untitled: Torment

 

The track forward was a slow one, as they would have to stop now and then to assist some people trapped under rubble or try to direct those wandering the streets in shock to safer ground. It helped to have a guide like Roaden, who knew all of the Valen Quarter and was able to give them a direction to head in when they found the street layout confusing. Even so, there were plenty of hazards involved with precariously leaning buildings and sunken roads. Still, the sky did not get any darker and no monsters or spirits continued to lurk about. However, it wasn't long before they started noticing animals like Urius' horse laying in the roadways, spewing dark black smoke. It wasn't further beyond that that they found people in the same shape. Even Exodus, the hardened warrior that he was, felt like retching at the sight of so much carnage.

 

Ceata felt all the more sick to his stomach than he had before. He closed his eyes, allowing Doll to help him along. He shivered, eyes closed tightly as he stumbled along. Whatever had ripped through here had done something terrible to these people, Ceata wondered if Urius might have met the same. He doubted it, but still the fear ate at him.

 

"We're at the end of the Valen Quarter right up here..." Roaden called out to them as they picked their way through a fallen building, walking in a long line so that they could keep track of each other yet still follow the narrow safe path. When they came to the top of the rise, it was a horrifying and yet awesome sight that unfolded before their eyes. There was a crater about the size of Death's castle formed deep in the ground. One can see the mountain base on which Tenshihana rests smoldering. Only a few upward standing stones remain as testament that there was an entire section of the citadel as well as its magnificent palace...all else is dust and debris. "My God..."

 

The whole of them shivered, shifting uncomfortably as they took in the devastation before them with wide, fearful eyes. It was not a good sign, no more than the massive destruction that had already happened elsewhere. Ceata clutched at a stone, wide eyed and shaken by the sight before him.

 

There was no sign of Urius. In fact, there was no sign of Adonis either. The only thing that stood at all was a pole on which some charred remains hung like garland. It was what little had remained of Robert, tortured to death before his soul was finally consumed by the monsters and the dark spirits he himself was partly responsible for. After all, Rowan's first experiences with Adonis only came after the cruelty his father dealt him...Robert was repaid in kind.

 

"W-where's Urius? And Adonis?" Roaden gasps, looking around with wide eyes. It's as though he searches the rubble for the chance that one of the two might pop out of some stones. "It's like they disappeared."

 

"Most likely they did." Death rumbled softly, looking about with a thoughtful expression touching his full red lips. Just where they had gone, he was not so sure. The big male looked about slowly, as if trying to catch a scent. Where they had gone.... Absinthe shivered, looking about with a tiny frown.

 

 

Nothing was there...Urius was not there...Adonis was not there...Ceata felt as though he was going insane as he collapsed onto one of the heavy boulders and tried not to weep. Roaden was desperately searching ahead, looking for any sign that Urius or Adonis might be there. Surely, he did not wish to run into Adonis, but any living creature would have been good at that point. Such fear he felt, such sadness...It hung in the air, choking those who breathed in the charred scent of destruction.

 

But there did not seem to be anything. The shadowshifters able to, spread out and began searching cautiously, their shadows helping them. Absinthe stayed with Ceata, staring with wide eyes upon the massive crater and wondered just where Adonis had gone. Far away he dearly hoped, shivering and stepping back away from the edge. Far away and never to come back, oh how he wished that was the way things had happened.

 

Lazarus is the first to suggest that they head back, as, though the shadows search the area, it is obvious to anyone that there is nothing left here but the residual aura of Adonis' awakening. If Urius was here, he either escaped or was crushed by the overwhelming power of it all. Ceata can only sink further into despair, knowing that his connection has long since been broken due to Urius' standoffish nature. He can't tell now if Urius is alive or dead and clings to a hope like any other mortal that fate has been kind to his lover. 

 

Flinching a little as Absinthe touches him and helps him up, he gives one last look back. There is nothing here for him, no sign of his beloved and no inkling of him ever returning to him. Ceata does not have time to grieve, he is hauled along and taken back, unable to stay here any longer.  Absinthe was more than happy to leave that area, desiring to hurry back to Jinevae and the comfort of the big male. If Adonis has disappeared, that had nothing to do with him. The man would have to get close again to make Absinthe think more on him when he had Jinevae to distract him.

 

However, back at Death's Castle, Adonis was the last thing on Gai's mind as the girl was greatly distracted by the fact she could not find Yoren anywhere. It had been odd that morning when he hadn't gotten up like usual or sat and ate breakfast with her. He had stayed in his bed, crying slightly as he felt like he was ill. Now he was gone and she could find him nowhere in the mess of soldiers. Everything was chaos at Deaths' castle, but, surely, one could find just one young boy.

 

Frowning tightly, the girl searched high and low for him, wringing her hands over and over. There were tears in her eyes, for if she could not find him, she would feel horrible for losing the sweet young man. Where could he possibly have gone anyway!? He had been in bed all day and she had simply gone to get him something to eat and he'd been gone!

 

Gai bites her lip as she turns to check down yet another hallway, sighing when she sees nothing there. If only she had been paying more attention...Despite the fact she is such a good servant, she had to admit that sitting there and daydreaming about Lady Chaos wasn't perhaps the smartest thing she's ever done. Then again. She's young, she's horny...why can't she be forgiven for that? Ah, but now Yoren is gone and she has no one to point her in the right direction! Just then she sees Varun finally waking up after sleeping in - no doubt partly because of Alpheus being so needy - and looking quite bemused at all the soldiers running about. Maybe HE has seen Yoren.

 

"L-lord Varun, have you s-seen lord Yoren?" She squeaked, running up to him with tears glittering in her big eyes. Varun looked puzzled, frowning as he gazed down upon her. "Yoren...?" He looked thoughtful, chewing his lip. In this mess of people, it was hard to remember all who he'd seen.

 

"Love? Where did you run off to?" Alpheus asked from the doorway of Varun's room, clutching a robe to his ripe young body still covered in hickeys. He blushes as he sees Gai there and the soldiers running this way and that down the hall just beyond their corridor. "What in the hell is going on?"

 

Flushing, Gai glanced down. "There was something going on, I'm not sure. I've been running about looking for Yoren." She uttered softly, making Varun frown deeply and hail a passing death angel. The angel frowned, panting. "There has been great misfortune in the angel capital." He uttered in a rush, needing to get a move on. "That's all I know, my lord."

 

Alpheus butt right in, grabbing the man by the collar and snarling at him. "Great misfortune? What the HELL do you mean by that?! Answer me!!" Alpheus demands, his voice partly shivering in panic. The poor young Death Angel looks about ready to fall over, being shaken so roughly.

