The journey didn’t take too long, perhaps a month or two passed by before they had arrived at Koschei Isle. He had informed Cala that she might not be looked upon kindly by the locals, but then again, the vampires might eye her keen. No matter what, they wouldn’t get their hands on her, not if he could help it. He couldn’t remember the last time that he came here, preferring to stay clear from the place unless the pay was really worth it. He only accepted this because he had to make sure that Sol stayed put and he knew how dangerous it was to let his older brother do as he wished.

The fool might be seeking to start a new war against his father.

Troubled by that thought, Mordecai set foot off the ship as soon as possible and headed for the heart of the city. He couldn’t really waste any time since it was only by a hunch that he figured that the fool. “Stay close. We are looking for a guy with long black hair and golden eyes. He will look Abedian too.” They made their way through the city’s center well a bulk of the citizens were wheelin’ and dealin’ or otherwise minding their own business. His green eyes latched onto every male he could spot until eventually, he noticed one that was with a lady by a stand selling relics and trinkets. Mordecai made sure to walk past them and when he confirmed it was that bastard kin of his, he whispered, “One hour, by the southern beach. It’s time for you to go back unless you fear to fight me again.”

The bait was laid as Sol’s eyes glanced from the corner and onto the only one that had stopped him so long ago. His mood shifted to that of anger, his body quaking as the memories of their last fight surfaced and then he was placed in that damned tomb.

“Fine.”

Mordecai walked passed the couple and led Cala to the destination. “He won’t run. His haughty pride won’t let him not take on his vengeance against me.” He started to unravel some of his spell scrolls, choosing some of the strongest among them before tucking away the others. “I’ll have to rely on you to keep Undine at bay, just in case. I’m sure that he will tell her to keep out of it, but I don’t know how rash she might get.”

Meanwhile, Sol was preparing in his room for the battle. “Daddy wants his disobedient son to come home and face punishment, so he sends out another disobedient brat to do the dirty work.” He sheathed his sword and looked towards Undine. “Whatever happens, stay out of our fight. It’s between me and him. I need to get him back for my imprisonment all those years ago. And for what? Some ditzy bitch?” His eyes narrowed darkly, “I’ll send Mordecai back as a burnt piece of ham to our father, I won’t lose this time.”

He then left for the beach where his younger brother stood waiting. His eyes hit Cala, untrusting of who she was or why she was there. But in the end, it didn’t matter. “Careful now, you might lose her like that other one…but then again, luck’s never been on your side.”

“Funny, it’s been on my side whenever we clashed. So we can do this one of two ways”, Mordecai spoke as he lightly tapped at the palm of his hand with a scroll. “The first would be that you surrender, we go back to father and he locks you up again.”
“And the second?”

“Well, you fight me, I win, I drag your sorry ass back to father and he locks you again.”

His offer was met with a fireball tossed his way, which he dodged and sighed. “Of course you’d picked that choice.” He looked to Cala and nodded, signaling her to play her part as he unrolled the scroll and soon a fog dispersed from it, quickly engulfing the area around them.

“These parlor tricks again?” Sol took a deep breath, held it for a moment and then spilled out the air in a fiery blast around him, hoping to discourage his attacker from moving forward. What he didn’t realize was that there was a scroll beneath him until it triggered, striking him with its summoned lightning. Mordecai had merely stood in the very spot he had been in and slowly made his way to his brother. “Had enough yet?”

But as he took a couple of step, he felt the rushing, burning sensation of flames over his body and he fell onto a knee. Huffing, he had only realized too late of what occurred. “Vengeance will taste as wicked as those flames you felt. Blame yourself for all that pain you caused me, I only returned it to you”, Sol said with a small smile. “This isn’t over yet.”

Cala traveled with a cloak on her to hide her red hair. “Of course,” Calanthe had never been to Koschei before. Her eyes looked up at the sky taking in the darkness. She knew from her bones that it was daylight still. This place was so odd. Strapped to her back was the gift that Steele’s wife Eldora had given to her. She knew how to use it and she would.

