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The house trembled, though no wind was blowing. Arithon paused on his way down the stairs, frowning. There had been something to that shudder, as though there was an otherworldly storm brewing. Worse yet, it had felt somehow familiar. Hair standing up on the back of his neck, the demon descended the still rickety spiral staircase cautiously. Xu Yong met him at the foot of the stairs, tail fidgeting madly as whatever was building affected her too. "No idea," he answered before she could even ask the question. The weeks that Jin Huang had been gone had worked many types of magic, none beneficial. Except, perhaps, the one that had caused the demon and the Aoide to finally get along.

"Reminds me of you," she said, running a hand through her much longer hair, tangling her fingers in its golden knots. No one looked their best, these days. Arithon's hair was in no better shape, the long red ponytail having been hacked off to keep it looking somewhat professional. Instead, it looked ragged and sad, as if he was somehow defeated, and he wished he'd never touched it at all.

"How?"

"Feels....demony," Xu Yong answered after a moment's thought. She licked a finger and held it up, as if to gauge the wind. A small ember glowed for a moment, which was almost as long as the pair stared at each other before running outside. That was entirely abnormal - as was the sky outside, a whirling mass of flickering power. It was no storm. Arithon recognized it as something to do with the planes of reality, and he silently cursed the withdrawn and illusive Lysander for not being there. He'd have known far more about whatever was going on. A sense of overwhelming pressure built and built and Xu Yong shook her head to no avail. It was like having to pop your ears while flying, except there was no relief, no matter what you did.

And then suddenly, it was gone. It had lasted an eternity; it had lasted an instant. Arithon was on his knees from the pain, and he looked up at the suspiciously clear and blue sky. "Th'hell?" he croaked out, staggering upright. Xu Yong's ears were flat against her head, nails digging sharply into her palms. She started wildly when Arithon touched her shoulder, then leaned into him for a moment to recover. "It's over," he said, trying to be reassuring. He wasn't very good at it, but eventually the Aoide pulled away and shook herself.

"Something happened," she said, and when Arithon eyed her, she frowned at him. "Oh come on. That sort of thing wouldn't have occurred for no reason. As impressive as it was, there's got to be something else going on." The demon shrugged uneasily. She had a point. There was always something, these days.

"Doesn't seem to have done much," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. There was a slight feeling of building pressure again, but it was nothing compared to the previous sensation. Aside from that, everything appeared suspiciously normal. The previous weeks had been filled with a pervasive energy, one that shifted according to the whims of who knew what. But now...Now everything felt free of such sensation, of such driving mental force that it was momentarily hard to take in.

"Appearances can be deceiving," was all the Aoide said in reply as her ears twitched, as if trying to isolate a half-heard sound. Arithon snorted in weary agreement, casting once last glance around before turning to head back inside, feeling as though the other shoe had yet to drop.

The journey back had been hard; how many times had they stopped on the endless stair to look wearily at each other, or even sleep (though not close to; Jin had not allowed that)? And yet at last they had reached the way out to the City, met Huore. Mounted the erras, leapt again into the blackness, and returned only to find the world set upside-down.

A flux of time, it was, something that swept over the place where errais ran. Phaedra had ranted and raved when she realized what happened, but all to no avail - it was not something that could be helped. The world broken again, and the denizens of every hell spewed onto mortal planes... but surely they could stop more from happening. Stop, for now; dam the tide, close the door.

Chain the End.

Phaedra was not sure why she had asked to come, to help. Perhaps to see it through to the end, to see the legacy of her Golden Week put into action. Mal'hreth was nowhere to be found, to her irritation, so there would be no fair chronicle from life. She would have to take it from his handsome hide when they met again.... but that would be a matter for later. For now there was merely the Dragon, the Manacles, and the silent, breathing Chrysalis.

"Lord," she said, quietly, standing several feet from the Thing that her Emperor had become. "We have come to give you succor."

Jin Huang had been equally annoyed at the time that had slipped away; he had thought there would be more available, but no. They crept ever closer to the End, but there was something he could do. They had found the Manacles, deep in the roots of the World Tree, where his bones lay, bleached and bare, still watching the things entrusted to his care. Exhaustion dug it's claws deep into the dragon, for they had not allowed much time to rest. If they had...who knew how much more time would have escaped?

There were no signs of his brothers when they arrived, which gave him cause for concern. Were they well? Had they left upon their own quests, to find ways to stop their Lord from ending All That Was? But that was something for later, for after this final duty had been fulfilled. "We have brought the Manacles," he whispered, all he could manage in this state, unwinding them from the arm he had kept them on. It was with an awkward and somewhat helpless look that he spread the links wide, stepping towards the Chrysalis, unsure of what would happen, or how to place them in order to properly Bind what grew within.

