Alaina ignored the prince to glare into Nix's eyes, "You should worry about yourself Nix. Practically at deaths door, in a rotting human body. It would only take a moment of inattention to kill you again."
Nix tilted his head, "So long as the sun rises, so long as Ru lives, so long as there's mana, I cannot be killed." Nix turned his attention to King Cecil, "You have a few weeks, not much, but time enough to plan a feast. Yemoja will need blood, mana and flesh."
Caius flattened her ears, "Aiya, why say anything? They won't appreciate it." She groused just loud enough to be heard.
Nix nuzzled Caius's cheek, "I believe in chances, choices for all, like with heart bearer's past, opportunity until betrayed."
Asturias met the beast's eyes, "Are you saying, one of our own… was your past heart bearer?"
Nix ruffled his feathers as he glanced up, "There was a girl, chased and betrayed, offered up everything, if one life was saved. She was devote, kept every word, when she did pass, like a volcano in a lake."
Asturias tried to recall any underwater volcano's that had erupted in their history. Only for the beast to chuckle while shaking his head.
"Not a volcano human's could see, her inner fire, left even me without speech. The maiden of teers, the maiden the lost would seek. Far from the waters, her church was unique. A discarded princess, from human record they delete." Nix reminisced.
Alaina tried to send a spell through the rift only for it to rebound, knocking her into a pillar.
Nix settled his gaze on the human avatar, "That young volcano, did realize sea's truth. She was conflicted, her loyalties torn. When a princess then realized, volcano a thorn. When volcano couldn't be plucked, couldn't be drowned, a wordless truce two gods were bound."
Asturias turned his attention from the irate beast of virtue, back to Nix. There had to be a reason Nix was bringing this up.
Nix smiled, "She left a record, of all she had learned, how more than five countries conspired to raid, pillage, and burn." Nix let his gaze pass over the dragon kin, Zane, Lucera, and Theodore. "They bound a young beast, heart, body, and soul. When things went awry, more than just dragons did die."
Lucian felt his blood run cold. Five countries… five countries worked together to make those arrays?
"That volcano bided her time, hid a relic away, even as she drew her last breath, her determination did not sway. Not a relic of battle, not a relic of peace, but a relic with the power to safeguard the unwilling, the weak." Nix nodded as Alaina forced her self up. The floor crumbling beneath her hands. "This for the Volcano who kept my heart warm, a torch I now pass along. Search for her abode, for the lives she did protect, the truths she revealed, the blood she wept. When the goddess rises, many will fall."
With that Nix closed the rift. Turning his attention to the pale Adarian prince. "So many at fault, so many will fall. Remember when one missteps, others faulter."
Caius giggled as she cuddled her Pretty Birdie, "Aiya, so they are all at fault! All casting stones at each other! What bad humans!"
Nix shrugged, "Let it be said, all were forewarned. If my justice prevails, more than the empire will burn."
The tensions as the groups returned to the empire were almost tangible. Well, for everyone but the foxes.
Caius happily trotted along the dirt path, tails swaying as her Pretty Birdie lazily circled overhead. The occasional burst of bird song cheering her mood considerably.
Novak cursed as once again, one of those wretched monkeys threw a rock at prince Terrence. The blasted creatures had been following them since the battle. There had to be at least twenty of the beasts.
Jakub watched the treeline. The beasts were staying just out of range of his spells. Even corpse puppets were avoided. Worst, he didn't even dare attack to kill anymore. Just when he thought he would capture one of the beasts, one of Nix's fires had absorbed his mana.
The Ranger watched the necromancer. "Aye be thinken… they no be followen da laddie. Aye be thinken, they be followen Nix."
The mountain man walked alongside his bull. "Aye be thinken the same. But why would man eaten monkeys be followen a bird ah fire?"
The Mage pulled his horse closer. "Aye be thinken, they did no show themselves till after that burst of light. Now we kenna be rid of em."
Randal shuddered as the monkeys swung from tree to tree beside them. "Aye be thinken, another beast be watchen as well. The question, how long they be watchen."
