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It had been a long journey across the Yukon Territories… Through walking and hitchhiking - both with and without permission, they crossed a vast distance, ever in sight of the Rocky Mountains

Upon reaching a crystal-clear lake that Vinge identified as Marsh Lake, he and Kieran followed the shoreline to the Yukon River, over which they kept in sight all the way to their destination. Kieran’s feet ached, but despite that he kept on as the days went by, enjoying what food they could procure from local settlements along the river.

It never ceased to amaze Kieran just how vast the Canadian Wilderness truly was… They had crossed hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometres of distance, with extraordinarily little to be seen in between what few communities they saw - many of which were Native Reserves, historic sites, nature reserves, and many, many more glacial melt lakes than he ever knew existed.

The Canadian Territories were truly the place where anything could hide… It was a small wonder Vinge’s family had chosen to live out here. But it made him wonder what else was hiding out there, untouched by civilization in the most remote regions in the world…

Their last stop before Whitehorse was a campground, situated by a small creek linked directly to the river. It was here that Vinge told Kieran they were in the local county of Whitehorse; news which Kieran was relieved to hear, and rested easy that night knowing that by tomorrow they would finally be there.

The following morning, the two set out bright and early. This time, they didn’t return to the river, simply following the highway to the city. Approaching Whitehorse, after crossing so much untamed land, was like stepping into another world, seeing civilization again after so long.

Whitehorse itself was not a massive city, but it was certainly the largest he had seen since leaving Alberta; according to Vinge, it had a population in the twenty-thousands, making it one-third the size of Unity Falls, and less than a fifth the size of Edmonton - the last, largest city the cat had seen.

“We made it,” said Vinge, breathlessly as he took in the sight of his home again for the first time in what seemed like years. “Welcome to Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon Territories.”

Kieran let out a long, tired, yet relieved sigh as he hunched forward and rested his paws on his knees. “Thank Christ.” He said with a half wheeze. “Not knocking the Canadian Wilderness or anything, but I was getting tired of all that hiking. Any longer and I might have started to freeze over into a catsicle.”

“Remind me not to bring you here when winter sets in,” Vinge remarked with a wry smirk. “Despite how frigid the nights have been, it’s still summer in this region.”

“More power to ya. You get stronger the colder it gets.” Kieran remarked with a wry smirk. “Let’s just get inside somewhere before my tail freezes over and snaps off.”

“My house is up there,” Vinge said, pointing at a high ridge overlooking the city. “That neighbourhood is called Copper Ridge. We’ll take the main road; it’ll be quicker.”

As the two walked side-by-side, Vinge glanced at Kieran and asked, “Will you still be able to make it back to Unity Falls from this far away?” he asked. “It’s quite far by now.”

Kieran responded with a confident nod. “Oh yeah, I’ll be good once I’m all warmed up. Distance really isn’t a factor when I’m scrying, so long as I know the person I’m trying to reach and they’re in a place that’s safe enough to transport to.” He explained. “Helps if they hold still too.”

“I'm just asking because I recall that time you portalled Volcan, Ayane and Ranshiro all at once. That seemed to fatigue you greatly,” commented Vinge. “Is distance less of a factor than volume, then?”

“Correctamundo.” Kieran answered. “Teleporting just myself is much easier than teleporting a buncha peeps at once. Remember, in terms of experience, I’m still a learner of the mystical arts. I got a looooong way to go before I can be considered a ‘Sorcerer Supreme,’ as it were.” He added with a snicker.

“That’s such a thing?” Vinge asked, and at Kieran’s curious look, he caught on. “Oh… You were making a reference,”

he remarked.

“…You really need to watch more movies.” Kieran remarked while rolling his eyes.

“I have had little time for passive entertainment over the years,” the ice phoenix remarked. “Or it would be fairer to say I have not made much time for it, other than reading.”

“Then I know exactly what we’re going to be doing once we get settled.” Kieran remarked while patting Vinge’s shoulder. “Now c'mon. I gotta get inside before I literally freeze to death.”

“I hardly think it is that bad out here,” said Vinge, shrugging as they made their way up the ridge.

“Easy to say for someone who gets stronger the colder it gets!” Kieran retorted as he ran ahead.

In the hills overlooking the city of Whitehorse, in a neighbourhood known as ‘Copper Ridge,’ the ice phoenix and sorcerous cat made their way through the quiet neighbourhood to the home of Vinge. Many of the people they passed on the sidewalks seemed to recognize Vinge and greeted him - though very few knew him by name off the top of their heads.

Their trek brought them to the southern end of the neighbourhood, to the last house on the left before a trailhead leading down the ridge and onto a forested path. Vinge approached the front of the house and knocked on the door, stepping back to wait until someone came to answer.

A moment following the knock, the door opened, and another pale figure stepped into view. The avian who answered the door was a female, a little shorter than Vinge, with feathers that shone with a bluish hue when the light of the sun overhead found them. Unlike Vinge, though, her eyes were azure instead of the ice blue he possessed, but they had the same dark blue sockets as him, and her beak was shaped exactly like his, with a single downward curve and a pronounced wedged shape.

“Vinge?” the female asked, speaking in a surprised voice.

“Hello, mom,” Vinge replied.

