"Stanley," Eve said after Stanley's genocidal proclamation, "I'm all for killing spiders, but could we take a break before charging right back into it? I feel like shit."

Stanley hesitated, finally taking a moment to feel out everyone's Souls more deeply. Eve wasn't the only one ready for a rest. The fight hadn't been that bad, had it?

Caffeine was sleeping again after only a brief tail wag for his friends. Slightly unusual but not so out of character.

Walter watched them from the trailer doorway, fully restored and dressed immaculately as ever but with a heaviness in his eyes and Soul. Though, he had a solid excuse to be out of it.

Princess and Daryl were dirty and bedraggled, with bits of ash and mud speckling them.

In contrast, Zeke was clean and bright, sans one shoe and a missing pant leg, but he hid the same weariness behind his shining exterior.

Meanwhile, the wolves were serene as they watched Caffeine sleep, with no worries except when they occasionally glanced at the passed-out Adam nestling between them.

Angelina was still staring across the river and had been ever since Stanley suggested they return, all while Sara was defiantly keeping her eyes open in her mother's arms.

"Sure," Stanley said, "a break might be nice." His own mood might be unnaturally buoyant, likely in reaction to a few factors that included a surplus of adrenaline and maybe some post-injury endorphins. Those were still a thing, right?

He dove deep into his meditation, this time leaning into the calming effect rather than the time acceleration, and had another thought. Did his brain get overcharged with chemicals while running faster? That might explain some of his current mood now that all the pain was gone. Speaking of which…

"We can meet the locals," Stanley said, "I think they may have gotten ever so slightly caught up in my fight…" He glanced at their resident healer. Zeke would most definitely not hesitate to heal some people, and Adrian would probably be willing as well. Worst case, they could wait until later to heal everyone. He could feel plenty of pain in the distance, but nothing indicating immediate urgency.

"Stanley, why are you carrying those around?" Eve said, interrupting his musings.

Stanley glanced at the B Grade bug corpses, or what was left of them. "Food." He scooped up Adam and floated him inside the trailer.

"Aren't they sorta like… intelligent?"

"Not that bright since they came after me."

Eve wasn't feeling it, and everyone else seemed to be in agreement, so Stanley gave up. "Mostly for Caffeine and the wolves then, but I hoped Walter might be able to do something with it… because they taste terrible."

Eve didn't verbally respond to his statement. Instead, she just turned away as they piled into the truck.

Walter put away Caffeine's food, and Stanley pointed Eve in the right direction.

She didn't say anything to him about the Stanley-shaped hole in the wall but did ask Walter if it would be a problem for his Domain. That, and the much larger hole where the enemy's final attack had nearly ended Walter…

"So long as there are even the smallest scraps surrounding us, I shall remain unaffected, Miss."

"Good. I'll fix it later."

The substantially improved view through the new windows, and the more leisurely pace that Eve drove at, allowed Stanley time to take in the aftermath of the Acid takedown.

It looked like he thought a warzone might, with muddy craters surrounded by the scorched and smoldering ruins of trees, bushes, and grass. "How tough was it?" Stanley asked, eyes on the devastation.

"Messy," Daryl said, "but not too bad once Zeke forced the goo to separate from the water… or vice versa. Then it was just a matter of getting enough fires going in the mud to keep all the chunks from trying to merge back together."

"They really wanted to," Zeke chimed in.

"If Adrian had been here…" Daryl said before trailing off as he looked at the egg.

"He will be, Daryl. He is growing more every day." Zeke's aura brightened as he spoke.

Walter turned away, moving to the stove and pulling stuff from thin air. Stanley stopped him. "Walter, hold off on the food." Not that it was a bad idea after the exertion, but Stanley was hoping for something more. "There's a lot of people over there, which means they must be hunting for food, and I'm hoping we can get something new to eat… like chicken."

Caffeine woke up abruptly, head tilting to look at Stanley while he sniffed at the air. Stanley smiled sadly at the pug. "Sorry, Caff. No chicken yet, but maybe we'll get lucky." If not, he could still go hunting.

Caffeine sighed and laid back down.

Walter didn't protest the suggestion, and they left the battlefield behind as Eve took them all further away from the river. Walter moved on from the food idea and instead started fussing over Stanley's absolutely shredded suit.

