While Karl and I had been talking in our private mind-world, the conversation with the gang had continued on its own. The spirits had regaled us with tales of adventure, especially about their prior battles. However, when it came time for Yuta and Geoffrey to share their story of our fight against the silver-eyed wyrms (and one another) inside Lantor, everyone but me looked at them like they were crazy.

It was hard to blame them.

Eylon, for example—the red-haired swordsman—was totally lost.

That wasn't surprising. Pangolins were native to Zid and the continents of Odas and Tenmay in the east, and would remain unknown to Trenton science for over a century after the end of the Third Crusade.

"You turned into a pangolin?" Eylon asked.

"Yes," I nodded.

"What's a pangolin?" he asked.

For illustrative purposes, I briefly turned myself into a six-or-so foot-tall pangolin right then and there, without even needing to get up from my seat.

"Oh…" Eylon said, staring after I'd changed back.

Bever shook his head and chuckled. "Tell that waitress to bring more ale, Dr. Howle. I'll definitely be needing it."

I was happy to oblige him.

"Sakuragi had a set of ceremonial armor made from pangolin scales," Yuta said. "It was very impressive."

I sighed. "Unfortunately, the Constranaks and the Tchwang'an—really, everyone in the eastern half of Tenmay—believe that pangolins' scales have medicinal properties."

"Like what?" the young man asked.

"Everything and anything, from curing impotency to curing cancer. Many of the species in the eastern hemisphere were eaten as delicacies, even though it's been against international law to buy and sell pangolins for decades. Poachers turned to the Zidian species to satisfy demand from the east once most of the eastern species went extinct." I lowered my head. "Now, of course, that's no longer a problem, because they're all gone—both the pangolins, and the poachers."

A somber silence overtook the table.

"Gentlemen," Bever said, lifting his glass, "let's change the subject."

I nodded. "That's an excellent idea."

We continued sharing stories. I took the lead once we got to the end of the triple kaiju situation (myself, Mr. Himichi, and his younger self from a parallel world), and explained everything that happened after.

When I mentioned Kléothag, though, everyone fell silent.

"What?" Karl muttered. "You spoke to the Hallowed Beast?"

I nodded. "It's the Angel's truth, I swear."

Hoshi looked up at her father. "Papa, what's goin' on?"

She and Karl had been taking turns sliding ice onto the grill.

Yuta tried to reassure her as best he could as he gave his answer. Unfortunately, there was a mounting feeling of dread in the room. People stopped ordering refills for their drinks. The extra courses of fried vegetables and meats—onions, squash, chicken, beef, shrimp—lay untouched on sauce-drizzled plates.

The ice melting on the grill went silent as they boiled away.

Then I told them the rest.

" Not even the Hallowed Beast could stand against the fungus. It… it's going to destroy everything."

"What are we supposed to do?" Yuta asked.

"Run," I said.

Pushing his chair back, Geoffrey stood up tall, bracing his arms against the table's dark, polished granite.

"That's it?" he said. "We're supposed to flee, like cowards?"

Yuta eyed Ichigo from across the table. "As I've told Ichigo, there's no shame in retreating in the face of an overpowering adversary." He sipped some sake from its white, porcelain cup. "Honor comes from the deaths you prevent, not the ones that you cause."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"I agree," Karl said, to both Ichigo and Geoffrey's surprise.

"Kléothag told us to run," I said, "and I'm inclined to give Him the benefit of the doubt." I smiled weakly. "Fortunately, Andalon will help us."

"How?" Geoffrey asked.

"It's &alon—or, Ampersandalon, as we sometimes call her—Andalon's greater self. She told me that &alon can travel among stars in something she called the 'place that moves'."

Yuta arched his bushy eyebrows at those last three words. "Travel among the stars?"

"I don't know the details," I said. "All I know is that &alon's arrival is imminent. Once she enters our world in full, she'll be able to take us away to safety, 'us' meaning the transformees, and all the souls we carry."

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Eylon asked.

I sighed. "I don't know."

Bever leaned forward, propping his elbow against the table. "Have you asked her?"

"Yes," I said.

"Well, bring her here, then, Dr. Howle." The axeman tilted his beer much in my direction. "There might be more we can still learn from her."

I lowered my head, as did Geoffrey and Yuta. Even though they weren't actively fighting the moment Andalon disappeared, they'd still been at the forefront of my consciousness, so they knew exactly what had happened.

"She disappeared after the battle with Letty," I explained.

"Letty?" Karl asked.

"A very, very nasty transformee. She'd been lurking in the morgue, waiting to enact her revenge," I said.