The female practically threw her arms around the ice phoenix, hugging him tightly. The two shared a long, heartfelt embrace before she finally pulled away to look at him. “It’s been so long… I got your letter saying you were coming home but it’s been such a long time since I saw you,” she said. “Are you okay - have you been eating well?”

“I’m fine, mom,” Vinge assured her, “Although my friend and I certainly won’t say no to a meal.”

The female phoenix looked past her son at the gray cat, politely waiting at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the porch. He looked in and offered a friendly smile, followed by a casual two-fingered salute before he stepped up to the porch and offered his paw to the female phoenix.

“Pleasure, miss,” He greeted her warmly.

“Gray fur, green eyes… You must be Kieran?” she asked, taking his paw and shaking it. “Vinge mentioned you in his letter. Referred to you as a ‘promising student,’ I believe?” She looked at her son with a smirk, and Vinge coughed.

“That was not meant to be repeated,” he remarked, dryly.

Kieran chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. “I mean… I wouldn’t say ‘promising,’ but I have been learning a lotta things from him,” he replied modestly.

The female ice phoenix chuckled. “I’m just glad to see he’s finally made friends,” she said. “My name is Janne, by the way. Janne Ísarr.”

At Kieran’s curious look, noticing the obvious discrepancy, Vinge spoke up. “My mother still uses her maiden name,” he explained, “I was given my father’s surname when I hatched.”

“Ah. Right, gotcha.” Kieran answered, then rubbed his arms with his paws. “Brrr! Uh, mind if I come on in? Been kind of freezing my tail off since I first found yer kid.”

“Of course. Although, we don’t usually keep the heat on it’ll at least you’ll be out of the wind,” she replied, stepping aside and holding the door open. “Come in.”

“Thaaank you!” Kieran said as he almost barged past the two of them, letting out a sigh once he was out of the cold, finding the temperature much more tolerable. “Aaahhh… better.”

Janne closed the front door again. “Can I… Offer you a blanket?” she asked.

“Actually, yes. That’d be much appreciated. Thanks.” Kieran answered enthusiastically.

“Vinge, show our guest to the living room while I find him a blanket,” Janne requested while she headed for the stairs.

“Will do,” Vinge replied, and led Kieran to the left of the front door.

The room beyond the doorway ahead opened into a room with a cool, white and blue focused decor, with the walls - looking recently painted with a snowy white and light blue trimming along the tops of the walls, with matching furniture arrayed throughout the room, including a sectional couch - which looked the be the newest thing in the room, as the rest of the furniture appeared dated.

The television, sitting in the corner opposite the sectional couch, was one of the earliest flatscreens - still sporting the bulky form of older televisions. The entertainment centre upon which it sat, with a glass cabinet full of old movies, seemed to be from the same year as the television itself; Kieran was no expert on antiques, but he could guess the TV and the unit it sat on were at least thirty years old… Though, he supposed that would not qualify them as antiques; just old.

There was, however, an antique dresser, placed against the wall opposite the doorway. The dresser, situated against the wall across from the doorway, looked vintage, freshly oiled, and emitting a lemon scent that Kieran caught when he breathed in. It had a symmetrical shape, with three drawers, each one with a pair of matching brass handles.

But it was what sat atop the dresser that drew his attention; three picture frames, each containing a photograph - one of which, on the left, was black and white, but the other two were colour. The middle picture showed Janne and another avian - one who looked almost exactly like Vinge, minus the blue eye sockets and with a darker gray colour to his beak and skin, standing together in front of the house in which they stood now, commemorating the day they had bought their home together…

But in the third picture, Janne and that avian - who had to be Vinge’s father, were not alone; they stood side by side, with a smaller, more innocent-looking youth sitting on the shoulders of the male. A youth who, even though they had to be at least twenty years younger in the photo, he knew had to be Vinge - a happy, excited toddler… a stark contrast to the Vinge that Kieran knew now.

‘Damn, look at that…’ Kieran thought inwardly as he took the photo in hand to get a better look at it. ‘He looks so happy in this photo… Truly a kid without a care in the world.’ He continued to think inwardly even as he set the photo back on the dresser. ‘Don’t think I’m ever gonna see that cheerful side of him, least not at the moment.’

Vinge, having apparently noticed what Kieran was looking at, came to stand beside him, following his gaze to the photo. “Our first picture together. Myself, my mother… And my father,” he said. “I was just four years old when we took that, during a family trip to Dawson City.” He pointed to the back of the photo. “In the background there, you can see the theatre we visited, seeing a play about the gold rush in the Klondike, back in the 1890’s… My mother used to say that’s where my fascination with history must have begun.”

At that, Vinge allowed himself a small smile. “Even to this day I remember that play… Not all of it, but enough that I can quote a few lines from the lead actors.”

“Sounds like you had a helluva time back then.” Kieran offered with a smile, though that quickly faded when he voiced his next question. “...What happened to him…?”

“Well, as you know, P.A.C.E came for him, and took him away, when I was about nine years old,” said Vinge, gesturing for Kieran to follow him as he walked to the other side of the room, to a sliding glass door that led to the backyard. “We were having lunch together, out on the porch here,” he explained, gesturing to the wooden patio they could see through the door.

