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Welcome back, my lovely reader~

If this is your first visit to Silverpaw, I strongly recommend starting fromepisode one to get the best experience.

If you are new to Blood & Carrots as a series, you need to start withthe first serial if you want to fully enjoy it.

Take your time, I'll wait for you to catch up. :3

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And with that out of the way...

Welcome back my lovely reader, it's going to get dramatic this go around. We'll still be in Katrina's boots for most of the ride, but we may find ourselves briefly in another's perspective for a time.

I hope you like drama because this episode will have it in spades. Let's not waste any more time and jump right into things!

---

*Episode 19 *

I'm No Messiah

Kazemde ushered us all through a gate and we stepped down on mossy soil that reeked of that musty earth smell you would get if you were in an old cellar. I looked around to see worn cobblestone walls and a roof above our heads of similar material. We were in some kind of long-abandoned sewer or water channel of some sort.

"Welcome to scenic Venice." The archmage called out playfully as a brazier on the wall burst into magical light, illuminating the area a bit more for us.

"How lovely, perhaps I should move the family here, we'll really feel like classical nosferatu skulking in the stinking sewers like this." Sarnai quipped in a dry tone.

Lorelai frowned at the surroundings before looking upon Kazemde sternly. "Let us dispense of humor and get to it. I dislike this environment, it reminds me of an old memory I'd like to leave buried."

I saw the faces of both my foxes and even the mice grow sullen, a silence settling upon our group. My memory drifted back to one of the tales my vixen had regaled me of, the family beset in the mid-day and having to retreat into the tunnel system, the majority of their loved ones from that time lost in the attack.

"My apologies, Lorelai." Kazemde drew forth his will and I felt the strain upon the powerful mage as one by one, three gates formed into existence. He gave a winded huff, clearly bracing on his staff to support himself, taking a few moments to gather his composure.

"Are you alright, Teacher?" I called out with concern, he looked as winded as he would when we trained at full strength.

The cobra offered me a toothy smile before rising back to full stance. "It will pass, opening the gateways is very taxing, especially three at once."

Elias looked upon the three portals, quirking a brow as his ears peaked curiously. "These look different... they're rougher?"

It was true. Whereas the normal gates seemed to simply part reality, like someone opening a set of drapes, these looked like they had simply been torn open, odd sparking tendrils of greenish-blue flames hanging off them as if burning at torn threads.

"These are naturally occurring rifts in our realities, Lord Blackpaw, I simply pried them open a little larger, they are normally the size of a speck of dust."

"So how are we doing this?" Lorelai spoke out hastily, eager to be out of the area we were in.

"We all will set a time with the watches I have provided for you. They have no electrical components, so should be safe to use in the Faemarch." Kazemde had instructed us to leave our electronics such as phones and watches at the tower, the realm of the Fae apparently didn't treat electronics very well.

The cobra looked upon the watch on his scale patterned wrist that peaked out of his sleeve, then gave a nod. "Alright, we're on mission time. We've one hour to complete the operation, after that the tears will weaken and close."

"Can the fae follow us back, or come through while these are open?" I asked curiously, looking at my own watch, resting one hand on one of the revolvers at my back.

"No, these portals can only be used by denizens of our realm. One moment..." The mage furrowed his brow, the runes, and sigils on his forehead as well as his face glowing faintly, then with another exasperated huff, he clutched his staff and gave Sarnai a nod. "Lady Blackpaw, your vessel awaits, it will be three hundred yards to the east once you arrive, though I doubt you'll miss it once you enter."

"Got it. To me, my crew, we've a bit of sailing and mischief to attend." My vixen barked the words out eagerly, quickly trotting through the portal, tail wagging. I gave a frown, I would have enjoyed seeing her in her element, seeing her truly being Captain Silverpaw, but I had my task.

"Alex, Gloria, let's go," I spoke out and moved towards the portal, hesitating before looking back at Kazemde. "Teacher, are you sure I'll be able to sense where this thing is?"

"I've absolute faith you will, my student. All of you, be safe, I'll see you soon." He and the mice gave us a nod and we returned it before stepping through the gate.

---

My feet crunched down onto firmly packed snow, a faint soft flurry of flakes drifting through the bitter cold air. I was more in tune with the magical forces these days and felt it keenly when I stepped through. So keenly in fact I had to take a knee, my head spinning as I clutched it, hissing out from the rush of energy pouring into my being.

"Katrina!" Gloria and Alex both called out in unison, both dogs flanking me on their own knee, each gripping a shoulder as I knelt there.

"I'm fine, it's just overwhelming, it's passing now..." I panted the words, my vision starting to clear as I stood once more, feeling them each gripping an arm in support. The sensation was intense to say the least, I was but a fledgling mage, I could only imagine what a fully initiated one would feel stepping into this realm, but I also felt something else; power.

The energies of the realm seemed to just pour into me, as if I were standing on some sort of magical battery as if I would be able to summon up blood magic without the slightest effort. "This place is rife with power."

"I feel it too sister, and to think, we are in the one with perhaps the weakest level of power right now, I could only fathom how spring or summer would feel right now." Gloria released my arm after she saw I was stable.