Brought withing the proximity of the chrysallis, of what was the housing and tomb of the being that they had been specifically fashioned for, the Manacles grew and shifted in shape smoothly as a liquid. The artifact shifted itself into concentric rings of great girth, chains between along whorls and filigree. It would make a gruesome Faberge.

Phaedra jumped as the Manacles began to reshape themselves, then turned and stared with unabashed astonishment as the chain reforged. Well. That answers that particular question... But it was a good sign, wasn't it? The Manacles were undoubtedly responding, indisputably active. Even if Tien Lung had said the binding would not hold forever, it seemed it was indeed possible to hold the Chrysalis for a time.

She was not sure what to do. Should she step forward and help Jin Huang? But the Manacles had been given to him, he had died with them. Perhaps it was his sacred office. "Do you need assistance?" she asked, finally, when it seemed the Manacles' transformation was complete.

It was with relief that Jin Huang watched and held steady, waiting for the Manacles to finish their shifting, pleased that they had reacted in such a manner. Not all the ancient magics had faded, and to see such a shape taken gave the dragon hope that this could be reversed, his Lord returned to form and the End averted. "If you do not mind," he replied diffidently. If she would help, he would accept it. If not, then he would place the net-like artifact over the Chrysalis himself.

It was awkward, to try and hold the edges steady, draping the Manacles, but the form defined the function, in this case, and so he kept at it, eventually getting it in place. "So," he said, taking a step back. "Now to wait, I assume."


The manacles locked in place, shifting themselves once hands released them until they formed a perfect pattern of great rings and chains. Neither beginning nor end of the metal, and so no clasp, could be seen on them.

With the settling of the Manacles there felt a sudden hesitation, like a waiting spider, in the atmosphere. The predator was caught and caged, though plain to see. After a few moments, the feeling passed, replaced by an ebbing feeling like watching the slow withdrawal of a tide after nightfall.

Once the soft movements had ceased and the Manacles had wound themselves into place, Phaedra let out a long, slow breath that she hadn't been aware of holding. "And... it is done, then?" She could feel the mana shifting, dampening. "They will hold, for a time...?"

She looked anxiously at the shining construction that the Manacles had become. It was oddly beautiful, if a bit morbid with the dark Chrysalis beneath the rings and chains. "Not forever, but long enough..." They didn't look as if they were likely to break any time soon.

"They will hold as long as they can," Jin Huang replied, closing his eyes briefly as his thoughts skittered erratically through hazy memory. "I will keep watch on them," he said finally, opening his eyes and looking over the enmeshed Chrysalis once more.

"But first I must rest, and so I take my leave of you, Lady," he continued, offering a slight bow to Phaedra. "I...Thank you," he finished simply, heading back to Huore, and then to home.

He had to be the happiest little godling in all of Creation. He had met someone new (and was still deciding about whether or not he liked said new person), had been introduced to the fantastic, sugary confection called 'cookies,' and had not yet been re-captured by either paternal unit. What a fantastic day!

Soto wandered about the Pantheon aimlessly before he finally came before a rather impressive set a doors. He made a face, however, at the glass on the floor, and was careful to tiptoe past the lot of it given his bare feet. Just where was this? What was that giant thing, and where were the aoidei to clean up the awful stuff that was on the floor?

He was pretty certain it was glass. He even knew for certain what glass was, if only because he had a talent for breaking it. It was funny watching his parents' servants skitter to clean it up just as fast as possible.

He giggled at the thought and shoved piece of a cookie in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully as he glanced up at the broken windows where the glass had no doubt come from. Messy, messy, messy! But not my mess. This time.

"I wouldn't come any closer," Delmin remarked from where he was sitting. "Not without shoes, anyway," the man continued, eying the bright green child (it had to be a child, what with the method of eating) with curiosity and some suspicion. There were several questions and concerns that sprang immediately to mind, although he certainly didn't expect the other to know the answers. Who would let their kid wander around down here? the host groused internally, finally starting to address Jin Huang that way, instead of solely aloud.

I'd certainly not know. A better question might be who the parents are, the dragon suggested, nothing about the other's appearance ringing any bells. Perhaps a deity? he offered, although Jin Huang did not sound entirely sure of the thought.

"Did you need something?" the host asked after a moment, running one hand over his face. He wasn't good with children hardly true, so it would be best for everyone if he could just figure out who to return this one to. Unless, of course, it wasn't a child. That could be a definite possibility, and wouldn't even be the strangest thing Delmin had ever seen roaming the Pantheon.

