An odd feeling hovered around like some annoying fly that I couldn’t catch. It was a familiar one, but it still dodged like its life depended on it. I glared at the brats as I passed them to rile them up, but instead the brats cowered and started hesitating.

          One brat tripped and hit the ground with a solid crack, which remined me where I’d felt the feeling before.

          It was the first time I planted a bomb.

          Someone, probably the old general before I killed him, gave me the order even though I’d never dealt with explosives before. Anticipation of the explosion was dulled by a healthy fear of death considering I had no idea how long it would take to explode.

          It was a very brief feeling since the damned thing exploded the second I was out of the room and nearly knocked me unconscious, damaging my hearing and my back for centuries. He died the same day I recovered.

          …It’ll be fine. I’ll only be gone a few minutes to pick up the killer.

          …then I’ll be back in the blast radius.

          I frowned and rubbed my head. Picking up my pace to make up for lost time since I had stopped to contemplate my options, I arrived just in time to pull in the net on this little trap.

          “Hm, well that’s interesting.” I examined the culprit. “It does explain a little, but let’s wait until Aena is here to sort the loose ends out.” I knocked him out without bothering to wait for a reply.

          Wrapping him up, I leisurely strolled back, half hoping either the “explosion” was over or I’d arrive in time to watch from a safe distance.

          I shooed the brats and ordered them to grab the rest of the loose brats on the demon’s end since Aena’s brats were already over there.

          …I tried to run.

          “Baris, there you are.” That thrice damned old son of a-

          “Blackie!” Her voice was muffled from the other old monster’s arm around her face.

          “Aena.” I grumbled from my place dangling by my shirt’s collar which was gripped by a certain creeping abyss.

          “Gavren, trade.” I got thrust towards the old white ghost who was somehow even paler than she was, I swear I could make out the shape of his bones. Both his hair and skin were white to the point that they almost disappeared into the air.

          “Are you sure you’d want to, Luci?” His grip on her tightened, and she started turning a bit blue.

          “You’ll regret touching her.” Deciding to be kind, I gave him a warning.

          He turned me around and looked in my eyes, surprise in his.

          “Oh? Hm, well now you’ve given me a dilemma. Should I be impressed you finally realized the wonderful world of women, or curious to what you’ll do if I do?” He smiled.

          Those eyes haunted me since my birth. Dark, red, and condescending. Colder than the deepest frozen air. For a moment I felt my heart suddenly seize.

          …would he be able to touch her? He could have easily caught and eaten a titian, even a volcanic one. What if I lost-

          “Well, I suppose I could do both. Trade.” Before I could finish that thought I was tossed lightly over to the other old man, who let me hit the ground as he gently urged Aena over.

          I landed on my feet, despite the old blood-soaked charcoal stick’s effort. I watched with a calm that I did not have as she stood in front of him.

          His hand hovered a ways away, testing my reaction. Last I checked, he couldn’t read minds So I kept my face as blank as possible to keep him from getting any fun out of me, one reason I’m still alive.

          “As boring as usual.” He grumbled. Ignoring Ghost Gabriel’s semi-excited expression, he grasped her chin to force it up.

          …only to immediately let go, swearing and jumping.

          “MOTHER OF THE ABYSS WHAT IS THAT THING”

          “Gold-girl has a really high body temperature, has since she was born. She was a wonder and a blessing to have during winter in the human realms! All we had to do was set her in the tent and it’d heat up! Or let her go first in the baths, or stick her hands in soup pot, or-”

          “I GET THE POINT” He glared at me.

          “I did warn you, no need to get mad at me.”

          “…You.”

          “Now, Luci,” Gabriel backed up, trying to slip behind me. “While it is true we used her as an anti-demon heater in the early parts of the war… and that she’s accidently burnt a few angels when she was younger, actually more than a few since even her own mother got burns during labor which was rather unfortunate especially since she was having twins and Gold-girl was first which meant that when Blue-dear came out that probably hurt worse and Gold-girl had to be raised by me since she was too hot to handle- I’m not helping am I”

          Luciren held up a hand that was beginning to resemble his hair and I almost ruptured something forcing down a laugh. Aena’s head was propped up and the most obnoxious, smug smirk was on her face as she looked at me slightly behind his back.

          “Gold-girl, what caused the explosion?”

          “The heart plate.” I responded before she could.

          “…Luci, we did leave the dear girls behind to run off. We should go get them and see if they want to go anywhere. Other side of the world perhaps?”

          “Heart plate?” His head tilted towards us suspiciously.

          “Here!” Aena pulled it out to hand him, a little too quickly.

          He eyed it, and her, before looking back to me.

          “What’s the point in a woman you can’t touch?”

          “I am exceptional eye-candy.” She kindly informed him, pressuring him to take the plate.

          He took it, and watched as we all dove for cover with a single raised eyebrow.

IReadWhenBoredSoWhat

I've been working on a couple side stories for when we  wrap up this arc, so look forward to them!