"Even I can sense the energy and I've no sort of magical inclination. Perhaps that's a testament to just how magic rich this land is." Alex rubbed his chin in contemplation.

I looked down at my watch and shook my head. "We can be awe-struck when we get home, we need to get down to business. The others are counting on us after all, if we don't all achieve our goal, it will do little good."

Both of the dogs gave me a nod and I focused my senses. Sure enough, I could feel an overwhelming pull in a direction, so I set my feet in motion towards it.

We walked in the bitter cold for nearly ten minutes in silence, then Gloria spoke out, "How far do you think it is?"

"It's getting closer with every step, which is obvious I suppose. I don't think it will be much longer, perhaps another few minutes." I had been making a note of how much distance we covered, we only had about forty-five minutes left, after all, if things got dicey we'd likely need to sprint back, but that wouldn't be a problem for any of us.

"Should we talk about things while we walk?" Alex prodded, curiosity in his voice.

"What's there to talk about? I already said we'd hash the details out if we live through all this." I grumbled as I shifted to look upon him, showing my teeth. "You already know I love you both, you also know I said I'd humor the idea once we were back, what more do you want?"

"Is it something, you even want, sister?" Gloria spoke out curiously.

I frowned, realizing we were indeed going to have this talk, and here in a foreign world of all places. "Look... I can't say. I bottled up and buried all that for you guys, as I swore to myself I would. I never expected this to come up."

I stopped and put my hands on my hips, sensing the energy as I gazed around at the trees that looked not unlike firs from our world. I could sense various wildlife all around, but I also sensed the fear they had for us, they no doubt knew that attacking us would be certain death.

"I'm sure I'd love the sex, but is that all you two want? A friend with benefits?" I looked towards them, the wind blowing my jagged red locks about as we stood in the snow.

"I mean, my love for you aside, I've always thought you had an awesome body, Kat. I've wanted to take you for a ride for years," Alex spoke the words out with a hungry growl and I felt my cheeks grow dark at the brazen words.

Gloria gave a soft bark at his words, giving him a fussy glare. "Alex! Is that any way to speak to her? Such a disrespectful statement."

Grinning, I folded my arms. "It's fine, Gloria. Alex is right, shooting straight with me is the best way to deal with things."

The retriever frowned at me and tilted her head curiously as she stared into my eyes. "Truly?"

"Truly." I nodded at her, keeping the grin on my face, up to the point she moved right in, threw her arms around my neck, then had her mouth to my own in a deep kiss.

"Holy shit..." Alex huffed out as he watched the embrace.

I felt her will push against my own and before I knew it, I was kissing her back, our tongues pushing out to meet one another. Her fingers tangled into my hair, rubbing at my ears. I don't know if Alice had been feeding her details on me or what, but it had the effect it always did, a soft groan escaping my throat as a shiver moved up my spine.

Shuddering, I was about to part from her, then she did something that completely shifted the momentum. Her tongue purposefully pushed up against one of my canines. I felt the angel's divine blood spill forth as she willingly cut herself to deepen the kiss with me.

My eyes shifted to red and a hungry snarl filled my throat as I tasted her blood. I had of course had it before, but not in such an intimate fashion. Hands moved into her curly locks and I gripped fistfuls of it along with her ears.

The dog yipped out as I wrenched her from my mouth, her tongue lolled and slightly bloody as I bared her throat, my eyes blood-red as I moved to plunge my fangs deep and drink of this angel before me, to taste her and have her, right here on the ground of the tundra.

"Woah! Ladies, how about we get home first! You know, we are still on a time-sensitive mission to save civilization as we know it, remember?" Alex called out, putting a hand over Gloria's throat, halting my attempt at drinking.

"Do not stop me, dog! I've hungered for this angel long enough, I'll have her here and now, details be damned!" I hissed the words, slapping his hand away as I glared at him, showing my teeth.

"You're letting your demons get to you Kat, don't make me slap you to bring you around, you know I always feel bad when I have to do it," He growled the word and clenched his fist.

I snarled in challenge even as I screamed at myself to reign it in. Alex had seen me at my worst, had seen me when I was blood starved and ready to rampage. He'd had to knock some sense into me a few times too and always felt awful, apologizing for days afterward.

Gloria slowly tucked her tongue in, her eyes refocusing from the euphoria, but she kept her throat bared, a whimper coming forth as I eased my grip on her hair. I shuddered as I felt the demons tear at my walls, I was hungry and not just for blood, but now was not the time.

I shook my head a few times and pushed at the angel's shoulder, shoving her back several paces. "Get off me!" I hissed out as I pushed a hand to my head, trying to will the hunger away. Since I started practicing blood magic, it had given the hunger a new outlet, it was as Kazemde said, many had succumbed to the power, but those didn't happen to also feed from the source of said power, so it was a fight on two fronts for me.

The three of us stood there in silence for several moments as I huffed and snarled, trying to get myself back under control. Finally, I glanced over to Gloria and frowned. "Sorry, it was nothing personal... I just needed to get you off me, just your touch in that moment..."