Stanley could feel the post-fight strain that Walter was doing a masterful job of preventing from showing in his expression and mannerisms. So he didn't protest either when Walter pulled out a clean and undamaged suit to replace the ruined one. Though he did wonder just how many Walter was carrying around…

Walter put up his privacy field around them and helped Stanley get dressed, not that Stanley needed the assistance, but it was something normal for the other man, something mundane that soothed his nerves. Plus, the tie was still something Stanley hadn't quite figured out.

Zeke's healing of him had come with his latest attempt at cleaning, which wasn't bad, but Stanley could take care of the rest with his Domain. It was a very dry but very thorough shower that left him completely clean without feeling like he should be.

It didn't take long after he dressed before they saw signs of another battlefield.

First were the massive craters in the ground that Eve maneuvered around, followed by swaths of shattered greenery that looked as if a tornado had passed through, and finally, great rents stretching across the earth where it looked like a giant sword had carved out new canyons.

Stanley grimaced when they left the trees, and he laid eyes on the human settlement for the first time. His distress was primarily at seeing one of his Cuts across the ground leading up to and through the wall around the humans' fortress. He probably should have seen the place from the sky before, but he had been slightly distracted at the time…

Stanley was reasonably sure that the split earth effect was of his own doing, primarily because none of the aliens' attacks would have left scars like that.

It also highlighted that he must be doing something wrong to be leaving behind that kind of damage unintentionally. Perhaps his focus wasn't tight enough, or maybe it was just the massive amount of power he'd been throwing around. There was also a chance it had something to do with the monsters blocking his attacks or the armor they had donned after the first exchange…

"Can you guys feel my Soul?" Stanley asked, finally remembering the passive effect he was supposed to have. The fear in the fortress ahead had been slowly declining, but it was now increasing again…

"Yea," Zeke said, and a few more heads nodded around the trailer.

"It's… quieter," Eve said from up front, "but not hidden."

Stanley sighed and reactivated his shield. Maybe once it leveled up a little more…

~~Larry~~

Larry stood atop the wall, looking over the damage from whatever the hell had just happened.

Everyone had felt the pulse from the east. No one knew what it was, but shortly after, they got hit by an Invasion. Larry had never heard of a Greater Raid before, and he dearly hoped never to see one again.

He shivered at the memory.

There had been a few moments of feeling that dreadful, suffocating suppression from nothing more than flickering spots of color in the sky, and then hell broke open around them.

No one had caught more than brief flashes of the battle. Creatures and monsters that appeared for the barest instants before vanishing into blurs of colorful light.

Destruction had rained from the sky, obliterating everything below. Only seeming luck had spared his home from the worst of it, aside from the massive hole that an invisible ax had chopped into his wall… and the explosion that had detonated near enough to nearly topple the rest.

Once again, only dumb luck had spared his people from death. The explosion injured many, but none fatally. A few severe injuries would make some of their lives more difficult in the coming days, but they would pull together and find a way through, as they had before.

The scouts returned; the recklessly brave, or maybe idiotic people that dared to venture out in the aftermath. They all jumped or clambered up the wall to his position.

"We saw them!" Amos gasped out immediately on reaching him, "I think one was a human!"

"Covered in blood!" Jason added.

A human.

Larry didn't respond as he looked out over the devastation. Is this what the world was heading for? Is a single human capable of that level of destruction? "What about the Invaders?"

"Dunno, there was a mangled body of something, but the human took it with him."

"It was a man? He just left?"

"I think so. His voice was weird, but he said it was his and took the corpse before flying away."

Larry stood still as he digested this. Maybe they were safe after all, as much as was possible in this world. Perhaps they would escape being swept up any further in something so clearly beyond them. Something that they would hopefully never see… again…

Larry felt it. A presence was approaching.

"Almighty God, preserve my people!" Not that he was sure if any of that God stuff was real, but any port in a storm… then the presence vanished as something emerged into view in the distance.

The truck driving out from between the trees gave him a start. On top of everything else, this was not what he'd expected, not in his wildest dreams.

The men around him fidgeted with weapons and summoned spells into their hands as they watched it roll closer. "Do not attack them!" Larry wasn't sure if the warning was necessary, not after all they'd seen, but it felt right to reiterate the order.

Then he swallowed the lump in his throat and jumped off the wall to go greet whatever was coming for them.

Sometimes it really sucked to be in charge.

His friends jumping down to follow warmed his heart and steadied his feet. They were good people. He prayed they would all survive this…

The truck stopped before reaching the gates, turning broadside and revealing the door in the side of the trailer. People piled out almost immediately, and Larry stopped, tensing up in preparation for a possible fight. Though, if it came to that, it wouldn't be a fight, just a slaughter…

The people emerging from the trailer seemed equally wary as they glanced around. First was a white-haired man that floated in a cross-legged position through the air. Behind him came another man engulfed in golden light. Then a small group of a half dozen cloaked figures dashed out to surround the truck.

