, “I'm sure you're aware but the vast majority of our kind passed away when Síochain was attacked a thousand years ago. Only those that were outside of the forest, forced into slavery, survived. We all would have been executed as well had the Cursed Sentinel not saved us. Even of that, the majority of us were stricken with disease and didn't last long. Our numbers get smaller and smaller with every generation. Some have taken the risk of resorting to mating with humans to keep from going extinct.”

Luna stood up and took the green plaid shirt from Eolas and asked, “The Cursed Sentinel?”

“Of course. Surely you've heard your father's nickname before, haven't you?”

Luna took off her tank top, folded it, and placed it on top of her sweater which was left on the counter, the wet parts hanging over the sink. She fed her arms through the sleeves of the gifted clothing and started buttoning it up, speaking at the same time. “I think it's the first time I've heard of it. I can't say for certain though. Wait, how'd you know he was my father? It was a thousand years ago and I'm only sixteen.”

Eolas chuckled. “Though not limited to their beast-type specialties, all demi-humans used to be given priority to them. Rabbits were great information brokers or similar so we were given priority when acting as scouts or historians. This family is predominately of the latter. We've kept detailed records on everything that's happened for as long as our roots run. I could even tell you what shade of purple the runes were that were used to throw you, the Raven, and the Dove forward in time.”

“Eh?” Luna sat back down and took a sip of the tea. She raised her eyebrows and held it up in front of her. “It's delicious. Even with my sense of taste though, I can't begin to guess what's in it.”

“It's brewed from a breed of leaves called 'wolf fangs'. They weren't quite common in Síochain, though I wouldn't call them uncommon either. They have a greyish colour to them and are kind of shaped like a wolf's teeth, hence the name, 'wolf fang'. Your kind seems to be particularly fond of it. It's said to calm the nerves, allowing the leader to soundly make decisions when guiding his pack.”

“This is from my father's home?”

“Yes. My daughter-in-law, though still a bunny herself, came from a family who decided they wanted to be gardeners instead of scouts or historians. They often grew herbs for potions or drinks such as this. Of course they also grew an assortment of foods as well, but I largely only took up herbs and tea leaves from her. The Forest provides enough for us as is without me having to force more out of it. She was a lively girl, and always used to dream about the day that we might have been able to walk alongside humans without having to hide our ears.”

“She wanted to make peace with them?”

She nodded. “She was one of the few who did. All of us are reminded every day why we can't however. Unless one of us makes a significant change, humans and demi-humans will never be able to fully get along. Certain groups, perhaps, but not entire communities. The concept may be significantly more foreign to you who as the Wolf guardian, have practically been programmed to hate humans.”

“Well, I know why my father hated them, and that in turn is reason enough for me to dislike them. Why does everyone else though?”

Eolas cupped her drink in her hands and watched her own reflection in it, lost within her own deep blue eyes. “Do you know the differences between Heaven, Hell, and Earth?”

“Huh? Heaven is where Christians believe they'll wind up, right? Sinners they say go to Hell. Earth is just... here.”

“That's the modern belief, yes, but it didn't start out that way. In the beginning, they were nothing more than places of origin. Demi-humans occupied the Earth alongside the animals. We had human intelligence and beast-like qualities to help us survive without damaging our Mother's ecosystem. Humans were born in Heaven, in a paradise devoid of struggle, and they lived carelessly. Demons were born in Hell where every day was a hassle to survive. They constantly fought each other in hopes of increasing their stature or somehow acquiring peace or power that could grant them said peace. After so long though, a group of demons that all had an affinity for creator magic decided that they had dealt with enough pain for their long lifetimes. They determined that people like them, who had danced to strife's fiddle, deserved the high seat and that those who didn't know pain could experience it themselves for once. They found their exit, clawed their way out of Hell, and ascended to the Heavens where the humans resided. Naturally, the humans ran in fear at the unknown danger, without the slightest inclination as to how to fight against it. Then one of the more charismatic demons spoke to them. He declared that they were there to offer the humans more meaningful lives. Someplace where they didn't necessarily know what would await them the next morning when they got out of bed. This excited the humans who had always lived peacefully and in boredom. They, who had never suffered any degree of tragedy, of conflict, began to crave it. Crave a feeling of excitement they got when they felt like they were making a difference. As such, the demons with creator magic became 'Gods'. Humans mislabelled them as merciful saviours for sending them to Earth instead of outright exterminating them.”