"I- I understand, sister. I didn't mean to spark something darker in you, I simply thought you would enjoy the gesture, as you said direct was best. I know this isn't the best time for it, I just felt it would ease the tension." She gave me a bow, her large wings folding along her back at the motion.

"Oh, I'd say I very much enjoyed it. Damn... just... damn..." I sighed and pushed a palm to my chest, giving a controlled huff as I reigned in the urges at last, calming my heart to stop once more. "O-okay, let's keep moving, we've lost a lot of time on this."

"I apologize again." Gloria frowned as we resumed our trek.

"As do I, you know I never like the idea of hurting you, Kat." Alex frowned as he gently put a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, you big softie, even in training you feel bad." I quipped back, offering him a smile, my tail coiling and flicking as we continued towards our goal.

Putting our sexual tension aside, I had expected something more of the Faemarch. I really couldn't say it looked much different than any other forested area I'd been to. The cold was vicious and biting, but for me and Alex, it meant little and Gloria didn't seem put off by it either. Perhaps the wildlife would look more exotic, but it was all giving a wide berth of us, so it was hard to say.

"I wasn't trying to waste our time, I didn't expect it to get so... intense." Gloria broke the silence between us as we moved.

"I know, I know. I'm not mad Gloria, I just... Well, we should focus, there will be time enough for that once we're home." I gave the retriever a small smile that I hoped showed I wasn't angry or put off by it.

"Watching you two kissing and pawing at each other was pretty hot though, I'll admit," Alex growled the words and wagged his brown tail as he looked us both over.

"Reign it in big guy, focus on the task, not mine and your girlfriend's backsides." I hummed the words playfully, glancing over my shoulder, then halted my movements as we crested a small hill, coming into view of our target at last.

We all sunk down to a knee to lower our profile as we looked over the crest of the hill, a small stone shrine around one hundred yards away. It was a simple thing with just around half a dozen stone steps that led to what looked like a large brazier, resting in the bowl of the structure was a small ice blue orb the size of a baseball.

Sarnai and Gloria had described Triallia in detail, so it didn't surprise me to see the two watchmen were covered in coats of fur, each clearly looked to be a wolf. They had slightly elongated muzzles, their visible hands looking like paws with opposable fingers. Each of them had a coat of fur that was snow-white, offering them a little camouflage in the snowcovered surroundings.

"Huh... did the foot soldiers and the likes look like that when you fought them, Gloria?" Alex called out in a soft whisper.

"No, I think they or Triallia were using glamor to make them look more mundane, these fellows certainly look more like how she did." The angel gave the wolf a nod, then pushed a hand gently to my shoulder. "Sister, don't try to drink their blood."

"Yeah? Is it cursed or something?" I lifted my ears and cut my eyes towards hers briefly, then quickly looked back to the two guards at the shirne.

"Sarnai attempted it when she came to my aid. Given the spitting and cursing following, I assumed it was very unpleasant. I had to let her take a few gulps of my own to get the taste out of her mouth."

"Hmm, I wonder if your blood magic will work on them." Alex gave me a curious look and I showed him my sharp teeth in a wide grin.

"Only one way to find out, let's go!" Both the dogs gave a surprised bark as I launched from the hill, blurring towards the two wolves at full speed.

Of course, the poor dogs didn't expect or see it coming, one had a broom in his handpaw, and had been lazily sweeping snow from the shrine when I closed on him. I had already drawn a small silenced handgun, opting to avoid the loud 'bang' the revolvers I usually sported would bring.

The guard gave a shocked yelp as I fired a round right into his side, they were wearing half-plate armor so I didn't trust the low caliber bullet to punch through that. The shot wouldn't be lethal but it opened a wound, which was all I needed.

The other wolf drew the spear off his back, starting to set his stance as I focused my will, it only took a microsecond to feel the energy and know I had him. The first soldier screamed in terror as I drew forth blood from his wound, tearing it open wider and allowing me to pull even more forth.

The fae blood scattered into the air as I bound back right as the second wolf thrust his spear at me, perching on a small pillar at the corner of the shrine. The scattered blood formed into small blades in the air and I washed flames over them to harden them before launching them at the spear-wielding guard.

He didn't even have time to properly scream, just giving shocked yelps as the thousands of blades circled and tore him apart, not an inch of white fur remaining, all of it stained crimson as he toppled to the ground in a lifeless heap. The other gave a choked wide-eyed scream at the display, then I sent the blades back towards him, all of them simply embedding into his body and knocking him from his feet as he toppled to the ground.

I huffed and snarled as I eased my focus, feeling their life forces fade before I relinquished my hold on their blood supplies. The whole thing had happened in just a matter of seconds and I felt the power take its tole as I slumped down to take a seat on the stone blocks panting weakly and feeling drained.

"Kat! Holy nine hells!" Alex barked out as he moved over to me, taking a knee and putting a hand behind my head as I leaned against the pillar.

"Don't be such a drama queen... I'm fine..." I huffed out weakly, offering as much of a grin as I could muster. Frankly, I wanted to just have a drink and take a nap after that.