They made their way through the city and noticed Undine with Sol. She knew the Black Court well enough. Undine was just as beautiful as her sisters. The only difference was long brown hair she sported. There was a lump in her throat. Especially as Mordecai whispered. Undine’s eyes met coldly with her own and Calanthe almost took a step back. It was a sign of weakness so she decided to keep up with Mordecai.

Undine’s arm tightened around Sol’s as her cold blue eyes watched them walk away. She was angry but not as much as the demon next to her.

Calanthe took off her cloak. The lyrebow was strapped to her back with purple arrows on her side. “I can do that… Undine gave me arrows. I can shoot with the best of them. I can promise you that.” It was a skill that Basselina had taught her and she was damn good with a bow.

Undine was in a sleek little black halter dress that dipped down. She wasn’t bothering to change because if they had to fight she would need to be naked regardless. “Don’t underestimate what others would do for people they care about.” Her blue eyes flickered up to Sol. Even Sol had gone mad at Undine’s treatment by Cassia.

Cala spotted Sol and immediately she drew back her weapon and took aim. She wouldn’t release it. “Don’t count me for dead just because I am here. That type of cockiness will get you killed. Worse yet, it already got you locked up once.” She knew enough about the situation from Mordecai but her bow was directed at Undine.

“What will you do shoot me? Dear cousin this is the first time we’ve met.” Undine kept her distance but offered a bow.

“I will aim to kill you.” Calanthe sounded cold but she was slightly trembling. Her breath steadied so she could focus on the aim.

The fog rolled in and she knew she had to stay vigilant. She could hear the Siren making her way near. A crashing wave made its way to the shore as Undine and Calanthe fought. It was more so that the Siren was attacking viciously and Calanthe was rolling and dodging the attacks.

Songs would leave her voice and shields would appear. Her song magic was in full swing as she spotted Mordecai on his knees. Undine was distracted by it for a split second as Calanthe managed to fire an arrow directly into the woman’s arm. Undine screamed out in pain. “What is this?!”

“A gift from your sister. Demon’s Bane.” Calanthe notched another arrow and skillfully dodged the water that her cousin sent her.

Calanthe positioned herself after fleeing from Undine. Undine was holding her arm unable to get the arrow out. It was only in that split moment that Undine realized what Calanthe was doing. Quickly the bard notched and loaded arrow after arrow flying at Sol’s direction.

“NO!” The Siren yelled as she rushed. Arrows hit her hard with a sick thud as she stumbled into Sol. One was directly in her center heart. Another in her leg and finally one in her stomach. There was blood coming out of her mouth as she lurched forward. She was dizzy. Her eyes were red up at Calanthe. She tried to form her magic but the poison from the demon’s bane made the veins on her skin turn black. “If you think this will stop me you are sorely mistaken,” Undine yelled.

“You’ll die if you try. Is it worth that?” Calanthe notched another arrow. “It wouldn’t take that much to kill you now.”

“You used Sol as a distraction,” the words came from the siren’s lips in shock before she growled and a tidal wave approached smashing into the location that Cala had been in. The Siren fell to the sand not much later after the cast on her side. She was holding the arrow in her chest.

Up until now, Sol had no idea of what reason his brother would bring this redhead girl here, but then it was shown that not only was she skilled with a bow, and also had something that greatly injures Undine. No, it was something that could hurt all that were present here. “Guess this really will be a blood feud after all”, he groaned as he rose to his feet. “It’s not enough that the old man wants to bring ruin to our own family, but here he goes and drags another into this glorious mess.”

Mordecai, also getting back into a fighting stance just held a small grin, “As much as I would love to bash on Father also, this was entirely your fault. He was at least smart enough to realize that an all-out war was stupid. You, on the other hand, just couldn’t wait. Your foolishness will lead you back to where you belong.”

Hearing that, Sol’s hands brought forth fireballs and he tossed them at Mordecai, who rolled to the left to dodge them. Unfortunately, his timing was a bit off and it scorched his left forearm. “Damn.” He held his arm for a brief moment as he looked towards Cala, who seemed to have the upper hand against Undine, up until she got pissed off enough and summoned a tidal wave. It had been a display on his part, considering what she had told him of the sea demoness prior. If she was left unchecked, then it was likely that the isle would suffer great blows.

