FSE

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Chapter 18: Elysion

Aimlessly Tychon was wandering further through the gardens. While a long time has passed since he set out towards the horizon, his feet still carried him further without giving in. In fact, it was as if his entire body weighted nothing at all anymore. On his path, he began seeing schemes of people of all different species and genders, all oblivious to him.

All except one. A shape stood in the path the fox was taking. By his appearance, it was clear that this shade was belonging to a wolf, though it soon disappeared into a fine mist. "You failed me."

"I failed whom?" Tychon questioned with a clear tone of annoyance coming out of his throat. "What was I supposed to do for you, ghost? I have never given a promise I couldn't keep."

No answer came back from the spot the shade was standing on. Instead silence hit back and the other sprites began to wander further away.

"No answer, huh?" Raising his head up towards the sky, Tychon stepped further ahead of himself, not knowing what to expect farther ahead of him.

Around this time, the group of Aldric was approaching the domain of the Strayers. "And there we are," Aldric said in a fit of exhaustion as he and his group reached the door of the giant building in the central southern district of Adamas. He was looking at Khaba expectantly, pointing at the door. "You said they just want you to press a button?"

The fruit bat nodded. "Yes, that was pretty much what Barry and Gabriel told me. Well, just press one."

Just as he was told, Aldric pressed the button at which the translator rune he was holding displayed the name Barry.

"Yeah, hello? Is that you Anna?" the gruff voice on the other end of the line asked with heavy breathing. "Or is that you Tychon?"

Aldric shook his head even though Barry couldn't see him and gave back, "I am with Khaba. Are you that Barry he told us about?"

"Um, yes? I will let you in, but wait for Gabriel to come down to you before you go anywhere, got it?" Barry demanded to sound through some authority.

Aldric only shrugged as the buzzer sounded and he pressed the door open.

"I am far more pleased with the service here than I was at the last place," he snickered and then glanced around for a bit.

"Interesting, this building's structure is not temporally frozen," Fionnbharr remarked as he touched one of the walls and swiped across its surface. "Yet, it still seems to be really old. The material might be of the same type that the dome is made of."

Lucille glanced at the wall and went over her whiskers as she saw the elevator doors open at the other side of the floor. "Maybe we just ask that guy over there. Is that Gabriel?"

Khaba glanced at the canine that was approaching them and flapped his wings a little. "Yes, that is him. Hello Gabriel!"

"Hello again, Khaba," the collie replied with a smile on his muzzle as he came closer and looked at the fruit bat and his company, fixing his glance on Lucille. "Ah, you must be Lucille. I had the pleasure of meeting your brothers earlier."

Lucille chuckled a little bit into herself. "They already met up here? Are they here now?"

Gabriel shook his head. "Currently out for a mission, or so. Technically they are just helping us out on a mission, since they are not under the command of Anna. I digress, we already heard about what happened at the Central, so I am sure you may require a bit of rest."

"Yeah, I guess that is a good idea," Aldric stated with his staff wandering over the floor. "It was quite exhausting for Fionnbharr to teleport us here. Meanwhile, can you show and explain me your kitchen? Just to make us something to strengthen up."

A sly grin came over the collie's face. "Yeah, just follow me. But be sure to make something for me and Barry and around two dozen more people as well. Thanks to your friend we have enough resources to survive a few months without a problem."

Aldric nodded as he and the others followed the dog to the elevator and listened to the annoying tune of the music that was playing on the way up. "I just pray to the Great Mother that this is not representative of the common music style in this city. It is awful."

"Try hearing it every single day of your life without jumping out of the 60th floor's windows," Gabriel gave back and leaned with his head tiredly against the wall. He was slightly faster than the others to get out of the elevator and then grabbed a key at a door to the side. "Okay, grab those keys and pick your rooms. We got plenty of space, due to the recent arrival of people not evening out a recent shortage. So, is someone of your party aware of how our bathrooms work?"

Fionnbharr signaled that he did. "I have an insight of a few things, so yes, I do have a general idea."

"Well, and if I pondered correctly, then we already saw a more dysfunctional version of everything before," Aldric added with a chuckle right after. "I do need to see the kitchen, though."