"Sister, that was impressive, but could we not have tried to take them alive and spared them?" Gloria spoke out gently as she knelt to me, pushing a hand to my shoulder as I felt the soothing energies of her power fill my worn-out body.

"Tch... And chance them escaping or who knows what? No, this is war, Gloria. Their kind struck first, even if it was a different faction of them." I hissed out as I clenched my teeth, grabbing Alex's hand as I forced myself to stand after a moment, knees still shaky from the energy I used.

"I don't give a damn about the mundane world, but I do give a damn about my family. I'll not jeopardize their safety or future over the higher road to take." I huffed out and moved over to the orb, putting my hands on my hips as I looked down upon it.

Gloria frowned at my words and I could see she didn't like my train of thought. I showed her a glare and spat out pointedly, "I thought you liked me Gloria? I thought you liked Sarnai? We're killers, we're murderers, and we do whatever it takes for our family. If you don't have-"

"Stop." The angel spoke sharply and I felt my tongue still as she clenched her teeth and looked away. "Katrina, I know what must be done and I never argued after you made your points. I care about the world and my family, but I accept and willingly make such sacrifices myself, perhaps that is why my wings are in the state they are in. I do not judge you or Sarnai because I myself am a killer, even if it is under the guise of a soldier fighting for what I believe is right, we are one and the same."

I frowned at her but said nothing, sighing as I looked back to the small sphere, feeling the overwhelming power radiating off it. Alex stepped over to me, also staring at the orb before speaking out, "I'd have done the same thing Kat, you just cheated and jumped the gun."

"Hey, I had to show off in front of you two, didn't I? Show you how lucky you two are to possibly be getting this?" I purred the words out playfully, then refocused on the orb. "Look... I've a sneaking suspicion that as soon as we grab this thing, the head honcho is going to know and come running."

Gloria gave a nod. "Yes, I concur. We should make haste to the return gate as soon as we take it."

"Glad you agree, angel, then you take it," Alex spoke out pointedly to her.

With a bark of protest, she put a hand to her chest. "Why me? I'm not nearly as fast."

"Because Kat's low on fuel after her showboating-"

My ears perked up as I hissed, "Hey! I wasn't-"

The wolf gently put a hand to my lips, shaking his head. "Even I can sense you're not at one hundred, just trust me."

I would have growled if I could, but I relented. He was right, that was my first real use of the power in combat and I was certainly feeling it. Alex looked to Gloria as he continued, "If something goes down, I'll need to carry her, you on the other hand can fly, that gives you more advantage."

"F-Fine... I'll do it." Gloria reached her hand out, then looked towards the two of us. "Are you two ready?"

I gave Alex a nod as I pulled away from him, then the wolf gave her his own. The angel took a deep controlled breath and grabbed the orb, quickly snatching it out of the bowl it rested in, then all hell broke loose.

A heavy rumble vibrated under our feet, the very land groaning as if in anger. I sprang off the stone and back into the snow even as the whole of the shrine simply fell out from under us, tumbling down into a gaping chasm that opened beneath it. Alex had followed suit and Gloria simply took to the air, flapping her massive black wings to keep herself aloft.

I stared in wide-eyed wonder, the shrine and most of the land around it simply sliding down into a massive sea of lava that was below the tundra we were on. Alex grabbed my shoulder and snarled, "Don't stare, run!"

With a shocked gasp I felt another rumble under our feet, realizing it wasn't just the shrine that was falling away, but the very earth beneath us. I sprinted away as several yards worth of frozen ground slid away, trees snapping and groaning from it.

"Well! At least they don't have to worry about burying those guys!" Alex barked out as he sprinted forward next to me, both of us blurring at supernatural speeds, but the collapsing ground easily keeping pace with us.

"Silver linings then!" I huffed out as I ran, then watched Gloria sail past us overhead like a bullet. "Gods, she's so much faster now!"

"Yeah! We snuck in a training session before this, even though-" He barked out as the ground toppled under his feet and he fell to his hands.

"Alex!" I called out as he fell, but the wolf simply shifted while on all fours, his black fur bursting forth as he grew in size and bounded up next to me.

"On me!" He snarled the words and I blinked in shock, he had never been able to speak so well in his lycanthrope form before, just bestial snarls. I was already running out of stamina though and he knew it, I leaped onto his back, holding on tight as the massive wolf began sprinting at full speed.

I could see black and red wisps of flame drifting off of him, clutching his throat tightly and shocked at how fast we were moving. It felt like I was on one of the sports bikes we kept in the garage, frozen earth being torn up in his wake as we easily outpaced the collapsing ground.

The gate finally came back into view and Gloria dove right into it from the air, the two of us leaping in as well, the ground shifting and collapsing a few moments later behind us. We all found ourselves back in the underground waterway in Venice, but it wasn't exactly a great stopping point for a giant wolf running at speeds that could keep up with a sports car.