Sol continued to launch his fiery assault until he felt someone rush onto him. It was Undine and she wasn’t looking so good. “You need to leave, now”, he said as he kept an eye on the demon hunter. “They will use us to distract the other and take advantage.” But he wasn’t so sure if she could escape without any more injuries and even so, then what? Sol had to keep an eye on the two of them, and in the current predicament, he would be in his father’s clutches before long. The thought disturbed him greatly, so much that he decided to try and end things here. He concentrated and begun to transform.

“Ah, shit.” Mordecai looked around for Cala as soon as he recognized the move he was going for. “Cala! Get out of here now!” He brought out two more scrolls, one that transformed into an ethereal sword and the other was slammed into the sand before he darted at the djinn as his features changed. From black hair to white, his right arm shifting into a more sinister shape and his form donning purple flames around him. Just as Mordecai was about to stab him with the blade, Sol deflected it with his arm and use the other to gut punch him hard. His young brother felt the blow and cough out some blood. Even if he couldn’t hold the form for long, it was still a terrifying power. He was then tossed away as Sol began to march towards him. “For all that bravado, you were a fool to charge at me dead on. You know that something like that wouldn’t…”

His voice stopped, of course, his brother knew that wouldn’t work. Then he recalled the second scroll, the one in the sand, but that it was too late. Several eternal daggers ascended from the ground at his position, mauling and marking his body as he attempted to fight them off with his flames. Aside from the series of cuts on him, he didn’t seem to be too injured. But it was something that Mordi was looking for as he dipped into the magic that was natural for him. The tiny streams of blood that flowed from Sol soon hardened, making his wounds grow and severe pain shot out from all of them. The demon grasped in pain and stumbled back as Mordecai rose up and once again went for the decisive blow.

“Time to go back home…” 

Undine could feel the venom biting her insides as she held her bloodied side with one of her hands to try and suppress the pain. If she could numb herself then she could move more freely though it would take immense will power. When the tidal wave hit Calanthe uneasy blue eyes of the siren watched the spot. “I think… the time for running away left a long time ago.” Her words were quiet as the redhead climbed her soaked form back up onto the rocks she got pushed off of.

The moment Sol transformed Undine whipped more of the ocean towards her cousin. Cala had only just recovered but she did enough to roll off to the side and fire another arrow at the sea demoness. “I’m getting really tired of those arrows,” Undine growled as she narrowly avoided being hit. Her blood was hitting the light sand at her feet.

“Then just surrender yourself,” the bard called out but the siren shook her head.

“No, that’s just a death sentence at this point. You can’t walk backwards after a certain point. What would be the point of that? A life without Sol? Asleep forever at the bottom of the sea? What kind of life would that be?” The siren gripped one of the arrows and pulled it out with a sick wet sound as she tossed it to the ground. Granted there were more still lodged into her body but at least that one was no longer impeding her movement. “I’ve made my bed.”

Calanthe was just getting up when Undine began to move once more. She was up onto the rocks within distance of the bard now. Calanthe notched one the demon bane arrows once more and aimed. “That’s a shame. My mother always taught me that family is family and we shouldn’t harm each other.”

There was a grim look on Undine’s face. “My mother taught me… that there is nothing in family. They will abuse you, kill you, and use you to get to their goals. Two very different worlds do we come from.” There was a hesitation in Calanthe for the first time since they began and Undine took advantage of it. The bard was young and had lived a very privileged life with The Mother. At the end of the day the girl wasn’t a fighter nor was she a killer. Undine grabbed her by the hand and forced her onto her knees. She kicked the lyrebow away onto the sand below. “Stop this fighting now.” Her free hand grew claws as she put them to the girl’s neck. “Sol told me about the woman before. I will not hesitate to make it two.”