* * *

Stella crossed her arms and scanned the foliage around her while explaining, “The humans arrived and immediately started tearing our home apart. Cutting down and uprooting our forests to create and make space for their mansions. Carving our stone to create their castle walls. Polluting our waters and our air with gas and oil. When that wasn't enough, they started waging wars with one another, trying to take from each other just as the demons of Hell had done before them. Their strategies evolved to include cutting up our 'Goddess' further by destroying her, causing massive burials or even forest fires as a means of defeating their enemies. Demi-humans couldn't just stand by and watch their mother get turned bloody, black, and blue because some arrogant ass hats wanted to appease their pride. We intervened and due to our far greater natural strength and experience, we drove the humans back into a corner. We requested that they go back from where they had come from, but they seemed to have other plans.” Stella pointed at the large, wooden cross around Thomas's neck. “That's when humans first started the practice of praying to the gods. They asked them for guidance and to solve their problems because they can't do a damn thing for themselves. I'm sure they were ignored at first under the impression that they didn't care what happened to the humans. I think they only started taking things seriously when someone suggested that if the humans are unwelcome on Earth, they may start searching for a way back to Heaven. With that concern also came the possibility of Demi-humans, who may actually pose a real threat to the Gods, also arriving. At that point, they started to enact a plan to keep the humans happy with the Earth and rid it of demi-humans who tried to push them out. Perhaps they even thought we'd wipe out each other in the long run, allowing them to live free of concern. They used their creator affinity to bestow a type of magic among the humans that demi-humans couldn't use. By creating scíths, humans could channel their mana through them and use them as catalysts for relatively strong spells with basically no wait time. Demi-humans, on the other hand, had to gather spirit since they use the mana in the air and earth around them. All of a sudden, humans had the advantage when we were on the offensive because we didn't have the time to gather spirit. That being said, they still couldn't wipe us out on our home turf. And so, the humans prayed again and the gods gave them beast bane.”

“Bestia nocuit...”

“That's right.” Stella jabbed a finger into Thomas's chest, pushing his back against a tree. “That flower that you wear as a symbol of your church was used for mass genocide. Not that any of you would have recorded that. You people only have true compassion for yourselves. Y'all didn't waste any time throwing us under the wheel.”

He looked at his feet, lost in thought. “If all of that is true, it certainly isn't a proud moment in history for us or the Gods. Even so, there must've been a better option than waging war. Peace and harmony must've been an option, surely!”

“If Satan led an army of Lilims into your church tomorrow and they started tearing everything down, make excuses for it and then keep doing it, would you just sit back and watch? Would you try to find a peaceful solution? Do you think there would have been anything left by the time they listened to reason?”

“I'm not certain it's the same-”

Stella cracked her knuckles and clenched her teeth. She broke the chain holding his cross around his neck and pinned him by the throat. “How important is this thing to men of the cloth?”

He grabbed her wrist with both hands but couldn't relieve the pressure no matter how hard he pushed. Eventually, he choked out the words, “What are you-”

Crack!

“Oops.” Stella mused and jabbed Thomas in the solar plexus. He coughed and keeled over, clutching the point of impact. When he had stabilized himself, he held out the pieces of the cross that Stella had broken.

“Why would you do something like that?” He snapped.