"Shit!" Alex barked out as he dug all four of his paws into the earth before his momentum sent him tumbling and with me as well. We careened towards one of the cobblestone walls at full speed, then both yelped out as we simply halted in mid-air, suspended there as if we had slammed into a giant wall of cotton.

Gloria was standing next to us, both hands outstretched, her teeth showing in focus, her large wings spread out with wisps of silver energy rolling off them as she focused. Seeing we were safe she gave a relieved huff and halted the effort, sending us unceremoniously to the ground in a tangle of limbs and fur.

I groaned as I picked myself up, or tried to, as the wolf was collapsed atop my back. I showed my teeth and hissed out, "Damn! You're heavy in this form, change and get off me!"

Alex gave a snarl as he shifted while rolling off me, plopping onto his rear, t-shirt ripped to shreds, but the jeans having been some of the stretchable ones he tended to wear these days, so no worse for wear. "Ha! Sorry about that, Kat. Nice save by the way, angel." He gave Gloria a playful wink.

"It was nothing, dear." She offered the wolf a gentle smile then gave a relieved sigh as the adrenaline took hold and she fell back, sitting on the mossy earth, shivering slightly. "Huff... I-I'm glad you're safe too, Katrina."

"Yeah, thanks for the save as well... both of you." I looked back to Alex and gave him a smile before sitting down and checking my watch. "Damn, we made good time."

"Well, we were running for our lives there at the end." The wolf barked out a laugh and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well you two were running, I simply flew." The retriever playfully stuck her nose up in the air in a surprisingly haughty gesture that reminded me of something Sarnai would do. I couldn't help but find it adorable, especially given who was doing it.

"Almost half an hour to go, should we poke in on one of the other gates, see if they need our help?" Alex spoke out as he slowly climbed to his feet.

I glanced him over, giving his form a good look. I had seen him shirtless plenty of times, still seeing him with it torn to shreds like that made the hunger in me ache. Pushing it aside, I moved to the gate we just left, staring upon it, seeing nothing but a large pool of lava. "Well, I don't think the guild is using this one again for a while..."

Curiously, I pushed my hand out and frowned as it pressed up against the gate as if it were made of glass. I applied a little force but it didn't seem to budge as if pushing up against a wall. "Hmm... I think they may be one use only, too."

"Man, magic is weird..." The wolf moved over to the gate the mice and Kazemde took, sure enough knocking against it, as if he were tapping on a wall.

"Tell me about it." I gave a laugh then looked at my watch with a frown, seeing we still had plenty of time. I then glanced over at Gloria who had found her feet but was standing there with her arms folded at her stomach, looking away from us, tail drooped and wagging slightly.

"Hey, you okay over there, Gloria?" I called out with a frown, wondering what was up with how she was acting.

She lifted her ears and gave a quick huff in response, "O-oh yes! I'm doing fine, Katrina, thank you for always worrying about me!"

My tail coiled and flicked a few times as I stared upon her. It was probably the fallout of sleeping with a succubus every night, but I could clearly feel her eagerness. No, it wasn't a supernatural thing, I could plainly smell how worked up she was, even in this dank-smelling catacomb.

Thinking back to it, she had gotten a little lost with me a few times before, especially after needing to feed on her when we had just finished some sort of harrowing experience together. I don't know why it took me this long to put the pieces together, but the damn dog was an adrenaline junkie. The near-death experience we just had probably kicked her desire into overdrive.

Gloria's blue eyes shined as she looked over to me, putting a hand to her flushed cheek. "Katrina, why are you staring at me so intently?"

I gave a huff as I realized just how hard I was staring at her and averted my eyes. She was a strong defined woman with just enough curves to look soft to the touch, but easily on par with Sarnai's physique. Of course, she wasn't bringing as much upstairs as me or my vixen, but still had lovely perky breasts from what I had seen of them over the years.

"Like what you see, Kat?" Alex puffed into my ear as I was lost in thought, making me give a shocked hiss before I turned to glare at him, but given his height, I was staring at the chiseled set of abs before jerking my eyes up at him.

"I was just concerned because she was... quiet!" I hissed out and racked my brain for something to shift out of the moment. Even the wolf smelled good now, that musk of his that had always driven me a little mad.

"G-Gloria! What about that stupid orb? Is it okay?" I snarled and shot a glare at the other dog, stepping away from both of them before their scents drove me crazy.

The retriever lifted her ears at the question as if she had forgotten she was carrying it. "Ah. R-Right!" She reached into the long coat she had worn, showing off more of her curvy hips in her tight jeans before she withdrew the small sphere.

"It almost looks like Ice, but it's warm to the touch. I can feel the quiet, fearsome power that's within it, though." She passed it to me and I took it, her fingertips brushing my own as she pulled away with some hesitation.

The tension really was thick in the air for us. I couldn't blame her reactions, even I was having trouble focusing after having several near-death experiences when we fled the realm. I looked over the orb, staring into it intently. It really did look like just a globe of ice, but the power was obviously there.

"You think the others are okay?" Alex spoke out over my shoulder as I looked back at him and tossed the small sphere over to him to look at.