“I had just finished my sandwich, and then I went running out into the yard, to go play in a treehouse I had back then, built between those three aspen trees over there,” he pointed. “But not halfway up the ladder, my father suddenly cried out for me to come back to the house immediately. He didn’t even wait for me to respond; he came running across the yard, grabbed me and carried me back to the porch. Everything was happening so quickly; I barely knew what to think.”

“He ushered us into the storm cellar, under the deck,” Vinge went on, pointing at the patio. “My parents built the patio over it since we didn’t use it anymore, but left enough space that you can still get into it if you crawl under the porch. Anyway, it’s hard to spot, so he thought we’d be safer there… The last I saw of him, he was about to follow us down, when he saw something behind him… Then, he shut the doors, froze them shut, and then we heard fighting outside…”

“By the time my mother managed to break the ice barrier he had formed… It was all over. We didn’t see any sign of what had taken him; just blood, torn cloth, and the grass matted where a helicopter touched down,” he sighed and hung his head, shaking it slowly. “That was the last time we saw him… They came so quickly and left just as swiftly. We didn’t even see which way they went.”

Kieran’s heart sank in his chest as he listened to the story, his ears flattening to the sides and bringing a paw to gently clasp Vinge’s shoulder in a supportive manner. “Hey… If it means anything coming from a Spellsword-for-hire, I think yer dad would be proud of who you’ve become… and of all the pals you’ve made lately.”

Vinge allowed himself a light smile at that. “I know he would,” he said. “Though we are ice phoenixes, all my father ever wanted was for us to have stable, comfortable lives - even if society could never know what we were. He found ways to make it work.”

“It’s just one of the many reasons I loved him,” Janne’s voice piped up as she joined the conversation, coming over to the two with a folded fleece blanket in her arms, passing it to Kieran. “When I came to Canada, over seventy years ago, I never imagined I’d meet another of my kind here. But there he was, living here in Whitehorse. He owned land into the trees behind this house, and he grew trees to later sell as firewood, and used what he didn’t sell to carve toys for his neighbour’s kids,” she looked at the photos on the dresser. “My beloved Eirwen…”

Kieran sighed softly. “You guys are lucky to have a guy like that in yer lives,” he responded. “I wouldn’t really know the joy of having parents myself. I’ve pretty much been an orphan fer most of my life, least until I was too old fer the system to provide fer me.”

Vinge turned to look at Kieran. “What happened to yours?” he asked, feeling suddenly selfish for having lamented so much about his lost father, only now to find out Kieran had no family at all…

Kieran shrugged. “Dunno. As far back as I can remember, I’ve always lived in a foster center when I was a kid. My guess is I was an accident, and they didn’t want to have to deal with me, so… Yea. Here I am,” he said before shrugging again. “I don’t really dwell on it. It doesn’t affect me all that much, especially after I partnered up with Korban.”

“How did you meet him anyway?” Vinge asked, curious. “You came to me lamenting about his recent behaviour, but how did you ever become partnered with him in the first place?”

At that, Kieran began to chuckle. “Would you believe that he was my first target when I got into the business?” he asked, gauging his reaction.

Vinge with a blank expression, blinked twice before he spoke again. “...History repeats itself, doesn’t it?” he asked, dryly.

“No kidding. Seems he and I have a knack fer making friends with our targets, eh?” Kieran asked jokingly.

“Best hope that the next one does not end up being your last,” Janne commented.

“Like picking a fight with five Phoenixes,” Vinge remarked with a wry smirk.

…Had he just told a joke?

“Okay, I get it. Funny joke.” Kieran said while rolling his eyes for a moment, then glanced at Vinge curiously. “Especially since you never tell jokes… Has Korb been rubbing off on ya or something?”

“Between him, a free spirit like Pavan, or a smartass like Avory, it was bound to happen,” Vinge replied with a shrug.

“Well, good to know ya just have an icy exterior,” Kieran jabbed back. “Maybe we can get ya to unwind yet.”