There was rustling about and suddenly the area grew vivid. Undine found her hands free from Calanthe. The girl was nowhere to be found. She whipped her head about and found herself in an Abedian mansion of sorts. “Undine, what’s wrong?” She looked towards the voice and it was Sol. He was dressed in the finest that Abed had to offer.

“I must have been dreaming…” Undine murmured as she took a walk closer to him.

That was when everything flashed bright colors and she felt her skin on fire as she stumbled backward.

The word had come quickly from Erik that there was a fight going on near the sea. Her mother had also gotten a hold of her about her sister Calanthe being nearby. Something about finding a demon. She grabbed Lux and put it around her waist. “Let’s go. I’m gonna need help to quell this one.” It didn’t take long to find the person who would have the talent needed for mass hypnosis.

Jessamyn was quick to cast an entire spell over the small battlefield. Times of happiness, wishes, desire. It didn’t matter to her what they saw. She only needed a few small moments. The small half succubus stood above the battle with her hands out. Her lips chanting to keep the illusions up. On this level she couldn’t just make it happen she had to ensure it.

Aaryona took Lux out of its sheath and waved it towards a good landing spot in between the two demons Sol and Mordecai. “Very well. Let us end it.” The vampire queen launched herself high and brought down her sword into the ground as bolts of holy power sprang like chained lightning everywhere. The demoness Undine was thrown from the rocks to the ground with a heavy thud. Her sister Calanthe slumped over just out of range still under the effects of the vision.

“It’s time that we ended this petty fight. Don’t you all agree?” Aaryona rose up and put a hand to her hip as she rose the light sword to bring it down another time if she needed to. “I assure you that you both aren’t fast enough to stop me. Jessa, Sol, and Mordecai have broken out of the spell. Can you lift the one on Calanthe?”

Jessa slid down the sloped overhang to the beach and stepped up to the demons. “I did just a few moments ago. Calanthe should be waking up. I can’t say the same for Undine though. Her body took a direct hit from the holy magic you shot out.” Both women looked over to the sea demoness.

“Mother thought something like this would happen.” Her eyes went to Sol. “Do you want to save her? This is a one time deal being offered to you. You only need to comply with what your sponsor is asking for. She wants you to submit to Mordecai. As for you,” she looked at Mordecai. “She didn’t say anything about you… Just to wait for his answer and go back to Xunatar when we got it. With Sol… One way or another.”

Mordecai gave Undine a death glance while his blade rose up to Sol. “Being a sole loser will only give you more pain and suffering. You think living without this…man is punishment enough. Clearly, you haven’t met my father and the one you both will be dealing with.” Sol, still feeling the discomfort of having his blood hardened outside of him felt his power quickly waning and in seconds, transformed back. He was about to utter something when he felt pulled into another world, or it felt like it. Perhaps, waking from a terrible dream was more so the feeling as he snapped awake and looked at his surroundings. A home fitting for a king greeted him as he realized he was on a throne. A golden crown lay upon his head and Undine sat beside him. There were legions of people, worshipping and calling his name, great portraits of his likeness covered the walls. But what was best yet was that he could see the head of his father on a pike. That damned devil’s reign finally over and he had begun. He smiled widely as he relished in his victory that he had earned…but wait. He had to stop and look about as he couldn’t recall how he had one-upped his father…or now he had gained the power he needed or….how he beat Mordecai.

Meanwhile, Mordecai found himself in his own little world- one that much differed from that of his older brother’s. Instead, he found himself on a farm with Calanthe waiting on him to help take care of the chores. They were miles away from the rest of the world yet there was bliss to be found everywhere. The simple yet satisfying life…and yet he felt something was off and before long rolled his eyes. “Damn illusions…” He doubted Undine had to do with this, and he severely doubted that Sol was capable of performing an illusion yet alone one as powerful as this. He had been in plenty enough ones to realize these tricks.

Both snapped out of their worlds but it mattered now once the great wave of holy magic flooded the area. While Mordecai managed to get away from the bulk of the power, he felt himself get hit with enough of it on his leg. Sol, on the other hand, was tossed like a doll a good few meters away.