Gabriel scratched his ear and pointed at a door at the very end of the floor. "Okay then, follow me chef!"

After what felt like hours of wandering and dragging himself further ahead, Tychon stopped in his tracks as he began to conclude that it was futile to follow the sprites he saw earlier. In the lack of perspective, he found himself in, his legs soon gave in and he dropped on the ground to just soak in the surrounding area. A sigh escaped his lungs, and he spoke to himself, "I am dead, aren't I? How comes that I end up in Elysion?"

"Easily explained, Tychon," a voice whispered from the meadows. Moments later another shape appeared, that of Danica. "You have risked your life to save others. Which usually warrants a journey somewhere nice. Though, Hades is frankly more fun than this."

The fox looked up in a mix of confusion and exhaustion. "I did not expect you to show up here to be honest."

"Just because I am the Empress of one Underworld, it doesn't mean that my status as Sovereign doesn't hold up in others," the goddess explained casually as she snapped her fingers, causing a throne to appear on which she then took place. "The function as ruler over all daemons is simply put just secondary. I just took over after a certain point. Anyhow, I have not come here for small talk. We have a business appointment now."

Tychon shook his head. "I don't really get what you mean. What are we going to do here anyway?"

Smiling at the question, Danica gestured the fox to get up from the ground. "You know, there is a rule about 'show, don't tell'. I also like making 360-degree entertainment, so just follow me."

Not sure what Danica was going to do, the vulpine got up and stepped closer to the goat-like goddess. Immediately his senses were washed away by a force emitting from her, leaving him blinded and irritated.

"Phew, that is quite a lot," Aldric said as he plummeted onto a chair in the kitchen to catch his breath, all while looking at several pots of food he had prepared. "I hope you do not dislike the taste of my people, Gabriel."

The collie chuckled weakly as he approached the badger. "Taste is a luxury, it is hard to find enough food in this city, unless you have the technology to gather resources."

Aldric nodded at that statement and scratched his muzzle a little. "Maybe your people should leave this wretched city and seek out a new place to live. We could provide the means to allow you that."

Shaking his head, Gabriel looked at the machinery around and sighed. "Would that ever go well? Eventually life will just find a way to be cruel and gruesome." With another shake of his head, the dog tried to smile again. "Don't listen, I am just rambling around."

"Quite the pessimistic rambling," the badger stated with his left eyebrow raised up a little. "Then again, this place is so full of death, even some of the living are not really alive. It is very dreadful. But losing hope is essentially giving up. If you do that, you have already lost."

Avoiding Aldric's gaze, Gabriel took a deep breath and looked out of the window. He was about to say something, but then someone knocked at the door. "Come on in!"

Carefully the person on the other side of the door entered the kitchen, holding herself well despite her being clearly out of breath. Anna looked at Aldric with a pleased expression and sniffed the air, which was filled with the scents of many dishes. "I love it when guests do the job of the host. I kind of am surprised that you fellas can cook something that smells so good."

"Alchemists make good cooks, since both alchemy and cooking follow similar principles," Aldric stated with a grin at the leonberger. "The food is all ready, so you can all take as much as you want."

"Frankly, not a bad thing, as we got some more muzzles to fill," Anna said and then looked behind her with a weak smile. "Your friends helped us quite a bit to save some survivors of an incident earlier today. Some weird orchid monster destroyed a settlement to the West and we still need to treat Ophania and your friend Tychon."

Aldric now got up from his seat and crossed his arms. "Tychon? I think Lucille mentioned him on our way here. What happened precisely, however?"

"He send that thing to space, I guess," the leonberger replied and scratched the back of her head. "And then he spat blood and dropped to the ground. Your friend really needs medical treatment right now." Anna got closer to the badger and sighed. "We are kind of in a mess here. Primarily we are resisting our former oppressors, but now in addition we get some global threat in addition to that."

"Tell me about it," Aldric replied with a frown. "After dinner, we should think of our course of action. There is a solution to be found here, that much we know for sure."

Anna chuckled and then turned to Gabriel. "Well now, I will also help out with bringing the food to everyone's rooms, because then this will go faster."