Sotiris nodded solemnly at the remark about shoes. He had never worn a pair, but he had been cautioned about broken glass and its sharpness. Not to mention admonished against doing the actual breaking. He paused with a frown as a thought struck him.

"Why broken? You break?" he asked with wide eyes. "Breaking things is baa~aad," he sing-songed in warning, "Gets you lots of trouuuble."

He squirmed in place before carefully picking his way through and around the mess in what was no doubt a comical sight to behold. "Don't need things," he replied to Delmin's question, "Just es'ploring. Have cookies."

Well, at least he had some sense. Enough to recognize that the glass would hurt him, deity-ling or no. "Break it?" Delmin echoed back, startled. "I didn't break it. So I'm not going to get into trouble." Glancing around, the man shrugged. "Personally, I think it's His fault," he continued, gesturing at the Pod. "But it'd be hard to get Him in trouble for it."

I'm sure he'll feel very bad about making such a mess, Jin Huang dryly commented. Delmin grinned at the remark, then watched wide-eyed as the child made his careful, barefoot, way over to him.

"Exploring by yourself? The Pantheon? Do your parents know you're out? Not that it's really any of my business," the man continued under his breath. "At least you're well supplied."

Sotiris sputtered a bit indignantly. Tell his parents? Then how would he have possibly escaped the confines of their living area if he had simply announced that he was intent on going out to explore? Such a silly question. "No, did not tell them," he insisted hotly, "No fun with Dad. Mom does not es'plore much, but Dad no fun with es'ploring."

He took another bite of his cookie, chewing thoughtfully as he eyed the man before him. "Who're'you?" he asked between bites before grabbing another cookie and holding it out to him in offering, "Cookie? They're gooo~ooood!"

"Alright, alright," Delmin said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Staying out til you get caught, huh?" he asked, looking sympathetic. That was part of how the game was played, after all. Of course, the children rarely realized that it was anything but a game to their worried parents.

Which is why you should be responsible, and find out who his parents are. No doubt they will be looking for him shortly, and I'm the one who will have to interact with them later. Delmin merely rolled his eyes at the thought, taking the proffered cookie.

"I'm Delmin," he answered, not introducing the still grumbling dragon in an effort to keep complications down. He took a small bite of the cookie while waiting to see if the boy would introduce himself, pleasantly surprised to find out that it tasted good.

The boy continued to munch on his own cookie with a contented look. "Am Sotiris," he told him with a firm nod and with a look that could only be described as smug. He did not think to offer further information on his identity or parentage, but he seemed more than happy to think up more questions to pepper Delmin with.

"What's that?" he asked as he pointed over towards the Pod. He finished off his cookie and then looked inside his pouch. He only had a couple of cookies left, but those were for sharing with his siblings.

He grumbled a bit as he carefully slid his feet across the floor to avoid the glass before moving to sit next to Delmin. He looked over at him expectantly, puppy-dog tail wagging happily, as he waited for his question to be answered.

"Nice to meet you," Delmin replied somewhat automatically, distracted for a moment as Jin Huang rumbled curiously about the child and his parents. "Um?" he continued, looking over his shoulder at the thing both he and the dragon had largely tried to ignore. "I'm not really sure. I've been told it's the remains of Harmodious, who apparently created the gods."

And yet, it is both my Lord and not Him, Jin Huang mused, having previously attempted to sense if something recognizable as the Crown lingered within.

"But it's also not Him. It's confusing," the mortal said with a long suffering sigh. He doubted he'd ever learn the truth of the matter, and frankly, right now that was fine by him.

"That is confuzzling," the child agreed with a sage nod. He eyed Delmin curiously once again. "You a god?" he asked tentatively. He circled around the man, tail still wagging as he inspected him before finally stopping to stand directly before him with his arms folded across his chest.

"You don't look like one," he stated plainly. He looked more like a mortal to him, but his presence was interesting. It reminded him of his new friend who had two voices.

Suddenly a thought struck him, and he blurted out, "Are you a two voice people?"


"Kind of?" Delmin answered, sounding bemused and bewildered by the question. "I mean, I'm not. A god, that is." He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I guess two voice person is one way to put it." He'd stayed still while Sotiris circled him, aware that the child was examining him and not wanting to move and perhaps throw him off. "Did you want to talk to...the other voice?" he asked cautiously.

The boy blinked and peered up at Delmin curiously as he pondered this. Did he want to talk to this other voice? "Okay!" he announced in a tone that could only be described as a happy chirp.

"Hello, hello other voice!" he laughed, clearly amused with himself.

Delmin's smile was almost entirely involuntary, as if Sotiris was simply that infectiously adorable. Jin Huang rumbled a bit of a chuckle, but it was purely internal and the amusement was not reflected in the features that soon presented themselves to the young god. Indeed, the expression that settled over the man's features was stern and somewhat impassive; it might remind Sotiris of his father, a bit.