Petty fight?

The demon hunter cut his eyes at the intruders, “Clearly you don’t know what he’s capable of or that reasoning with him is as about as useful as sticking your head in a beehive.” If he hadn’t been so exhausted then he would be fast enough to kick that damn sword away, but there was no need for it- Sol was already defeated and they weren’t his enemy, at least for now. And they seemed to have information on Xunatar which made him slightly wince. “Wonderful, did dear old dad send a contingency plan just in case he didn’t think I’d capture him?” Sol was getting back to his own feet, still dazed from both the illusion and the holy magic hitting him when he heard this deal. “Becoming a dog again? Is my name not tarnished enough by that demon already? Now I’m expected to grovel?”

Mordecai sighed and yanked him up by his collar. He didn’t know what business they had with this, but he would be sure to write to their sponsor a well thought out letter about this.

(Fuck off. - Mordecai.)

“Well, he didn’t say no, which is as good as a yes in Sol’s book. On behalf of the old man, he agrees and I’m taking him back. Just as you lot have your orders, I have mine.”

Sol gave a half snarl before he gave up the fight. “Fine, but I’d rather die than to be put inside that tomb forever…at least then I’d be free of him entirely.

“Yeah, yeah. Explain to the judge. I’ll be sending his ass back to Sularia as soon as Calanthe is alright to move. ” He wrapped the djinn in spikey chains and hoisted him up to his feet. He could feel his energy at an all-time low. And all he had to wait for now was the delivery and then he could wash his hands of this business once and for all.

“How is she, anyway?”

Undine tensed up and returned the death glance at Mordecai. Her blue eyes were more like a rampaging tsunami. She was angry and she had every right to be angry. “Sore loser? That’s what you think this is about?” She wasn’t talking about Sol, no she was talking about herself. “I’ve found the one person in existence who even bothers trying to know who I am and why. The one person who isn’t trying to abuse me, use me, and throw me away. That’s more than enough for me. Too many years have been wasted sleeping and rampaging. With Sol it’s quiet, meaningful, and warm. I will not go back to the way things were before.” Her voice was shouting now trying to get through the pain as she felt her teeth clench to get through the agony. It was painfully obvious that the siren wasn’t going down without a good fight. Undine coveted Sol.

Soon they had been met with an illusion. When it all ended Aaryona was ready to end it all herself. “Quite frankly I really don’t care. I’ve killed creatures far older, far stronger, and less wounded.” Her words were harsh but the way she held herself even though she was fairly young was that of experience. In short, she was intense. “Xunatar had nothing to do with it. She probably would have done it regardless of his feelings about it. Your sponsor sensed great bloodshed and contacted me to stop it. That’s all. This is Kurayo and I can’t have someone of MY blood running amuck here. You’re liable to get me and mine killed just for being related.”

Snapping her eyes to Sol she spoke some more, “Suck up your pride. She told me you are the sin of pride but this goes above and beyond. You don’t have to grovel. Gods know I’ve been in a similar situation before. Despite my status, my rank, they expected it of me. I killed them just like you are trying to do here. Trust me when I say I can relate to you that much. I walk the night where my siblings tend to walk the day. It’s a lot more bloody on this side. However, for her sake,” Aaryona pointed Lux towards Undine, “I would suggest just giving in so we can get her healed. Your sponsor was more interested in making sure she would live. Something about family honor, not saving her when she was younger… Family things.”

Jessamyn was by them now as she looked towards Undine. “I’ve drained her almost dry. She won’t be causing any problems for a long time. We’ll be lucky if she can even wake her up.” The small woman went over and grabbed the demoness by a leg as she dragged her across the sandy beach towards Sol. “Impulsive just as she’s always been.” The half-succubus dropped the girl by Sol and Mordecai without much care. “She’s just about dead though. I thought about leaving some energy so her body could heal but I’ve seen what she does when she’s half dead and would rather not have a repeat of Sularia.”

