-Break-

Location: Abbán’s house

Φ Sitting beside Iancu, I tap my foot again, and again feeling anxiety as Orb waits in the room with Abbán, but as I do this the beetle brothers sing jolly songs right beside us.

Feeling irritated at the loud noise, I say, “SHUT UP!” which frightens them.

“You’re both so loud for no reason, can’t you guys understand the situation or does your brain not work, do you want me to beat you both until you understand?”

Malachy gets up and says, “I get stronger every time I fight, the next battle won’t go so well for you.”

Proteus, says, “You better understand that bat boy.”

Iancu with a look of surprise, says, “Don’t drag me into your nonsense, and I am not a bat but a nightmare.”

Proteus then says, “You’re a Fomorian, I thought you said you were human.”

Annoyed Iancu kicks Proteus down and while stomping on him, he says, “I already told you I am human, and a nightmare it isn’t difficult to understand. So don’t go referring to me as a Fomorian or whatever you just said.”

Opening the door to the room he and Orb were in, he says, “You pests can’t even behave yourself when I am doing you a favour.”

All of us hang our heads low and say, “Sorry.”

“Whatever.” Walking over to the Beetle brothers, he says, “You guys wounds will be fine as long as you don’t get into any fights, so behave yourselves.”

“Right!” They both say back.

Impatient I ask, “What about Orb!?”

Sitting down, Abbán says, “He will be fine for now.”

Both me and Iancu sigh, and then Iancu asks, “What was even wrong with him?”

“From what I could see and what you told me, I would say it is dependent on two things. First, that judgment attack on his body is inflicting serious pain towards him, but it seems up until now he had enough pain resistance to deal with it. That pain resistance was from his legacy because if it wasn’t it wouldn’t have gone away.

Second, it seems, that looking at beastkin triggers something within his legacy that would force memories to fall into Orb’s head, so to circumvent this Orb’s legacy has sealed away all of its memories, which probably included memories and experiences that gave Orb such high pain tolerance.

“I see but what are we supposed to do with him.”

“Nothing you simply just need to let this run its course. Orb simply has to build up enough pain resistance to get through it, and develop the ability to stand on his own, though I have given him some medicine to help through this.”

Iancu says, “You're really knowledgeable about legacies.”

 “My mother had one so I am familiar with how they can affect people.”

Getting up he says, “It is getting late you can stay the night, but this won't be permanent, you will only get to be here for three days then I am kicking the three of you out.”

As he starts to walk away, I get in front of him and bow, “Thank you.”

“Don’t need it, now go to bed.”

As he walks away both me and Iancu look in through the room and see even though Orb is still struggling he looks a lot better, so we smile.

 -Break-

Location: The Shackled Gardens of Díothaithe

Φ Beside Willow, I walk with Dumnorix, and Ganthrú through until we reach a large do, and as we do Dumnorix turns his head back towards us, and says, “Please both of you have your guard up.”

I ask, “Why aren’t we safe with you around.”

Willow grips his fist, and Dumnorix says, “Red Branch battle arts, is a style that focuses on super high-speed attacks towards your opponents, so if for some reason we get ambushed, it would be hard for even me to stop all of them.”

I swallow my spit and hold my bow to the ready, and then Dumnorix opens the large door, and as we move through it we a greeted by a beautiful garden, filled with flowers, and covered in many brother thrones, and in front of all of those thrones is a gigantic door.

We had all been walking away from the city with the massive tree, so I simply thought we were going to some dilapidated area where we couldn’t cause any trouble, but I would say just from the looks and decorations everywhere this room is extremely important to the people here.

As I stare at the flowers, Dumnorix, says, “Those are Scorched lions, eternal flowers that never rot or wither, forever constant. To us, they represent the Red branch, and in my opinion, they perfectly represent it.”

Ganthrú says, “You really lack sense don’t you, simply letting your mouth run as if you have the same levels of control as a wild animal.”

“Do you believe they are humans now? Because if you didn’t it would make sense to say anything since demons would already know this.”

In the broken thrones that we walk towards people sit, a goat man says, “Dumnorix I hurry up we don’t have all day.”

“Minister of Defence, Dúr how nice to see you.”

“How unpleasant it is to see you.”

“Hahaha, lies are rather unbecoming of you.” Turning his head, he says, “Leisciúil, minister of justice, how has the day been to you.”

A penguin woman responds, “Not happy that my day has been interrupted.”

“Olc, minister of food and health, do you share the same sentiment?”

A cowman who is eating says, “I should be enjoying my next meal but here I am playing with your foolishness.”

“Amadán, minister of labour and developments, I know you miss me.”

A rooster man, says, “Not in the slightest, because I believe this whole situation is one of your rather unfunny jokes.”

With a face of genuine confusion, Dumnorix says, “When I have ever told a joke that wasn’t funny?”

Amadán responds, “You sent us a letter that said the grand druid called us, an obvious lie.”