Around the same time, Lucille and Khaba were looking upon the city from the highest floor of the building, watching the ruins of the once great metropolis with a mix of curiosity and confusion. The otter looked over to the giant Central tower, and tried to think about how much distance they already put back and forth.

"We have come quite far," Khaba whispered carefully as he rested his head on Lucille's shoulder, "and yet, things have never been so confusing before."

Lucille chuckled at the remark of the bat and went over the fur around his ears caringly. "Don't you worry. We will figure out."

A smile formed over the small bats muzzle, and he spread his wings to head towards the elevator door. As he waited for Lucille to catch up to him, the chatter of two people could be heard, and as the doors opened, Khaba had to tilt his head as he starred at two mustelids. "Is that. Leofwine, is that you? And Vidar?"

"Told you they would be enjoying the view," the wolverine joked as he poked his lover in the shoulder. "Well, your turn now. I am not her brother-in-law, yet."

"Great, just what I needed," Lucille groaned with disinterest in her brother and Vidar. "I am not going to acknowledge any argument based around the fact that our parents are dead, you played this card too often, brother."

Slightly shocked at the statement, Leofwine shook his head and folded his arms apologetically. "No, that is not what I am here for."

Lucille looked her older brother into the eyes and rolled hers. "I don't need protection. In fact, none of us would, since we survived that far. It has not slipped my attention that this world is full of violent bastards, who deserve a knife in between their eyes. Speaking of which, that is how some guy ended up after meeting me. Others were not so lucky with what body part I aimed at. You meanwhile just let the past drag you down, as if you were thrown into a river with your legs tied to a rock."

"Listen," Vidar now interrupted the scene while glancing over everyone. "You haven't seen your brother in months, so why the hostility now?"

With a shrug, Lucille answered, "Crawford is the nice one, I am brutal honesty incarnate. I am going to hear you out now, Leofwine."

The older otter chuckled weakly as he looked at his sister. "Yeah, I am going to agree fully to what you just said. And, that is also part of the reason why I wanted to see you. I am sorry for being generally a difficult person to deal with."

"Good, it seems we found something to agree on," Lucille said as her face relaxed and she began to laugh. "Apology accepted. You are annoying, but good at heart. And you are my brother, so, I guess that counts for something."

"Great, now that this is solved, food is currently brought to everyone's rooms, and I am quite hungry," Vidar commented with his hands put together. Only to notice that everyone was staring at him. "Hey, a round belly is a sign of wealth and beauty in Kärmave."

Khaba snickered at the wolverine's remark and entered the elevator with his tongue stuck out. "Then I need more than you do."

Lucille smiled at the fruit bat's joke, and entered the elevator as well, but not before crossing her arms. "Glad that we could have the talk, brother."

While those things played out in the real world, Tychon's dream was still ongoing, leading him a path which was only blurry to him as he took his steps. Soon however, the images grew clearer and the fox found himself somewhere comprehensible.

"Steven, you are late for school," a woman said to him, as he opened his eyes. The place he was in was a bedroom, but filled with an amount of furniture far exceeding anything he was used to. And could comprehend, as he was not sure what most of the images and figures were supposed to be.

Tychon, rubbing his eyes, got out of bed and got into the bathroom to get ready. As he looked over himself, he noticed a strange thing about his body. Instead of his usual self, he was seeing that he was lacking any fur on his arms and overall most of his body. After a quick shower, he looked into the mirror and saw into the face of something he had not seen before. A being with a completely flat face, lacking fur except on a patch on their head, and lacking fangs and claws. Instead of commenting however, he quickly got out and put on a new set of clothing before he made on his way to wherever he was supposed to go.

The outside world was even much stranger, filled with giant towers that were piercing into the sky and casting the streets in darkness. Many other creatures with almost no fur were walking around, talking to each other, looking on strange, flat things in their hands, and ignoring Tychon as he was watching the scenery. And then, suddenly all movement ceased.