"I've no doubt they are. My teacher is a monster when he's serious and the rest of the crew are made up of our most powerful family members. They sent the 'new kids' on the easy errand, it's no wonder we made such good time." I watched the wolf fool with the orb while I spoke, even going so far as to give the thing a sniff before he shrugged.

We settled into an awkward silence for a few minutes before I began to pace, looking over the three torn open portals, and the one stable one leading back to the magi circle, back to where I had my own dorm-style room, a room with a very large bed in it. I felt like a monster, I should be eager to stay here, wait for everyone, but I was going mad. Years of pent-up tension eager to claw free, just like I was eager to claw the clothes off that angel and my best friend.

Alex gave a shocked bark as he looked upon the gate we had exited. "Woah!"

Me and Gloria quickly moved to look upon the portal, seeing a very furious-looking ninetails standing before it, their form suspended above the sea of molten lava. I was shocked to see the figure. It was obviously a male given you could see nearly all of his chest and abs, exposed from the open-faced robe he had on, a thin coat of white fur covering his flesh.

He was a lithe and small-looking male, probably close to my height, his form looking sleek and toned. His wardrobe kind of reminded me of casual wear I would see from the eastern side of the world; flowing robes of white and blue to match his fur pattern, nine tails fanning out behind him, snow-white like the rest of his form. His hair long white hair flowed down his back and I swear I could see glitters of snowflakes dotting through it.

"Whoa... So that's what a greater spirit looks like... Damn..." I huffed out, even sensing his power and rage through the portal.

"Yes, eerily similar in stature and height to Triallia it seems." Gloria frowned as she folded her arms.

The fox on the other side slammed his fist into the portal with a heavy blow that made no sound on our end, his sharp teeth showing before he started spitting out words and thrust a padded-finger at us as he spoke.

"What do you suppose he's saying?" Alex asked curiously, glaring upon the smaller male through the portal.

"I can read lips, not muzzles, I couldn't tell you." I gave a shrug and lifted my ears as the ninetails punched the portal again with a snarl before drifting back in the air, both his handpaws extending as ice blue flames started to form upon them. "Uh... let's back up just in case," I huffed out and grabbed both the dog's hands, quickly back-peddling from the gate.

The fox launched the icy flames at the gate, the whole view turning ice blue, a few moments later there was nothing but darkness on the other side. Perhaps the whole thing was entombed in ice or who knows what.

"Well... that was interesting, but at least he couldn't get in." I folded my arms while frowning at the gate, then looking back at the one leading to the circle.

"He shared so many similarities to Triallia, I wonder if they're all siblings," Gloria spoke out curiously as she tilted her head.

Alex sighed, "Well, regardless he's seen us and knows we did the deed. Let's hope he doesn't keep a grudge after this is over."

"Yes, for his sake I hope so. All of them are on my shit-list over what they did to you two, I'll have no qualms choking him to death in his own fucking blood." I snarled the words, feeling blue flames drifting off me as my anger grew.

"Katrina, you're so gorgeous when you're like that!" Gloria barked the words out excitedly, her tail wagging as her eyes stared hard upon me. I blinked at her gaze, seeing she was clearly looking my body over.

"Yeah, she's pretty hot when she gets all worked up." Alex also was looking at me like he wanted to tear my clothes off now.

I felt my heart racing, the adrenaline from seeing that spirit, the whole activity leading up to this, and now both of them so intently looking upon me. I shivered and averted my eyes, giving a sigh. I was still burning up with desire and I wanted them; now.

"Uhm... Alex, Gloria, I, well I've got a room at the circle. We're not going to do any good standing around. So... why don't we go back and clean up, then we can-"

I couldn't finish the confession, because of a shocked yip, as well as a furious bleat, filling the room as both Elias and Lorelai came tumbling out of the gate as if they had been thrown through it.

"Master!" I called out in shock as the fox tumbled to the ground, righting himself at once and launching himself back to the gate.

"Sarnai!" Elias roared out her name, slamming into the solid surface of the gate, looking shocked at the barrier, snarling and slamming his flaming fists against it.

Lorelai gave a furious scowl as she righted herself, tossing a small sphere to the ground that was glowing in a soft golden light, then called out to the fox, "Elias, Those gates are magically sealed, you can't punch through them!"

"What in the nine hells is going on!?" Alex snarled as he looked at the two of them.

"Sarnai! Damn you!" Elias screamed out, tears rolling down his face as he kept clawing and punching at the surface of the gate. "Stupid selfish bitch! I won't!"

"Lorelai! Explain this, now!" I hissed out furiously.

"We were set upon by the summer spirit and then... Triallia showed up as well." She spoke out in a cool tone despite her eyes being blood red as she sheathed her longsword along her back. "The two began to quarrel and she took the opportunity to 'eject' us out of the situation."

"Oh gods, she stayed behind?" Gloria gave a shocked gasp, putting a hand to her lips.

"She didn't think we could all make it so..." Lorelai pushed her hand to her face, shaking her head, tears clearly showing as her teeth clenched. I stood there in shock, trying to process it all, and the whole time my master's desperate yowling sobs filled my ears as he slammed against the gate.