"And hello to you," the dragon said gravely, offering a brief bow of his head that held very little of Delmin's more relaxed motions. "My name is Jin Huang."

"Hallo," Sotiris repeated, eyes wide as he noted the sudden change in demeanor, and the tone did indeed remind him of his father. This new presence he felt quite clearly. It was quite strange a thing to come across in his mind's eye. He had simply been born into the world a god, and thus did not clearly understand the need for a host or even the act of having been reborn.

"Jin Huang," he repeated, eyes alight with curiosity, "What are you? Am Guardian." He beamed up at the two voice person, tail wagging in reflection of his mood.


Jin Huang would have rather liked to know who Sotiris' father was; indeed, one of the Dragon's titles of old had been 'Underworld Dragon'. Which would no doubt be utterly fascinating to the young godling.

Unfortunately, Jin Huang had no intention of letting that particular title past his lips. Not until he knew if he still had any right to claim it. "Guardian? Well met indeed," he said, a little surprised at how much he meant that. He would have a lot to discuss with Sotiris, no doubt. Once he grew up a little, of course. "I am the Dragon King Futs Lung, Treasurer to the Crown."

Which wouldn't mean much to the godling, most like.

Sotiris' bright eyes went impossibly wide as he stared up at Jin. "You're a DRAGON?" he exclaimed before chortling in amusement. He circled around him carefully, still mindful of the glass, before returning to face him again. "You don't look like a dragon," he sing-songed playfully with a look that spoke of mischief.

He paused for a brief moment, caught up in his own thoughts before voicing aloud, "What's a treasrurerr?"

Jin Huang looked very pleased with himself for a moment following Sotiris' gleeful outburst. This was, however, deflated rather quickly when the young god voiced a perfectly reasonable objection. "I haven't finished growing yet," he said gravely after a moment's thought. True enough, and he wasn't about to launch into an explanation of hosts and everything that entailed.

Resting an elbow on one knee, and his chin in that hand, the dragon looked thoughtful. "I suppose you could say I'm in charge of treasure," he replied finally. Things that seemed simple enough for him to understand were much harder to explain than he'd anticipated.

A brief flicker of regret passed over his face. "I am sorry, little one, but Delmin and I must be going." He stood and offered a small nod of his head to Sotiris. "Hopefully we'll meet again." With that, the dragon strode out the Pantheon to head home.

He awoke slowly, to the sound of birdsong outside his window. This was a rare occurance these days, so Delmin lay in bed, somewhat bemused. Everything felt different today, somehow, though he wasn't quite able to put a finger on why. Jin Huang was a half-awake presence in the back of his mind, and Delmin wasn't inclined to disturb the dragon with any questions.

Not when he would much rather just lazily doze in bed for just a moment longer. Just one more...

As he was right on the verge of going back to sleep, there was a soft, yet insistent, knocking at the door. He grumbled and put a pillow over his head. The door opened slightly and he hear the faint shuffling of hooved feet as they entered the room. A short groan was muffled by the pillow. Xu Yong. Just who he wanted to deal with first thing in the morning.

Not that he didn't appreciate the way the Aoide made his life easier in numerous small ways. She was just so damned enthusiastic about everything and relentless cheerfullness had always grated on his nerves even at the best of times. Which these, most definitely, were not.

"Delmin?" she asked softly from close by. "My Lord?" Delmin groaned again and removed the pillow from his face.

"What?" he not quite snarled at her, squinting a bit. She didn't say anything, tugging lightly on one of his free hands, silently urging him to get out of bed. It wasn't really worth arguing with her, especially since she looked so...Delmin wasn't entirely sure how she looked, only that there was something indefinably different about her this morning. Something missing from her normal demeanor, perhaps. Despite a profound reluctance to get out of bed, he was curious enough not to linger and was standing before the Aoide in his black pajamas in short order. Well? his arched eyebrow asked, rather expressively.

Instead of replying, she took hold of his hand again, easily towing him over to the window. He didn't see what the big deal was, until he looked at the sky. "It changed this morning," Xu Yong said softly. Delmin shook his head once, not quite believing what he was seeing. He'd become rather used to seeing the sky around the house look like a giant bruise as the realms of various Hells pressed upon the fabric of this world. This sky was clear, though it looked like a line of clouds was moving in on the horizon. Normal looking clouds, though, for all that. He let out a breath.

"How have the demons reacted?" he asked, turning slightly to look at the Aoide. She shrugged.

