A/N: Dead author ? Nah... I was just writing that 20K words chapter. Get yourself some pop corn that shit's long.

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Sebastian: ... Where the hell am I?!

The giant exclaimed in an almost deserted street. After cursing himself for not listening to Amiya's advice. After he fell asleep in the osprey he had woken up but with no one around, even the pilot had left. He decided to go looking for them, but here he was 15 minutes later, completely lost in a city he didn't know. As the snow began to fall with more and more intensity and the sun would be down any hour. The town he was in was beautiful, the buildings looked rather old made of wood and brick with none of them being more than three stories high. The city was at the foot of a gigantic mountain with a snowy tip and thanks to his above-average view Sebastian could see the huge stone temple at the top of the mountain as well as the path that led to it. He started to think about how to get out of this bad situation and then he closed his rain coat to be sure that no one would see his weapons, even if he had a permit, then he swept the street with his eyes looking for someone before stopping on a young woman a few meters away from him who was walking in the streets, she had long silver hair that reached her lower back, she also wore an elegant white dress and a large black cape as well as a blue tiara on her head. But the most striking thing was the huge tail and the ears of snow leopard that the young woman had. And inwardly he knew that what had appealed to him was especially the tail that he already wanted to caress, but to avoid attracting the police he decided to do without it for this time. He approached the young woman who looked nervous, but it wasn't Sebastian's fault because she hadn't seen him yet.

Sebastian: Excuse me Miss?

The young woman was startled and turned around immediately, intimidated, she took a step backwards and let out a slight sound of surprise. Sebastian could have sworn he was going to give the poor feline a heart attack as she was so nervous and felt threatened seeing her leopard tail stiffen but he couldn't blame her he knew his intimidating stature more than anyone else. He took a step back and apologized and after a few seconds the young woman regained her composure even though she was hiding her beautiful face behind her leopard tail.

????????: Forgive me for my rudeness sir, I didn't see you...

Sebastian: Please, it was me who surprised you, you don't have to apologize.

The young woman was surprised not to be recognized in her native land, but at the same time was satisfied that the person she had just met did not immediately kneel down when seeing her, something she had learned to curse after the years.

????????: You can call me Pramanix...

Sebastian: Pramanix? That's a beautiful name for a beautiful lady. As for me you can call me Sebastian.

A simple smile and a compliment was all that was needed for the feline to start blushing intensely and to hide her face even more behind her leopard tail biting lightly on it because of her nervousness she could even notice that her interlocutor was a very charming man feeling her heart miss a beat as she looked at his face.

Pramanix: T-thank you Mr. Sebastian... You are not from Kjerag are you?

Sebastian : No, far from here, may I ask why?

Pramanix : Nothing, it's just that I was surprised to see you holding the cold with such light clothes.

Sebastian : 'She doesn't know Russian winters...' Well no, I'm from Ursus apparently.

Pramanix : Apparently ?

Sebastian : That's a long story for me to tell you without putting you to sleep. But I want to ask you, could you tell me the way to the Silverash mansion?

She was somewhat surprised, not only did this Sebastian not recognize the saintness of Mount Karlan, but he was also asking for his brother.

Pramanix: The Silverash mansion? Excuse my curiosity, but what is the reason for your visit there?

Sebastian : A simple matter with Mr. Enciodas. Actually I was supposed to go there but I lost my companions on the way and I ended up getting lost myself....

She hesitated for a moment to go with him herself but resolved to just show him the way, after all the only reason she was walking through the deserted streets was not to run into her brother or any of his men. After all she still had to look for the man her gods had told her about.

Pramanix: Well, if you want to get to the mansion walk straight down the street, and when you reach a bakery turn right and you can already see the mansion at the end of the street.

Sebastian : Thank you very much miss, may our paths cross again.

Pramanix : Goodbye Mr. Sebastian.

He started to walk lightly in the opposite direction of the young woman but once he was a few meters away...

*click*

A switchblade, he could hear the blade coming out with his overdeveloped senses along with the footsteps of three men running in his direction. He turned around to confirm his suspicions and saw the three men, looking far from gentlemen, judging by their clothes and equipment of novice hitmen, but the thing that caught his attention the most was that their eyes were not on him to his horror but on Pramanix who remained paralyzed with fear as the men ran at her. Sebastian didn't even think about it and started to run towards the young woman arriving in front of her in less than two seconds ready to fight. The three assassins stopped in front of the imposing wall that stood between them and their target. The middle assassin took a few steps forward showing his throwing knives in his gestures, probably to intimidate him but without much effect.

Assassin: Sir, sir, while we appreciate your knight in shining armor attitude towards the lady, we'd like you to leave unless you want your blood on the sidewalk as well as hers.

He says while pointing one of his knives.

Sebastian: Next time threaten me with sharp knives and I might take you seriously.

He loosened the knot of his tie slightly.

Sebastian: Even if there is no next time...

What he assumed was the leader of the group threw his knives at him, which Sebastian caught all at once with one hand between his fingers.

Sebastian: Good grief...