Larry heard their voices, with one carrying far better than the others and with a strange echo to it. "Relax, Daryl. They're more scared of you than you are of them."

That was… insulting… and not wrong.

The sight of the child emerging behind them eased Larry's mind somewhat. Monsters wouldn't have children with them… would they? She was in the air and tugging against the woman holding her arm. Her voice was loud. "Mommy, let me fly!"

"You can walk, Sara," the first voice called back, and the floating man put his feet on the ground. The small black dog that dropped from his lap immediately started trotting toward Larry.

"He's friendly," the man called, but Larry barely heard him.

The brief flashes and glimpses he'd seen of the battle had included a monstrous black creature that seemed to fill the sky one instant and vanish in the next. It couldn't be… not this tiny thing jogging his way… could it?

~~Stanley~~

Caffeine ran ahead, and Stanley let him go. These people were no threat to the pug, and Caffeine was a good judge of character. He could check them out, and it might even help them relax by meeting the cute dog. Though, the first guy didn't seem very relaxed…

Sara begrudgingly settled on the ground, much to her mother's relief. Stanley preferred that she didn't go flying toward and over a bunch of nervous people just yet. That could wait until after introductions, at least.

Stanley stopped a short distance away from the group, which just so happened to place them inside his Domain. Two of them, he was pretty sure, were ones he'd seen before. The third felt like he wanted to send Stanley away but was too terrified to open his mouth. He clearly understood just how screwed he was if Stanley was a bad actor.

It was this third man, and most likely their leader, who was scared of Caffeine. The others only warily watched as he sniffed their feet, then put his front paws on them to reach hands and pockets.

Seeing Caffeine's disappointed but innocuous reaction, Stanley took the initiative. "So… I noticed that you might have gotten some injuries during the fight…"

Stanley wasn't sure if it was his fault or the bug's that people were injured, and he wasn't going to apologize for killing the monsters, even though it was his fault they showed up… No, that wasn't right. It was totally on the aliens for starting shit. They didn't have to come here!

But it also wasn't these people's fault either, and Stanley could still help them out in the aftermath, or rather, Zeke could help them out.

"Not sure how you guys are doing on healers, but I brought another one if you need help." Stanley was guessing that they did indeed need help based on what he could feel inside.

"We got our own…" the leader said while holding very still and watching Caffeine paw at his legs. "We don't… "

His words cut off as Zeke joined Stanley, his golden aura spreading out as he approached until it brushed over the nervous group ahead.

Stanley could feel Zeke's power working to calm the men, almost involuntarily, and he suspected that even if they did have a healer, they didn't have one quite like Zeke. That was his assumption partly because he could see a variety of old and new scars on the man inside his Domain and see them slowly fading away under the light.

"Zeke's pretty good at what he does," Stanley said into the lull. He could tell the man would capitulate; Zeke was just too good.

"I would appreciate it," the man said reluctantly. He was still suspicious, though, and Stanley felt he was waiting for them to start making demands in return for the healing.

So, Stanley did as expected. "Do you guys have anything good to eat around here?"

To Stanley's surprise, the man seemed to relax slightly at his question, as if relieved to find out he could give Stanley what he wanted, though his Soul still held an undercurrent of suspicion and fear. "We do. How much do you want?"

Stanley laughed, which might have been a mistake because they all jumped. He was only imagining how much Caffeine might eat…

"Relax," Zeke said as he closed the gap to lay hands directly on the man. The reaction was immediate as some of the tension drained from the man. "Stanley isn't going to hurt you. He's a good guy that acts weird sometimes, but as long as you're nice to Caffeine, Stanley will be happy."

"Hey…" Stanley felt like he should have been upset by what Zeke said, but he couldn't figure out which part exactly was bad.

"I'm Zeke! My sister Eve is inside…" Zeke went on to introduce everyone. "Let's go inside, and I can heal everyone who needs it." As expected, Zeke ignored his own fatigue when presented with people in need. Stanley would have to keep an eye on him, just in case.

"Larry…" the man said as he hesitantly followed in Zeke's wake toward the fort. He didn't seem thrilled at the idea of them going inside but didn't object as he pointed out his companions. "Amos and Jason. We have some food stockpiled… you're welcome to take it. As much as you want!"