"For the most part, they're relieved. Some of them are worried about people who are still missing, but overall, everyone just wants normalcy restored." She looked thoughtful, tapping a finger against the side of her face. "Really, that's all anyone wants. Stability and normalcy. Most people don't care if the Crown is unbalanced, so long as the world continues on the same way it was yesterday and the day before that." Delmin nodded. He'd noticed the same tendency, back at his home. That was what had attracted the majority of the cult members once the end of the world kicked off for real.

Speaking of which... "Do you think...?" he asked, trailing off while looking somewhat embarassed. The demonds hadn't been able to establish any sort of working portal, claiming that the energy of the dimensional merge was interfering with everything. Jin Huang and Delmin both were inclined to take that at face value.

Xu Yong grinned. Delmin's overriding desire to get the members of his cult to the relative safety of the house and the Pantheon world had proven irritating to some of the demons. "Only way to find out is to ask," she replied cheerfully. "I think you'd better get dressed first." He nodded again, somewhat glumly. They set great store by formality, the Xi'Yong did.

"Alright. I'll be down shortly." He moved to the dresser while the Aoide retreated. "And thank you," he said, without looking back. She stopped at the door, let out a small sigh, then let it fall closed behind her.

The demon stopped him as he was leaving, breathlessly gasping out a "My lord, wait!" that paused his advnace for the critical few seconds required for Raum to sweep regally into the hallway. She gave a low nod of her head, intricately arranged hair not shifting an inch.

"My lord," the demoness said, straightening and staring at him firmly, grass green eyes shadowed and series. "Do you have a moment? There are matters I wish to speak with you about."

Delmin's eyes flickered over her, taking in the carefully groomed appearance and heavily brocaded robes. Not that Raum ever appeared less than perfectly attired, but there were a few hints that indicated this had been hastily assembled. Overall, however, the impression was that whatever the demoness wished to talk about was one that she felt had particular importance. "Well?" he asked, arching an eyebrow sardonically. Raum opened her mouth as if to reply, but closed it with a barely audible click as something about his body language indicated that the question was not for her.

A low, amused rumble of a laugh rippled through Delmin's mind. Your habit of speaking aloud to me discomfits them, the dragon noted dryly.

"I don't really care," Delmin snapped back, shifting his feet defensively. Raum arched an eyebrow, politely curious, but continued to say nothing in response. It's the least I can do, he continued, switching suddenly to mental communication, tone scathing. Considering how much they discomfit me.

There was another rumble of amusement, though this one was tinged with regret and sorrow more than genuine mirth. I suppose it would be politic to hear her out, the dragon offered finally. Delmin gave a quick jerk of his head to Raum, who bowed hers in return before heading back upstairs. He followed her, noting the absence of many of the demons who had been, to his mind, obnoxiously underfoot. This raised a warning flag for both man and dragon, but before Delmin could ask what was going on, the pair arrived at what would eventually be turned into Jin Huang's study. There was hardly anything in the room, only a table and a few chairs. This early in the day, the room was dimmer, the recently completed wood paneling having been selected to make the room warm and golden in the afternoon light.

As the door clicked shut behind him, Delmin hesitated for a moment before sitting down somewhat sulkily. Being in a room alone with a demon as powerful as Raum was practically guaranteed to make him uncomfortable under normal circumstances, and these were hardly normal circumstances. Jin Huang, however, seemed perfectly content to linger in the back of his host's mind. A disgruntled mental sigh was directed at the dragon before he returned his full attention to Raum, folding his hands in his lap while he waited for her to speak.

She shifted her hands nervously in her lap for a moment, and then made an irritated noise. "I suppose that I'm not able to speak directly to Jin Huang?" When Delmin shook his head almost immediately, she gripped the arms of her chair and leaned forward. "My Lord, why not? Your refusal to speak to me, to any of us, except sparingly...It's why so many have left, after you returned. They find the rebirth process you've described to be farcical and insulting to everything they have ever learned." Unspoken was that what they had learned, had been learned from him in Ages past. She paused and glanced at Delmin, who continued to stare at her opaquely. "My Lord, they don't believe."

Delmin shifted slightly in his chair and spread his hands. "If they do not believe now, there's no reason they might not come back," the man paused and swallowed, meeting Raum's gaze directly, "When things have progressed." The demoness looked away first, aware that he had deliberately raised the issue that had caused the most problems among those who had left.

"Perhaps," she admitted reluctantly. "I have my doubts." Delmin nodded acceptance without pressing the issue; he had plenty of his own doubts, as did Jin Huang. "I still think that it would be best if you - both of you - would spend more time here, among us." A gesture indicated the jewel barely visible above the collar of Delmin's shirt. "Especially you, My Lord. It is worrying that you spend so much time away and that so few of us have spoken to you."