 

"T-that's all I know!" The angel gasped, eyes wide and teeth rattling from the hard shaking. Flustered, he nearly falls as Varun wrenches his lover off of the poor angel. "Alpheus, he doesn't know. Ask one of the generals." He hissed softly as Gai wrung her hands and looked about. Would Death know where Yoren had gone? Was he even here?

 

"God, where is my master? I need to find Sahenna! Damn it!" Alpheus cried, cursing as he rushed back to his room to try and get dressed. Obviously they had missed something by sleeping in this late. He hurried to don his robes, trying to find some underwear, though Varun had probably ripped his last good pair. "Damn it!!"

 

Varun frowned and returned to the room, Gai waiting outside for them. Maybe if she followed them, they would lead here to Yoren! Sahenna was Yoren's nephew, was he not? Surely he would be able to tell her where he was. Varun's muttering was heard as he helped his lover dress and got himself dressed as well.

 

"Hurry up, damn it!" Alpheus cried as he slipped on his boots and then rushed out the door. Varun grumbled, putting on his shoes as well and following, Gai tailing them. They made it to the great hall where Rowen was busy trying to direct all the soldiers where they needed to go. Sahenna was with him, obviously very distraught over the fact that his father had gone mad and now his lover was out trying to find the monster his father had become.

 

Their baby grumbled loudly in his arms, eating his father's hair sleepily now that mommy was off hunting down said monster. Varun swiftly walked up to them, frowning tightly as he gazed at them. Just what was going on? Where was his father and the others? "What is going on here?" He demanded, frowning tightly.

 

Sahenna couldn't speak, so distraught was he. All he could do is hold is son and stare forward, his eyes like two pools of confusion and pain. He felt like his world was crashing down around him. All that he loved was in danger and he just couldn't face that reality. Really, Sahenna is quite the coward.

 

Rowen replied tightly. "Rowan is... gone." He uttered softly. "And in his place, a monster... They are currently dealing with it..." Rowen replied tensely, glancing at Gai with a tiny frown. "Gai... Where is Yoren?"

 

Sahenna seems to raise his head a little at the mentioning of Yoren, the last bit of family he has left, save the one he has made with Lazarus. Gai seems to blanch at the thought that Yoren has not been seen here either. She was certain he would go to see his family...Ah, but it seems she was wrong. 

 

"I-I don't know, Rowen.... I went to get him food and when I returned, he was gone." Her eyes filled up more with tears, hands endlessly wringing and writhing as she shifted nervously under his gaze. Oh no.... could it be he had disappeared? But where would he have gone!?

 

"Never mind that, what about Falcon and Jingarther? Where did they go?" Alpheus butts in, obviously scared at the thought of them being on the battlefield without him. What's more, where is Roaden and Jinevae? And Urius? Alpheus glances down at Sahenna, guessing by now that the other is traumatized. He'll be no use for getting information out of.

 

"With the others." Rowen replied, glancing toward the open doorway. It leads out and toward the portal, his frown deepening as he seems to think to himself, not feeling well suddenly. "They left some time ago.... I'm not sure what is going on right now."

 

"Damn it...Well, we should get going, Varun! We have to go help the others!" Alpheus says, already heading towards the portal when Varun stops him. He has a feeling...one that isn't all too good. For some reason, he knows that Adonis isn't in Tenshihana anymore. Though, how he knows this, he can't really explain.

 

A shiver runs through him, the young shadowshifter licking his lips nervously. "No, we should stay here." he uttered softly, glancing aside. Little Cadeyrn makes tiny baby burbles to himself, a single bit of normality among the hurrying soldiers and the servants running about. Even so, Varun shifts nervously, on edge.

 

"What?! Stay here?! But what if they're in trouble! What if we're needed!" Alpheus protests, getting a stern look from Varun. No, his love didn't want to go anywhere. There was something in the wind that stirred him...something that warned him that danger was much closer than he thought. Varun could not explain where he was getting these notions, but he was more inclined to trust them than run blindly in the wrong direction.

 

"No, we stay here." He replied sternly, glowering down at his lover. "They're fine, we're needed here." The man shifted, looking about with a frown at all the people running about. Rowen was shouting orders again, startling the baby in Sahenna's arms, making him squeal loudly and wiggle. So many distractions. What should Varun do?

 

"What do you mean, STAY? Damn it, Varun, you're crazed! Why should we stay here when -?!" Alpheus says before there is a flash of light and he jumps back. The light flickers brightly and then disappears at once, causing Rowen to look downward and stare with wide eyes. It's not that the light is somehow special...oh, no, it's just a flashing light......it's the fact that it's coming from Varun's pants. "Holy shit, you've installed a clapper!" Ranmaru says, staring at the other's pocket as Varun fumbles to see what it is that is glowing on him. He pulls out then the abyssian he got from Rowan, feeling the box trembling in his hand as light emits from it.

 

Varun's eyes go wide, his expression one of confusion and dismay. Just what is going on with this thing!? He peers at it thoughtfully, biting his lip. The key to this dangles about his neck, should he open the glowing thing or would that be pure foolishness on his part? Wide eyed, the baby stared at the glowing thing with curious fascination.

 

"Damn it, what the hell is that, Varun?!" Alpheus cried, shielding his eyes from its glow. Even Ranmaru had to step back as the light was quite blinding, Rowen not even wanting to get close. Varun just hold the thing and felt it pulse and shiver. His eyes stared, perhaps the only one not struck by the blinding glow it gave off. Then he saw it...a piece of the box was spinning. It spun and spun and spun like a compass next to a magnet until eventually it stopped, pointing in some odd direction. Varun didn't know what to make of it. 

 

The young man frowned tightly, looking down at the bow and the piece that had spun about as it had. He licked his lips thoughtfully, glancing the way that the piece pointed. Should he... follow it? What the hell was he to do.

 

 Varun takes a tentative step in the direction that the abyssian is pointing, the light almost seeming to get brighter as the three gathered around him make an alarmed cry and shield their eyes. Those servants that are on the other side of the room have stopped and stared at the glowing Varun and his strange box. "Varun! Gah...! Turn that thing off!"

 

"I don't think I can!" Varun replied and started to take another step in the direction that the devise was pointing. He frowned slightly, brows knotted in agitation. The light was so bright, but for some reason it did not much affect him.

 

In fact, he could see perfectly fine though everyone around him was throwing up their hands to diffuse the intense light. It was telling him to go somewhere, obviously some place of great importance. Soon Varun's feet were moving without him really trying, he starting off at nearly a run as he followed this swiveling arrow that pointed clear out a window. It wanted him to go outside?