---

A few days prior with Elias at the citadel.

"So what was so pressing that you needed to speak to me in private old friend? This isn't a confession is it?" I showed the rabbit a playful grin, my tail wagging as we walked along the halls of the citadel, the rest of my family having left for home already.

Toroah chuckled at my words. "You really have been corrupted by that rabbit, but then again so have I. No old friend, not today anyway," He returned the playful jest, his small fluff of white tail flicking behind him as we walked.

"So what's up?"

"The Seraph wishes to speak with you, only you." The archangel spoke out pointedly and I felt my heart sink in my chest.

"That is... Well, color me shocked. May I ask why?" I growled the words, feeling the tension settle in me, my heart now beating as it thumped in my ears.

"I can't say, but know I've got your back if something happens." Toroah clenched his fist and held it up.

"Hah... you have for nearly half a century old friend, I will put my trust in you and yours." I clenched my own fist, both of us bumping them together before I sauntered back into the audience chamber, the other archangels nowhere to be seen.

"Even Samanth and Ichiro were not privy to this discussion, let us go." Toroah quickly drew open the gate to the Seraph and I strode through, white flames drifting off my tail as it flicked.

We stepped back into the odd empty void and I put my hands upon my hips, tilting my head up and trying to act haughty like my wife would. "Why have you called me back? I hope this is a peaceful summons."

"Be at ease Lord Blackpaw and receive our gratitude for promptly responding to our summons."

"Of course, we are allies after all, I've no reason to distrust as of late." I huffed out and relaxed my stance, shifting to push some of my loose bangs form my vision. "So what can I do for you?"

"We wish to speak to you personally, Toroah my son, could you leave us?"

I frowned at the words and looked to Toroah who glanced to me, tilting his head curiously, as if waiting for my response. With a sigh, I met his eyes and gave a quick nod. He got the signal and bowed before slipping back into the gate as it closed.

The reality crushed me at the prospect of my situation, I was alone with nowhere to go, meeting with a being or beings that could crush me like a bug if they desired it. I composed myself and folded my arms before speaking out, "Quite an awkward position you've put me in, I hope you can understand my trepidation."

"Thank you for your trust, our child."

"I am no child of yours, angel. You've struck down countless of my family over the millennia, do not think our alliance now wipes away the sins of your kind." I snarled as the words came out, shifting to clench a fist, white flames drifting off my knuckles.

"Indeed, and our lamentation of such would do little, all we can do is show by example moving forward. Know we have always looked upon you as our children, members of our family like all the beings of our world."

"Quaint." I snarled and shifted to clasp both hands behind my back, stiffening my stance as I cocked my head. "Did you consider all those you took from us as children too, or lost souls that needed to be put down?"

"Please understand, Lord Blackpaw, in times past, ancient times. Your kind were akin to savage animals, wild monsters that killed swaths of our flock. We are an ancient kind and slow to change."

"A shit excuse is better than none I suppose," I snarled the reply, thinking that was very much something my wife would have said, I'm sure she would have approved, giving me that sulky nod she always did. Thinking of her eased my heart and I relaxed slightly.

"We did not simply reap the souls of your family. They were treated as all fallen mortals are, why some even ascended to our ranks."

"And you expect that to offer me solace? I'll never forget the sorrow and pain your kind wrought. I cannot forget the pain upon my lady and my wife's faces for the crimes you and your followers enacted upon us. Doubly so when we were living peaceful lives and in many cases, protecting your flock from the darker elements."

"We have no excuse, just-"

"That's right, you don't!" I barked out and thrust a hand forward. "I grow weary of this trip down memory lane. Out with why you called me here, I long to see my wife and family."

There was a long pause before the Seraph spoke out gently. "Do you recall we said that we could not directly act upon the course of things?"

"I do, what of it?"

"Your kind, like the rest of our flock, are our children, like it or not. We do not wish to see our children come to harm's way."

"So you're going to get involved directly after all?" I tilted my head, tapping a foot in impatience.

"We simply cannot, we are quite literally bound in that capacity, no matter how we long to stand and protect our loved ones. You, however..."

"What of me?" I pushed a hand to my chest as I growled, "I'm no messiah, I'm just a humble fox that was thrust into a situation I never asked for. I simply want my family to be safe and happy, it's all I've ever wanted."

"Before the chimera was involved, only one being each was to control the power of hellfire and radiance. You and your wife bear the power of your elders, an ancient pact that was formed long ago in the past."

"How is that possible? She told me tales of her former sire, how she also drew the flames while he lived. That was centuries before a chimera was even around."

"A progeny can have scraps of the power, but only the benefactor may summon it in full and it never follows the child's lineage if they turn others, only moving on when taken in full. Even now, the chimera has brought forth the power in multiple beings, including our fallen knight and even our son Toroah. However, as much of a boon as it may be, it will always fall to the wayside compared to the pure unfiltered power that you and your wife possess."

"Why us then? Was it truly happenstance, or were other powers at play here? How did it even come to be?"