"You want to know why," a statement to which Raum nodded. "As I'm sure you've gathered, much of why we leave has to do with me. I am not...comfortable around a demon, let alone the number have gathered here. That might seem unfair, as if he is catering to my whims, but I will cease to be a complication soon enough." Delmin seemed resigned to his fate most of the time, as the calm manner in which he stated the last attested. Raum, however, glanced at the floor uneasily. It was something that did not sit well with the demons that there had to be such an extreme sacrifice. Intellectually, most would admit that it made a certain amount of sense; it was the ethics of the situation that had offended them. Delmin, who knew this, tended to be contrary and remind them all of it at the most inconvenient times. "As for not speaking," Delmin broke the formality of the meeting with a startling grin, "Believe me, he is plenty talkative." Dropping back into solemnity, he eyed Raum consideringly. "I think you, however, deserve more of an explanation."

There was a momentary hesitation after he spoke, something that the demoness thought, with eyes narrowed in speculation, indicated a completely internal discussion. Her thoughts jumped back to memories of conversations that had been cut off strangely, or other occasions where she'd seen him look as if he was listening to someone else speak. How many times had they all ignored what was going on, explaining it away as a quirk, or as more evidence that Delmin was crazy and not how Futs Lung was to be reborn. While Raum looked shaken, considering the implications, the man straightened from his habitual slouch and steepled his fingers in front of his face. "It seems as though he's finally won that argument," Jin Huang commented dryly, peering at Raum through his fingers. At her questioning and somewhat startled look, he sighed and leaned back, dropping his hands to rest lightly on the arms of the chair. "Despite his overall dislike for your kind, Delmin actually agrees with your assessment. He thinks that we, no, that I am not spending enough time consolidating my hold here." As she continued to look confused, the dragon elaborated. "Sometimes, I suspect that we all conveniently forget his background," he said softly while in the back of his mind Delmin's thoughts squirmed guiltily. He was usually not pleased when the subject of his cult was brought up.

"His background?" Raum asked, equally quiet. "He was a charlatan, a con man. A deceiver and a fake. I grant that that might have been useful for scamming the weak and gullible, but those we must bring back are neither." The demoness was clearly aggravated, evidenced by the shallow gouges her nails were carving into the arms of her chair. Delmin was a bit shocked by this display of contempt; he'd been fairly certain that Raum liked him.

Which is not to say that she approves of you, Jin Huang's thought slashing roughly through Delmin's surprise. "Raum," he continued aloud, warning in his tone. She looked at him and followed the glance towards her hands. Pulling them back to her lap with a slight flush from having lost control, she stared challengingly at Jin Huang. "You're dancing around your actual concern," he said gently. "Ask me what you really want to know."

"Why him?" she asked, question escaping on a plaintive sigh. "Was there really no one more suitable?" By which she likely meant Seir, or another of the demons. Raum was more accepting than many of the others, but she had prejudices that under other circumstances would be amusing.

For a moment, Jin Huang didn't move. He knew, in an academic sense, that there were questions regarding Delmin's suitability. It was an entirely different thing to have the question out in the open. And so bluntly asked! He let out a slow breath. "You are doing him a disservice. I understand that you are upset over what happened with your son, but I fear that you have let that cloud your judgment." She bristled a bit at that, but settled for glaring daggers once he raised a hand to forestall rebuttal. "As I said, you are doing him a disservice by deliberately ignoring what he accomplished. Yes, he was a con man and he would certainly be the first to admit it, these days. That does, however, tell only part of the story. Delmin was skilled enough to convince those people to follow him. You may choose to dismiss them as gullible fools, but be aware that that may prove to be a dangerous mistake." The dragon looked intently at Raum, as if weighing what to say next.

Tell her, Delmin interjected suddenly, startling Jin Huang into losing the mask of his composure. She deserves to know, and... the man trailed off uneasily, well aware that this was not a comfortable topic. Involuntary reflex had tightened his grip and he was suddenly grateful that he did not have clawed fingernails like Raum. He was prepared to dismiss the idea out of hand, but there had been a strange current to Delmin's thought. As he considered the idea of sharing something as intensely personal as his previous failure, his fingers flexed nervously on the arm of the chair. This was not a topic he was willing to share with most people; Delmin, in fact, had only learned of it due to the nature of their relationship and not because Jin Huang had wanted him to know.

"My Lord?" Raum asked quietly after a silence that was a few moments too long. His eyes snapped back in to focus and he stared at her, obviously taken aback. He raised a hand as if to wave away the question but halted the motion when he saw that her previous irritation had faded to genuine concern.

