"So, Laurance, what are you doing this far from your hideout?"

Laurance set the cup of tea down, blinking slowly. He looked to Kassandra, who was watching him intensely. Of course it wasn't as intense as Thalmor's stare, but it was good enough. He pondered for a moment on what to tell them, since Kiara was still present. That and he didn't want to rush into the topic of the Aldrothian Wars so soon.

"I need to get out more." Laurance lied, placing his hands on his lap. "I thought it would've been nice to stop by for a visit."

He could tell by the looks on their faces that they didn't believe him, but they didn't say anything in denial of his reasoning. He didn't fully understand how they could see through his lie, but he wouldn't question it right now. Kiara seemed to believe his little lie, at least.

"Well, I'm sure glad that you did!" The hybrid beamed, smiling ear to ear. "I have a ton of questions!"

"Could you try to save them for after mommy and daddy are done talking?" Kassandra asked her, sighing a bit. "Did you clean your room like we asked you to?"

"But mom..." She began, groaning as she slumped on the couch.

"I'll take that as a no." She decided, rubbing her nose. "Kiara, please, clean your room. It isn't that difficult."

"Yes mama..." She sighed, dragging herself to the staircase. "Then can I ask him questions?"

"Only if he's feeling up to it." She hummed, turning back to Laurance. "Telling stories is... difficult for him."

Kiara nodded, darting up the staircase with a newfound energy. Thalmor gave him an apologetic look, and Laurance accepted it. He had naturally developed a permanent tiredness over the years, and Kiara's optimistic personality had added to his overall tiredness of the day.

"I'm sorry about her, we tried to keep her in the dark as much as we could." Kassandra apologized, a guilty look in her eyes.

"But she found a picture of you, Zane, Aphmau, Aaron, and the other Divine Warriors in the basement... she wouldn't stop asking questions, so we told her about Aldroth.. a minimal amount, of course." Thalmor added, taking a sip of his tea. "Kassandra did get a bit carried away when talking about you, though."

"Should I feel honored?" Laurance asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, you can't blame me. Your skills with that double sided scythe are unlike any I've ever seen." She giggled, a small pinkish tint of embarrassment on her cheeks. "Speaking of your scythe, do you still have it on you? Or did you leave it in another Realm?"

"I left it in Zane's care until we group up again." He explained, raking a small square from the belt of his armor. "But I do have this."

With a simple click of a button on the side, the square began to unfold and expand. It became longer, the sheets of metals forming a new shape. Two sheets designed like bat wings were perched on the top of the object, with a slot for bolts.

"A crossbow.." Kassandra identified it, reaching out. "May I?"

"Of course, just don't fire it at Thalmor." He nodded, handing the weapon to her. Seeing their shocked faces, he continued. "Generally speaking, not purposefully."

"Do you have any bolts for this?" Kassandra asked him, examining the weapon up close. "All of your weapons are black and purple, just like you..."

"I do." He nodded, choosing to ignore her comment at the end. "I don't have a lot, but they should suffice any trouble I get into. I am experienced in normal combat."

Unhooking the leather pouch from his belt, he opened it so they could see. He pulled out one of the bolts, handing it to Thalmor. It was made of obsidian, with a rare material for the blades. It was one that could only be found in Aldroth, one that could harm all sorts of magical beings to great amounts.

"Stalhrim..." Kassandra softly gasped, nearly dropping the crossbow onto the floor. "Laurance, you can't--"

"Those ones are just for emergency cases, I have a supply of bronze bolts." He cut her off, taking the bolt from Thalmor.

"Why did you take it back? We weren't going to get rid of it." Thalmor replied, blinking in shock.

"I don't want my friends being wounded severely because of me." He shrugged, dismissing the question with a flick of his tail.

The voices were starting to giggle and snicker at his response. The more he tried to block them out, the louder they became. They despised being ignored or rejected.

Oh, but so many have died from your lies.

From your selfishness.

It's all your fault Garroth had to locked away.

It's all your fault.

You're why every innocent soul is going to burn to death.

"Laurance? I asked you a question..." Kassandra brought him out of his thoughts, setting the crossbow on his lap.

"Oh... sorry, I must have zoned out again.." He murmured, changing the crossbow back to the small square and clipping it back to his belt. "What did you ask me?"

"I had asked you what the real reason for being out here was." She repeated, clearing her throat. "You don't come out of hiding just to 'get out'. You hate the modern world, you nearly refused to come out of the End the last time."

"No more secrets, no more lies." Thalmor added, a sharp edge to his voice. "If we're supposed to trust you, we deserve to know what's going on."

"Thalmor--" The Angel began, only to be cut off by her Demon husband.

"We have a daughter, Kassandra. We can't play in the shadows and risk her getting hurt, or even worse, killed." The Demon crossed his arms, his spiked tail lashing slowly.

"He may not be comfortable talking about it! You can't just expect everyone to be as open about their problems as I am!" She snapped, her white wings flapping at him.

"You're one of Aphmau's best warriors, if you can't be trusted with something, it clearly isn't right!" He argued, baring his fangs.