"I take it that you are not very familiar with this world, as you stare at it like a child that just discovered where its mother hid all the candy," the voice of Danica spoke, as a woman appeared next to Tychon. Unlike before, Danica now looked like the creatures around them, but with her glowing blue eyes, her back-long, black hair, and azure blue attire making her stand out even at that very moment. "This is a virtual image of a city several million years ago. New York City, in its district of Manhattan, during what humans at that time would call the 21stof November in the year 2291. In this time, the world had forgotten about magic, as their technology made it all obsolete. Though, with all that progress around them, they still managed to fail in the end. But don't let me ruin the show, let me showcase it instead."

Before Tychon could reply to the goddess, he was feeling weird in his stomach and moments later stumbled onto a large platform, somewhere on one of the towers of the city. "W-what is this place?"

"Doesn't matter really, we are at a place with a good view for what will come next," Danica answered as she looked up at the sky. "Listen closely, as they are about to come."

As he was told, Tychon kept silent and focused on the sky above. It all sounded normal, the wind was blowing, the birds were singing. But then, something appeared from above the clouds, and it fell to the earth. Moments, which felt like eternities, passed by as a massive explosion tore its way through the park, the buildings, and everything in sight. Feeling as if he was dying, the fox dropped to his knees and tried to hold on to something.

"A real pity," Danica spoke as she helped up Tychon and smiled. "You just missed the devastating effects of the most potent weapon created by mankind. A missile with the potential to wipe out the entire continent even."

Tychon was still shaking, and tried to make out where he was. After a while he realized that he was on the ground, in the ruins of an erased city. "How. What could possibly be gained from this?"

"Nothing, if I might be honest," Danica said as she sat down on a piece of rubble, kicking some of it away from herself. "This was not even the first attack. It was the retaliation. The survivors of this event call it the One-Day-War. It took less than twelve hours, but killed billions of people, and several quintillion animals."

"This is just an utter madness," the fox whispered as he looked around in terror. "What madmen would do such a thing?"

Danica shrugged. "Politicians, duh. The worst bunch of them even. You would be surprised how easily a madman can come to power. Not so easy for the moderate rationalists, I fear."

Still shocked, the fox stumbled around, and tried to make out any sign of life. "What can even justify this?"

"Money, nationalism, pride, revenge, land, is it really so hard to comprehend? All living beings have this side to them. They just choose, if it takes control," the goat said and got up from the piece of debris she was sitting on. "You know, the destruction of this planet was the call to battle for several deities. Loki fighting against the Aesir, Helel against Yahwe. And soon, only few of the surviving humans remained." Smiling melancholically, Danica snapped her fingers again, and the imagery around them faded away. "But eventually, those that did live to see another day started anew."

Gasping as he was engulfed in light again, Tychon looked at the image of a pristine city, shining like a sun in midst the ocean. "Is this? Adamas?" Before he got a reply, he felt strangely heavy all the sudden and yelled as he realized that he was falling towards the city.

Danica was sitting on a bench, now back in her appearance as a goat. As Tychon crashed right next to her into a bush, she chuckled and stood up again. "Yes, this is Adamas, dear Tychon. Roughly twelve thousand years ago."

"Was it really necessary to drop me off like that?" the fox asked as he pulled himself out of the bush and rubbed his forehead. "It still hurt."

"Be glad that this is just a dream," the goddess replied and pointed to a few people standing close to them. "Anyhow, you notice those beings here?"

Tychon gave the people a quick look, wondering about the absolute lack of any fur and slightly wimpier body shapes than those of humans. "Um, those are. Even stranger than those before."

"Millions of years passed after all," Danica said and put a hand on Tychon's shoulder. "Everything changes over time, no matter what your priests want to make you belief. Anyhow, just a swift change of scenery," she swiped her hand for a moment, and suddenly she and Tychon stood in a room, which was build out of metal and filled with an enormous number of tubes. "Last stop on the line. Welcome to the Neo-12 Moirai Laboratory. Stupid name, they just took the only good part from a capable company from the past."

Still somewhat irritated, Tychon glanced at one of the tubes, and could see that there was something inside of it. "What are those for?"

A smile came over the lips of Danica, as she pulled the fox closer and pressed him almost against the glass. "Well, they also took some of the data of that company for an experiment."

Gasping at the sight, Tychon stared at a body, which looked leonine in nature, but not finished yet. In shock, he stumbled backwards and landed on his bottom. "This is. A lion."