“Only time will tell for that,” said Janne, smiling at her son.

~~~~~

Obsidian reached back into her car to get the flowers she had bought, tucking them into her arm before shutting the door and using her remote to lock the car. With that, she started walking toward the hospital doors, gently cradling the flowers in her arms as she approached.

She let out a saddened sigh as she walked; visiting the hospital was never something she enjoyed, as just to protect her sanity she had to close her mind to all the thoughts swarming around her. The unhappy patients throughout the hospital were enough to drive a telepath mad if they left themselves open to them; she silently hoped Ordagova had wisely done as she was and not left himself open… She considered contacting him telepathically to ask, but if he had shut himself as she hoped, he wouldn’t hear her.

The automated, sliding glass doors parted as she approached, and made her way toward the reception counter when she noticed two familiar figures talking to the receptionist. Even from behind, she knew those colour patterns - especially around their wings, plus the male of the two was wearing that white jacket she’d come to know so well.

“Avory? Avelyn?” she asked.

“Sid?” the female asked as she turned her attention away from the receptionist and towards the purple dragoness. She stepped forward, lifting her arms to embrace her, turning her head to rest it against her shoulder, being careful not to touch the flowers she carried.

“Good to see you,” she said, hugging the raven female warmly. “Are you and Avory here to see Ordagova, too?”

Avelyn kept quiet, stifling a tear before finally speaking up, “We are. We came as soon as we heard the news,” she replied, “I hope he’s ok, I can’t imagine how he’s feeling…”

“Agreed,” Obsidian replied, playing along.

“Were you there, when it happened?” Avelyn asked the officer in civilian clothes.

“His place caught fire,” replied Obsidian, “the fire department is still trying to determine the cause.” ‘Though… We of course know how it happened…’ she added mentally, so that only they could hear her. “He suffered a few burns, but nothing too serious according to the paramedic’s preliminaries. He should be fine.”

The avian sniffled lightly, clutching the dragoness tighter in her hug.

Avory finished talking to the receptionist, turning around to see the two girls embracing, walking up to them slowly, giving the dragoness a small nod as a greeting, “...Officer Kimoyama.”

“No need to be formal, Avory - I’m out of uniform,” she remarked with a wink. “For now, I’m just Obsidian, or ‘Sid’ if it’s easier.”

“I’m sorry… Obsidian,” Avory apologized, “I just don’t know how to think right now… Since we moved here, and found his place; we met you and everyone there… And now… it’s all gone… It’s been…”

Obsidian nodded. “I know… It’s a lot to take in,” she agreed. “So much has happened over so short a time, it’s understandable that it could get a bit overwhelming.” She gently took her arm from around Avelyn, and rested it on her brother’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “But things will be okay. You’ll see.”

With a heavy sigh, and giving a reciprocating squeeze of the dragon’s hand with his own, he pulled back, “I assume you will be joining us,” he remarked, but not waiting for a response, “He’s on the second floor,” he said, guiding the pair of them towards the lift lobby in reception.

The trio made their way through the hospital, making their way to the second floor above the ER where short-term-care patients were kept in rooms. They soon reached Ordagova’s room, and Obsidian - reaching the door first, knocked on their behalf. She waited until she heard Ordagova call out before she opened the door.

“Orda. Hello,” she greeted, stepping aside to hold the door open for the twins to enter.

“Obsssidian?” The snake asked, raising his gaze to peer up the bedsheets to the door; for once seeming surprised and off guard, “I wasssn’t exssspecting anyone to come visit,” he hissed quietly, then looking surprised again as the two twins entered quietly, closing the door behind them.

“Well of course we would visit, you silly serpent,” she said, in a gentle chiding tone but flashing a smile at him. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Isss Volcan ok?” he hissed, ignoring the dragon’s question, “What have you done to him?”

“Wha- us?” Obsidian asked, surprised - and more than a little hurt by the underlying accusation his words carried but saw the serpent's eyes were locked on Avogadro.

“I had to taze him to stop him and contain him. But you already know that,” Avory replied insistently. “He had a demon inside him trying to take him over. It’s gone now. He’s recovering.”

Ordagova remained silent, holding his stare as if to confirm the story he’d been told by reading the trio’s minds. He soon determined that Avory was telling the truth.

“...He’s resssting now… But will he be the sssame perssson?” Ordagova quietly hissed to himself.

Obsidian let out a sigh. “We don't know,” she admitted. “The experience was… Traumatic. We have no way of knowing how he’ll come out…” she shook her head sadly, carrying the flowers over to his bedside, and placed them on the table. “For the time being, he’s under his mother’s care; she offered me her phone number to give to you, in case you want to check up on him.”

“Pleassse. I want to know if he’sss ok.” he insisted.

Obsidian nodded and passed him the flowers. “These are from Tsumé and I; she sends her regards. She had to work this morning - something about the mornings being better for gardening. But she wanted me to let you know she promises to come visit tonight,” the dragoness explained, smiling and letting him smell the flowers with his tongue while she pulled out her phone to access her contacts and find Degra’s number.

“How do you feel?” Avory asked before clarifying, “Burn wise.”

“It hurtsss a lot.” he hissed, “but I will manage… I’ve sssuffered worssse… Ssshot, Ssstabbed… Endured explosionsss… When you live asss long as I, you get usssed to it,” he sighed.

“How have you gone through all that?” Avelyn asked, concerned for her friend.

Ordagova shook his head, “You don’t want to know.”