Aaryona nodded and looked back at Mordecai. “I can open a portal for you all to go back. She said to gate you all back to the Black Court Mansion in Sularia. It’s where your family is and her. Gets you where you need to go, out of my hair, and I don’t have to explain to Nemesis why I let the She-Devil’s children fuck up the beach. He’s sore enough with me as it is thanks to her.”

Jessa looked back at Cala and shrugged. “She must be having a good dream but she’ll be waking up soon. I can always give her a reason to wake up. A nightmare?”

“We shouldn’t pick on our own. It was bad enough we caught her in the loop.” Aaryona sighed a bit and Jessamyn shrugged. Leaving the two demons the Rosenite went and pulled her younger sister up. “Come on sleepyhead up you go.” Calanthe let out a groggy noise as she held onto the older red head.

“But it was such a good dream… and-“ Calanthe stopped and started to panic. “UNDINE WAS GOING TO KILL ME. And… And… We were fighting S—“

Aaryona patted her head. “All done now Little Sister. Rest easy, Undine has been taken care of and the rowdy Lion is in chains.”

Calanthe was excited it was over and she stumbled forward and went on her face in the sand. “Ow.” Pushing herself up she looked up at Mordecai and shook the sand out of her hair.

The two older sisters sighed a bit. “Runs in the damn family.” It came out of both women’s mouths simultaneously.

Once Calanthe had gathered up her Lyrebow she bowed to her sisters. “Thank you very much for helping Jessa… and…” She looked at Aaryona and tilted her head.

“I don’t blame you for not knowing my name. I’m Aaryona, Nathaniel’s younger sibling.” There was an ah ha moment for Calanthe and she nodded. It wasn’t often there were siblings of the same father so it was easy to pinpoint where Nathaniel was since she knew he had a sister somewhere. “Now, I’m gonna open the gate… You guys are going to leave and we’re not going to mention you were here and what you were doing. Better for everyone that way.” The swirl of magic appeared and connected the two places. It appeared to lead to a fancy decorated foyer.

Looking down at Undine, Aaryona flung her over her shoulder trying to avoid the arrows. “I’ll help get her through the portal."

In all his time in dealing with Sol, he had run into his fair share of delusional women that were smitten by his brother. After all, he had the looks, power, charisma, and silver that would surely drive them to flock to his side. He hadn’t deemed Undine any different from the rest of them, at least at first. He watched her throw her feelings at him, and he could blatantly see that he was wrong this time. But it didn’t matter- Sol was going to go back whether she liked it or not. As far as he was concerned, she could beg Xunatar if she wanted Sol spared, though knowing that devil, there was usually a deal that would backfire on the co-signer.

While he had plenty to say about the redhead’s overconfidence and not heeding his warning, Mordecai remained focused and quiet on that end. On the bit about this fight somehow endangering others, however, he simply looked at her with a cocked brow. “All that and you are worried about those old farts in the council? I’m familiar with a lot of them over the years and they won’t care about two random demons that were fighting on an empty beach. Maybe they would if I had just had the fight at the marketplace, which is clearly why we are here instead. But that’s just spilled milk now- I had my marching orders and clearly, you had yours.” All that mattered was Sol’s capture which he had succeeded in.

Sol didn’t bother to respond to Aaryona- his fate was sealed and before long he would have to face off with his father and this wasn’t going to be by any means pleasant. “Words ain’t going to affect him much at this point. He knows that he’s going back; it does have to do with not only his pride but something else he doesn’t want to admit. He fears father because he knows it won’t end well.”

As she explained that she was related to Cala, he should have seen the resemblance earlier and soon he was pieing together who this sponsor was, not that it made him any happier about it. “Fine by me. The sooner I can drop him off, the faster I can wash my own hands of this mess. And as far as Cala goes, she’s the one that wanted to come with me to do this.” He had warned her several times just to go home but the damn stubborn woman wouldn’t just leave him to do this by himself. Damn love.

