It was not a direct path home. According to Liath, since that world had been sealed, they had to use scurry holes and unauthorized portals through several dead and dying worlds before they could step foot into a living one. However, these worlds were not under the jurisdiction of Master Gin or himself. So they had to keep world hopping until they came back to earth. It was akin to a puzzle game; step on this stone and then that stone to get to the shore… oh, and avoid the crocodile in the water. This was why it had taken him some time to get to them, he explained. Liath was a surprisingly chatty hermit; he would have a story or two about each of the worlds they had passed by and if George had not been worried about Ciel and the dangers they would encounter while they were world hopping, he would have enjoyed the old man’s tales.

When they came to the first living world, Ciel’s condition rapidly improved. The clean air and poison-free mana was like lifeblood that soon brought strength and colour back to Ciel. While George was thankful that Ciel was getting better, he had to admit that he didn’t want to let him go. He knew the man would be embarrassed that he had spent so many days unconscious in his arms and resolve to walk as soon as possible. In the meantime, he would savour the warmth, scent and feel of him in his arms for as long as possible.

It was the fourth day on the move and they had stopped to rest at last. Worried that Ciel wouldn’t last in the abandoned worlds, Liath had insisted that they press on until they found a living one. George had no objections and now, both were bone weary and badly in need of rest. After finding a relatively safe location, George finally placed Ciel on the ground while he quickly readied a fire and went off to hunt some food. It would be faster than to just absorb the magic from the air. He returned not long after with a doe-like creature over his shoulders, which he had already drained and cleaned. Liath did nothing but sit and meditate with his eyes closed, Ciel lying by his side. George gave the both of them a cursory glance before he began preparing the meat. Very soon, the smoky, savoury smell of roasting meat began to permeate the air. Liath gave a twitch and opened his eyes.

“It’s almost done, please wait a moment, elder.”

Liath gave a hum and closed his eyes again, resuming his meditation. Beside him, Ciel appeared to still be asleep but if they looked at him, they would notice his furrowed brows and twitching nose; signs that he was waking up.

“It’s done, please have some, elder.”

They began to eat in silence, accompanied by the natural ensemble provided by Mother Nature. Finally George could not resist his curiosity:

“Tell me, elder, what did Zander and his son do wrong to be punished like that?” they had moved nonstop for so many days and besides whatever Liath had chosen to tell him, George had not said anything at all. But he had wondered what had happened to the old man, now left alone again on that abandoned world, grieving for his forgotten son.

“His son had sealed a world that had hope. It was not dead or dying and if they had persevered, the Schied would have been held back and they could have a thousand years of peace. But he doomed it by blocking all the exits.” Looking at George’s look of confusion “It’s like chopping off your arm when you only have a paper cut on your finger.”

George sucked in a breath, if that’s the case, no wonder they were punished; such an excessive solution to a small problem. Then he thought of something else.

“Is his son someone I know?”

“What makes you say that?”

“I’ve had this feeling that Zander was familiar from when I saw his portrait. I think I know his son at least.”

“Yes, he’s been punished to work in Sanctuary. He has no memory of what he did, though”

“Is that his punishment?”

“Only when he remembers.”

“How long has he been there?”

“Curious, aren’t you? Well, you can’t jog his memory anyway, it’s...”

“Ugghhhh” the both of them turned to look at Ciel who finally opened his eyes.

“Ciel!” thankfully George had finished eating or it would have dropped onto the ground into the ashes. He got up and went over to his beloved, helping him sit up while leaning against him.

“How are you feeling?”

“George…” his mouth felt dry and bitter and his voice was hoarse, as if it had not been used for a long time.

“I’m here. Here, have some water.”  A bamboo container magically appeared, and Ciel slowly sipped the cool, sweet water inside. When it looked like Ciel had had his fill, George removed the container and gently wiped his dry, chapped lips.

“Better?” he asked, his fingers gently stroking Ciel’s hair.