"Despite my lauding of his virtues, Delmin was not, in fact, my first choice," Jin Huang said finally, words dropping heavily into the silence. Raum looked startled, but kept her silence. "There was another before him." He was clearly carefully selecting each word, unsure of how to explain anything. "He...was wildly different from Delmin, as was my relationship with him." Not mentioned was the difference between Yu Huang and Jin Huang. "We fought, and often. I believe that was why I failed with Fai Li. I spent my strength, and his, in trying to keep him isolated long before either of us was ready for such a thing."

Raum, though usually honest enough with Jin Huang, was not given towards expansive expressions. The only real reaction she showed towards the series of revelation was widened eyes. "Then how did you come to him?" she asked with a quick wave towards Delmin.

"The intervening process is something I remain unclear on," he admitted. "But I believe you're aware of the spatial rift?" At her nod, he waved a hand. "That is how." He shrugged. "Now, you've both given me things to think about, so if you don't mind?" The demoness recognized a dismissal when she heard one, and swept out of the room regally after offering a perfunctory bow. She too had things to think about.

There had been a lot of talk since the sky cleared. They insisted that there were things that needed to be verified, insisted that they needed to check and make sure the worlds had stabilized after the detachment of the realms of Hell. As far as Delmin was concerned, the talk was just hot air and attempts by the demons to cover their collective asses in case something went wrong.

But they were finally done talking, after about a week of testing. And a week of dithering. Jin Huang had been reluctant to override them, as they were theoretically experts in whatever magic was to be used to open a portal. The dragon and the demons were still exploring the new boundaries of their relationship, trying to find limits that worked for both parties. That delicate dance was still ongoing, and at the moment, unimportant.

As part of the testing, individuals from the compound had been brought over. The anchor for the demon's spell was Seir, so he was forced from necessity to be the last one to transition. Of course, he'd insisted on it anyway, something Delmin had found puzzling until he talked to the handful of survivors. Seir had taken charge of the community and had become a real leader, instead of standing to one side and remaining detached. Delmin was proud of the way his friend had handled the situation, but it served mostly to accentuate how much he genuinely missed his friend. Jin Huang wasn't a friend, exactly. Xu Yong and the demons were starting to remind him of vultures, waiting for him to die. He hadn't seen David since leaving to retrieve the Manacles, either.

Delmin ran a hand through his hair. This wasn't really the best time to start feeling sorry for himself. If he hadn't necessarily gone into the situation with his eyes wide open, he'd since learned enough to bow gracefully to the inevitable. The man was glad Jin Huang had left well enough alone for now, allowing Delmin to remain himself for a while longer.

I would not be so cruel, the dragon interjected softly.

By not letting me wrap up loose ends, you mean? Delmin snapped back, though it was lacking in any real animosity.

Jin Huang rumbled a softly amused laugh. His host's tendency towards prickly defensiveness about his emotions was something that the dragon tended to respect, despite the fact that both of them were perfectly aware that at this point, what one thought, the other knew. Allowing each other the semblance of privacy helped keep their relationship at a relatively calm level. That's one way to put it, he agreed, not intruding further into his host's thoughts, though he was quietly concerned about the increasingly maudlin and melancholy bent they were taking of late. Hopefully his reunion with Seir would lighten his mood.

Delmin sighed. "I think they're ready," he commented, sticking his hands in his pockets and strolling over to the empty area the demons had turned into the magical equivalent of a landing zone. Indeed, the masked and robed Illionas mages were waiting in two straight rows. As soon as he stationed himself at his customary place, they raised their elaborate wands in unison. Delmin was not able to follow the ritual as they wove strands of raw magic into a gateway, as he did not posess any native magical talent. Indeed, Seir had often joked that he had a negative impact on the overall state of magic.

That didn't seem to be the case at the moment, as the gateway formed perfectly, as it had every time before. The first thing Delmin saw once the misty magic had cleared was Seir. As always, the demon was wearing a blindfold, though this one seemed different from the usual scraps of cloth he'd made do with before. Before he was able to examine it in any detail, Seir stepped aside to let everyone else through. There had only been a handful of people left, and six of them were already here. As the group arrived, Delmin flicked a glance at the sky and frowned.

The stars were going out. Delmin rubbed a thumb over the knuckles of one hand nervously. It wasn't just that they were going out; it looked like they were being eaten, devoured by some ravenous entity. The sight was making him feel vaguely nauseous, so he went back to staring at the gate.

This, however, was an equally bad idea. As the stars went out, the gate's edges started to fray and the Illionas started to fall to their knees. Delmin took half a step forward as he saw Seir hurrying the last people through.