 

Well, if it wanted him to go outside, he supposed he would have to do so. Frowning, he slipped out the window, clutching the window edge as he held it out and looked at it intently, trying to figure out where it desired him to go next. Where was it leading him anyway?

 

As soon as Varun stepped out of the building, however, the light suddenly focused itself and sent a steady beam forward and into the distance....and such a great distance it seemed. Varun stared as the light spit and whirled about him still, forming together into that single line that headed out passed the castle walls, passed the great jagged rocks, and even passed the distant western gate. It was pointing towards the Sombs. 

 

Odd.... Varun frowned, sitting on the window ledge and thinking about what he should do. Head toward the Sombs? He might have to, whatever was going on demanded him to keep moving.

 

Still, there was also the question of if his parents would allow him to leave. Rowen had followed him in the hallway and stood outside as the lights continued to swirl around him, though not as brightly as they did before. He could see the long beam pointing out towards the Sombs, its light attracting even those from the ground who looked up and pointed at the oddity. Rowen was not pleased.

 

"I should follow it." Varun murmured softly, glancing over his shoulder at Rowen. The death angel was frowning darkly, looking out toward the Sombs with an unhappy expression upon that smooth, pretty face. "I don't know...." He uttered softly, tight lipped and none too pleased.

 

There was reason for his worry. The Sombs were in chaos right now. Ever since the attack on Tenshihana, the armies of both Angels and Demons had gone into a state of advanced activity - no doubt with the Demons worried that Angel retribution was swift in coming and the Angels worried that the Demons had orchestrated the whole thing. Surely, Rughal's many relative where not unhappy about the current events, but they certainly didn't cause them. To let Varun walk out into that kind of battlefield would be incredibly foolish.

 

Of course, grabbing at Varun now wouldn't even keep him in place. The young male was getting antsy sitting there, brows furrowed, expression distressed. He wanted to follow, but his nervousness at the whole situation was keeping him back. Rowen did not like this one bit, but before he could grab Varun and keep him from escaping, Varun jumped off the ledge.

 

"Gah! Varun!" Alpheus cried from behind Rowen, having followed at a distance because of the blinding light. He rushes to the window then, looking down with Rowen as Varun has landed with ease on the ground, despite the fact they're quite a few levels up. He's then off with the box in his hand, blinding pretty much everyone that comes passed him.

 

However, he is like moving feverishly fast, his expression tense, his movements swift and measured. He was being lead somewhere and he would follow that lead. There could be something bad at the end, but... damnit, he could not let that stop him.

 

Meanwhile, as Varun was rushing off in search of what was at the end of that beam of light, a rather weary Death returned with the trembling Ceata, the injured Farryn, the nervous Absinthe, and all the rest. He looked to be very worried, walking in with Stannis, who followed behind. "I've alerted everyone that's watching the gates. We've closed off your realm so that no one can get through. It is very likely that Adonis is in the Sombs...and, if Urius is still alive, he is there as well. However, the likelihood of finding WHERE they are within the Sombs is rather slim...We can try, if you would like."

 

Death nodded slowly, rubbing his forehead as he walked in. Ceata was already being taken back to his room to be put to bed and Absinthe wanted to take a shower and delight in the fact that Adonis was not near him or even taking any interest in him. At least he delighted in it now.... "Yes, yes... well, we'll just have to keep a watch for them for now." he murmured softly. "I need to figure something out to stop them...."

 

Suddenly Alpheus and Rowen came in with a flurry of motion, catching Death's eye as they quickly advanced towards him. "M-My Lord, Varun has -!" Alpheus cried out. Death gently put them to calm, trying to discern what was happening. When he heard, however, about the mysterious box, its glowing, and where Varun went...well...needless to say, he had more of a headache.

 

"Damn!" the immortal cursed softly, looking to Stannis helplessly. How could Varun have known what was going on!? The young male had been sleeping and left be since he had not been needed and there was no way he could know that that beast was possibly in the direction he was currently trotting. "Well, what the hell do we do now, Stannis?" He ground out.

 

"Well...we'll have to get a message somehow to the Death Angels at the gates not to let anyone out either. We can't let Varun leave, especially if Adonis has so use for him with that abyssian," Stannis says with a frown, looking rather sternly towards the weakened Farryn.

 

"Shit...there's no way you guys are going to get...ah...there in time...you have to go and catch him before he gets to the Sombs...but...I'd think only a Death Angel could be that fast..."

 

"M-My Lord, we have another problem," Ranmaru pipes up from where he stands near a very distraught Gai. "Yoren is gone..."

 

Death's eyes snapped wide and he glanced at Ranmaru with an open mouthed look of shock. "Gone!? How long has he been gone!?" He demanded hotly. Gai flinched, trembling. "h-he was in bed most of the day, b-but when I left to bring him food, upon my return he was gone!" She sniffled, rubbing at her eyes in distress. Death cursed. "Well, than... we need a Death angel to retrieve Varun and we need to locate Yoren. And we need to move fast...."

 

"You need to do more than that!" came a female snarl from the other side of the room. Death actually visibly winced before turning to face Chaos in all her vicious glory. Not far behind her was none other than Hitomi, her face showing a great deal of concern as she stood there, fidgeting slightly. To see both bitches so close together...really, it made anything with a penis want to shrivel. "You need to get Yoren NOW! If the brat dies because of his own stupidity, fine...but Rowan's brother is FAR more important."

 

"Never mind that! Go find Rowan!" Hitomi growls, glaring at Chaos. "He needs to be returned to his normal state!"

 

"He CAN'T be returned to his normal state, you cock-sucking mongrel!" Chaos hisses at her, anger in her red eyes. "Now get the hell out of here, you're useless even if you DO have a pussy..."

 

"Why you -!!!!!"

 

"SILENCE!" Death roared at the both of them, glowering. "Now, tell me how the hell I can get Yoren back and I shall do so!" He barked at Chaos, glowering her down with whirling, shimmering black eyes. "I can't simply wave my hand and bring him back without a little help."  Death glanced about, and settled his eyes on Rowen. "Go get your son, stop him before he gets himself killed for his own curiosity."

 

Chaos growled at him though, not willing to be told what to do by anyone with male parts. She glared at him and crossed her arms over her ample chest, smirking a little. "If he's going where I think he's going, you're going to need a fucking miracle...Send your best Death Angels to find him. If you don't, he's going to be dead before you even realize it."