Geoffrey nodded. "She was a monster, though and through."

"Why did Andalon disappear?" Karl asked.

I sipped my drink—lemon-lime soda dosed with real cherry syrup—from its red bendy straw, draining it to the ice cubes at the bottom of the glass, and then reached and fidgeted with my bow-tie.

All eyes were on me; it was hard not to feel nervous.

"As many of you already know," I said, "transformees changes are fueled by what they eat. For whatever reason, I have a connection to a piece of the greater &alon; that's the blue-haired girl many of you have seen. That connection has grown stronger as my changes have progressed. During the fight with Letty, I think the connection finally went through in full." I swallowed hard. "I needed her to do it; I pushed her to tap into &alon's power, in order to stop Letty." I shook my head. "She was afraid to do it. She said it was too much for her."

At that moment, I realized, much to my dismay, that I'd pushed Andalon to connect to her greater self just like I'd pushed Rale to get the surgery that ended up costing my son's life.

I pushed the regret aside. There'd be plenty of time for that later.

"The thing is," I said, "right before she made the connection, Andalon told me that it would change things."

"Such as?" Ichigo asked.

I shook my head again. "I don't know. Her? Me? Everyone?" I shrugged and then leaned against the back of my chair. "At this point, it's anyone's guess."

"Do you trust her?" Bever asked.

I nodded. "With my life. She's a fragment of another Holy Angel." My lips and voice quivered with emotion. "I'd thought I'd never be able to find faith in God ever again, but… Andalon helped me find the light. I'll be forever grateful for that."

"Then why do you seem so troubled?" Yuta asked.

"Because…" My voice cracked. "I'm worried about her. And…"

Right then and there, I nearly held my tongue, but I didn't.

I wanted to be better, and that wouldn't happen unless I matched that desire with action.

"I'm afraid I made the wrong choice. I'm afraid &alon's power overwhelmed her, and I'm worried she's hurt. I pushed my firstborn son, Rale, to have a risky surgery that could have given him a better life. I'd wanted it for him more than he wanted it himself, and that misplaced want cost him his life. He died during the surgery."

Geoffrey lowered his head, made the Bond-sign, and muttered a quiet prayer before looking me in the eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss, Genneth. I pray your son is in Paradise."

I nearly cried there. With the War in Paradise, who was to say that Rale even existed anymore?

"Genneth, you made the only choice you could," Yuta said, firmly. "Letty had to be stopped."

I twiddled my bendy straw, stirring the ice against the glass. After a moment's silence, I sighed again and looked at the others. "If you don't mind… I'd prefer if we changed the subject."

Bever tilted his head down and made the Bond-sign. "Angel's mercy, Dr. Howle, I'm sorry I brought it up."

"No, no." I shook my head. "It's not your fault." I looked at Karl and Geoffrey. "I'm trying to move forward as best as I can, and like I said, that means facing my inner demons and pushing forward, even if it's scary. This pain is just the price of growth." I clenched my fists on the table's cool, smooth stone. "I'm tired of being bogged down by vicious cycles of fear, guilt, and doubt. My family is out there, waiting for me. I'm going to save them." Feeling a rush of hope, I nodded, and then smiled as a thought occurred to me. "Actually… I know just the thing."

I turned to Karl. "I'd like to tell them about our little arrangement, if you don't mind."

I pushed my chair away from the table and then stood up and clapped my hands.

"Huh?" Ichigo looked around in confusion.

"Alright, everyone," I said. "I have an announcement to make. Karl and I have agreed to an exchange of spirits. Geoffrey, Eylon? You're with Karl now." I turned to Ichigo. "And, Ichigo?"

He looked me in the eyes.

"Welcome to my cozy corner of the afterlife." I turned to Yuta. "I know Lord Uramaru and his daughter will be very pleased to have you."

Hoshi raised her arms in excitement. "Ichigo!"

Geoffrey looked at Karl and I with a fragile smile on his face. "Is this true?"

We nodded.

"Congratulations, Count Athelmarch," Yuta said, with a wry smirk, "you'll never have to worry about losing another game of Go ever again."

Geoffrey scowled.

Yuta snorted and laughed.

"Will this be the last time I see Karl?" Ichigo asked.

"No, not at all," I said. "In fact—"

—Then a wave of dizziness washed over me, and from the way Karl closed his eyes and shook his head, the same had just happened to him.

Immediately, I understood what had happened.

"Another wyrm has joined us," I said.

"Someone else is here," Karl said, at the same time.

Nurse Costran appeared beside the table.

"Genneth, there's a situation," she said, her face creased with worry. "We need you."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.