The Mountain man wanted to curse when one of the monkeys leapt out of the forest to land on his bull's saddle. "Ye all be doin it ah purpose! Why ye all picken on me?!" He demanded as the monkey scratched its head looking at them.
Randal just watched as the Satori tilted his head back and forth. It's eyes were black, with tiny glowing yellow pupils. It's fur was a bit more shaggy than most monkeys he'd seen. It opened its mouth to show razor sharp teeth. Randal rested his hand over his pocket, holding his wee beastie.
The Mountain man watched as the monkey started poking and prodding at his bull. The beast was almost as large as a man… it seemed the be the leader of the pack following them. The other monkeys would occasionally call out, only for the one on his bull to send reassuring calls back.
Randal half hoped the beast would speak… explain why they were being followed, and why the fixation on Prince Terrence.
Jakub wished the real Novak was here, not this puppet. It just wasn't as fast as the real assassin. Directing his horse closer, he stopped when the monkey turned to face him with a growl.
Randal wasn't surprised, but a bit disappointed he couldn't understand the Satori's growls. "Aye be thinken, he donna care for ye mage Jakub."
Jakub watched the Satori, then he realized more than a dozen were now peaking out of the trees to stare at him. "I see…" He muttered as he pulled his horse to a stop. The rest of the Satori's disappeared back into the forest.
The Mountain man sighed, "Ye be looken fer a ride then? I must no look as scary as the rest ah ye ugly mugs. Why else would all the beasties be picken on me?" The Satori just continued to watch them, crouched on his bull's saddle, ready to escape at the first sign of hostility.
Randal half heartedly asked the man eating beast a few questions, but it gave no indication of hearing him.
Jakub slowly inched his way closer to the duke's party. The Satori gave him a few hostile glances but didn't flee. It had to be an elite class beast. Novak's puppet stopped attacking the surrounding Satori, eventually several of them were poking at the different parties.
Rommel stiffened as the child sized satori sat on Prince Zane's carriage. The carriage itself wasn't all that impressive, but it could withstand elite class beasts… He wanted to shoo it away but everyone had tacitly accepted their presence.
Concubine Ofelia gasped when the satori sat on the back of her father's horse. She was in a carriage with her daughter, but she couldn't shake the growing unease clawing at her chest as they neared the capital. She wanted to take her daughter and flee…
Empress Charmaine was also in a carriage with the crown prince and princess. The satori on the empress's carriage was slamming its fists along the sides and screaming.
Devlin kept his majesty from attacking the Satori, nodding to Nix who was circling overhead. "Majesty, it's only scaring them, it can't break the enchantments or wards around the carriage."
Charmaine glared at the ceiling of their carriage. The occasional glimpses of the monkey's hands and tail setting her teeth on edge. She needed to get back to the palace. Set up safeguards for her children.
No matter what anyone said, she didn't believe for one moment that Ashton was really going to protect her children. Those… creations were abominations. She couldn't rely on Lucian, which meant she couldn't rely on any of his people.
Hugging her terrified daughter closer, she glared at the hands beating on their carriage window. She would protect her children. Even if that meant she had to make a deal with the devil itself.
Caius sat on her haunches as they approached the Smyrnaean gates. Aiya, what nasty air. How could anyone think with all the souls screaming?
Talvi felt her fur stand, the smell of death was overwhelming. The angry humans weren't helping either. Just when she was going to force herself past the city gates Papa Bird landed on Mother Caius's shoulder.
Nix changed back to his human form. Reaching into a rift as he pulled out his mask. Seeing the pitiful fox faces, Nix pulled out a mask for each fox.
Caius burst into flames as she reached for the mask. The flames would act as a barrier from the souls.
Lucian watched as the foxes playfully tugged at each other's masks. "We thought you said the masks held no enchantments."
Devlin hesitated, "Not one I could find." As soon as the foxes were all in their fox masks, each with a red feather, they bounded past the city gates.