 

Death growled at her and in a fit of rage, slapped the goddess hard. "Tell me where he is going NOW." He snarled darkly, showing just WHY people have worshipped the god of Death, the whole of him rippling with power in his rage at Chaos' flitting about the question. If he did not get a straight answer, there would be no way to get Yoren back, Varun for that matter either, though Rowen was already out the door and after his son.

 

Chaos turned to him and snarled, now proving why she was so much like her brother. She flat out punched Death, having the other step backwards and almost revert to Life, his head was so tussled. "Have some patience, you BASTARD! Or do you forget Who I am?!" she snarled in turn, he looking at her with the utmost malice as there seemed like there would be a fight. Amari stepped in - much to his peril- to keep the two apart.

 

"P-please, stop! We...we can't be fighting now, not with so many bad things going on! L-look...the Gods know the situation an-and they're sending a vassal of the Goddess of Fate to help...b-but until then, we're asked to get Yoren back, alright? So...let's just cool off and please work together!"

 

Death snarled angrily, pacing like an angry cat, unable to keep in his form completely, hair whipping about in tendrils. He wanted to tear into her so bad it was nearly impossible to keep his hands off of her. All of this bullshit so near the time he would be forced into that damnable form! It did not leave him in a good mood one bit. "Hurry up and tell me." He hissed low and threateningly, expression terrifyingly cold. Too much stress did not keep anyone in their right mind and a god on his last shred of patience was not able to keep himself completely under control.

 

"He's gone to the Sombs...no doubt that's where Adonis is. With all the chaos going on and the Sombs' very nature to jumble auras because of all the negative and positive energy clashing, it is most likely that he is there...And, in turn, that is most likely where Yoren will go," Chaos says firmly, still glaring as harshly as she can at Death. She's a little pleased that the punch she gave him is bruising, though. Life will look pretty with a mark made by her on her flawless white skin.

 

Death growled softly and nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I will go and get him." He replied with a grunt, as he was the fastest and most likely to locate the young man. He did not much wish to send anyone else, even if it was dangerous. Yoren needed to be found and brought back as soon as possible and hopefully, Varun had already been found.

 

"But if Adonis is there, he might also want you...After all, you are not just Death, you are Life as well," Chaos says as she sits there and plays with a tendril of her long black hair. "Either way...if Urius is alive, he certainly will be there too. Adonis likes to torture his victims before disposing of them...I imagine he will break Urius' soul before he does away with him, so there could be a chance he is not yet dead."

 

"I could care less if he wants me too, I'm getting Yoren back." Death snorted, glancing at her at the mention of Urius. Yes, there was that too. He hoped Ceata had not heard that. Last he had checked, Ceata had been herded off to bed, so the chances were so slight as to be impossible. "I should go now. If I wait any longer, I might as well just give up right now." He growled and shook his head.

 

With that, Death quickly left, though Lazarus was trailing behind him in worry, as he wasn't sure if Death should go alone. What made this situation worse, however, was not the fact that Death was endangering himself, but rather that Ceata had overheard the conversation from the door and now had several minutes of a head start. He was heading out alone, with very few weapons or thought...He just knew he had to find Urius, his need to be with his mate driving him to do foolish things.

 

Not to mention the pain blinding him to his own stupid actions. But Ceata was stubborn and what he wanted, he would try his best to get whether it was smart or not. Death growled at Lazarus, glancing to the man. "Shouldn't you be with your babe, Lazarus?" He asked huskily. Lazarus smiled. "Yes... but you shouldn't go alone, my lord...."

 

 Death glanced at Lazarus and sighed, knowing that, even though Lazarus was worried for his husband's mental state at the moment, there was a greater worry that, with Death's participation in this, things would somehow end up worse. That's his faithful Shadowshifter King for him...Either way, Death solemnly nods to the other's words before stepping through the portal he made and appearing at the edge of the wind-swept darkness that is the Sombs. He remembers it so well...the black rock that juts from the  ground, the confusing atmosphere that can have you running in circles, and the overwhelming auras of all the ones that had died before obscuring any sense of direction....Oh, and those dangerous splits in the dimension, which could end up throwing you into any of the many realms. It was a dangerous place that was hard to navigate. 

 

They were on a mission though and any thought to their own safety was on the back burner. The two made their way quickly, seeking any feeling of Yoren's aura. Death could remember quiet plainly the feeling of the boy's spirit and he uses that memory now to seek out the lad. There is only thin hope that he has not yet fallen into bad hands that Death can hang onto, for Yoren might have been missing for far too long.

 

However, even though Death had made it to the Sombs in record time, Varun was the only one with any sort of way to navigate. He stood in the middle of what looked like a crater, the light beginning to get smaller and more exact as he followed its long line into the mist. Still, he had to find some way to traverse down a steep slope with sharpened rocks at the bottom without killing himself. It was at times like this that he wished he had wings.

 

The young man frowned, well, shadows would work just as well he supposed. Allowing them to swarm him, he used them to begin slipping down, sort of like the rope that Absinthe had made to help pull those people out. Since it was only Varun using it, there was not nearly as much strain and inching down was made all the more easy.

 

 As he got down to the bottom, he saw the fog swirling around the dark rock and the dim horizon. Holding up the trembling abyssian, he saw the light slowly petering off to a point somewhere in this vast cavern-filled canyon. Adonis was here...Almost as instantly as he realized what the light was for, he felt this oppressive aura despite even the atmosphere of the Sombs. It made his chest hurt and burn as though he had been branded, clutching to it and looking around wildly. This fog hid everything from him until he heard the sounds of footsteps along the rock. Quickly, he ducked into a cavern along the canyon wall, peering out in the dim light with wide eyes as he heard voices nearby getting closer.

 

 Varun curses silently, pressing tightly to the rock wall. So that was where the light was leading him, why had he not thought of that earlier? His curiosity had gotten him in deep trouble this time and he doubted there would be any way out of it. He shivered, keeping tightly to the wall as the voices and the footfalls came nearer.

 

One was dark and deep, a very masculine voice that made Varun shudder with some hidden boiling emotion. "Lord Adonis instructed us to watch the perimeter, so that's what we'll do...Until his Vassal arrives, there's really nothing we can do but sit around and watch," this dark voice said, attached to a distant figure slipping through the fog. The second voice was hardly human. It was garbled and strange, a bit grainy as if someone had broken off teeth and rattled them around inside a skull.

 

"Well, I can't wait this long to finally see Lord Adonis fully awakened...We have worked so hard to get to this point. What I don't understand is why he let that abomination continue to breathe," the second voice snarls, seeming to speaking in distaste of something. His footfalls are followed by the sound of scraping gravel, as though he is dragging limbs.