"What you understand as one at least," Danica remarked and changed back to the form of a human woman. "But yes, your kind was born from chimeras created from the parts of long extinct specimen."

Shaking his head at the sight, the fox got up again and looked at the other tubes, shuddering at every single time he recognized what was created in them. "But why would they even do that?"

Danica shrugged again. "Mostly legal reasons. You know, slavery was outlawed quite a long time by then, but only regarded humans, and after rephrasing it, also regarding menni. So, they just took what they thought was human parts, analyzed animal parts, and altered the alleged human parts to gain specific characteristics. An easy way to bypass the legal restrictions."

"This is just a lot to take in, Danica," Tychon spoke as he sat down in a chair. "I mean, I am just some former slave. Why do you show me all this?"

Again, the goddess only shrugged. "If not you, someone else. You just got unlucky, that is all." She then went over her long hair again and snapped her fingers, causing everything to turn black once again. "What you saw is but the past leading to this future. Changing it would only mean to have a different past and a different future. But maybe, therein lies the solution." And just like that, she disappeared into the darkness.

In the medical wing of the Strayers headquarter meanwhile, Völundr sighed as he was leaning over the body of a dog that was saved from the destroyed village. He was feeling the wrist of the canine, and shook his head as he felt nothing. "I am sorry." Dissatisfied by the passing of his patient, the boar pulled over the blanket over the head of the dog and then turned to a malamute, seemingly relieved as she was still moving in her slumber.

"Hey, hey," an old, gentle voice called all the sudden at the boar. A rather sizable bernese entered the room, holding a plate of food in his hand. "Heard someone was treating the injured in here, so I thought, they may want something to eat. Young Gabriel said your friend made this."

"Ah, wait a second. I have seen you before," the boar spoke as he took the plate and took a bite from his meal. "But we never could introduce ourselves. My name is Völundr."

"Patrick," the bernese replied, before his eyes were fixated on the malamute. "Oh my, Ophania has grown quite a bit since her escape. Will she be okay?"

Nodding to the answer, Völundr glanced over the dog again and then back at Patrick. "She received no critical injury. Six people were brought here, three are already fine, one just died, and then there is Tychon, who just won't wake up. Considering the circumstances, she should be okay."

The dog smiled weakly as he stepped over to the bed of the dog that passed away moments ago. "I have seen so many lives come and go. It is hard to cling to others, if death has become just as omnipresent as birth."

Slightly wondered about the bernese's remark, Völundr went over to Ophania and gently touched her wrists. "Hard, yet not impossible. I hear a bit of hope in your words."

"An old man's words," Patrick said and coughed into his arm. "Hope is something we all need. Someday perhaps, it might come true."

"Reality is not that simple most of the time," the boar said and placed the hand of Ophania on her chest. "We never will achieve our ideals fully, but we can try our best to make the world as we wish it to be."

Patrick laughed for a bit, and then walked over to the bed where Ophania was resting in. "That much is the truth."

As the boar and the bernese were standing at Ophania's bed, a bit of movement could be heard coming from Tychon.

Völundr quickly reacted, and rushed to the fox as the vulpine was moving around. "Now, now, is something, Tychon?" he gently whispered as he held the fox at his shoulders and channeled his magic to calm him down.

Relaxing somewhat from the induced magic, Tychon's movement slowed down, and his body sank back into his bed.

"Good, I think he is also out of danger. Now then," the boar grabbed his plate again and began to take small bites from it. "I will catch a break and take a nap. Could you tell your boss everything?"

Patrick smiled as he gave him a nod and wandered out of the room. The moment he opened the door however, another person rushed in, almost crushing into the bernese as he went to the bed of Ophania.

"Oh no," Seraph spoke as he held the hand of Ophania in desperation. "Ophania, can you hear me? Please, say something. Ophania!" His body was shaking, and he was clearly out of breath as he was collapsing onto the bed.

Völundr shrugged at the scene and looked at Patrick. "'s that weirdo a friend of yours?"

"Not really. That young lad probably is Seraph. His father was a weird one, too. Hopefully he did not grow up to be like him," the bernese casually voiced before he went off to his duties.

