Dad had left me at least four times during the night to keep the knights guarding the place on their toes. He laughed when I told him they were all terrified, flinching at the lightning and thinking it was a whole group attack them.

The last time dad came back, he had a good-sized deer, the sun was just beginning to rise, and he set it up, cooking on the open fire.

He hadn’t told me much about what had happened since he first arrived here. He’d come to deal with the dark crystal, but it turned out to be pretty well guarded anyway, but by who he did not say.

When dad tried to leave, the knights attacked him, he’d been stuck in the village ever since and he was unable to get a message to us, to say he was alright.

As the deer was ready dad began carving it up, putting the meat on a wooden board. I helped; we didn’t really need all this meat, did we.

There was a knock at the door and some Animalia came in, carrying baskets and cloths. The Animalia were a mix of Avis, Feles, Ursus, most looked in poor condition. I glanced at dad.

“I have done my best to train some of them, but they don’t have the strength to fight like I do, without outside help the village has fallen into despair and within the walls, not much wildlife can get inside, it was rare for me to find this deer,” explained dad. “With you here, I hope I can free them.”

“I will do everything I can to help.”

My unit were up, following their noses.

“Food,” crumbled Edge. I gave them each a plate with the set amount dad had told me. “Is this it?”

“Food is scarce here, deal with it.” Edge shrunk back at my words, which had ended up coming out harsher than I had intended. “Without the connection with the outside world they have truly suffered.”

“Your dads been here,” commented Edge.

“Edge.” Lin jabbed him in the side. He gave her a look and wondered off. “Has the mission changed from the one we received.”

“Not sure yet,” I answered. “We’ll be heading off soon, so be ready.”

“Right,” she nodded.

After everyone was fed, they returned to the safety of their own homes. Dad gathered a few things, and we headed out. Dad walked in silence, heading to the back of the village. I wondered what was going through his mind.

“Dad,” I said walking up beside him. “Where are we going?”

“The source,” he answered. “The dark crystals.”

“Couldn’t you just deal with them?” I questioned.

“The crystal are not the problem. I could have purified them eventually, but it is difficult to get close without being struck down, the lightning is more tense because of him,” informed dad.

“Him?”

“Hey, what gives?” I looked behind us to see Edge, Lin, Finn, and Rex stopped dead in their tracks, trying to push against something.

“Ah, I forgot about that,” sighed dad.

“What?” I looked at him puzzled, then at Kiba who was with us.

“There is a barrier around the site, powerful enough to repel anyone who is not strong enough to withstand the darkness,” mentioned dad. “I had hoped they had been with you long enough to have accumulated some form of protection.”

“And how the heck can you guys get through?” whined Edge.

“We’re Fangs,” I answered.

“You’re getting it,” nodded dad.

“Just the three of us then,” commented Kiba.

“I guess…” I never finished as words flashed through my mind. ‘He’s not meant to see this.’ I quickly shook it off before anyone noticed. “Kiba, I want you to stay behind with the others just in case the knights attempt to encroach on the village.”

“But…” Kiba didn’t want to.

“Plus, I kind of want to do this with dad,” I admitted.

Kiba stared at me for a while, then nodded. “Alright.”

“Ibiki, you’re in charge,” I ordered.

“Understood.”

Dad and I headed off in our intended direction, while my unit returned to the village. I relaxed a bit as dad touched my shoulder.

“It has developed that far, has it?”

“You noticed,” I was surprised.

“I’ve seen it in your mum many times,” responded dad.

“This ability is crazy, I still can’t control it,” I mentioned.

“Perhaps you are not meant to,” said dad, guiding me in the direction we were headed.

“Dad do most Fangs have this ability?” I asked.

“No,” he shook his head. “Only those directly linked to the ancestry of Fang and that line is your mum, her mother had it, her grandfather too. You could say it is a gift of the goddess.”

“I keep hearing this goddess, but nothing about her, if she even exists, there is no gods in Cathopia.”

“You’ll find out many answers after…”

“My awakening.” I didn’t let him finish.

Dad smirked, moving the subject on. “Did it show you to leave Kiba behind.”

“No, just words, saying he isn’t meant to see this,” I answered.

“The fewer the better I suppose,” nodded dad. “We’re almost there.”

Ahead I could see another wall, hidden amongst the trees, but way before that line was open space where nothing grew, the ground bare, grey devoid of all life. As soon as my foot touched it, I felt a dark energy pulse through my body, almost too much for me to bare, just like when my power was disrupted.

I touched my head feeling a little dizzy, what the heck was ahead to regulate this much dark power, it was far more concentrated than what I felt around Dumah.

“Take a deep breath.” Dad was there to support me. “You are far more sensitive to it than I am.” I looked dad up and down to see the dark energy pulsing up his body too. “This is related to the dark crystals, anyone weak to the darkness becomes consumed, you are feeling it more because your light of protection has not been fully awakened yet.”

“Yeah, I get it. No awakening is bad.” I took in a few deep breaths.

“I can help with that.” Dad took hold of my hands. His body glowed faintly white, then mine did the same and the dizziness faded away.

“Would I have become consumed?” I asked.

“No, you could just feel it more as it clashed against your light, that’s all,” answered dad.

“Wish you were around when I was training,” I commented.

“I’m sorry Alex.” I saw guilt in his eyes. “I thought I would have been able to return in a few months, but the knights made it impossible for me to get help. I have missed so much of you growing up into the fine warrior you are today.”

“Still plenty more to see,” I smiled.

“Feeling better?”

“Yep.”

“Be very careful.” I heard Arata’s voice, then he appeared. “With your dad’s extra protection, I will be able to stay manifested.”

“It’s not because of the whole awakening thing, is it?” This whole awakening thing was getting a little too annoying now.

“Afraid so master,” responded Raziel.

“Damn it all.”

“Patience,” encouraged dad. “We’re here.”

At the heart of the barren lands, there was a large crater, filled with dark purple crystals, some were even black, sparking with pure dark power, these were the same crystals that turned the Cathartes into a monster. They were all different sizes, some as small as my hand, others as tall as I was.

The biggest crystals sparked dark energy upwards, the cause of this unusual storm. I could feel the dark pressure the place was letting off.

“I thought you said you could purify them,” I said.

“And I told you they are not the problem,” responded dad.

“Then what is?” I questioned.

Dad had left me with more questions than answers, but when didn’t he. I thought about the dream I had where he fought against a very powerful opponent, was this the danger I would soon find out, and it would take everything we both had to stop him.