He said before throwing two of the knives at the feet of the leader who fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Then immediately he was charged by another assassin whose aggressive reflexes had been activated by fear, the assassin tried to strike with his switchblade but his blow was too slow and too crude, a step to the side and Sebastian dodged it with ease, then he grabbed the assassin's arm and flipped him over onto his back throwing the assailant to the ground with enough force to keep him there completely, The last terrified assassin had already fled a dozen meters away but it was without counting on Sebastian who grabbed the first assassin by the skull and threw him in the air who after a handful of seconds fell heavily on the runaway leaving both on the ground. The doctor turned to the young woman and noticed the strange bell she now held in her hands, a beautiful object giving off a kind of energy and finely engraved even though it was obviously very old, to his surprise she was not terrified but rather seemed to be amazed.

Sebastian : Well miss, I don't know what you did to these men to make them want you so much...

Pramanix : 'He doesn't have any animal features, and he was strong enough to throw this man on several meters! Could it be him ? The man my gods told me about?' Thank you so much Mr. Sebastian, you saved my life I could never repay you. And just call me Pramanix from now on.

Sebastian: You don't owe me anything Pramanix, I was only doing this out of the goodness of my heart, no need to pay me anything back. On that note, if you'll excuse me, I should leave before I'm late for my meeting.

Pramanix : Let me come with you ! Um... I mean could you let me accompany you to the Silverash mansion, actually I know some people who live there.

Sebastian : Sure, come with me if you want.

Pramanix : Thanks again.

Sebastian: Shall we go then?

He presented his forearm to the young woman waving at her, which she understood immediately, and then she intertwined her arm with Sebastian's as the young woman's cheeks began to blush profusely, which made her, from the point of view of the man next to her, infinitely more adorable.

Pramanix : Now that we have some time to talk I am interested in this long story that was supposed to put me to sleep...

The emerald-eyed giant laughed slightly before smiling widely.

Sebastian: Well where should I start...

And for the ten minutes or so that the two companions walked side by side towards the Silverash mansion, their discussion was going well, Sebastian talking about his amnesia and Rhodes Island, while Pramanix preferred to remain aloof when it came to questions about her past so as not to arouse suspicions on the part of the doctor about her true identity, but still enjoying the discussions, Sebastian quenching the almost endless curiosity of the feline, who herself enjoyed the presence of the man, who was most charming. At the end of their steps they arrived in front of the Silverash mansion, whose name bore honor behind the huge garden surrounded by metal fences was the building itself made of wood and stone, a magnificent work of architecture on three floors of incomparable immensity next to the other buildings of Kjerag. The two could see that the gate that led to the gardens was wide open, overlooking the cobblestone path that led to the entrance of the mansion, where several people were waiting, Sebastian immediately recognized the small brown-haired cautus and the feline with the icy gaze, but not their interlocutors, a forte and finally a man tall and rather thin bearing a striking resemblance to Pramanix. The two men on the landing of the mansion immediately noticed Sebastian and the feline by his side, also forcing the gaze of the two Rhodes Island women towards him. All the people on the landing of the mansion widened their eyes and then the tall feline started to run the forte at his side towards the two arrivals.

?????????: Anya!

??????????: Let go of madam!

Sebastian took a step back surprised by the aggressiveness of the two men, especially the strong one who drew a kukri and pointed it at the emerald-eyed giant, while the feline hesitated to draw the sword hidden in his cane. Pramanix raised his arms to signal them to stop and began to shout.

Pramanix: Enciodas, Matterhorn please calm down!

The Forte stopped almost immediately ready to attack Sebastian but the feline bent down and embraced the young woman, but in the meantime the doctor began to connect the rain of information he had just received, a feline named Enciodas, whom he recognized as Mr. Silverash with whom he had an appointment, and Anya was the name of the saint of Mount Karlan... The light bulb in his head lit up immediately and he started to smile. Then he gave an apologetic look to Kal'tsit and Amiya who had stayed behind intrigued and rather annoyed on Kal'tsit's side.

Silverash: Anya what are you doing here? And who is this man?!

Pramanix: Enciodas, I asked you to calm down, the gods asked me to go to the city for a mission and this man saved my life against assassins, so show some respect for him.

The feline's eyes widened as did the forte man who lowered his weapon, Silverash rose to his full height and raised his head to look Sebastian in the eye and offered him his hand which Sebastian shook in a greeting much more acceptable than drawing a sword. The latter exuded an aura of authority, power and nobility.

Sebastian: Mr. Silverash, nice to meet you, I am Dr. Sebastian of Rhodes Island, we had an appointment today. Forgive me for being late but I got lost on the way.

A/N: Daddy schwing schwing

Silverash: Nice to finally meet you Dr. Sebastian, and don't apologize for being late, you're actually right on time. And thank you so much for helping my sister.

Pramanix: Sorry Mr. Sebastian for not telling you the truth...

Sebastian: That's okay, I can understand that you don't want to be recognized in the street as the saintness of Mount Karlan, Miss Silverash. And thank you for showing me the way here.

Silverash: Doctor, if you'll follow Matterhorn into the mansion, I'd like to talk to Anya for a few minutes...

He bowed his head slightly in understanding and asked the butler Forte to show him the way, Soon joined by Kal'tsit and Amiya the latter who argued with him with the bonus of a punch under the ribs for being lost like a child that is left out of sight for a few seconds while the feline she remained cold on one hand she was also upset that the doctor was lost but on the other she knew that the fact that he had just saved one of the most important people of Kjerag and the sister of the man with whom they were going to make a deal will allow them to be a little more greedy in their negotiations. After two minutes of walking through the luxurious corridors of the mansion where Sebastian told his adventures listened avidly by Matterhorn they arrived in a small room where there was a sofa and an armchair in front of each other with a low table to separate the two on which was placed a chessboard, the white side being turned to the armchair.