Finding himself in a most uncomfortable scene, the boar decided to turn to Seraph to ease up the dog's mind. "She will be fine. Her condition has stabilized, and once she wakes up, everything will be alright."

"Thanks," Seraph replied weakly as he was hugging the resting Ophania tightly. "When I returned to our settlement, I found it all in ruins. So many dead bodies. What happened while I was away?"

"If I just knew. Some sort of deity appeared all the sudden when we tried to save the survivors. Tychon send it somewhere, but my best guess is that it destroyed your home," Völundr explained to the emotionally dissolving dog. "A friend of mine, Leofwine, and his brother Crawford. They found her in the debris. Maybe you should go to them. Seventh floor, distinct non-canine smell. Both could use a bath, actually."

Seraph nodded, giving the boar as swift hug as he made his way out to seek out the two otters.

And as the dog mad his way to them, Crawford was handling several electronics in his room, and eating some food from a plate he had carried from the kitchen a few minutes before. His hands were fiddling with a few tiny screws, as he went over his plasma gun again. "It might be best, if I destroy this right after we leave this place. Gods know how much damage it could do in the wrong hands," he talked to himself before putting the weapon down and walking to one of the sets of windows. "Our world should not become like this. But can we really prevent this?" Before the otter could lose himself in a longer philosophical monologue however, someone knocked at his door, tearing him out of his thought. Sighing at the disturbance, he walked back to the entrance of the room and pulled the door open.

"Good evening, are you Crawford?" Seraph said as he looked at the smaller mammal before him. "Um, or Leofwine? I really have to guess right now."

"The first one was correct. I am Crawford," the otter told the husky before going back to his machinery. "Anything you want from me?"

Giving Crawford a nod, Seraph entered the room and sat down next to him. "Your friend at the medical wing told me that you saved my wife's life back at our settlement. I wanted to thank you for that."

"You are welcome," Crawford stated bluntly as he was inspecting the leftovers of the cellphone he got earlier from Gabriel. "But, I might be honest, Leofwine was the one who actually did the most. He and Vidar should be in their room as well. Other side of the floor, two more doors to the right."

Seraph was tilting his head a little and asked, "Are you trying to have me leave your room just as soon as possible?"

A chuckle followed. "Yes, positive, absolutely. Please leave me alone already, while I study the properties of your technology. On the surface I won't have this fun anymore."

"Okay," the husky got up from the floor again and bowed as he walked back outside. "Have fun." And as the door closed behind him, Seraph now located the door to Leofwine's and Vidar's room. "Hum, yes definitely in need of a bath." He knocked at the door and leaned against the wall on his arm as he waited for it to be opened.

However, instead someone was calling from the other side of the floor, "Hey there, want to talk to us?" Vidar was smiling brightly as he and Leofwine approached the husky. "Are you also a man of Anna?"

Frowning at that question, Seraph tried to reply normally. "We have our differences on certain matters." He then turned to Leofwine with a smile. "So, I heard from your brother that you saved Ophania. I am her husband Seraph."

Leofwine blushed a little, but grinned as he was being complimented. "It is the most outstanding duty of any decent person to help whom they can. Though, I am sorry about your home."

"We are still alive," Seraph quietly said into himself and laughed. "So, anyhow. I think your sister must be Lucille, correct?"

"Yes, she is the younger sister of mine and the older sister of Crawford," the otter replied before he was scratching his head a little. "She did not beat you up, did she?"

Seraph laughed again and shook his head. "Not really. But I guess I have been rather shocked about her little friend. That bat guy, who is looking astonishingly cute."

"Ah Khaba. How can he shock someone?" Vidar now asked as he was analyzing the husky with a thoughtful gaze. "I mean, he is half Leofwine's size, feeble, and weighs less than a knapsack.

"He was kind of in a demonic shape, so naturally he was scary," the dog explained himself and rubbed his forehead. "Alas, your friend Aldric did understand something else under a similar noun. I am not entirely sure anymore. It goes against my faith, actually."

Leofwine arched an eyebrow. "Khaba is a nice person. So, whatever he might be besides a bat, what should we care? He is a good person, that is what I know and that is what he has proven."