 

"It doesn't matter. Even if Urius goes free, we'll just destroy him later when he becomes Sorrow..."

 

 Varun frowned slightly. Urius... Sorrow? He did not know what they were speaking of, but it did NOT sound good for Urius, not one bit. Wisely, Varun remind silent, wrapped in shadows and hidden from them as much as he possibly get. He hoped that the damn box in his arms would not betray him with its light. That was the last thing he needed!

 

Varun frowned slightly. Urius... Sorrow? He did not know what they were speaking of, but it did NOT sound good for Urius, not one bit. Wisely, Varun remind silent, wrapped in shadows and hidden from them as much as he possibly get. He hoped that the damn box in his arms would not betray him with its light. That was the last thing he needed!

 

 

"Yeah, well...I can't wait until he's awakened...I'll enjoy dissecting what's left," the gravel-voiced creature chortled and the sound was simply appalling. Varun simply held the abyssian close against his chest and hoped beyond all hope that they didn't notice him. Still, the first seems to stop a moment as the sound of his footsteps are no longer heard. "What is it?"

 

"Shut up..." the darker-voiced male said, pausing a long moment. Varun heard nothing for the longest time and soon became worried that they were somewhere near. Thus, he peeked over the rocks and almost screamed as there was a black shadow lingering near the cave. Varun was caught by a wave of fear as he stood stark still, staring up at a man with smooth dark skin and gleaming golden eyes. His hair was long and such a dark green color that it looked black. Varun could swear he had seen him somewhere before, but couldn't place it.

 

"Did you see anything, Hatred?" the strange gravelly voice asked.

 

"No, Greed, I didn't," Morpheus replied, rather displeased that he had not. He could have swore he felt an aura...but, then again, in this place, it's hard to tell. "Come, let's get going."

 

The sudden relief that came over Varun made him weak in the knees and he nearly collapsed. He was forced to bite his bottom lip, keeping silent and still till he was sure they had passed. Gods, oh gods that had been closer than he had thought. Whomever they were... they were terrifying.

 

However, the thought that these horrifying people might have Urius in their possession only made Varun all the more frightened. No doubt Ceata was going mad right now with the thought that his lover was somehow in pain, but to know where he was and not be able to do anything about it was worse...Or...perhaps even more terrifying to think about would be Ceata trying to save Urius and doing something foolish in the process. If that was so, Varun needed to find Death somehow and make him aware of this, but he had no way of navigating through this place without drawing attention to himself.

 

He growled softly, biting his lip. He was highly agitated, but knew if he just stayed here, things would not go well. Sighing, he slipped slowly out of the cave and looked around cautiously. If he knew his lord, he would come seeking Varun... or set someone to find him. But where was said seeker or his lord? Finding them was going to be hell.

 

Indeed, it was. The very nature of the Sombs did not allow for anyone to pinpoint auras, so there was no finding his rescue party that way. What's more, the Sombs existed over a great expansive area, which meant that the ones that searched for him could be anywhere. He didn't even know where he was himself, cursing his own rash actions for simply blindly following a light and expecting to get back without any manner of coordinates.

 

A shiver ran along his body and he started walking slowly, following the wall of the huge hole he found himself in. He glanced up, trying to peer through the mist. Hm.... Maybe his father would come to find him? It would be a great relief to see his father. Biting his lip, the young male kept the box pressed close to him, searching desperately for any familiar aura.

 

Meanwhile, Ceata had gotten himself in quite a pinch. He wandered about the Sombs, following these sensations of pain in his lower back until he could go no further, exhausted and upset. Urius was out there somewhere, or so Chaos had said, and Ceata would follow whatever lead he thought he could to locate his lost mate. For all Ceata knew, his beloved was dead already and that was the reason for the pain in his chest and the emotions swirling in his heart. Then again, he felt rather close to something unnatural as he looked over the terrain, seeing a canyon in the distance.

 

Perhaps.... perhaps that was where his mate was right then? He frowned slightly, slowly getting up off the ground with an aching groan of pain. Urius, perhaps Urius was there! He smiled weakly, stumbling along toward the canyon with hope in his pale eyes. He had not found Urius yet, and he had not looked in this canyon either. All he could cling to was hope right then.

 

And still, hope was a thin concept, if it even existed at all. It was like air, breathable, able to be felt when it rushed by you, but otherwise untouchable even if it could caress against your senses. This was the sort of hope that Ceata fought with now, dragging himself towards the misty wisps of fog in the distance with the unknowing winds of hope at his back.

 

Meanwhile, Death was struggling hard to find where Yoren had gone to. He was having more trouble than either Varun or Ceata, for he did not have anything to guide him on his way. Lazarus, even weakened as he was, seemed to be able to follow along with the tall red-head's strides even with Death's hair whipping along behind him in his fury.

 

They were both silent, not wishing to draw any attention to their presence. Lazarus looked wearily about, his long dark hair whipped by the erratic wind that lashed them off and on. Death seemed unaffected, marching along and scowling some. Locating Yoren was more difficult then he had thought.

 

Still, there was a land form up ahead that seemed rather promising as there was a swirling power there, even through all the conflicting auras that existed in this realm. Death already could see the souls in the sky - souls invisible to anyone else, even a Death Angel - as they were being swirled just above that canyon and causing all that mist.

 

It was a good sign, even if it had bad implications. Perhaps Yoren was there and it was simply a matter of locating him in the thick mist. Varun would hopefully have been already grabbed and taken care of; Death did not want to think about what might happen if Varun was not safe.

 

Still, there was that lurking feeling in the back of Death's mind that nothing was a she wished it to be. There was a great amount of worry to be felt, for, as Death got closer, the overwhelming sense of Adonis' presence had his head hurting. A part of him, Life, could feel nothing but fear as he approached the canyon. Lazarus was not strong enough to sense it - probably a good thing, because it would make his stomach churn painfully.

 

The immortal frowned a little, slipping forward silently as they approached. His skin was crawling, the pressure of the beast's presence making the big male shift uncomfortable. Lazarus was hushed, looking a little nervous as he hurried forward besides his lord. There was a sinking feeling in his gut.

It was made worse by the realization that there was a small white figure stumbling slowly towards the edge of the canyon. It was easy to tell from here just who that could be, for who else was there who could look like a shined pearl bobbing through a sea of black stone and collapsed earth? Death growled and sped up, Lazarus no longer able to keep up even at his top speed.

 

Upon sighting Ceata, Death's heart had hammered at his chest in fear. No, if Ceata died here because he had not watched over him properly, Death would never forgive himself. Lazarus cried out softly in alarm as the immortal sped off, glancing up and noticing just what had made the other pick up sped. "Oh gods no." He hissed and rushed after.