Avory raised an eyebrow to that before speaking, “How old are you?”

Seeing no reason to keep it a secret from the pair anymore, now that he knew for certain that they knew what he really was, he answered. “One-hundred and forty-four” he hissed plainly, after a glance at the door.

Avelyn was a little surprised at this, but Avogadro was not. Obsidian did not comment, but Avelyn did not miss the half-smile on her face out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re not a normal snake, are you?” Avelyn asked, “Your tail was much larger after the fire, and then it shrank… Come to think of it, you didn’t have legs either.”

“You don’t have to pretend that you have not already ssseen the real me,” Ordagova dismissed, “I know your brother bugged my home with a camera for our protection. I know you’ve both ssseen me.”

“I… Didn’t want to seem invasive,” she replied, flustered.

“I am a naga from a tribe that lives in El Mirador,” Ordagova began, “We possssssessssss a powerful ability to change our formsss with training. Nyelva and I were both very adept at thisss, ssso we ran away together when we were young, and now live amongssst bipedsss; people who used to fear and hunt us. Over decadesss we ended up here.”

Obsidian put away her phone as she asked a question. “How long have you been in Canada?”

“Around forty yearsss.”

“So, since the seventies,” she said, doing the math in her head and nodding. Then, glancing at Ordagova and seeing his expression, she let out a sigh, seeing that diverting the subject wasn’t cheering him up. “...Do you, or… Have you… Made a claim yet, with your insurance?” she asked, deciding to focus on something he probably was thinking about.

“Not yet,” Ordagova replied. “An invessstigation hasss been ssstarted, and the information will determine whether or not the inssssurance will cover it. I worry they may find evidencssssse about Volcan, though…”

“Fire damage can be pretty extensive, and leaves very few traces,” Obsidian offered, speaking from experience. “I don’t think they will find anything about Volcan. What I’m worried about,” she looked at Avory, “is them finding a certain device that was left in the room,” she spoke lowly.

Her voice carried a vague tone of disapproval; even with good intentions, she still didn’t like him doing what he did… But she was less judgemental about it, so at least she was starting to see the value in caution.

But Avory came back quickly. “I already removed it,” he said, matching the low tone. “When the fire was ongoing, I made sure to collect it.” Sensing her next question, he continued. “No one could see me through the flames. Besides, in its destroyed state it’s no different to any other household security camera.”

Obsidian frowned but nodded. “Alright,” she said. “So that’s one crisis averted.”

Avory turned to Ordagova. “However, I would like to point out that even if your insurance will not cover everything, Avelyn and I would like to foot the rest, and more so to get it to where you want it to be. It’s the least I can do for you for what you’ve done for us,” he stated.

“That isss very kind of you, Avogadro, but I hope that will not be necsssessssssary,” Ordagova replied.

“Regardless, I’m here if you need me,” Avory insisted.

“Agreed!” Avelyn chimed in, giving Ordagova a friendly smile.

Ordagova nodded as the room fell silent once again, until the snake let out a sigh, “I jussst can’t ssstop thinking about Volcan…”

“I know,” Obsidian replied, nodding in understanding. “I’ve sent you Degra’s number so you can check up on him. Just remember, he needs rest too. He got hurt pretty badly…”

Ordagova nodded slowly. “I’ll remember,” he said.

Obsidian nodded back. She didn’t miss the tone of reluctance in his voice; she knew it had to be eating him up inside, to not be able to call Volcan’s mother for several days to check on his boyfriend…

Then, the sound of the door opening caught her attention, and she saw a reptilian in a nurse’s smock entering the room. “Pardon me,” he said, “but it’s time to change Mr. Nevarol’s bandages.”

“Of course… We were just leaving,” said Avelyn, who then looked at her brother. “Are you ready?”

“Sure,” he replied, and looked over at Ordagova with a smile as he approached the snake “You’ll be okay,” he exclaimed before leaning in giving a gentle hug over the snake’s shoulders, being careful to stay clear of his burns. “He’ll be ok too,” he whispered to the snake before stepping back.

Obsidian was the last to leave, following the twins out of the room. She cast one look back at Ordagova as he held out his burnt hands to the nurse, who began to gently remove the dirty bandages to put on new, clean ones. She gave him one last smile and wave before she left the room, joining the twins in the hallway.

“I can’t say I’m not worried about Volcan too,” commented Avelyn, reaching a hand across herself and rubbing her other arm absently.

Obsidian put up her hand in front of the raven to silence her. “Let’s wait until we’re outside to talk about it,” she urged. ‘He might still be able to hear our thoughts in here,’ she added mentally, making sure not to direct her telepathic message to the snake in the room they had left…

“Agreed,” Avory said, urgently leading the way.

The three left the hospital and headed down the street to a nearby fast-food restaurant, rather than return to their cars immediately; Avory offered to buy lunch for them. Obsidian knew he was probably hoping to take his mind off the unhappy subject that had brought them to the hospital that day…

They sat in a booth, each of them with a tray of food in front of them. Like Obsidian, the twins had kept their orders light; none of them felt particularly hungry, nor did anyone seem to want to address the elephant in the room that was making them so gloomy. When the silence started to grow long and awkward, Obsidian cleared her throat and spoke to bring an end to the silence.

“So… What’re you two doing this afternoon?”

“Korban is meant to be visiting this afternoon,” Avory replied.

“What for?” Obsidian inquired.

“Training, supposedly” Avogadro replied, “I don’t know why I agreed to it. Maybe I felt like it would cheer him up yesterday. I’m already regretting it.”