Matterhorn: Mr. Silverash should be back soon.

The three Rhodes Island colleagues sat down on the couch, which was wide enough for all three of them to sit comfortably, Dr. Kal'tsit having decided to sit on the left, Sebastian in the middle and Amiya on the right. Then the feline moved closer to the doctor's ear to whisper.

Kal'tsit: Doctor, I want you to give me a sign when he lies.

Sebastian: I'll cross my fingers with my left hand when he does.

The feline nodded her head in understanding.

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Silverash: Tell me Anya, why did you come down from mount Karlan without telling us, you know it is dangerous for you.

Pramanix: Enciodas, the gods had given me a mission, they wanted me to go to the city and meet a special man...

She stopped short of saying too much, her cheeks slightly red.

Silverash : And then what?

Pramanix: N-nothing I think it's that doctor Sebastian, a-and I have to stay with him...

She started to blush intensely and then hid her face behind her bushy tail. Silverash, who was not stupid, noticed this, but without any more clues about his sister's thoughts he decided to remain silent about it, not wanting to embarrass her.

Silverash: And what happened with those murderers?

Pramanix: I was in a deserted street, Mr. Sebastian came to ask me the way to the mansion, I told him and then some assassins came at me with knives and he beat them with his bare hands, I even saw him throw a man several meters away with one of his arms as if he was a rag doll.

The feline frowned, wondering if her sister was feverish enough to have imagined such a thing.

Pramanix: Don't look at me like that Enciodas, I know what I saw and I saw it as I see you.

Silverash: Anyway, I'm glad you're here.

Pramanix: Where is Ensia?

Silverash: You know how she is. She went climbing not far away. I sent Courier to get her.

Pramanix: I know it's none of my business, but you don't usually bring your business meetings to the mansion, so what happened that made you bring a pharmaceutical company representative here?

Silverash: It's about Ensia...

Pramanix's face broke down with a sudden understanding.

Silverash: You know as well as I do that her Oripathy will only get worse here... But don't worry Rhodes Island is the best in the world for Oripathy treatment...

Pramanix: Are you sure she'll be safe there?

Silverash : They have almost a private army just for them with internationally known fighters, and this doctor Sebastian, does he remind you anything ?

Pramanix: Now that you mention it, I feel like I've seen him before and the name...

Silverash: If he looks familiar it's because he was Queen Theresa's right-hand man.

The feline's eyes widened, for even though this doctor appeared to be an intelligent man on the outside, he did not give off a military genius either, whose tactics won legendary battles and was one of the reasons Theresa held out for two years against her brother when his forces were ten times greater in number. He was a man who was taken seriously in all the high places in all the countries of Terra for his skills. But suddenly she remembered what the doctor had told her during their walks to the mansion and about his condition.

Pramanix: Enciodas you know that this doctor has amnesia?

Silverash: Yes, but I'll ask you, if he hadn't told you he had amnesia do you think you would have known?

She was silent for a moment, but the answer was obvious, he was far from ignorant and would not be seen as someone who had lost all his memories.

Silverash: So maybe you don't see it, but I do, his skills are engraved in him. So with all that I can hope she'll be safe.

Pramanix: And how did she react?

Silverash : .....

Pramanix: Enciodas?

Silverash: Yes...?

Pramanix: Did you tell our sister about all this?

Silverash: Not really.....

Pramanix : You are unbelievable... Go on, I've held you up long enough.

The feline hugged his sister one last time before parting with her and leaving for the corridors of the mansion, after a short time he arrived where the representatives of Rhodes Island were, who turned to see him arrive, then Silverash sat down in front of them in his chair with a confident smile on his lips.

Silverash: Well, excuse me for this delay, we can finally start. But first of all, I would like to thank you once again doctor Sebastian, my sister explained to me what happened with those three assassins. A feat if I may say so.

Sebastian: Oh please, coming out of a fight with three inexperienced assassins is no great feat.

Silverash: Can you be so sure that they were inexperienced? Or are you just saying that out of humility?

He moved his knight from B1 to C3 on the chessboard, which surprised the representatives of Rhodes Island, who were certainly not expecting to play, the feline was almost amused as he waited to see the reaction of the members of the pharmaceutical company, he was already longing to see them panic inwardly by asking themselves a myriad of questions, which he could already detect in Amiya and Kal'tsit. But Sebastian answered him at once.

Sebastian: You see, I sincerely doubt that any experienced fighter would brag about his poorly sharpened knives. I'm sure you could have come out without a scratch if you had been in my place...

He moved his pawn from H1 to H5, surprising the feline, he looked at Sebastian to see his face as cold as Sami's winter. Unknown to Amiya and Kal'tsit a kind of game had just been established between the two leaders. Silverash smirked at the same time as Sebastian as they looked into each other's eyes.

Silverash: Me? I highly doubt it, I am far from a fighter and I don't know what makes you say that... I just assumed when I saw the combat knife and the Laterano weapon you had under your coat.