"Chicken?" Stanley asked, earning a look and head tilt from Caffeine.

"Pork…" Larry replied, "Or what passes for pork nowadays."

"Bacon?" Stanley half mused and half asked.

"It tastes like it, and… it's all yours if you want it."

"We're not going to take all your food," Zeke protested.

Stanley agreed with Zeke and stated as much. "Chill out, Larry. We're the good guys, and we can hunt our own food. I was just hoping you had a Lair with something besides spiders in it to eat." Stanley flexed his Words of Power Skill while he spoke, not a whole lot, but enough to convey his sincerity. At least, that was his intent.

"I…" Larry relaxed further as they approached the open gate of the fort. "That's good to hear. We've had some unpleasant encounters in the past…" He still had doubts, but they were dwindling.

Caffeine ran ahead through the gate, eager to meet all of the people visible inside. However, his entrance set off a cacophony of snarling and barking from within.

Stanley immediately recognized that it was not Caffeine doing the barking, and he felt one of the Souls inside light up with fear. He picked up his feet and flew ahead of the others.

"Wait! Don't…" Larry started, but Stanley was already past him and inside.

There he found a very small and very upset Chihuahua facing off against Caffeine. A three-legged, one-eared, one-eyed, covered in scars and missing its tail, Chihuahua.

Caffeine, for his part, was lying down with his belly and chin on the ground while whining back at the Chihuahua.

Stanley's arrival didn't help, and the tiny dog got even more scared as it snarled and snapped at both of them. Caffeine inched forward on his belly, tail wagging hopefully, and the smaller dog lunged at him faster than a striking snake.

It completely missed, of course, and Caffeine resumed begging for play without missing a beat.

"Don't hurt him!" Larry caught up with a pleading yell.

Stanley glared at the man. "What makes you think I would!?"

"Oh… um, sorry. I didn't… Cuddles is just a bit overprotective," Larry stammered out. "I think he just got spooked by the fight outside… and he is scared for Abby."

Stanley assumed that Abby was the old woman sitting on a bench behind 'Cuddles' and trying to catch the little dog without getting up from her seat. "Hush, Cuddles! He just wants to play with you!" Her reaching hands had no chance, and her missing leg prevented her from chasing after the pup.

"I haven't seen many other dogs," Stanley said. He also hadn't seen any beast, period, that would go up against Caffeine with such a never say die attitude.

The Chihuahua was absolutely terrified down to its Soul. It knew that it had no chance whatsoever, and yet Stanley could feel that it would never retreat. There was a determination in that tiny creature's Soul, and Stanley knew that it would fight to its last breath to protect the woman behind it, to protect his own dearest human…

Zeke caught up then, and his aura reached the tiny dog. Cuddles hesitated in the warm glow, but Caffeine chose that moment to inch forward, and the dog went ballistic again.

"Caff, come here." Stanley pulled Caffeine into his lap and backed off slightly with the whining pug.

"Abby would never have survived without him," Larry said, half pleading and half explaining as if he expected Stanley to be angry. "We found him dragging her down the road toward our base here, and we did our best to patch them both up…"

"Zeke, can you heal them?"

"Of course." Zeke sat down on the ground and then started inching closer.

"There was a trail of mauled corpses that went for miles behind them. He is stronger than he looks…" Larry said right before Cuddles took off one of Zeke's reaching fingers.

"Cuddles, no!" Abby exclaimed.

Zeke took it with a smile and stopped approaching. "It's okay, little guy. I can heal you from here; it'll just take a little longer." He closed his eyes, and his aura blazed up in a flash of nearly blinding brilliance.

Cuddles jumped back but didn't move away from his defensive position in front of Abby as the light engulfed both of them. Abby managed to grab him then, pulling him into her lap.

"We've had a few monsters either fly in or make it past the walls," Larry said as he squinted into the glare, "Cuddles didn't care how big or strong any of them was. If they got anywhere close to Abby, he would throw himself at them. He's become something of a mascot to the people here…"

They had gathered a crowd by now, and Stanley could feel a lot of protective emotions in the people around them. He suspected that the only thing holding them back was the fact that Zeke's light, while bright, still gave off a soothing feeling.

The light finally dimmed, and Abby choked back a sob. "Oh, Cuddles… oh my baby!"

She clutched the fully restored and squirming dog close as she broke down into tears. "Oh, my dear Cuddles!"

The mood of the watching crowd shifted into one of wonder and joy. Meanwhile, Zeke stayed seated in the dirt, his Soul tired but his spirit beaming as he watched the happy duo.