Obsidian shrugged. “Well, Korban is pretty street smart, and a survivor. I imagine you could learn some things from him. Though, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m skeptical about you training with a,” she cleared her throat, looking out the side of her eye to the restaurant to confirm no one was close enough to hear her, “ahem, bounty hunter.”

“Regardless, we already have a trainer,” Avory commented.

“I don’t doubt that,” reasoned Obsidian. “But Korban’s more experienced with the kinds of enemies you can’t really prepare for. People like… Well, like Volcan; when he was taken over by that demon, none of us were ready. Then, along came that… Izrail character, against whom all of us were powerless, even Rikyuu.”

“You’d be surprised.” Avelyn interjected, “Jack was able to help us take down two dragon super soldiers that were equivalent to, if not stronger than Volcan and the other phoenixes.”

“I believe you,” Obsidian assured them, “But it never hurts to learn from someone with just a little more experience. Especially when fighting something you’re not that accustomed to yet.”

“Either way, there’s no backing down or he’ll have my head,” Avory remarked, “I’ve been slacking on ‘training’ so I guess this will serve as some motivation.”

“Think of it this way,” offered Obsidian, “He thinks you’re helpless without the armour. Here’s where you can prove him wrong.”

“Now that I like the sound of,” the male raven-hoopoe replied, smirking.

Obsidian nodded, and took the last bite of her hamburger, swallowing before she spoke again. “Alright. I better let you guys get to it then,” she said, “I don’t imagine you want to hear it from him if you’re late.”

“No… We don’t,” Avory suggested, quickly finishing as many of the chips as he could.

“Don’t rush, you’ll get hiccups,” Avelyn insisted, trying to slow her brother.

“I would rather get hiccups than push-ups if that’s what this will result in. Besides, he’s got it in for me, more than you,” Avory insisted.

“With Korban, I’d be more worried about being shot than doing calisthenics,” Obsidian muttered under her breath as she stood. “I’m heading home then. I’ll see you two later, okay?”

Avelyn leaned in around the table as she stood up, giving the purple dragoness a light hug as Avory shoved the last few chips into his mouth, making sure to get his money’s worth before quickly wiping his hands with a paper napkin and standing up and holding out his hand. Obsidian took it and shook it, ignoring the light sheen of grease on his palm.

“Take care, you two,” she said.

Finishing their lunch and heading their separate ways from Obsidian, Avory drove himself and his sister home, both twins changing into something more comfortable for exercising. Avelyn took some time performing stretches to warm up in the back garden; Avory, though, was casually looking over towards Tsumé tending to the flower beds rather than warming up.

While he was busy admiring Tsumé , he didn’t hear the one coming up behind him, and was greeted with a sharp. “Boo!” from behind, nearly making the male raven jump out of his skin with fright.

He turned to see Kyle, also dressed for exercise in a tank top and light trousers with a towel over his shoulder, smiling back at him. “Head in the clouds, boot?” he asked.

“Oh, not really. Just wondering how Tsumé was getting on,” Avory dismissed, collecting himself and looking over the human curiously. “Why are you dressed up like that?”

“I was working out,” Kyle replied, “Then, I saw you two out here; looks like you’re about to as well?”

“Korban’s coming around to train us,” Avory replied, getting it out in the air, “I felt bad for him and yesterday and somehow agreed to this. No idea why.”

Kyle arched an eyebrow. “Training with him? You sure?” he asked, skeptical.

“I don’t know why I agreed to it,” he gestured with his hands, pushing the air in front of him away, “I just felt bad for him.”

As Kyle opened his mouth to respond, the sound of a motorcycle engine filled their ears, and his mouth closed to form a grimace. “Sounds like him now,” he said. “If it’s all the same to you, shall I stand watch just in case?”

“You don’t need to. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

The motorcycle came to a stop outside of the house, then seconds later, a heavy banging on the front door. “ Yo, Stark! Your twinky ass better be inside, or there’ll be hell to pay!” he yelled from behind the door.

Avelyn giggled, before slapping her brother on the backside. “You better move your twinky ass and answer the door,” she remarked with jest, “it’s been a while since I’ve heard you be called that~”

“No need, I’ll get it,” Kyle replied, turning and heading back into the house, and making his way over to the front door.

A moment later, the door opened, and Kyle appeared, speaking in a glib tone as he addressed the husky. “They’re out back. Come on in,” he said, stepping aside and holding the door open for him, despite clear reluctance to do so.

“Well, don’t you look chipper. What, you get a NATO round stuck up your ass when you woke up?” Korban asked as he stepped past Kyle and entered the house.

“You’d probably know better than me, hairball,” Kyle said as he closed and locked the front door. “I make a point not to take hits if I can avoid ‘em.”

“Sounds like a you problem, Sarge.” Korban shot back, smirking as he shrugged. “Then again, I don’t hold it against ya. I’m just built different,” he added as he continued on his way into the house, before seeing the two avians outside through the large glass windows in the living room.

Korban saw Avory in short red shorts stretching on the ground in a white polo, talking to his sister, standing upright doing some stretches in a blue pair of shorts and crop top.

The husky approached the two with his arms crossed in front of his chest, silently sizing them up before he spoke. “Well, good to see you at least look like yer ready for a hard time,” he remarked.

Avory let out a heavy sigh as he got up, hearing those words.

“Ready for anything,” Avelyn smiled, trying to sound chipper.

“You say that… But I can guarantee you that you’ll be singin’ a different tune after today,” Korban answered in a serious manner. “Let’s take this somewhere more spacious. You got a gym or something in this joint?”