The forte butler was startled to hear that one of their guests was armed but was calmed by the feline who raised his hand signaling him not to act. He moved his pawn from B1 to B3, while the doctor felt a tremor in Kal'tsit's spine as she frowned.

Sebastian: As for me, I assumed you were a fighter when I noticed the 107 centimeter silver straight blade hidden in your cane, which fits perfectly with the fencing style of the Silverash lineage, known for its graceful sword strokes and use of the eagle in combat. And I guess it has nothing to do with the ten year old eagle covered in scars behind the window... Plus you're confident enough to consciously let an armed man into a room where your butler isn't.

Sebastian advanced a counter from G1 to G5.

Silverash: Well, well I'm defeated on that one... Well, now we can talk about my other sister and the things that really interest us.

As Kal'tsit was about to speak, thinking that she could finally talk about business rather than Sebastian's actions, she was surprised when Sebastian's voice spoke up again.

Sebastian: That's right, there is still the reason we came here to talk about...

Silverash: I would just like you to tell me why I should send my sister to Rhodes Island...

He moved his fool from C1 to B2. Kal'tsit was about to cut Sebastian off but he looked her in the eye and immediately understood what he wanted, trust me on this one, that's what he would have said, she understood that and instinctively let him do it even though a part of her was screaming at her to take back the reins.

Sebastian: According to my estimations made with photographs, assuming that your sister is about six feet tall, in her mid-twenties, for I won't say her weight, with an Oripathy contraction last month, she would have... Seven years to live if she doesn't get treatment. I guess the doctors you saw told you the same thing I did...

He moved his pawn from H5 to H4.

Silverash: Your estimates of my sister's lifespan are unfortunately correct. But as you can imagine, I won't let Ensia end up like this, so I ask you, why would you give her treatment to Rhodes Island and not to another company?

Silverash moved his pawn from G2 to G4.

Sebastian: Simply because we are the best in this field, if you take the best of our competitors you will manage to see your sister reach her forties if she is lucky. At Rhodes Island she can make it to sixty with standard treatment and maybe more if we let her have access to experimental treatments. In addition to offering the highest quality of treatment, Rhodes Island will also provide her with a comfortable living environment in which she will not suffer from her 'infected' condition as compared to other societies, which will only offer her care without concern for the harm she will suffer outside of Kjerag because of her Oripathy. I think you are a loving brother and you will want the best for your sister. And that best you will only find in Rhodes.

Sebastian moved his pawn from H4 to G3 and captured a pawn from Silverash.

Silverash: You tell me to be the best in the business, but if I decide to give my sister to Rhines Labs for example I'm sure she'll be safe from those who wish me harm. So maybe if I give her to Rhodes she'll be safe from the Oripathy but you understand that's not the only danger she'll face.

He moved his pawn from A2 to A4.

Sebastian: Rhodes Island has the military strength to defend itself in its own interest, so maybe you think of it as just an ordinary security force. But I work with these operators, I know each and every one of them, and I can tell you that we have experienced and talented fighters, some of whom have a record of service that would make you swoon. I have complete confidence in them and if you still have doubts we can let you access the video recordings of our mission in Chernobog, if you want to see where we succeeded and the great Chernobog failed.

He moved his pawn from G5 to G4.

Silverash: And you will trust your operators with your life?

He moved his pawn from F2 to F4.

Sebastian: Of course, I have done it before and would do it again.

He moved his pawn from G4 to F3 capturing Silverash's counter.

Silverash: Well. I think Rhodes Island will be able to take care of Ensia. All that's left is for you to talk to her.

He moved his tower from A1 to A3.

Sebastian: By the way, what is your sister's choice?

The feline jumped and looked away, surprising the doctor who understood quickly enough and then laughed slightly.

Sebastian: I understand you haven't told her yet...

Silverash: I mean I haven't really had the chance lately...

Sebastian: Tell me about it...

He moved his pawn from F3 to F2.

Sebastian: Oh boy. checkmate.

Silverash instantly looked at the chessboard, at first he looked depressed, then he started to laugh out loud, surprising all the witnesses of the scene, including Sebastian who was keeping his cool.

Silverash: Forgive me, it's just that I didn't imagine I would suffer my first chess defeat today and even less against you, especially when you only use your pawns. I guess I have to give you the title of Kjerag champion now...

Sebastian: Please, it's only a game.

Even though the doctor was calm and cool, this was far from the case for the other two representatives of Rhodes Island who looked at the giant without race incredulity because not only had he managed to convince a big client rather simply and on top of that to win against a national chess champion in less than 20 moves using only his pawns all this while having two weeks of knowledge on almost everything.

Amiya: Doktah, who taught you to play?

Sebastian: I read the rules in a book. 'When I was five years old in Russia I played for the first time against the computer and I was so disgusted to lose the first time that I played for months without doing anything else till i've beaten the computer.' This is the first time I've played chess since my amnesia.

Then suddenly the door behind the sofa opened and everyone in the room looked at the young man Itra who had just entered the room and was breathing as if he had just run a marathon.

Silverash: Courier what's the problem, and where is Ensia?

Mailman: I-I was just taking Lady Ensia to the mansion but in the gardens she asked me why you weren't there, I told her you had an appointment with a pharmaceutical company, she felt something coming and ran up to the roof, she refuses to come down. My apologies sir!