Stella shook her head and pointed at a freshly cut tree off the path. The stump was a bright white and the inner edges of the bark were undoubtedly green. “Humans do shit like that every day. My mother has basically no time left because of you pricks. Then you add insult to injury by carpeting my home, my family with poison and the audacity to wear it as symbolism. You don't have any right to get angry at me for breaking your 'symbol' when you lot tear my mother apart around the clock.”

Thomas glared at her from his hands and knees but stayed quiet.

Stella sighed. “You just going to watch us all day?”

Thomas raised his eyebrows as a child in a brown flat cap slowly emerged from thick shrubbery more than twenty metres behind Stella's back. “Are you the Raven by chance?” He inquired nervously.

* * *

“With the humans pushing to exterminate us, we needed leaders. Up to that point in time, we had operated individually, so we lacked organization. Our solution to this was a select group of blessed individuals that came to be called our Guardians.” Eolas continued. “First came the Dove whose role was to stay within the forest centre -though she did occasionally go on journeys to deal with those who were taken away- and tend to our wounded. An affinity for light magic allowed her to heal most ailments and her wind magic allowed her to blow away any miasma that threatened us. The precedents for medical practice were set by her.”

Luna listened patiently, periodically taking another sip of her drink while the rabbit woman explained each guardian's role in turn.

“Second came the Wolf, who was more akin to a hunter than a guardian.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Wolf's ultimate goal was to indeed protect Síochain, but he didn't do so by staying within its perimeter. No, his purpose was to eliminate our enemies before they came to us. The opposition can not hit us with their hardest if they're already injured after all. He would regularly travel into human territory, mostly under the guise of a mercenary, and eliminate potential threats. He accepted the power of Wrath to that end so that he may never be swayed away from his goal. He led our military, even if he preferred to work alone.”

“Next was the Raven, the destined partner of the Dove. While she acted out first aid, the Raven was responsible for keeping the enemy out of Síochain. She was an expert in setting up traps and ambushes, tricking her enemies into their demise. She created our guard, and handled keeping our non-combatants safe.”

“Lastly was the Panther, who was said to be our true leader.”

“True?”

She nodded. “The Wolf had taken the reigns during the majority of our rebellion, but his long absences made it difficult. Like the history of the Spartans tell, we needed two leaders. One to lead us in time of war, and one to lead us in time of peace. The Wolf was our King, our general who marched on our enemies and the Panther our Queen who was supposed to help us restore the forest.”

“Supposed to?”

Eolas dipped her head down slightly, as well as her tone. “The gas struck before your father could bring her back. The Dove had gone to assist a group who had been forced into slavery, with the Raven as backup as per the encouragement of the people. The hunters all believed that the humans wouldn't dare attack their stronghold. Unbeknownst to us, Beast Bane had just finished being developed. We were caught off guard and our carelessness cost us almost the entirety of our species. The Panther, Eve, returned shortly after that to spearhead the restoration, but Cain had already left.”

“To march on human territory?”

“To kill God, the source of humanity's strength. Without their commander to give them guidance, their ranks would fall apart. He even took it one step further and wiped almost all of humanity off of the Earth. He engulfed the planet in a sea of flames that never touched nature, however, that meant that there were some safe spots. A few lucky humans survived, though none of particular intelligence. It was mostly the poor, uneducated who lived. Knowledge of magic amidst humans dwindled and their catalysts eventually became naught but decorations. It seemed like we had a chance at peace, or similar. If only we had known that the Gods imposed a similar political structure as us. The God your father killed was their General leading an assault.”

“So they had a second chief who remained in Heaven?”

“Exactly so. His influence spread throughout the humans once again and he told them that they were built in his image. They took this to mean that they were the most powerful mortal lifeforms since they possessed intelligence unparalleled. This illusion solidified our fear that we would be treated as science experiments and driven to extinction should we be discovered. We didn't have the numbers to defend ourselves against the rapidly growing human population and their advancing technology. We could do nothing as they killed our mother endlessly. Síochain was moved into a reality marble that denied entrance to anyone but demi-humans and select exceptions.”