“...No? I thought we would be doing this outside,” Avory remarked.

“That’ll do,” Korban answered with a shrug. “Let’s do this while the day’s still young.”

“Right,” The twins nodded in unison.

“A’ight, let’s start with what you know already,” he began, lifting his arm and beckoning them. “Hit me with everything ya got.”

“...You want us to punch you?” Avory asked.

“I want you two to hit me with everything ya got,” Korban repeated in a more annoyed tone. “Is that really so hard to understand?”

“Well, I can go grab my cricket bat and-” Avory started as a distraction as Avelyn made the opening move, lunging forward and delivering a punch to Korban’s shoulder.

A second later, Avory followed up while Korban’s attention was on Avelyn; he delivered a straight punch to Korban’s chest. But he didn’t fall for it a second time; as soon as Avelyn attempted to follow up with a kick, Korban ducked under it and grabbed at Avory’s arm before he could pull back, spinning and throwing the male raven at his sister, causing them to crash into the ground in a heap.

Korban then brushed his shoulder where he was punched, still keeping his eyes on the twins. “That all you two got?” He asked while beckoning for them to stand up again. “We ain’t done, scrubs. That attempt was sloppy at best, pathetic at worst. When I said ‘hit me with everything’ I seriously meant everything. Now get back up and try again.”

Kyle, who was watching the ongoing ‘fight’ from the patio, was soon joined by Tsumé. “So… What’s going on here?” she asked as she came to stand beside him.

“Korban conned them into doing training with him,” he said. “So far… I don’t know.”

“Merdé,” Tsumé muttered, shaking her head.

Avory and Avelyn, even tag-teaming against Korban, found themselves outmatched. Korban seemed to react to every move the two made, quickly blocking every punch or kick, even when they attacked him simultaneously. He had to begrudgingly admit they both at least knew how to throw a punch, and their fighting style - while slightly unrefined, was not raw. They were not street brawlers like Lighris or Volcan - there was some technique to them.

But the longer the sparring session went on, it became increasingly apparent that the two, despite having some training, had not practiced that much. When Avory came in with a wide-angled punch meant for Korban’s face, the husky caught his arm and flipped the raven over his shoulder, slamming him on the ground heavily. He half-expected Avelyn to follow up by attacking him from behind, but she had stopped to catch her breath.

Avory grunted in annoyance, pulling his arm free of Korban’s hand. “This is ridiculous!” he said, sitting up. “Why are we even doing this? We are not learning anything; we’re just your punching bags! What does that teach us - that you’re just bigger and stronger than us?”

“You two are missing the point.” Korban stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest again. “I’m not tryin’ to teach you how to be better at hand-to-hand combat. I’m tryin’ to teach you how to survive,” he clarified, then he began to pace around the two of them as he continued.

“You two got some skill, and yer tag teaming isn’t half bad; I’ll admit that much,” he relented. “That said, neither of you were taking this whole thing seriously. You two were coming at me, treating this like some kind of practice run, when I specifically told you two to hit me with everything you have.”

In a fluid motion, Korban lifted his sword off his back and pointed the tip of it at the faces of the two ravens. “That means fighting as if yer fucking life depends on it. When you fight someone like P.A.C.E., or another supernatural being like that demon that possessed Flamie, and you don’t have access to yer fancy toys and gizmos, which will happen one day, I expect you to fight as if it’s your last day alive.”

He then pulled his sword away and put it on his back again, an unseen force holding the empathic blade against his back. “The world you two live in right now is just a sugar-coated topping. The real world is nowhere near as nice as you think it is… It’s a cruel, unforgiving hellscape, filled with creatures and other scumbags that’ll take any opportunity they can get to survive off of the gains of another, even going so far as to stab supposed ‘friends’ in the back…” He said that last sentence with a mix of venom and regret, having experienced betrayal far too many times in his life.

Avory scoffed and rolled onto his front, standing up. “Korban, do you think we don’t know all this?” he asked, throwing out his arms and glowering at the husky. “You have no idea what Avelyn and I have been through… This past year and a half alone has warped our perception of what we thought was reality completely askew! We’ve faced monsters in the shape of people, we’ve been betrayed by one of our own, and a criminal we thought we put away is somehow still supplying terrorists like Jacob Rex with weapons, and we still don’t know how! We’re not the sheltered, spoiled children you think we are!”

“Avory,” Avelyn said, stepping to her brother’s side and holding his shoulders, trying to calm him down.

“Okay,” another voice piped up, and the three saw Kyle coming over, hands raised. “I think it’s time for a breather here,” he offered in his most reasonable tone.

Korban, however, despite hearing Kyle’s voice, stepped up until he was nose to beak with Avory, glaring daggers into his eyes to the point where his eyes turned red just like they did against Boswell.

“Fine… So, you’ve suffered your share of problems growing up.” He relented. “But a year and a half doesn’t even come close to an entire lifetime of suffering and living life like it’s yer last day alive…” he growled, the red glow in his eyes fading before concluding his statement.

“When you lose your entire family at the tender age of four years old, have your entire world flipped on its ass after surviving a demon attack, with no understanding of the real world and no way to adapt to it except with your own grit and will to live… then you can talk to me about having it hard and not being sheltered,” he said as he started to walk past them. “Until then… Keep yer complaints to yerself and focus on learning from someone who has seen it all…”