"The power was created by an ancient union from deep in the sands of time between our forebearers, the lords of the hells, and your elders. One of your kind would be deemed worthy to represent the power of the nine hells, summoning forth the flames of demons. The other celestial, bringing fires of purity and divinity."

"So 'of the divine flame' wasn't just a colorful nickname. Your people were speaking literally when they called me as such."

"Correct. You suffered all the effects the rest of your kind did when exposed to our divinity and blessed armaments, however, you were able to channel it all the same."

"Interesting... and the reason we have it?"

"We are allowed a minor influence in its movement, but only in a minute fashion. We cannot speak for the lords of hell, but at the moment of your turning, we ordered Ichiro to strike upon your sire but leave him alive. We weakened him and in your awoken frenzy, you claimed the power, as we felt you would potentially be a more worthy heir for it."

"You... so all that time... Wait, why meddle in it at all?"

"He was a cruel being and we were distraught he was using the power for such ends. We had to wait nearly two centuries for the right moment. It was heart-rending to watch so many of our flock suffer at our own power, but that was the price that was to be paid in the original agreement."

"So do you regret your decision? I've laid low many of your flock with this power. Do you seek to take it back now and that is why you called me here?"

"We do not. You have wielded it with a righteous heart, and though your wife may be a little heavy-handed with her methods, she has also created much good in her wake."

"So what was the point in this meeting? Just to explain things to me?"

"Yes, and to fully awaken you to what lies within."

"Wait, you wh-"

Just like that my soul was on fire. I can't describe it any more simply than that. Everything of me felt ablaze in my radiant flames. I took a knee, teeth clenched. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry out and sob, but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything but kneel there and accept everything.

It was only a few moments, but it felt like hours of constant pain, then it was gone, washed away as if it had never been there. I stood and looked at my hands, blinking slowly to try to come to grips with this sensation I felt.

"Summon your flames, Elias Blackpaw."

I showed my teeth at the orders but did as I was told, pulling deep as white-hot flames bursts forth in a massive corona around me, blue sparks of divine energy falling off as I held my hand aloft, my own mouth agape at the sheer radiant power pouring off me. "Gods... this is... I can protect them with this... I can protect everyone with this power! Protect and... punish those that have hurt them, kill them, all of them!" I barked the words out, wagging my tail, a wide grin spreading forth.

"You still must resist your demons, my son. We have unleashed your potential because we feel the world needs it, but we also did so because we feel you are ready. Know that if you do not remain vigilant, the hunger will still claim you, and you will destroy all that which you wish to protect."

I frowned, the words sounding distant, as if the monsters in me didn't want to hear them, but hear them I did. I gave a slow nod, dousing the flames as I shuddered. "T-thank you for your faith in me. I'll do my utmost to remain vigilant."

I tilted my head and shuddered, still feeling the tremors of energy pouring off me. "What of... my wife? Can she do something like this?"

"Sarnai Blackpaw tore down her walls herself. The lords of hell needed not intervene, she pushed past her limits long ago in defense of you and the one known as Lorelai. Her power is simply split right now."

"Split?" I tilted my head curiously.

"The demon that wrought her with agony is now a kindred spirit within her. It is only when the two work in tandem that the power will flourish."

"I'll have to tell her that."

"You mustn't. You can't speak of what has transpired here this day. If you explain things, she will never find the answers within, of that we are certain."

I scowled and lifted a hand. "Though I appreciate your faith in me, I don't keep things from my wife, that's not how I operate."

"You must have faith in us in this matter, Elias. We cannot say what the future holds, but we know it would be a mistake to do so. Please trust us in this matter, that is our only request for awakening your abilities."

I snarled at the prospect of it, but I clenched my teeth and nodded. "Fine. I'll not volunteer the information, but know if she asks directly, I'll not lie to my wife."

"Thank you for your faith."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Just remember your fires are of purity and cleansing, not destruction. Please use it for such."

"Purity and cleansing... like washing away evil and such?"

"Correct. Your powers will shatter curses and even maledictions in their wake, even those of the arcane."

I tapped a finger on my chin in thought. "I see... so magical plagues and curses can be cleansed. That is helpful... kind of like a dispelling effect-"

---

"No! I refuse! I let you throw your life away to protect me once, I'll not do it again! Never again!" My master screamed the words out, his voice sounding maddened as his white flames burst forth more violently than I had ever seen, spreading through the small room, scorching away the moss as we shielded our eyes from the blinding radiance.

I blinked them open in the haze of light, seeing the fox had shoved his hands straight through the barrier, prying at it as if tearing two doors free of their hinges. Fissures of light erupted from the gate and in a burst of radiant energy it shattered, leaving odd chunks of distorted reality hanging from it.

There was no hesitation as he dove right back into the shattered gate. I found my feet in a sprint to chase after him, seeing the barrier restitching itself in his wake. I didn't think I just willed my blood to empower me as much as it would allow, using my own arcane training to enhance my speed as I leaped at the gate, clearing it as I tumbled past. The last thing I heard was Alex and Gloria screaming my name, the wolf slamming up against the closed gate a moment too late.

---

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