Laurance rolled his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, dragging his claws down his skin with a groan. Thalmor glared at him, and Kassandra had a look of concern on her face. He opened his eyes, keeping a blamk expression.

He leaned back against the sofa, crossing his right leg over his left one. He had his left hand on his knee, and picked up his cup of tea with his right one. He lifted the China cup to his lips, closing his eyes as he took a sip.

"Garroth's back." He casually announced, slowly opening his eyes to examine their reactions.

Oh, Irene.

They were priceless.

Kassandra had dropped her cup onto the floor, shattering the cup and spilling the tea into the carpet. There was clear disbelief on her face, which was becoming paler by the second as she took in the information. Her wings had folded up against her back, shaking as fear clouded her eyes.

Thalmor looked pissed off, which he had been expecting. His tail was lashing furiously now, his wings making scratching sounds as the scales rubbed together. His eye was twitching, his figure shaking a bit as he tried to keep his temper in.

He failed to do so, slamming his hands down onto the coffee table. The Demon stood up from the sofa, his eyes turning into black voids with small red dots at the center. His skin was starting to turn gray, as his tail began to glow a neon red.

"What did you say...!?" Thalmor growled in a low voice, barely able to hold himself back.

"Garroth is awake. I don't know when he's coming to Midgard, but I know that he is." Laurance repeated, standing up from his spot. "Your daughter happened to find me in the forest, that's the only reason I actually came here."

"Then what's the real reason you're all the way out here?" Kassandra questioned, glancing at the staircase.

"Lucinda was on TV. I know it was her, they even had her name-- Lucinda Pikoro." He explained, taking a small bow. "Anyways, I'm off. Stay safe, my friends."

With that, Laurance turned to leave the small family's hut. The Angel warrior jumped up from the sofa, grabbing his arm. She pulled him back, wanting to do all she could to keep him from going. Both she and Thalmor knew how dangerous this could be for him, for them, for their daughter, but they insisted on trying to keep him there.

Why do they insist on being on Garroth's bad side? Laurance thought, not wanting an answer.

Because he made you seem so fragile, so innocent, naive, and dependant of others... such a precious jewel~.

Hey, I don't blame them. If I had a friend who was treated like you by their soulmate, I'd be pretty desperate to keep them with me too.

.... We're voices inside his head, we don't have personal lives..

Shut up, let some of us dream of being something more.

"Laurance, Garroth... what if he snaps this time?" Kassandra asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if he loses his temper even with you? What if... what if he kills you?"

"Then let him kill me." Laurance stated, shrugging her off.

He opened up the door, pausing. Did he really want to do this alone? No, no he didn't, but he wasn't going to drag a newly formed family onto a battlefield that was an ocean of corpses and blood.

He looked back at Kassandra and Thalmor, who had calmed down and was now a bit pale in the face. He took in their faces, their images, and told himself to remember them when the time came.

To Kassandra and Thalmor, his eyes were dead. All his emotion, all his will to live had been lost. Stolen by Garroth's obsession and wrath, his never-ending desire and lust for power. He had been a toy that Garroth manipulated and used, and imprisoned like some kind of animal. Laurance was a survivor of some of the worst abuses out there, but they knew he would reach his breaking point soon enough. And when he did... what then?

Laurance spoke, saying one last thing to them before he would take his leave. These words proved just how desperate he was at this point to die, to be in a permanent coma.

"It's about time I died."

With that, he left the small hut, closing the door.

He didn't bother to wait and see if they would come after him. Pressing his hand to his chest, he closed his eyes and snapped his fingers. When he opened them back up, he was standing next to a river.

Hm... not very far, Laurance thought.

You did only just start using the energy to use Magicks.

That's still no explanation on why it wasn't as effective, Ungrth. It usually takes me a lot farther, even when I wasn't even applying effort. Why is it acting different now?

I sAy It'S bEcAuSe YoUr FiAnCe Is BaCk.

Shut up, Shadow Soul.

ExCuSe Me!?

You heard him, reject. Shut up. You're the one who caused the start of his suffering.

AcTuAlLy, It'S tHaT ApHmAu GiRl'S fAuLt. EvEn I tOoK pItY oN tHeIr LoVe StOrY.

True, she did use him back then to stay safe.

Oh come on Ungrth! You're supposed to be on my side!

Shaking his head, Laurance rubbed the sides of his head. He was kind of glad that Ungrth and the Shadow Soul were speaking to him again. They were never that quiet, unless they were upset with him or unaware that he was awake from his slumber.

Aw, did you miss me, Laurance?

HeY, hE mIsSeD mE tOo!

He groaned in annoyance, crossing his arms and starting to walk again. He pressed a hand to his chest, mentally wincing at the pain he was feeling.

It was true, he had only just started using the energy of the Ender Crystal to use Magicks. It was self-taught, with only a little help from Zane and the other reformed Divine Warriors before Garroth was sealed away again. Still, he had gotten a fairly good hang of the teleportation ability. Granted, of course, he was still unfamiliar with the pain that came with it afterwards. But he would quickly become use to it, it wasn't like he would die from it.