Finally, Kyle had enough. “This ain’t a pissing contest on who’s had it worse, Korban,” he stated, coming to stand in front of the husky. “No one, and I do mean no one here, doubts that you’ve had it hard. Everyone here has some traumatic experiences in the past; some more recent than others, some which might seem tame by comparison. But it doesn’t mean it ever hurts any less.”

“And what the hell would you know about trauma?” Korban asked. “Sure, you felt you were in the wrong after a while of working with P.A.C.E., but at least you could live somewhat comfortably during that time, and even then, you were only on the streets for what… a couple months at best? What right do you have to chastise the kinda shit I’ve been through when none of you have experienced the shit I have for my entire life?!” He demanded.

“If you really want to know, how about the War on Terror?” Kyle returned, without missing a beat. “Ever seen a nine-year-old boy, strapped to two pounds of dynamite, walk into your camp and blow himself sky high?” He stepped closer to Korban as he went on. “You ever been caught in an ambush, surrounded, and one after the other watched your whole platoon get wiped out until you’re the only one left alive, and you know dumb luck is the only reason you’re not going bad under the desert sun?”

He stopped inches from Korban. “You ever fought for something you believed in, convinced you were doing something that was for the good of others?” he continued. “I did that twice. First time,” he pointed to a tattoo on his arm, reading ‘USMC’ in bold, black letters, “I lost everyone I cared about. Second time, I found out I’d become the very thing I thought I was ridding the world of, and that my boss was just as vile as the people I fought in the Middle East.”

He stopped when he was almost nose-to-nose with Korban, looking him straight in the eye as he went on. “You’ve seen the evil of the other side, Korban. Demons and monsters - things that people like me, Avory and Avelyn, grew up believing didn’t exist. But I have seen the evil,” he pointed at the ground, “that has been right here, all along.”

Something in Kyle’s eyes at that moment killed any retort Korban might have made. Behind the stern eyes of the former Marine, he saw all of the guilt and sorrow that came with carrying all of that burden of someone who had lived through hell more than once and been the only one to come back from it. Kyle bore the mark of someone who, like Korban, had seen too much in a relatively short lifetime… It had come from a different perspective, but it was no less a testament to the willpower of the human, to carry on despite carrying a heavy burden.

Eventually, the husky let out a long sigh and went to walk around Kyle… though not before he gave Kyle a firm pat on the shoulder; a gesture that he understood where he was coming from, and the respect that came with it…

“Oookay,” Tsumé said quietly, coming to stand by the twins. “Maybe we ought to call it a day…?”

Avory, hesitantly, shook his head. “Not just yet,” he said, and then turned to walk into the house. He was gone for several moments, before he returned, carrying something in his hands. He called out to Korban as he made his way over to the husky and handed him the item; it was Korban’s wrist terminal.

The enhancements that had been made to the device were apparent even at first glance. He had replaced the straps that had originally been used to secure it with a hinged clasp, with a leather-padded interior. It now sported a sleek, black exterior, tailored to fit Korban’s arm seamlessly, without sliding or chafing, and the screen - previously a green, low-resolution monitor about the size of a portable gaming device, was now a clear, blue LED screen.

“The exterior is composed of carbotanium - an alloy of beta titanium and carbon composite, light and strong,” he began. “I’ve upgraded the processor, using something of my own design - something that you won’t find on any Feather or TTS devices, at least for a decade, and I took the liberty of upgrading the security; it should be well protected from hacking attempts or spikes in computers you attempt to access. Aside from that, it should work the same way as it used to so you don’t have to retrain yourself.”

Korban looked at the device silently for a long time before he took it from Avory, examining its updated design and tech closely. Then he slid it onto his left arm and fastened the clasp, flexing his forearm a few times as he felt how much more comfortable it rested on his arm. Then, he glanced down at Avory and rested his hand on his shoulder gently with a nod.

“...Ya did good, Stark,” he said softly. “Just keep what I told you in mind fer the next session, a’ight? As hard as it may be to believe, I want you to succeed. I’m in this fer the long run, which means I’m gonna keep pushing you until I’m confident that you have what it takes,” he concluded, smirking slightly.

Avory rolled his eyes, but he smirked despite himself. “I still may not understand why you believe this is necessary. But, maybe someday I will.”

“I for one think there’s something to gain for all of us here,” Avelyn offered, coming to stand by Avory.

“See, she gets it,” Korban remarked, then he poked two fingers at Avory’s head gently. “Here’s a hint. Stop tryin’ to think things through and just do them. Survival is all about instinct, not brains.”

Avory smiled wider. “That’ll be easier said than done,” he said, lifting his hand to tap the side of his head. “There’s quite a lot going on up here, I’m sure you know.”

“Oh, I know. I’m just tryin’ to make you unlearn what you already know,” he said as he turned his back on the twins and headed out. “Think of it like Alchemy! Breakin’ shit down to make something new, that sorta crap!” He called back as he made his exit.

“Isn’t alchemy just chemistry?” Avory asked as he and Avelyn turned to head back inside.

Kyle and Tsumé watched Korban as he headed out. Just once, the husky looked back, his eyes meeting Kyle’s, and the two nodded once to each other, before the bounty hunter hopped the fence and went on his way. With that, the human joined the twins to head back into the house, and Tsumé, wordlessly, returned to her work in the gardens…