Silverash: Please, Courier, there's no need to panic like that. Let's go get Ensia instead.

The feline got up from her chair.

Silverash: Doctor Sebastian, if you'll follow me.

The giant got up as soon as he did, followed by the feline and the cautus, and walked through the long corridors of the manor, taking the same path as before. After a while, the little group arrived at the entrance hall, Matterhorn was the first to go to the front door and open it, bringing in torrents of air and snow, and it was clear that a real blizzard was beginning to fall outside. Silverash went out immediately and then it was Sebastian's turn and quickly all the others who stopped a few meters away in the gardens, they raised their heads to look on the roof of the building to see a feline sharing many similar traits with Silverash and Pramanix but this young woman seemed much more athletic than her siblings, even if her outfit seemed not to be designed for the cold of the region, what was even more amazing was the climbing equipment in her hands.

Silverash: Ensia! Get down from there, you'll hurt yourself!

Cliffheart: I climbed Mount Karlan without a scratch, so I'm not going to hurt myself on this pile of rocks!

A/N: Is it me or does the end of the rope look like a JoJo arrow?

Silverash: What the hell is wrong with you?

Cliffheart: What's wrong?! You dare to ask me when you have your friends next to you that you just sold me to without telling me?

Sebastian: You should have told her.

The feline glanced at Sebastian, but at the same time he couldn't blame him when he was completely right.

Silverash: Listen, come down and we'll talk!

Cliffheart: No! You there! Which one of you three is the boss?!

Kal'tsit/Sebastian/Amiya: I am!

The three of them looked at each other in confusion.

Cliffheart: Okay, the sexually frustrated catgirl who's giving you orders?

A vein appeared on Kal'tsit's forehead as she pointed and closed her eyes at amiya while Sebastian stopped himself from letting out any laughter that would sound his death by Mont3r.

Cliffheart: And you the donkey who gives you orders?

Amiya: That's Dr. Sebastian on the field-

Cliffheart: Where is that doctor?!

The cautus pointed at Sebastian.

Cliffheart: So get your ass up here and let's talk!

And the feline disappeared from the edge of the roof.

Silverash: Excuse me for my sister's behavior...

Sebastian: Please, you don't have to apologize, it's not your fault.

Silverash: Courier if you would like to go get the ladder...

Sebastian: I'll get her.

All the others turned to the doctor who took off his grey raincoat. Matterhorn jumped when he saw that he was indeed armed and Kal'tsit held back from taking out Mont3r to kill Sebastian after he had broken her instructions.

Sebastian: Amiya can you hold it for me please?

The girl took the coat more out of reflex than anything else, then Sebastian loosened his tie and walked towards the high stone wall in front of him, then jumped and grabbed himself a few feet off the ground and started to climb the wall like a skilled athlete and was on the roof in a few seconds.

Silverash: Courier, I don't think the ladder will be necessary...

The doctor stood on the roof shaking off the dust and dirt from his clothes and looked at the feline who remained silent because of her surprise that someone could climb up here faster than her.

Sebastian: You said you wanted to talk to me?

Cliffheart: But how... Well, anyway! You better give me a good reason why my brother sold me out!

Sebastian: Your brother didn't sell you out, he's paying for your internment.

He says while sitting on the roof.

Sebastian: And if he decided to put you in our hands it's to see you spend your 35 years without dying of your Oripathy.

The feline lowered her head suddenly her expression changed to sadness knowing that her life was limited because of her illness.

Sebastian: Your brother only wants what's best for you, that's why he wanted you to be treated by us. And why he didn't tell you that I can't answer. Maybe he was afraid of how you would react, even the older ones make mistakes like that because of their family.

Cliffheart: But I want to decide my own destiny and not let someone else do it for me!

Sebastian: Then do it. I'm a doctor, my field is neurology, not human trafficking. If you don't want to come, don't come to Rhodes Island.

He looked her in the eyes.

Sebastian: It's your future, not mine, do what you want with it but don't come to regret it later.

The feline seemed shocked for a moment, because it was perhaps the first time in her life that someone had dared to speak to her so honestly. During her whole childhood, no, during her whole life in Kjerag everything was constantly illusions and nice words, either to coax her or to attack the Silverash family and even if she had learned to adapt to it after spending her whole life in this environment Cliffheart hated it. She hated those whose words as soft as cotton hid the darkest designs.

Cliffheart: You don't mince your words...

Sebastian: Trust me, it's much easier to tell the truth and let people make their own choices than to lie to them and abuse their trust.

Cliffheart: I guess there's no need to be so hostile anymore.

She says as she sits down on the roof in front of him.

Cliffheart: I just don't want to be chained to a place so far away from Kjerag without being able to come back.

Sebastian: You know Rhodes is not a prison, everyone is allowed to go out into the cities where we dock or out into the wilderness when we are stationary, you could even come back to Kjerag if your treatment allows.

Cliffheart: And what is your interest in me getting treatment?

Sebastian: Money and not seeing someone turn into a black crystal statue.

Cliffheart: Money, eh...

Sebastian: Well, we're more of a charity than a real company. We have to make up for the fact that we offer free treatment to those who can't afford it.

Cliffheart: You do that?