Speaking of which, he moved over to help Cala up after she fell on her face. “You alright?”, he inquired with some concern showing on his face. She would have likely been killed by Undine had it not been for her sisters, though he wouldn’t want to admit it. Guess he had a little pride trouble like his brother. He picked him off the ground and onto his feet as the portal was being prepared. It beat out dragging a grown-ass man into the city and spending all that time with him on a boat back to Sularia.

He pulled him through the portal and the joint they were in now was sophisticated as hell. Mordecai didn’t know much about this city since there was never been a need for a demon hunter before. If anything, this would be a place were a lot of them would be wrangled up in.

“Where did she…”

Before he could get an answer, he heard someone whistling and before long it was Dante in just his trouser peeking about. “Where are you, my dirty little Lotus…?” It was clear that they were playing some deviant game of theirs and Mordecai groaned. Dante’s eyes shifted over to the little group and tilted his head. “Mordecai? What are you…” He then looked to an incapacitated Undine and a bound up Sol. “Eldora! Come quick! Mordecai’s here with Sol and Undine!” He fled to look for her while Mordecai dropped Sol and let him hit the side of the wall. “Go and get Angela too, you pervert!”

Cala took his hand to get up and smiled up at him. “I’m just happy its over. Really I’m fine.” Undine was scary and she wasn’t sure if she could have survived if it hadn’t been for Aaryona and Jessamyn showing up. They had experience and when it came to Calanthe she just had luck. After all, that’s all it had been that she had gotten so many shots into the Siren.

Aaryona brought Undine through the portal and took a look around. “Been a while since I’ve been here…” It had changed a lot. Last time she had been here had been for Kirika’s coronation. “This is the Black Court Mansion.” She spoke to Mordecai.

Both women’s eyes went directly to Dante as he came around the corner. There was an eye roll from Aaryona but Cala blushed lightly. How could do they do that in public? Lotus slinked out from the shadows. She had on a loosely tied short black silk robe. It was falling off her shoulder showing the devious little nightgown she had under it but only a little bit. Her long black hair was swooped up and tied in a messy bun of curls. “My my… look what the cats dragged in.” Her bi-colored eyes slid over everyone.

Eldora came bursting through the door as Lotus crossed her arms. “We have guests,” Lotus said smoothly.

“So I see…” Eldora was panting a bit but she caught her breath enough to look at Undine. “So the arrows worked.” Good. That would make her a bit more manageable.

“I want to see… I WANT TO SEE.” A small tiny little girl made her way into the room as she hid behind Eldora and peeked up at the group.

“Angelette, you should go wait with the others.” Eldora turned her around and patted her butt trying to get her to go through the door.

“But…” Angelette had her bi-colored eyes going between Mordecai and Sol. She would occasionally look at Undine as well. “They look hurt.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Eldora pat her butt again and the little cherub like girl went out of the room but not without a little fight.

Perhaps the only reason she had given in was the two that were now coming into the room. Angela was on Xunatar’s arm. It looked like she was whispering to him about Undine since her eyes would fall on the siren. Long red hair, her skin tone, and even her eyes pegged her dead as the girls’ mother. “I’ll take her… Do whatever you need to do with that boy of yours. Fret not, she won’t die in my care.” She left Xunatar and took Undine in her arms. “You can go back home Aaryona.” The queen nodded to her mother and took off without too much of a fuss. “So much damage.”

“Sorry…” Calanthe frowned a bit.

“No need to apologize… If you had to do it, you had to do it. We don’t live in a fairy tale land where you can talk someone out of war.” Angela turned on her heels. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll bring her back.” She left the room and began to do what it was Angela did best. For Calanthe, this was the first time that she had ever seen Mordecai’s father. Her gold eyes went over his every detail as she tried to put his name to his face.

Several minutes went by before Angela brought the woman back in. It was obvious Angela had waited until Xunatar was done saying what he had to. The goddess had Undine by the arm supporting her weight. “I didn’t return the energy that Jessa took from her but I did make her conscious.” The siren’s blue eyes were stuck to Sol though. “Not that she’s said much.”

Warm energy left Angela as Mordecai and Calanthe found their wounds healed. It clear that the goddess had no interest in helping Sol or Undine much farther at least at the current moment.