"Wise words." Seraph now yawned as he looked at his watch and rubbed his eyes and turned to Vidar. "So, with whom do I have the pleasure?"

"Prince Vidar of Kärmave, Son of Bjartr the Beheader," the wolverine gave back with a chuckle. "And the soon-to-be husband of the cutest otter in the world."

Seraph was tilting his head a little. "Um, wait, my impression was that Lucille was rather fond of Khaba, and not really you, if I may dare to say so."

Now the chuckle turned into a loud laughter. "Not the otter I meant," he said he nudged his head in Leofwine's direction. "It's the one right next to me, who is the lucky one."

"Ah, I see, so you," suddenly the husky looked at the two mustelids with an expression of utter confusion. "Wait, so you are, gay?"

"Uh, yes, I would say so. I am usually rather jolly," Vidar said and continued his laughter. "Why shouldn't I be?"

Shaking his head, the dog was avoiding to look at the two of them. "No, I meant this more as in, you two are committing acts with each other."

Vidar scratched his muzzle for a moment and shrugged. "Uh, I don't really get it. What acts? I mean, yes, we did sing in a tavern once, but it is not something we do every day."

"No, I mean, you two are having the one thing that rhymes with the number six," the husky explained and looked rather dumbfounded. "I am sorry, I am just overreacting here."

Leofwine now cleared his throat in confusion. "Are you implying something here? Because, I really wish to know, if you are just trying to safe your own ass here or are honest."

Seraph shook his head. "No, no, I am just surprised, that's all. I figured Vidar here just for more like someone with interest for women."

"Got enough of those stories, I tell ya," the wolverine remarked and broke out in another fit laughter. "But those days are over. I am a responsible adult now. Or well, at least I try to screw up less than before."

Leofwine's face remained rather unconvinced however. "So, why are you so uncomfortable right now?"

"Uh," shaking his head vehemently, Seraph tried to put on a reassuring smile. "I was really just surprised. This totally is okay."

"Oh really?" another voice now joined the scene, as Anna approached them. She was looking with utter hatred at Seraph and pulled out a gun from under her jacket. "Care to explain yourself ten years ago, then? What you said to Maxine, when she confronted you about your tendency to be an immense asshole to people, which did not share your opinions? Or did you lose the balls you had back then to open your filthy mouth?"

Seraph was now getting clearly more uncomfortable, stepping backwards just to be stopped by the wall. "That was ten years ago. Things change."

"Doesn't bring her back, does it?" Anna said coldly as she went closer to the husky and held the pistol against his forehead. "And you know what. She asked me to forgive you, for God's love is stronger than all hatred." She chuckled. "All this religious nonsense. In name of the same God you justified your own hatred. So, who is right and who is wrong? Not that I care, the only reason I don't pull the trigger already is that we run low on bleach and this magnum would leave a mess where your head is now."

Leofwine looked at the scene for a bit, and approached Anna as she was threatening the husky. "However, if there is one thing to be learned from life, it is that we all can better ourselves, if we just try. I got enough chances for that, so give him one."

Anna now looked over her shoulder at the otter with a rather surprised expression on her face. "Webbed-feet here is right. So, Seraph," she put the gun back into its holster, "If you say anything discriminating, and be it just a bad joke, your balls go into the meat grinder."

Gulping his saliva down, the husky dropped down to the ground and nodded. "I am truly sorry, Anna. My demeanor back then was unacceptable."

"Ugh, just go fuck yourself," the leonberger replied before she walked down the hallway again. "You always have been a wanker anyway."

As she disappeared into another section of the floor, the husky got up again and shuddered as his legs gave in. "I am truly sorry." He turned to Vidar and Leofwine. "I really am. When you two told me about your relationship, I was reminded of the worst mistake I have ever made. It just seems as if my faith is crumbling with every passing day."

"Can't say to be the expert when it comes to this," Leofwine now sighed and grabbed the door knob to his and Vidar's room. "If you have troubles, Aldric is a few rooms further down the floor."

Seraph now turned his head, and looked at a door, where some symbols were drawn on it. "He did enchant the door?"