Sebastian: Yeah, well free of charge, it's just that we don't charge them money but in exchange they have to work for us.

Cliffheart: Really charitable so...

Sebastian: The cheapest treatment after ours is Rhines Labs and most of them have to sell their houses to afford it. Not to mention the fact that they can't afford it with a 30 hour a week job in logistics. So believe me when I tell you that we are extremely generous in this area.

Another gust of wind blew against the doctor, accompanied by more and more snow, and this broke his concentration on the conversation, and he looked away to see that it had become impossible to see more than ten meters away because of all the snow that was falling.

Sebastian: Would you mind coming down, because I can handle the cold pretty well, but I don't think my colleagues can.

Cliffheart: ... Okay I'll come down, I need to talk to my brother anyway.

Sebastian: Cool. Ah and avoid the feline with the green eyes or avoid telling her again that she's sexually frustrated.

Cliffheart: Why?

Sebastian: Because she can summon a fucking dragon in secpnds with her arts and trust me you don't want to see that.

Cliffheart: How do you know that?

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Sebastian had just walked through the hydraulic door into Dr. Kal'tsit's office to give her a report on their new operators. But as he entered the darkened laboratory he heard the light, quiet breathing of a sleeping person, and ventured further into the room where everything was arranged in a chaotic but organized fashion. Then from the corner of his eye he saw the feline sitting on a chair next to her desk sleeping peacefully. He put the files on her desk next to her then looked at her for a few seconds with a smile on the lips of the giant with emerald eyes seeing something other than coldness on the face of Kal'tsit then he replaced one of her hair strands that fell on her face delicately, then his eyes stopped on the ears of lynx of the woman and he decided to give in to temptation and approached his hand before starting to caress the ears of the young woman as he would do to a big cat. Then to her astonishment when his thumb made contact with the fur at the base of the ear Dr. Kal'tsit let out a loud moan that was erotic to say the least, loud enough to be heard throughout the room and even in the next room, the feline's half-closed eyes widened at the end of her moan, especially when she saw Sebastian in front of her looking at her with a stunned face and his hand still touching the animal ear. Blushing Kal'tsit had a vision as a memory of her nights filled with passion at the side of her former lover, where her ears were often targeted and had become one of her weak points by dint of assimilating the feeling of her ears being caressed at nights of bestial pleasure. The doctor instinctively fearing for his life made a jump backwards and then the white-haired feline stood up abruptly, dropping her chair and looking furious but with a face as red as a tomato. Then from her back a spiral of black dust was formed and in less than a dozen of second she turned into a kind of black and green biomechanical dragon that let out a shrill cry making the furniture in the room shake.

Kal'tsit: Mont3r get him!

She said, pointing at him, and then the enemy stand charged the doctor and pushed him against a wall before he had time to dodge and sent him through the steel wall with some broken bones as a bonus that Sebastian had to run away from.

He had avoided Kal'tsit for the rest of the week.

--------------

Sebastian: Let's just say I had some mishaps.

The emerald-eyed giant stood up, the feline feeling slightly threatened by his imposing presence, then Cliffheart got up from the roof too and followed behind Sebastian who stopped at the edge of the roof.

Cliffheart: Will you help me get into the fast lane?

He thought for a second before understanding what the young woman meant and then he nodded and walked towards her before taking her in his arms and carrying her like a bride and then he walked back to the edge of the roof and threw himself into the void making the eyes of those below widen even more when they saw that he was carrying the feline in his arms. Then he landed with a heavy thud, lifting some snow and cracking the concrete under his feet, the ten meters he had just jumped having no more effect than a meter. Silverash saw how time slowed down with his sister in the doctor's arms and had an idea that sprang to the back of his head, but he decided to leave it in the back of his mind. Sebastian put Cliffheart down again, making sure she didn't hurt herself.

Sebastian: Nothing broken?

Cliffheart: I'll be fine thanks...

The feline went towards her brother but the doctor didn't pay attention to it, rather worried by Amiya's shivering and all the signs that she was cold which Kal'tsit didn't seem to have noticed as well, he approached the young Cautus and took his coat before putting it on the little brunette's shoulders.

Sebastian: Amiya are you alright?

Amiya: Doctor, I'm really cold... Can we go...?

The giant's emerald eyes darted between Kal'tsit and Silverash who had just heard the conversation, the latter nodding to Sebastian.

Silverash: Come inside, we're not going to let you freeze to death out there.

The group of people arrived at the entrance hall of the Courier Mansion, closing the door behind them and the difference in temperature could already be felt.

Silverash: Matterhorn take them to the living room and light a fire I'll be right there.

The forte butler took the three members of Rhodes Island to another room further into the mansion presumably in the middle of the building, they entered the room just as luxurious as the rest of the mansion, there were several sofas as well as a television that seemed to stand out among all the other elements of the mansion that seemed older than the invention of the TV or anything close to it, There was also a fireplace with two armchairs in front of it and a series of windows much taller than wide on the back wall overlooking a courtyard inside the mansion, well even a view blocked by the snow that never seemed to let up. Matterhorn lit a fire in the fireplace in no time and Amiya came to sit on an armchair in front of the fire.

Amiya: Thank you...