“We didn't know that the Forest still stood when we arrived in this timeline, so we never searched for it. Why, though, did the rest of you not go back?”

“Some of us didn't have the strength to get there, nor the methods of telling the Panther where we were to be brought back. Others, such as my family, stayed behind to fulfill our duties such as scouts or historians. We reside here, continuously gathering information so that when the day comes that the Wolf is ready to lead our army again, ready to take our mother back, we may be able to provide you with everything you need to know.”

Luna's ears drooped down, resting flat on her head. “I'm not sure I'd make for a good general...”

Eolas smiled softly. “I'm sure you'll be up for the task eventually. Even if you decide not to fight with a team, your strength should serve as a beacon of hope for the rest of us. Ah, but what a coincidence, you've finished your tea and I've finished my story just as our time was used up.”

“Our time?”

“Why the hell did you even bother coming with?” Luna heard a familiar voice bark from outside. She jumped up and peered out the nearest window, seeing Stella scowling at Thomas.

“The kind child said that she... was injured. I felt that it is only right... that I... come check up on her as well. My desire... is to free her from demonic clutches, not... not hurt her. I have no reason to wish... harm upon her and every reason to want to make sure she's all right.” He responded while panting heavily. “In any sense, what are these chains? They look as though someone rubbed charcoal all over them.”

Stella raised one eyebrow. “Huh? The hell are you on about? There aren't any chains here. Tree roots, sure, but no chains.”

“Are you blind? They're everywhere-” rattle, rattle. “Um... Ms. Stella?”

“What now?”

“The not-chains are moving...” He addressed and watched as long strands of black, looped metal slithered like snakes through the dirt, all converging on the small cabin in front of them.

“Stella?” Luna called out from the door frame and ran down the clearing. Thomas watched as each chain turned to follow her as though they were watching, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

“Are you all right? That child told us you were attacked.”

As Luna got closer to Stella, the chains spaced out and gave them their distance. When she was within arms reach, they all turned to dust and blew into the wind. Thomas watched silently as the bits and pieces of them disappeared into the sky. “What was that?” He muttered under his breath.

“She's all right. Isn't that why you tagged along?” Stella snapped and Thomas turned to her.

“Ah, yes, I guess that's all I came for.”

“Good. Now get lost. Your face still pisses me off. I gave you our side of the story, what you do with it is up to you. Just so we're clear though, you stand in our way again, I won't hesitate to put you six feet under.”

He waited, lost in thought. When no words came to him he merely bowed his head slightly and stated, “Well then, I bid you good day.”, and disappeared into the foliage.

Stella sighed and looked up at Eolas. “Thank you for taking care of her.”

“Oh, don't mention it. I know she would have done the same for either of us had the situation been reversed.” She explained and handed Luna a blue panama. “You'll need this to cover your ears until you get back, won't you? Consider it a gift for the days that you don't have a hood handy.”

“But you've already given me this shirt...”

Eolas placed a hand on Luna's head and smiled warmly. “Don't worry about it. Just consider it an investment, a reminder of the people you have to protect. May that allow you to pull yourself pack from the claws of fury in the future.”

Stella turned to Luna, “I'm sure Aileen is going to start wondering where we went before long. We should start making our way back.”

“Oh? Uh, sure.” She responded and nodded at Eolas and Iarr. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“I said don't mention it, remember?”

Luna smirked then she and Stella started to make their way back home.

Eolas watched patiently and Iarr tugged on her sleeve. “Her left eye is scary...” he mumbled.

“You don't know the half of it.” She replied and wandered back into their house. She opened up an oak footlocker sitting on top of an ornate nightstand. “That eye is the reason we have the opportunity to live today. It's destruction right down to the very core, yet built upon the will to protect.” She pulled a short sword, with a dull ivory blade and a faded yellow hilt out of the box and hugged it carefully. “Isn't that right, Cosain?”