"He loves his peace and quiet," Vidar voiced and stood for a while in the floor, even after Leofwine already entered their room and was waiting for him. "I wish I could read it, but magic translators do not work so well with text."

Rather hesitantly, the dog stepped closer to the door, and looked back just to find himself all alone again as the door to Vidar's and Leofwine's room closed. He took a deep breath, and knocked at the badger's door.

Aldric opened it a second later, his arm resting against the wall, and his expression showing a smug grin. "So then, you still have not resolved your doubts? Well, come on in."

"You know," the husky was stepping inside and walking to a table, where the badger had placed a can and some cups. "I just met your friends Leofwine and Vidar, and I,"

"I heard everything. These walls are rather thin, if I might say so," the shaman remarked as she poured something to drink into the cups. "Basically, the same thing as before with Khaba. Your faith is not strong, because you doubt certain doctrines, as you are confronted with difficult situations, where instead of black and white, there is a lot of grey to you. So, why don't you tell me about your religion a little."

Being a bit dumbfounded, Seraph tried to form something coherent. "Well, I do believe in God, whose name is to holy to be spoken out. I shall not worship other gods than him, and well, he loved his children so much, he gave his own son for their salvation."

"Hmm, sounds like the Church of the Great Father to me," Aldric commented as he took a sip from his cup. "A very difficult one. Now, you cannot be objective in your own faith. It is a perception of the things in our world. They do not tell an absolute truth, as is evident, if you compare to tales of the same event by two different tribes."

Seraph glanced at the badger with a puzzled expression. "So, what are you saying?" He was looking at his hands and did his best to keep his mind calm. "Did I pursue a futile message?"

"In a way, yes. But ultimately," Aldric now offered his hand to the dog. "Seeking a truth is not the same as finding it. You still are on your way."

Smiling weakly, the dog scratched his ears a little and took the other cup Aldric poured in something. After taking a sip, he was coughing and trying to get the flavor out of his tongue. "What is this?"

"A bitter herb potion," the badger said, chuckling at the dog's reaction. "You sounded very troubled, so I mixed it really quick."

Grinning in disgust, Seraph shook his head and put a hand on Aldric's shoulder. "Well, I may check up on my wife again. Right now, I think she is the one thing that really matters." And just like that, he headed outside, walking straight back to the elevators. It took him a few minutes, but eventually he reached the medical station, and put on a greeting smile. "Völundr, how is," he was arching an eyebrow, as he saw the boar sleeping in a chair, "Ophania doing? I was away for like twenty minutes." Carefully to not wake up the porcine, Seraph now tip-toed to Ophania's bed, taking her hand and gently caressing it. "Guess it is good I came back."

"Argh, ah!" Seraph shrieked up as a painfilled voice could be heard from Tychon's bed. The fox shook wildly as if he was having a nightmare, his eyes tore open in horror, and after several moments, he began to calm down. "Am I," he looked at his hands and sighed in relief, "back again."

Being a bit worried about the scene he witnessed, Seraph walked over to the fox and gave him a concerned look. "Hey there, you are alright?"

Slowly the fox turned to the husky and tilted his head. "Um, yes. Just some nightmares. And near-death experiences. Wasn't the easiest day for me so far." His gaze now wandered around, and his eyes narrowed as he smelled a note of blood and death. Carefully he got onto his feet, put on his tunic, and massaged his temples. "Anyhow, I am Tychon."

"Seraph," the husky introduced himself and offered the fox his hand. "Well, and after what I learned, you are the one, who prevented the death of my wife, amongst countless others."

"Merely delayed it for now," Tychon said as he took the dog's hand and shook it. "Can't say for sure how long we are safe, but if we are lucky, we might still have time to find a solution."

Slightly in worry, Seraph looked back at Ophania and walked back to her. "Well, your friend here is still sleeping, despite the noise you just made. Anyhow, you should get back to bed for now."

Shaking his head, Tychon stumbled carefully towards the door. "Where is Anna right now? I go to bed once I can allow myself."

"Very well then," the husky now looked at the elevator. "Check for upper floor and if not there, seventh."

Giving of a weak chuckle, the fox walked towards the elevator. He turned around for a bit to wave off the dog and then entered the machine and pressed the button for the top-most floor.