That was the last he saw, as the gate imploded with a soundless explosion of light. Those transitioning were thrown clear, though it was immediately obvious that not everyone had made it through intact. The demons who had been maintaining the gate collapsed to the ground, as though they were puppets whose strings had been cut. Delmin let out a low sound, more like that of an animal in pain than anything else, and rocked back and forth for a moment before starting to sink to his knees. This movement was arrested suddenly, and he straightened with a few tears still sliding down his face.

"Tend to the wounded," Jin Huang snarled, his voice raw and anguished. Delmin's consciousness had curled tightly in on itself when the dragon took over, and Jin Huang wrapped his own thoughts around those of his host, to further insulate and protect him until he was ready to face the world once more. Jin Huang vowed that he would have that time, even if it took completely isolating himself and undoing many of the advances he'd made with the demons. They could be regathered, but he would not allow Delmin to break. Not now.

The remaining demons scurried to obey as he stalked stiffly back to the house, back ramrod straight though his shoulders were bowed with grief as he listened to his host mourn everything that had just been lost.

Jin Huang grumbled, then hissed, as Xu Yong cleaned his wound with what he suspected was pure alcohol. It certainly stung enough. "Is this really necessary?" he asked in what would have been called a whine, if he'd been anyone other than Jin Huang, Dragon King. The Aoide looked at him and rolled her eyes. "I meant, is this necessary right now," he hastily clarified before she could scold him about properly taking care of the slash across his side. Again. "Surely there are others who require more urgent attention."

She sighed and stood up from her position on the floor. "No," she replied, grabbing the bandages resting on his bed that had been just out of her reach. "They've all been taken care of." Xu Yong looked mildly exasperated as she continued. "Except you. Now hold still," she remarked in order to forestall any attempt to avoid her. This time, he let out the sigh, but held still and let her wrap the wound. "It's not as bad as it could have been," she said softly, resting her hand against his side gently once she'd finished. At the time, no one had known how badly Jin Huang had been wounded, only that he had been. Huore's quick reaction, as well as her own, had gotten him away from the fight before more than the one wound has been inflicted.

"It's not bad at all," the dragon insisted, drawing a stubbornly deep breath just to prove he was fine, and that the slice across his side was nothing serious at all.

This was, of course, immediately disproven as he winced and exhaled quickly with a hiss. Xu Yong eyed him knowingly, but said nothing. Opting to remain silent as well, in an effort to preserve at least a little dignity, Jin Huang pulled a new shirt on and stood. "Well." The Aoide shook her head. "How do you think...it is going?" she asked, biting her lip as she changed the subject.

He looked momentarily blank; dealing with the ambush, retreat, and tending to his wounds having quite chased out of his mind why they had even been there in the first place. "I imagine it's fine," he replied, mouth dry. He wasn't there, and he needed to be there, a need so deep it was making him ache. His hands spasmed once, forming fists, before he caught himself and folded his arms, hands tightly grasping his arms.

"How will we know when it's done?" Xu Yong asked, not having seen her master's reactions. She was still facing away, so his ragged breath and harsh reply were unexpected.

"I'll know," he practically snarled at her as she turned to face him, surprised. Her silver eyes took in his tense posture and overall stance and she bit her lip again, harder. He was supposed to be relaxing - preferably sleeping, but that was highly unlikely, considering - and instead he was wound like a coiled spring. Hopefully he didn't reopen the wound; he was practically vibrating with the need to leave and was only holding still through sheer force of will. Quickly, she tried to think of something, anything that would distract him.

"You should visit the wounded," Xu Yong blurted out suddenly. "Not that there are many of them," she continued quietly. He arched an eyebrow at her, curious enough to allow the change in conversation.

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, from your tone," he remarked, settling slightly. He sighed. "Either way, you are right. I should look in on them. They were wounded in my defense, and I will honor that as best as am I able."

It was while they were walking down the stairs that the dragon stopped suddenly, Xu Yong nearly running into him and causing them both to fall the rest of the way down. "What is it?" she asked, placing a hand on the railing to steady herself.

"It's done," he breathed out, relaxing as he did so. "My Lord is reborn, and the End of All has been averted, and I...I was not there," the dragon finished, anguished. His knees buckled slightly, and his grip on the railing was white knuckled as he fought to stay upright. The only positive, in his mind, was that none of the demons were around to witness his weakness, his failure.

Xu Yong reached a hand out, as if to reassure him, but the moment she touched his back, he flinched away and shoved abruptly past her on his way back up the stairs. "My Lord?" she called after him in confusion.

"I will see them tomorrow," he called back over his shoulder as he headed down the hallway. "For now, make the others aware of what has occurred." Before the Aoide could do more than take a hesitant step back up, she heard the slam of his bedroom door, cutting off any further conversation with finality. With a sigh, she finished descending the stairs in order to spread the news.