Chapter 57

Zuviel- The King of Hell

Olympia was busy. His angels flew around the grand throne room. I held my trident, my favorite weapon. The Throne Room of the Gods was a place made of clouds and purity. Our thrones were together at the top of the stairs, where my half was black, and his was marble white. My wife was not here She didn't like it, and I respected that. This place only held bad memories for her While his wife looked sick.

Bah this place and bah on him and his arrogance.

"Where is he?!" Shouted Arviel. Whatever he'd done didn't go his way this time it seemed.

"We've searched-" He cut off his angel.

"I don't care!" Arviel yelled.

I cleared my throat. That he didn't even notice me meant he was so focused on his project gone wrong, that I think he was actually remorseful. Genuine miscalculations are Rare, so much so that he sent that decoy to distract me.

Both these events' probability was so low that he probably had to pull a solid gold dice out his ass to get this far. Both of us are too perceptive for small mortalish events like this.

"Great." He said glaring at me.

"I destroyed your little distraction." I snarled, bringing darkness upon my half of the throne room. Behind me was every Layer Lord. I sent off Apythmenos. His presence on Urth will have repercussions, but at the moment I was too pissed off to care. I'd fix it later.

Shameful that it worked too. The puppet was made to feel even pain and hold emotions.

"I suppose you're here to chastise me." He said with crossed arms.

"Naturally. What was your plan. Making Another Contradiction."

The sky was dark with my anger, and his agitation caused conflicting red and white lightning. Our powers couldn't mix, making a catastrophe. The silver linings of the clouds became molten, and it rained metallic shards below. The only good thing was the location, a large mountain range in South Americah. No mortal at all was out there in such a desolate place, but we still both sent for our lower people to collect it all.

"It was hastily done. Had I wanted, I'd have made you run in circles a millennia." He sneered. "Your medaling is not needed." He dodged my question, while Lia looked hurt. How he cheated on his wife He swore to his little Earth Goddess that he would never again, yet here he was, having to explain to her that this one was from an old fling he hid from her

"It is; your past catches up to you, because I will not tolerate this affecting my children."

"He's out killing mine." Arviel growled as he became heated, melting the golden throne behind him.

"That was not what I asked." I said impatiently. If one son killed all his half-brothers, and made ruin to his house, it is his fault for cheating. He would not be if he had not fucked up, then hid it, making it worse.

"You have Judgment, Death and Justice as your sons. They make you proud. It isn't that I wasn't happy with mine-" I cut him off. I'd heard enough.

He'd done this on accident because he was jealous.

"You made Contradiction! No World has survived such an unstable being on it. His existence will kill your wife." I growled.

"She's strong." He said defensively.

She didn't even look at him. Technically all this was before he vowed, so this did not count on breaking it. He vowed he would not hurt her like this... yet here Lia was, still having to endure the past of Arviel's whoring.

"Worse than lying to yourself, you almost sound like you believe that." I said angrily.

He'd only just started, and I could already see the ends of her green vine hair wither. Her bark skin looked rougher, and her green eyes lost some of their defiant fire

"What am I to do? We're not to get so invested and involved but I Am Invested." He said angrily.

"Send your people to rally with my grandson. He already plots his demise." I said firmly.

------Kaizen------

"Put put Noah back together." Moaned Jerold. He rasped like a dying corpse. His wounds were still fresh, not healing

"Shit! Sorry!" I yelled, running and dragging Noah's legs to his torso first. Then I went for Jerold.

He had to shift to speak.

"Oh my gods, they're alive?!" Screamed Flora. She hesitated, not knowing what to do first before I wound up helping them both.

".Yeeehh." said Jerold. The moment his insides were stuffed where they needed to be, cracks could be heard.

"Three." Yelled Noah. Was this his third death or something else?

Noah screamed once he regained consciousness, and Jerold sat up. "I remember my first time." He said standing, then shifting his legs to mortal ones. "Hang in there lil guy."

"I'm not little!" He half screamed, half angrily yelled. He stayed on his back. He grunted laboriously, and I helped him sit up.

"Oh baby no. I'm just messin' round." Said Jerold clearly. "If you can't get up on your own, don't try to walk."

I could hear the cracks and pops of his spine, and the squelch of organs as he kneeled to his little mate

"I'll be fine." He hissed.

"I'm pretty sure you don't want me to realign your spine if it connects crooked." He said, kissing him, making him lay flat on the concrete. "There. Can you sit still about 10 minutes?" He asked nicely.

".. This means nothing." Noah said blushing. "How can you heal so fast anyway?"

"I I have a lot of experience with this particular injury." He admitted. "Though this one was definitely one of the more surprising ones. No, I won't tell you how many times."

"Damn." I said because I was honestly curious. "You two are cute. I need to get mine Jack had to save her."

"NoThat Old One knew. It's why he killed me. He was making a message." Said Jerold, putting Noah in his lap. He moved him to the grass.

"That he could have." I said annoyed. He's paying for this.

I willed myself to shoot across the sky, feeling like I was going to fall apart... I felt like I was held together by hot glue and thumbtacks Like I was some little pup's impromptu science fair project.

I forced the heal I needed to 'look myself'. But in the mirror at first, I did look pretty fucking bad I had no hair I would have been a naked rat shifted. I smiled at that, because as terribly dark as that is, I know at least Jack would share a laugh or two with me.

I had eyes now, and the scent of my mate was the only thing my nose focused on. Wix calling my destroyed, mostly melted phone was also unimportant. I found them no problem, but I could also hear arguing as I got closer to.

"I say we should go back to town now." Said Gilbert. "The town's not smoking anymore so the fire's out."

"I say we wait here." Said Alavastros. "Jack's right. I can't see the master letting us be out here too long. That's his mate. If the goddess gives only one, then I'm sure he'd do anything to make sure he gets to her as soon as he's able."

"We're ducks out here, sitting on our asses." Said Gilbert.

"I'm the one with all the combat experience compared to you pups." Said Jack. "Rick's getting wood, and Ace got the fire. I have Luna stable. If we move her and she wakes up, she is going to freak out. And if the master loses his shit, it won't be *my* fault."

"It would be! You should have done something else, not give her drugs!" Yelled Gilbert. "I need air, this is stressing me out." He growled and shifted, howling I assume to get everyone.

I howled back and landed soon after.

"I should go after him, but right now, I need to make sure Misfit is safe. With King Jerold injured and faking he's ok, it'll leave neutralizing that jackass to me." I grumbled.

"We're your war band. We can aid you." Said Jack. I slowly kneeled to my mate and picked her up. She slept, and it calmed me to know she was alright, that I saw it for myself.

"Some of my fold are green." I said thinking out loud. "Also, I would rather not involve pack who can die. Not to mention I have to leave her behind too"

"Boss." Said Jack. He really wanted in on this, but I had to be honest with them.

"I don't even have a plan yet, and even when I do form one, I need you here. I don't trust anyone with Willow's protection, not without you guys with her too." I said firmly.

"Then I can settle for that." Said Jack.

I was silently relieved, yet the feeling was short lived. The ground beneath our feet shook. I readied to fight, but instead of an enemy, for once it was an ally.

I instantly recognized the Herold of the Horned One, Apythmenos and my mate coughed in my arms. I don't remember getting to have any real interaction with him other than seeing or hearing him in passing. His skill was unmatched. I knew he wasn't here to help, but rather to carry out some order given to him.

"His majesty bids my attendance to the human world, so I am here." He said firmly.

"The Lord of Contradiction wants this world to die. It won't with me on it." I said firmly.

"That is his name? Your world's fate is more dire than I thought." Mumbled the Herald.