Dúr says, “It has been over two thousand years since that rotting beast has gotten involved with us.”

“Yet didn’t you all show up?”

Leisciúil says, “Because it is signed with his insignia which we are assured you stole.”

“But isn’t it the rarest item in the country, so obviously it should belong to the greatest man in the country?” he says as if he is dumbfounded by their anger.

Olc says, “Your greed knows no bounds, you should be executed where you stand!!”

Snickering, Dumnorix says, “Are you going to do that professor big belly?

Inraged Olc stands up, and says, “How dare you?”

A bear woman walking up to Dumnorix, says, “ Don’t be childish Olc and fall for his provocations he is merely trying to annoy you. Dumnorix you’re ego is rather large like always, but it doesn’t bother me one bit as long as you remember who your master is.”

Bowing on one knee, Dumnorix takes the woman’s hand, and kisses it, then says, “Now and forever more.”

“Good, now what are these two doing here?”

Dumnorix says, “They are humans.”

“Nonsense, all humans are dead.”

“I had thought the same, but it is true, I checked her body and by all descriptions she is human.”

Leisciúil says, “Do you really believe that a demon couldn’t change its shape you fool.”

“To my knowledge didn’t Amadán and his people clear up the rest of them?

Amadán says, “Countless of those worthless scum were crushed, it would be impossible for us to have gotten rid of all of their bodies. So it wouldn’t surprise me if these were demons.”

Leisciúil says, “And now you have given them a prime opportunity to attack all of us at once.”

Olc says, “I say for this particular annoyance we should have the right to reclaim the wonderbeasts he has been awarded and take them for ourselves.”

Cultúir then says, “That sounds like a marvellous idea, especially since the Tuatha Dé Danann are not ready for little versions of this man running around. But I do believe there is some semblance of logic within the brain.”

Getting close to him, with a sinister voice, she asks, “So why did you do this?”

Holding Willow's hand beside me, I start to get nervous. Depending on the answer he gives them, will be whether or not we can escape this situation we have been put in.”

Dumnorix puts his finger up to the sky and as he does all the light in the room rushes towards him, and then he says, “Because of a wimp, but aren’t the mere whims of a higher being such as myself greater than the concept of logic.”

Cultúir gives him a look of disbelief and says, “SO you endangered all our lives on a mere whim.”

“Yes!” He says proudly.

Freaking out, I say, “YOU IDIOT!”

Dúr getting up says, “So why are we even wasting time here, let’s exterminate the demons.”

Dumnorix lunges forward to attack both me and Willow at incredible speed, to the point we can’t even follow him until he is right in front of us, if this was combat we would be dead, but before that can happen Dumnorix kicks him in his face right back to his chair.

“Of course, I wasn’t devoid of all logic, because the fact still remains as long as I am here no more safety could be assured.”

Suddenly a quaking happens through the area as if a stampede is going on. Then Dumnorix says, “Oh and I wasn’t lying the grand Druid did call for all of us.”

A quaking voice starts to laugh and says, “You really are as much of a jester as I have heard Dumnorix.”

Bowing he says, “I hope you enjoyed that and my introduction of everyone in this room.”

The quaking voice says, “It was rather fun.”

Suddenly all of the beastkin in the room get on one knee and bow towards the giant door in front of the room, feeling the tension in the air we follow suit.

The door is taller than both Willow and Maple the 2^nd combined. Yet I feel like whatever is behind it is just as big, judging from the quakes it makes with every movement and word.

In a polite but quaking voice, he says, “I am sorry for the games, but I struggle to remember people I don’t care about, so I had Dumnorix say all of your names again, despite you all talking your vows of leadership here years ago.”

Amadán says, “No don’t be, but would you please tell us why you have called us here today.”

Leisciúil says, “You must admit grand Druid this is the first time in two thousand years that you have spoken to us.”

“Please don’t call me grand druid, it makes it sound as if a failure like myself is more important than I am. So call me Senán, I think that name sums my existence up better.”

Olc says, “Don’t you think this is a bad place to have a conversation, I can set up a much greater banquet for us all.”

“That won’t be necessary, are we not the leaders of our country shouldn’t our focus be to use every single moment to work for it, instead of stuffing our faces.”

Olc says, “I am so sorry please forgive me!”

Ignoring him, he says, “Girl with the bow come towards the door.”

I bring up my head, and say, “What?”

Willow looking at me, says, “Don’t worry Maple I will come with you.”

Senán says, “No you won’t, little girl come here alone.”

Willow speaks up and says, “Why would I leave my wife alone!”

Senán smacks the ground causing it to rumble so much that everyone in the room falls to the floor, and says, “Is she your wife, or your daughter? If you really are a cowardly demon I will strike you down with your husband, but if you are a strong human face me.”

Getting up, I say, “I will be right back.” Then frightened to my core at what I face, I take a deep breath in and start to walk.