She said with a smile to the butler who also smiled in turn abandoning since they had met the cold facial expression he maintained before leaving the room to who knows where leaving the representatives of Rhodes Island between them, Amiya, wrapped in the doctor's coat, was staring at the crackling flames in the fireplace, as was Sebastian, who was standing next to her with his hand on the Cautus' shoulder to at least warm her heart, and Kal'tsit seemed to be watching the blizzard that was raging unabated through the windows, while the only non-artificial light was that of the sun's rays, which had already been down for a few minutes.

Kal'tsit: It seems to be getting worse...

Sebastian: It does.

Kal'tsit: Did you feel him lying?

Sebastian: No. Anyway, it's not like he had much of a chance.

Kal'tsit: Doc?

Sebastian: Hmm?

He turned his head towards her, intrigued because it was the first time she had used his diminutive name.

Kal'tsit: Good job with Mr. Silverash.

He looked at her, blinked a few times, then walked over to her and placed the back of his hand on her forehead.

Kal'tsit: I don't have a fever!

She pushed the doctor's hand away, a vein appearing on her forehead.

Sebastian: Are you sure you're not sick?

Kal'tsit: Stop making a big deal about it, you are testing my patience.

Sebastian: This wouldn't happen if you were a little nicer to the others.

Amiya laughed slightly at the shenanigans of the two Rhodes Islanders, she listened to her companions with one ear as they talked, her blue eyes full of affection fixed on the doctor as her eyelids began to grow heavy and the words became unintelligible, then her azure eyes closed again, a smile on her lips. The two leaders of Rhodes Island argued for a few more minutes before the three Silverash entered the room and Matterhorn held a tea tray.

Silverash: Dr. Kal'tsit, Dr. Sebastian, thank you for waiting for us, I have good news, Ensia?

Cliffheart:*Sigh* I have agreed to come to Rhodes Island for treatment...

The emerald-eyed giant smiled slightly, and he could even feel Kal'tsit's satisfaction.

Sebastian: Wonderful.

Silverash: However I also bring bad news, I have learned that the snow storm will not subside until the middle of the night.

Kal'tsit: Thank you for informing us Mr. Silverash, could you tell us where we could find a hotel in town?

Silverash: Unfortunately there are no hotels around here, tourists and other travelers are extremely rare. But you can consider yourselves guests here, and it would be no problem for us if you wanted to stay for dinner and the night.

The giant glanced at Kal'tsit who did the same and then gave a thumbs up from behind his back.

Kal'tsit: Well, I don't think that would cause us any problems. Amiya: What do you think?

Sebastian: I think she has already made her choice...

The feline looked towards the two intrigued to see that the cautus was sleeping peacefully.

Silverash: Well... A cup of tea?

Sebastian: Yes, please.

Until the night was over, many discussions were shared, and Sebastian proved to be a pleasure to talk to, displaying his intelligence, kindness and good manners as well as his natural charm, It was not only he who shone with his words but also Dr. Kal'tsit who finally began to be active even Amiya from the moment she woke up from her lethargy rather embarrassed to have fallen asleep in someone else's house but quickly comforted that she had not done anything disturbing. To the point where Rhodes Island with these three was like a three-headed beast, with Sebastian standing out for the three Silverash but for two different reasons. This was followed by a dinner prepared by the strong, surprisingly delicious for a feast made by one person in record time, admiring the cooking skills of Matterhorn Sebastian took notes thinking not to underestimate him if ever he had to do a cooking duel and if only he knew, he could take it as one of the greatest compliments a cook could have. And to the patriarch's astonishment he found that his sisters were rather eager to talk more and more with the doctor, which they seemed to notice among themselves, and what made the seed planted in his mind a few moments earlier when he had seen his sister in the arms of the emerald-eyed giant sprouted when he saw that he managed to make them laugh and smile, which the feline almost never managed to do on purpose. Dinner came to an end Silverash asked Courier and Matterhorn to take Kal'tsit and Amiya to guest rooms respectively, but as he wondered who he was going to ask to show his to the doctor Pramanix took him by surprise and volunteered to the doctor as the red tinted the young woman's cheeks profusely but she also seemed determined, The cautus she felt an unpleasant feeling inside her towards Pramanix and even more when the doctor accepted a big smile on his lips. The feline took his hand and guided him in the corridors of the manor, still embarrassed but at the same time determined, then after a while walking in the corridors of the manor she stopped in front of a double door after climbing the stairs.

Pramanix : Here you are Mr. Sebastian, thank you for letting me accompany you.

Sebastian: Thank you for offering me, but especially for being so kind to me throughout the day. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Pramanix : Please, Mr. Sebastian, you flatter me...

She said, hiding her face with her bushy tail once more, which Sebastian found more and more cute.

Sebastian: And you can drop the mister. After all it was a great pleasure for me to meet you today.

Pramanix: Me too, Sebastian.

She says with a happy smile, closing her eyes and tilting her head slightly to the side, her beauty shining all the more.

Sebastian : Have a nice night Anya. We will meet again tomorrow.

Pramanix: You too Sebastian. I'm already looking forward to it.