"Sol…" It left Undine's lips but it wasn't much other than a whisper. They had lost and now she would lose him too. She would be right back where she was before she found him.

What was the point now? He had lost, and now he was dragged back to the heels of his father, who would likely imprison him again or perhaps kill him this time. That would be the wiser decision to take care of the rogue son of his, and something that perhaps Xunatar had played around with his head ever since his escape. But death would be far better mercy than what he would let him have. The thought of being tossed into the tomb again made the lion’s stomach churn. The voices of the women around them were lost to his ears and he felt himself being dropped by Mordecai onto the floor, not that it fazed him.

Dante came back after Eldora scooted Angelette out of the room, squeezing himself through the barely open door and tilted his head at the brother he never knew. “Well, he has the Colden thing going down right. Guess he is family after all. Hell, he looks even mopier than our little brother did when he came home.” Then again, Colden had been broken by a mother that never loved him and would see him dead for her own agenda. “Geez, did you go easy on him, Mordecai?”

The demon hunter rolled his eyes, “No, He put up a decent fight. He still has yet to gain all his power back and…”

He ceased speaking and his eyes wrote out the rest as they lingered onto the man that they all knew, for better or worse. Xunatar had been keeping to the shadows since his downfall and be watchful of the current events. He looked to his sons and remain ever so quiet and still as if he was in the thought of something. Surely he had a nice long talk with Angela before this gathering came about.

“Did your dirty work, so am I free to go?”, Mordecai grumbled and Xunatar simply waved him off. “Well, that’s my cue then. Guess we will stick around for a bit, with this being Cala’s homeland and whatnot.” Of course, that also meant that he wasn’t going to be anywhere around his father. He would wait though for Cala to be ready before they would depart, likely to another part of the city where he didn’t have to be in the same room as Sol and dear old dad.

“Sol…I have little patience for your destructive tendencies or your lack of listening. I will say this once- I’d rather just stick you back in your tomb and seal you away forever, but in light of certain things I have observed, you are much more valuable to have around, granted with a collar of sorts. Your damned pride was never lost from you- extracting it completely would have killed you. I merely sealed your strength away and had Carrie masquerade as being the First Sin. So enough of these tiresome ploys.”

“…Growing soft, old man?”, Sol said in a defeated huff. “Why not just kill me?”

“And what? Waste the precious resources I spent in having you conceived with such power? No, I couldn’t do that and neither could your mother. After all, who did you think I got this idea from to begin with?”

“Wait”, Dante said with a head tilt, “Sol’s mother is the reason why we carry the sins?”

“Yes, long before any of you were even thought of, I was an acquaintance of hers and she knew much about how to obtain all sorts of…forbidden magic and powers. To do so, seven crystals had to be bound to seven worthy demons and I have spent more time than I’d care to admit in achieving this.” His cold stare lingered on Sol even as Angela returned with Undine. “This girl has taken a liking to you as well. You are lucky that she is a part of this family because of her sisters, else I would have taken a more extreme punishment.”

“Fine, what now?”

“Your fight is over and you are indebted to me, boy.” The older demon offered his hand, and it was obvious that dark magic was seeping from it. It only took Sol a bit to recognize it and sighed as he slowly rose up to his feet. “A geas? I take it as “Do your whim or I perish?” sort of deal.” Either way, he was going to loathe this.

“You are to obey my command until I deem it fit to release you from it. You will remain in Sularia until that time and not kill any of your kin. You will cease from your pursuits to obtain any more influence or power also. I care not if you truly desire this, but I’d figure that you would at least appeal to this for Undine’s sake, after everything she’s done for you.”

Sol looked at Undine for the first time since going to this blasted place and before long nodded and took in the hand with his own.

The power dispersed and Xunatar turned to leave as Steele came in, already knowing what was to come. “Show him to his room and make sure he stays put.” Steele nodded and took Sol by the chains to the room prepared for him.

“Well, that ended better than I expected”, Dante admitted.

“Perhaps. I really did at one point desired him dead. Far less of a headache.”

“