“Hungry…”

It was then that George realized that the roasted meat was not suitable for a recovering invalid. He gently rested Ciel against a tree and told him to wait, rushing back into the woods. George returned to the area where he had hunted the animal from before. He had noticed it and other smaller animals eating some fruit earlier and chided himself for not taking some earlier. He was so used to the passed out Ciel resting snugly in his arms that he forgot that he wasn’t a toy that did not need sustenance. Reaching the tree, George spied the half eaten fruits under the tree and picked one up to sniff. The golden orange fruit smelt sweet and a little sour, a refreshing and appetizing scent for someone who had not eaten in a while. He nimbly climbed the tree, looking for the ripest and sweetest fruits. Only the best for Ciel. Just in case, he took a bite into one; it was sweet with a slight acidity. If he were to compare, it was a cross between an orange and a mango. Believing the fruit to be all right, George dashed back towards their camp, loathe to make Ciel wait too long.

He found Ciel and the elder chatting with one another and Ciel was giving the elder a weak smile.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better but you made everyone worried. When we get back, your father is going to kill me and ground you. What gave you the wonderful idea of rushing off to look for your man?”

George paused. Look for his man? What did the elder mean?

“It was not my intention, elder. The boy who guided me…”

“Yes, what happened to Tór? He never returned after he left with you.”

“He brought me to an abyss like place and pushed me down…”

“What?!”

The fruit that George had carefully collected was nothing but crushed pulp in his hand. He looked down at his sticky fingers and discarded the smashed fruit. There was a few more anyway. He returned and quickly peeled and sliced the fruit, feeding them sliver by sliver to Ciel’s mouth. Ciel’s ears were pink, embarrassed by the doting attention given by George but George didn’t care. As long as Ciel did not reject his ministrations then he would continue to do as he pleased. They seemed to have guessed that he had heard their conversation but Ciel and Liath did not continue. When Ciel finally had enough of the fruit, George reluctantly left Ciel’s side to wash up.

Rinsing his sticky hands in the stream, George pondered over the attack against Ciel. Why would anyone raise their hands against harmless gentle Ciel? It was baffling. Perhaps he should force the answer out of the both of them after all. Whatever it takes to keep him safe. He returned to see Liath standing up and waiting for him.

“We need to leave. The sooner we get back to the club, the better. I need to look into this case of Ciel’s as well. Will you be able to hold on until then?” They did not bring up the attack; it was better to talk about this when Ciel was stronger. George nodded and began to clear up; his body had taken worse abuse, he could hold on until they reached Sanctuary. The leftover roast meat was placed in Liath’s space ring; at least they would not need to look for food as they travelled. Liath estimated that they would need to pass through another four or five worlds before reaching the club.

As Ciel was still too weak, George kept his joy in his heart while he lifted Ciel back into his arms. Where he should always belong. Ciel had a very pink face which he covered with his hands, refusing to look at anyone.

“Hold tight to your princess, let’s go.” Liath gave George a wink before he opened the next portal and stepped through it.

“You lousy old man, is this your idea of payback?”

George wondered if he had misheard the words Ciel muttered into his hands. Shrugging his shoulders internally, he followed Liath through the portal. It was a steaming jungle and George was thigh deep in a swamp. He silently cursed at the sudden, wet, change of location, lifting Ciel a little higher so that he did not get wet.

“Sorry about that. Now I remember why I didn’t use this shortcut…” the last sentence was muttered under the watcher’s breath. Since he was also wet and grumpy, George did not complain. Besides, the sudden splash made Ciel so startled that he had wrapped his arms around his neck to steady himself. This was worth getting his shoes wet, since he was planning to get rid of them after he got back anyway. They made a short trek through the murky waters and grasping mud before Liath opened the next portal and they went through.

Liath’s shortcut left much to be desired as they ended up sliding on a desert dune, encountering a blizzard and caught in the middle of a rain storm, soaking them through. Since they all suffered equally, there was nothing to say. George only tightened his hold on Ciel and made sure he did not suffer too much from the elements. Ciel could only hold onto George tightly, nuzzling into the crook of his neck, his face gradually moving from pink to red. George, who was too busy trying to keep up and keep Ciel protected did not see this; but the crafty old man who turned back occasionally did. One day and night later, they went through another portal and they found themselves at the entrance of the familiar club. They were home.