 

Ceata was still too far away for Death to get there quick enough. However, he was there in time to look over the edge of the cliff that Ceata was descending. He became only a blot of white as he worked his way down the face, near enough that he would likely plop right on top of Varun if he dropped.

 

Death growled and cursed softly, glancing back at Lazarus. The big male could take care of himself. If there was any danger, Lazarus would get himself out of it. Cursing again, Death began to descend as well, loath to let Ceata escape him. The young male was moving faster now, he must have been functioning better now that he'd gotten used to the pain.

 

That or he was falling faster, whatever was the case. Either way Death worked his way down the car-sized boulders that had sat on these canyon ledges for the longest of time. They spilled down in an almost entirely vertical drop to the bottom, there the mist being at its thickest and too hard to see through. Death looked around, finding Ceata limping off in one direction - the place where all the darkness was coming from. 

 

Damnit! Death followed swiftly, but he was far enough behind now that it was becoming useless to continue following. Ceata was going to get away before he could catch him and stop him and that angered Death. Swiftly, he dashed after the foolish young man with a slight growl. Lazarus came to the edge and looked down, just barely seeing Death moving down before he disappeared. Better climb down and follow...

 

However, the fog was thick and made unnaturally by spirits. It masked whatever it was that was going on in the center and prevented those that it didn't want breaching the thick clouds from going much further. Death was caught in this dilemma, looking around feverishly for Ceata. he wasn't foolish enough to call out for him, knowing he didn't want to gain attention...but, at the same time, there was no way he could see him! All that was before him was thick misty white fog.

 

The immortal fumed. When he found Ceata, he was going to smack his white ass till it burned red for making him so worried! Now he had more then one person to worry about and it was making finding any of them all the more difficult. He glanced about, moving fluidly through the fog. There was a soft clattering of stones from where Lazarus had stumbled going down, though it mostly sounded like a natural slippage of rocks. Lazarus could take care of himself though, so Death ignored it and moved on.

 

Just ahead of Death, Ceata is clawing through the rough terrain, the great boulders providing some sort of guidance as he works along the canyon wall. He's disoriented and in pain still, but it has lessened for some strange reason. Has his body finally adjusted? He doesn't know, only going blindly forth until he trips over something that goes Ow! He looks down and sees Varun staring up at him.

 

"Varun?" Ceata croaks softly, peering in confusion down at Varun, who has slipped and fallen. The tall young man blinked and looked shocked at seeing Ceata here, having been making his way from here to try and get out, but got lost in the thick fog. "Ceata, what the hell are you doing here?" He hissed softly and Ceata glanced aside. Was it not obvious why he was here?

 

The two were at least fortunate that they found each other, however varying their reasons were for being there. They pressed on further through the white thickness, making their way over barren earth scorched with the souls of so many Angels and Demons. It was because of the Great War that this place was such a hellish existence and now it was happening all over again. At least they would be together when the world came crashing down.

 

It was nice to have his uncle near him, the childhood playmate that Ceata had gone through much with. He licked his lips, glancing at the box in Varun's hand. He said nothing, just watched it a moment before sighing. All he wanted was to see Urius one last time... if things were going to go so wrong, he just wanted to see him one last time.

 

He would get that wish as the fog suddenly opened up without warning into a great expanse of canyon. They stood on a high rock, looking down into a deeper circular pit. It wasn't so much the vastness of the whole scheme of things, but rather the small and familiar figures that were down there which caught Ceata's breath. He could have screamed, but even then the wash of pain that hit him had him down on his knees, trembling, even as Varun tried to catch him, for there, in the lower canyon, stood Adonis.

 

He was easily picked out by his long silver-blond hair that seemed paler now in the dim light. He was surrounded by many others, some grotesquely misshapen forms that both Shadowshifters were pleased not to see up-close and in detail. Even as the pain blinded Ceata's body, shooting up his back like fireworks, he recognized the hunched and broken body nearby, though. It did not stir, even as the others milled about. What remained of his clothing was shredded black tatters - like the strings holding together his delicate soul.

 

Ceata hissed, eyes wide and his claws digging deeply into the stone under him. Urius! Fuck it was Urius! Whether he was alive or not, it was impossible to tell from here, but the soft, high pitched whine that escaped the young male's lips was broken. Varun stared wide eyed and shocked before realizing how easily they could be seen. He grabbed Ceata and dragged him down, clapping a hand over his mouth as they huddled and hid.

 

Hatred's eyes snapped to the ledge that was not too far from them, just a few tens of feet up from where they waited patiently for their guest of honor. They had already finished doing what they wished with Urius. His body was broken beyond repair, his hands mangled to the point where they no longer resembled hands. One was hanging on by thin threads of flesh - the nerves utterly hacked to bits. He would never be able to hold a sword again, to write, or, worst yet, remember what it felt like to caress his lover. Hatred could only savor the idea of Sorrow waking to find he had no means of defending himself. It pleased him to no end and he smiled for it, sitting down at his Master's side. Now HE was going to be second in command, the strongest and best servant for the beautiful Adonis. Perhaps then he would know the other's vicious affections, much in the same way Absinthe did....Oh, he dearly wished that. 

 

Varun was silent, Ceata sobbing softly against his hand in dismay and utter agony and hate. Whatever was going on, Varun did not want to get caught looking upon it. He shivered, eyes glittering like black beetles as he peered cautiously over the edge.  Elsewhere, both Death and Lazarus were having a hard time finding anyone and of the two of them, Lazarus was closest to stumbling into the very circle of those beasts. Having gotten horribly lost in the fog, the shadowshifter king was highly agitated.

 

"What was that?" Greed hissed as he raised his gnarled ugly head. He was all that was left of Liam, the devious Doctor that had turned Sahenna into a broken soul and switched Donovan and Edmund's bodies to the point where they could not be recovered. He was now a cripple, having suffered greatly from that explosion when Yasunari and Sahenna took their lives to destroy the mechanism that was controlling all the Engineered Angels. Now he looked out with his beady green eyes, staring into the mist.

 

"....They're here..." Adonis said softly, his movements so graceful when he finally stood. He turned and looked in the opposite direction, seeing through the cloak of his white mist which he had created. "...And so is our guest." His smile was visible from where Varun and the whimpering Ceata hid as they watched a young man materialize from the fog.