He really should have been flying instead of walking, since it was a much faster way of transportation. But in the modern age, you never see a humanoid being with Dragon features flying without a care in all the world. That and, if he was being honest with himself, he didn't like the way he looked when flying. He thought he looked... odd. It was more of an issue with his extremely low self-esteem, to be fair.

"There should be a town near here somewhere..." He murmured to himself, narrowing his eyes at the clearing up ahead.

As if he knew everything regarding the geology of the modern world, there was a sign up ahead. As he got closer to it, he could read the words on it more clearly.

Wait, he thought, pausing in the middle of his path. I should hide my wings and tail, and eyes, first.

He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. He tightened his fists, the claws on his fingers digging into the skin of his palms. A stinging feeling was in his backside, as his wings were pulled into hiding. His horns shrunk back into his head, and his tail retreated. When he opened his eyes again, there was a dizzying tilt to the world that cleared up a few seconds later.

"Whispering Oaks", Laurance read from the sign, looking ahead of him. "It shouldn't be too far."

Within just ten minutes, Laurance had found the small town. It was a quiet area from what he could tell, with very nice houses. The houses were a little too nice for mere commoners, so perhaps the residents of this town were a little wealthier than the average citizen.

He was so busy taking in the sights of the small, wealthier town that he didn't notice the passerby walking his way. Unfortunately, the person didn't notice his existence either, so they walked right into each other. They both fell back, having quite a bit of force when they bumped into each other.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!" The person apologized, extending their arm to help him up.

"No no, I should've been looking where I was going. I take full responsibility." He shook his head, standing up.

"You look like you haven't eaten in days..." They gasped, noticing just how famished he looked. "Come on, I'll take you to my house! I'm sure my dad won't mind, he absolutely loves visitors."

"O-Oh, no thanks..." He cleared his throat, determined to get away from the stranger. "I have a very strict diet, is all. I do take in my daily needs, I just exercise a bit too much."

"Yeah, no kidding. You're probably the skinniest person I've ever seen." The stranger blinked, eyeing him up and down. "My name's Brad, what's yours?"

"Kid, don't you have somewhere to be right now?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Brad. "Like school, maybe?"

"It's the weekend..." Brad replied slowly, tilting his head. "Sir, are you sure you're alright? I really think you should see a doctor... oh, my dad has a friend who's mother was a doctor! I'm sure my dad's friend picked up some of her skills!"

"Oh, no, I'm quite alright--" Laurance began to say in a rush, his eyes widening.

"DAD!!!!" Brad yelled out, making some of the people who were in their yards or garages look their way.

Laurance pressed his hand to his face, slowly shaking his face as he groaned. He wished he could disappear. He felt uncomfortable whenever someone looked at him oddly. By Stargazer, he felt uncomfortable whenever anyone looked at him.

"What is it, Brad?" A Meif'wa asked with a heavy sigh, stepping onto the porch of one of the houses by them. "What did I tell you about talking to strangers?"

"Please dad, he needs help. I think he's been starving himself." Brad explained, grabbing Laurance's arm.

Laurance could easily break this kid's arms. In just two seconds he could have Brad dismantled on the ground, and it wouod only take a few minutes to wipe out the entire town. He knew this from experience. He hadn't wanted to, but he didn't have a choice then.

The Meif'wa inspected Laurance closely, narrowing his eyes at him. They slowly widened, and he immediately grabbed his phone and called someone. Brad dragged him closer to the house, now using both arms. For a kid, he was pretty strong. He was a Werewolf though, so a boost of strength was to be expected.

What the Hell are you doing? Break this brat to bits then make a run for it!

Wait... I think I know that Meif'wa.... check his memories.

On it.

Don't you dare touch anything in my mind.

Too late.... thot.

"Brad, take him to the living room." The Meif'wa ordered his son, who nodded.

Brad took him to what he assumed to be their living room, forcing him down onto the couch. On instinct Laurance kicked his leg out, hitting Brad in his privates. The Werewolf let out a yelp of pain, grabbing his area as he fell to his knees.

"Kai, what the hell is going on out here!?" A deeper, meaner voice demanded.

Loud footsteps could be heard pounding down the staircase, before another grown male emerged from one of the hallways. He was a Werewolf too, which must have been where Brad got his heritage from. He had silver pierces in his Werewolf ears, and a necklace with an emerald around his neck.

"You...." Laurance gasped, his eyes widening as he realized who it was.

Another person had been revived from the dead? How was any of this possible? Had Garroth managed to convince his siblings to aid him in the next Aldrothian War, or was this a newly developed ability of his own?

Or... had Laurance caused this?

The Werewolf stared at Laurance for a minute straight, raising an eyebrow. Slowly he smirked, reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out what looked like some sort of gun, pulling the trigger soon afterwards.

More than one bullet had been fired. Laurance knew this because when he looked down at himself, there was a hole in his chest over his heart, and one in his belly. He could feel the pain growing, from all over his body.

He collapsed to the floor, barely able to keep a grip on his consciousness. He could feel his horns, wings, and tail being forced out. Whatever those bullets were made out of, they were having serious effects on him. As the black closed in around his vision, he managed to say one last thing before collapsing.

"I will... kill you.... Ein...."