Abby finally looked up at him. "Such a fine young man! Come here so I can kiss you!"

Zeke laughed and stood. "You can get up too, Ma'am." He pointed at her regrown leg as he approached cautiously.

"Oh my!" Abby had apparently not even noticed, and she stood up slowly before stepping forward and sweeping Zeke into a one-armed hug. There was some snarling when Cuddles got caught in the middle, but Zeke just glowed briefly in response. "Thank you, young man, thank you! You truly must be an angel!"

"No, Ma'am. Not an angel, but I try to do my best every day."

"Oh, hush! I say you are an angel!"

Cuddles was much calmer when Abby eventually released the purifier, and Caffeine resumed squirming as he tried to get down. Stanley held onto him. He could feel that a lot of people wanted to rush in as well, but it appeared that they had enough experience with Cuddles to know better than to get too… cuddly.

Abby smiled at Stanley, or maybe Caffeine. "Look, Cuddles. He wants to play with you!" Cuddles was uninterested. "You should have fun!" Abby said right before setting the Chihuahua on the ground and gently nudging him towards Caffeine.

Stanley lost the struggle to keep Caffeine on his lap after that, and a moment later, they were nose to nose with a black curly tail wagging madly in the air.

Cuddles growled threateningly, and Caffeine immediately dropped into a play bow. Back and forth they went, growling and bowing as Cuddles slowly calmed down. Then Caffeine bounced away from a sudden lunge, and the chase was on.

Stanley wasn't the only one smiling as Cuddles chased the pug around the area, always close behind but never quite catching him.

"A lot of people lost their dogs," Larry said while they watched. "They care so much about their people that most gave their lives protecting them. I think Cuddles was just too stubborn to ever die…"

"Dogs are definitely the best people." Stanley agreed.

"Doggy!" Sara escaped from her mother and joined the chase by flying after them. Stanley didn't share Angelina's worry for the girl's safety. Cuddles would know that Sara was literally too weak to pose a threat to Abby. Plus, the little girl could not keep up with either one.

The chase ended eventually, with Caffeine finally being allowed to approach Abby. He tentatively sniffed at her hand while Cuddles showed his teeth but refrained from actually snarling. "Aren't you just the cutest little thing!" Abby said, giving Caffeine some head scratches while the curly black tail never stopped wagging.

When Caffeine stepped back, yielding Abby's affection to the other dog, he tilted his head up and Howled. It was a crooning howl, soft and rising slowly in pitch. Two more voices joined in as it went on. The wolves, still outside the wall near the trailer, lifted their heads to the sky and joined in a harmonious song.

You have heard the Proud Howl of the Beast Lord.

The Beast Lord has Acknowledged Cuddles as Guardian of Abby and Granted a Soul Bond to the Pair.

All witnesses gain +10% Effect of All Attributes (59:59)

Stunned silence filled the air when the howl finally trailed off. Until Abby cheerfully said, "Oh, Cuddles, did you see that? He likes you, isn't that sweet?"

Cuddles was frozen as he stared at Caffeine. Then he jumped into Abby's arms and licked her cheek once before curling up in what was obviously his preferred spot.

"Can he just do that?" Daryl asked, having ditched his illusory army to join them inside the wall.

"Apparently?" Stanley could only shrug helplessly, but he was smiling all the same. Meanwhile, the little dog's Soul had definitely grown after the howl, and he could sense a new connection between the pair that hadn't been there before.

More importantly… "Larry, where's this pig Lair? I think it's time to find out if Caffeine can ever get too full." Stanley had to poke the man and repeat the question before it finally registered.

Larry pointed him in the right direction, but Amos chimed in before Stanley could fly away. "Be careful in there. We still haven't gotten to the center because they get progressively stronger the deeper you go, and they'll zerg you if they are too close together."

Stanley grinned. "Perfect." That meant he wouldn't have to chase them down. Plus, he looked forward to testing his new Skill in an actual fight.

"Caff," Stanley said to the pug that was about to launch into the sky to reach him, "stay here and protect your friends, okay?" Once again, Stanley put power into his words, this time attempting to convey the meaning to Caffeine.

It seemed to work, and Caffeine only watched him fly away before turning to the still and mostly silent crowd. There were mixed reactions among the people when Caffeine ran toward them.

Stanley zeroed in on a specific one of the many clusters of Souls around him. He didn't need Caffeine to protect him right now, and the pug had more than earned a break. In fact, he had earned a feast, and Stanley would make it happen!