 

Yoren stood at the edge of the circle, his eyes glazed over in their depth of green - he was obviously not himself. Adonis extended a hand to him, beckoning his little brother closer as the eyes of all the Gods present looked ravenously upon him. "Big Brother..." Yoren said in an innocent voice, upturning his unseeing eyes to stare into the face of the one he loved most and the one that would betray him. "...where am I? Why did you call me here?"

 

"Because I need you, little brother..." Adonis said softly, wrapping the other in his arms and holding him. "I need you to give me something precious....something only you can give. Will you do this for me, Yoren?" 

 

Varun hissed softly, watching with dark, angry eyes. Yoren, don't do it! He mentally snarled as Ceata cringed at the sound of Adonis' voice, his hate smoldering deeply in his gut and his body crumpled. Death was fast approaching, caring little for being heard or seen. Fuck that, he needed to find them and if someone else found them first, more trouble for them!

 

But Death was locked out from the center of the mist ring. He was kept guessing, the ground shifting under him, things appearing so that it would be harder for him to make his barring. All Adonis needed was some time...Lazarus was much closer to the center than Death, almost stumbling out into the clearing several times and causing Greed to look nervously towards the wall of swirling fog. Greed knew very well that Lazarus was his sworn enemy...After what he did to Sahenna, it was not a far stretch to assume the other would kill him for his wrong doings. Still, Adonis didn't seem to pay much attention to it, he was already undoing Yoren's jacket. Yoren was confused, standing and watching the buttons slip and the garment fall.

 

"Brother...?" Yoren asked softly, slight fear trembling in his voice when his undershirt was undone in the same way, smoothed back to show his young untouched body. The Gods present all looked at him hungrily and even some of the Goddesses licked their lips. They knew full well what that delicately beautiful boy represented...Hidden in his flesh was power, the power that had spilled over from Adonis' exile into a mortal body. It was raw and uncontrolled...and, for Adonis to get that power back...

 

"Hatred...you're first." 

 

Varun continued to watch silently, hissing beneath his breath. Dark eyes were wide, surely they must see the glittering black jewels. No, no... god not poor Yoren! Varun bit his lip, clutching Ceata close and keeping him completely and totally silent, for those soft sobs were growing louder, more aggrieved and enraged.

 

Yoren's screams were no less so, for he was pressed to the ground and the rape began. He was terrified, clawing at the earth and crying out for his brother to make it stop, no longer in a trance. Adonis merely watched for a moment as Hatred ripped away Yoren's innocence, his blood dripping down his thighs. That dark hulking body almost completely covered him, drowning him in this feeling of betrayal as he stared up at the one he called his beloved brother and died slowly inside.

 

Adonis lingered on Yoren's sobbing for a moment, drinking in the torture in his voice - the sheer desperate pain he no doubt felt easily echoing through the clearing -, but then the crimson-eyed monster turned and walked over to Urius, shoving him with his toe. "Wake up, now...can't have you sleeping on the job, you worthless dog," Adonis growled at him even as Yoren's keening sobs were heard over his voice. Hatred was finished now and Fear had taken his place. Urius only fluttered his eyes and made a pitiful and pained wheezing sound, barely able to keep a grip on consciousness.

 

"That's it....open your eyes." Adonis' order rang in Urius' ears, his vision blurred even as the other gripped his hair and sat him up, directing his limp neck towards the sight of Yoren's defilement. "You see? ...Even for all your assurances, all your plans, you could still do nothing." Urius' head bobbed weakly, the faintest glimmer of realization showing in his purple-flecked eyes. It was soon followed by a hot and painfully salty tear that slipped down his cheek, diluting the encrusted blood there. "You are useless......too useless even to protect a young boy." 

 

Ceata, shaking still, tried to claw at Varun's hand and make it leave his lips. He wanted to scream, wanted to go down there and rip into Adonis in a manner that the man had never experienced before. So much rage, hate, need for blood coursing through him. If his mate was unable to avenge himself, Ceata would do so, godsbedamned, he would kill Adonis. Varun hissed at him angrily, telling him softly to shut up.

 

Even Ceata's sobbing could not be heard over Yoren's, however. Urius slowly came to open his eyes and stare, tears slipping down his face even as his voice was too damaged to speak. He made pathetic gasping sounds as he reached for Yoren with the stumps that were his hands. Such fear in his eyes, such overwhelming pain...And, as Urius stared into that gaze, he realized that Adonis was not the only one that had betrayed the boy. Urius could feel something inside him slowly breaking as the guilt compounded in his heart...and that hollow, horrible feeling prevailed over even the pain.

 

Rage grunted as he finished thrusting and shuddered, spilling his seed inside as Vanity brushed her body against the terrified Yoren, purring happily at his lovely face marked with tears. Soon Adonis was up, pushing them out of the way. He looked towards Urius, his vicious smile eating up whatever happiness remained. Urius' eyes widened, his voice unable to call out for him to stop, to spare the boy that much..."Remember this day, Urius...because it is your fault." With that, Adonis leaned down and grasped his brother's chin, kissing him painfully as Yoren's eyes became even larger, tears falling down his cheeks as his heart felt that final blow in the form of a knife digging into his chest. It raked down his body in a deep gash that then spewed forth his blood. It colored the ground, pooling on his skin as his heart, gradually and inevitably, stopped beating.

 

Yoren was dead. His soul sucked through the kiss as Adonis devoured it whole - power and all - to create a fearsome spike in his dark aura that was felt on all corners of the Sombs, no matter the strength of the conflicting auras. Yoren was dead and Adonis was now as strong as he would ever be in his mortal form.

 

The feeling of death allowed Death to find the place easier than Adonis would have thought and the feeling of whom had just died set the immortal into a true rage. There was a feeling of whipping power, which enabled Lazarus to find his lord again and nearly collapse in relief. Varun was silent as ever, keeping Ceata held down and silent, the younger male keening loudly behind his hand, trying to claw his way out of Varun's arms.  The whole event had been watched in numb horror, Varun's eyes wide and staring in shock. He had never seen rape before, not once and now, here he had seen Yoren defiled and brutally killed in a manner so foul and disgusting.

 

The spike in Death's aura had the near-Gods raising their heads in alarm. Only Adonis didn't seem to panic, chuckling as he watched the mist slowly dissipate under the weight of Death's anger, chasing away the spirits that Adonis had used to create the trap. He stood there spattered in his brother's blood, staring at the other with those cruel eyes. "Get going," Adonis ordered over his shoulder, Hatred already turning into his shadow form as he meant to slip away into the darkness of nightmares. The others were heading towards their respective portals as well, knowing very well that they couldn't fight Death...none of them could, not even Adonis. Thus, he gave one last look to Death - that smug and vicious grin he would often extend to Absinthe after utterly destroying his psyche, and then slipped away in a swirl of heat and flame. What he left was the broken vessel that had once held a sweet and good natured soul...and another, which held much the opposite behind those vacant purple eyes.

 

The immortal swept up to the crumbled bodies and looked them over. Yoren... was far gone. There would be no help for the young man, whom lay upon the ground with shocked, round eyes and bruised and used body splayed out. Death flinched, touching the boy's cheek tenderly before scooping him up. A wail of pain from someplace in the rocks announced Ceata had escaped from Varun and was stumbling down, collapsing beside Urius with a howl of agony. The pale creature drug Urius into his arms, forgetting any and all precautions about moving an injured man and cried fitfully into the dark hair. "Is... Urius alive?" Varun asked hoarsely, eyes wide as he walked up cautiously beside them and peered at the man, refusing to look at Yoren and feel the guilt budding in his chest.

 

He was there...he could have done something...right? Varun couldn't help but believe that his trust in Rowan had somehow led to this in some small way, but, then again, he was not alone in this. Everyone had trusted him. That is what killed Yoren, his refusal to accept that what he held most dear was all a lie. Varun couldn't imagine how they would tell Gai about this. The shock of it was still sinking in.

 

As for Urius, Varun watched as Death tried to get Ceata to stop crushing the man's already broken bones any further, as he needed some help. Because of his mortal affliction, he could not be helped by magics. He was as frail as any Human, but without the chance of being healed with a God's power...Even from where Death stood, he knew that several bones were broken, the other's hands utterly destroyed...staring at the bloody stumps - one a rumpled and disfigured skeletal hand that would never clutch or feel again, the other half a palm without fingers -, Varun could only feel even sicker. 

 

Gasping softly, Ceata got a hold of himself and clutched Urius in his arms, cradling him as he shakily stood. The young man completely refused any help, carefully carrying Urius in his arms. The man was still alive, if only just and Ceata would see to it that Urius was well taken care of. If it came down to the need to kill the man.... Ceata would see to THAT as well. Death sighed, lowering his gaze to the boy laying dead in his arms. They had been too late. If Varun had gone out there.... he might very well have met the same sort of fate poor Yoren had. Varun seemed to come to the same conclusion and he shivered and shifted nervously. "Come... let's go home." Death uttered wearily and shook his head. It was not over... but for now he was too weary to care.

 

The arrival of Death and Ceata and Varun was met with a crowd already assembled near the gate. The same horror that gripped the three shadowshifters and their God flooded over the soldiers who had been so steadfast in their loyalty to Rowan. Many confused faces looked to Death and the bundle he carried in his arms, draped in his black cloak. As he stepped forth through the opened gates, Death could not help but feel the similarity of the air to that of a funeral. There was numbness, a cold and unimaginable sorrow, as well as rage and confusion that caused it...Either way, taking one look at both victims, it was not hard to understand that this was a tragedy that all could feel responsibility for. The guilt washed over Death as hard as anything, for in his arms he held a soul he could not save...and, in Ceata's, was a soul already beyond saving. Urius made ragged breaths as he was quickly placed upon a stretcher, soldiers stepping out of the lines to try and see to the horribly injured man. It was all so quiet as he was taken inside...Even those in the back, staring with hopeless eyes, could hear his heartbeat straining to continue. It was the quietness of Yoren's heart that struck the sounder blow.

 

Jinevae met Death at the door, and, even in his weakened state, he was not beyond letting out a stuttering sob as he took that frail body from the Immortal's arms. The Jins, the Starcs, the Valens, the Maestars, and Tenshihanas all hung their heads in mourning. 

 

Ceata would not leave Urius' side. The pale creature followed along like a ghost, once bright eyes dull and his lids red from crying. There was blood streaked all over him from Urius' wounds and all color was drained from the young male's face. The mate he had known the longest, was so close to death right then that Ceata could feel it.  Meanwhile, Death saw to it that Yoren's lifeless body got the respect it deserved, his eyes dark and somber as Lazarus and Varun silently followed behind. Rowen, having not located Varun had returned to find this, only the relief of seeing his son safe keeping him from the same despair.

 

Yet despair did spread. Sorrow took hold of the entire castle, for someone felt it somewhere deep in their hearts, no matter how far removed they were from the situation. It was like a net spreading with many little ties to create the framework that the God Sorrow would not stop at exploiting. For now, all they could do was weep over the loss of not only a beloved leader, his sweet younger brother, and his Second's ability to fight, but their hopes and dreams as well. It had all shattered and now, as night fell, the shock would not leave them. Gai felt overwhelming guilt and could only be comforted in Chaos' arms, though Chaos herself was adamantly advocating to get rid of Urius, but Death would hear none of it. After two very hard drinks, he went to watch Ceata staring at Urius, who, in turn, stared into nothing. 

 

The two of them looked like dolls, sitting so silently, not moving. Ceata's hands were holding Urius' broken and destroyed hands gently in his, pale eyes upon his lover, though whether he could see the man before him was hard to say. Death sighed and slipped into the room, walking over silently. His large hand flinched slightly, before he gently caressed Ceata's short, soft hair.

 

 Urius didn't even notice as Death walked into the room, looking forward as his body leaned against the wall. He was covered in bandages, having been made to sit up because of the internal damage that had just been fixed. There were several doctors and healers that had to work to get him in this condition and they certainly were not done yet. 

"They say he might survive, but it's all his will to live now..." Ceata uttered softly as Death caressed his hair silently, looking Urius over with a shiver of pain. The man had been totally trashed, broken in ways that made Death cringe. Ceata did not take his eyes off his lover, staring. "I don't know if I want him to live if he isn't... himself anymore..." His whispered words were choked.

 

That thought had crossed Ceata's mind as he watched them dress his wounds. Urius did not react. He sat and stared and was broken beyond all thought. The tears he shed for Yoren had already dried on his cheeks - the last vestige of the man Ceata knew already evaporated into nothing. Ceata had dried those cheeks, had cleaned the blood away...but, even then, though he could touch that skin, it was as though Urius felt nothing. 

 

Death sighed softly, lashes lowered slightly over his dark eyes. Those that had seen what had happened had much regret and one of those was the regret that they had been to late to save the two that had gone through so much pain and agony. "Give him some time, Ceata." He whispered softly, tipping Ceata's head up to look into those dulled, sad eyes. "Perhaps he is hidden inside there.... just keep up your hope, my snowflake." Ceata smiled a tiny bit at the pet name and sighed, glancing down to Urius once again with a sad sigh. What more could he do?