Sebastian turned the doorknob with a final wave and walked inside, closing the door behind him, flashing a smile before locking his door. Then as the lock clicked his senses and instincts went on alert like a premonition. Something bad was going to happen later. Deciding to trust his instincts but not feeling any immediate danger he decided to remain calm but on guard in case something happened just in case. He glanced at the room where he had been brought, nothing grandiloquent although quite spacious, there was a double bed on the left with a small bookcase and a closet next to it in a corner as well as an armchair on the right near a window that could see the courtyard of the mansion which must have visibly the shape of a doughnut given that the courtyard was right in the middle of the building, He could also see that he was on the second floor, even though he already suspected it, and he could also see light in other windows. Not feeling affected by fatigue he decided to take a book from the library, all common books but he didn't expect anything exceptional in a guest room, he took one on the history of Kjerag as well as its religion deciding to stay in the theme and to be a little more familiar with the surroundings. He sat down in the armchair, finally relaxing.

------------

Pramanix was about to return to her room which was conveniently next door to Cliffheart's then as she walked down the hallway her tail sweeping from left to right behind her signifying her good mood she was stopped by a very familiar voice.

Cliffheart: Hey Anya.

The surprised feline jumped slightly and turned to her sister.

Pramanix: Ensia? What's wrong?

Cliffheart: Do you like Sebastian?

Her face immediately turned as red as a tomato.

Pramanix : N-no! I mean, I think he's really nice and he saved my life... And he is so charming...

She murmured the last part so faintly that her sister couldn't have heard it as her tail wagged even more vigorously behind her back as her sister grinned in relief which made her raise her head towards her which had been lowered earlier due to embarrassment.

Cliffheart : You reassure me...

Pramanix: Of what?

Cliffheart: For a moment I thought you might have feelings for him, it scared me, I wouldn't want to cut you off. But if you don't have anything in mind for him I think I'm in the clear...

Pramanix: Wait Ensia what are you talking about...

Her tone of voice had shaken off any embarrassment or awkwardness and was actually quite cold.

Cliffheart: What, you know that if I go up there I'll be able to be with him a lot? If that's not a chance. For once there's a man like him who passes me by, I'm not going to let him pass.

Pramanix: Why do you talk about him as one of your objects?

All warmth in his voice and facial expression had disappeared.

Pramanix : 'She's going to take him from me...? My own sister? But why? It was supposed to be mine and mine alone. He is the one my gods told me about and my gods are not wrong he must be the man of my life.'

Cliffheart: Listen Anya... It's just that I like him. I don't want to wait and risk not being able to take a step towards him.

Pramanix: Ensia I'm sorry.

Cliffheart : Why?

Pramanix: Because I think I have feelings for him too...

She tried to hide her flushed cheeks, but without much success.

Cliffheart: ... *sigh*... I was pretty sure anyway.

The saintness of Kjerag raised her head in surprise that her sister would give her such an outdated answer. The latter turned around and opened the door of her room.

Pramanix: B-but wait, how do we settle this case then?

Cliffheart : May the best one win !

She said with a smile before slamming her doors closed leaving Pramanix stammering the same syllables over and over again without making any sense then after a moment she came to her senses shaking her head from left to right vigorously then she returned to her room. While in the hallway a tall figure behind a blind spot left after listening to the whole conversation with great interest. 

After a while, taking off her boots in the entrance, she decided to take a bath after the long day she had had, her descent from Mount Karlan, her assassination attempt and her meeting with Sebastian, her reunion with her brother and sister after months, her departure from Kjerag... She thought about all this in her bath, the hot water stimulating her mind, then she came out of it after a few minutes, her tail and her leopard ears being still wet, she wiped her body lightly before putting her towel back on, then she came out of her room and took a second to look at her own body, before letting out a sigh and letting her arms fall. 

She liked to eat and wasn't very athletic, which she was reminded of herself every time she glanced at her tail, you would think it was bushy at first glance because of its size, but in reality it was where she stored her fat as well as her thighs which she pinched as well as her love handles. She was nothing like her sister's athletic and slender physique, or her brother's muscularity. She didn't gain weight with her habits but she would still like to lose some, although in the eyes of anyone else she would be a beautiful woman, she didn't have that kind of confidence. The feline started to look at the window of her room and could make sure that the window of Sebastian's room was well in front of hers as she had planned, she could see the emerald-eyed giant with his legs stretched out, sitting in the armchair, one of his arms resting on the armrest of the armchair while his other arm was holding a book that he was reading avidly. She took a few seconds to admire him in his mannequin pose as well as the smallest details of his face while he seemed to remain impassive in front of his book adding surprisingly more charm to him. But as she looked at him, he turned his head towards Pramanix's window, the two of them looked at each other for a second or two, then Sebastian's impassive expression changed to surprise and his cheeks became red and he hurried to look elsewhere, the feline was curious to know why Sebastian had turned around but when she felt a slight wind on her skin half a second later her hairs straightened then her face turned red as a tomato, she grabbed the curtains of her window and closed them abruptly steam coming out of her ears remembering her mother's words.

????????: Remember Anya, you must not let a man see you naked before marriage, even if it is your future husband. Otherwise you won't be fit for marriage.

Pramanix: Sorry mom...

Backward indeed. But she had always had the will to respect the words of her late mother. Even if she didn't even know if the said words were serious or not. She put on a white lace nightgown and lay down in her bed with her cheeks still pink and her head full of thoughts.

---------------------

A beach.

He felt the sand on his back and heard the sound of the waves and the shrill cries around him. He blinked several times to see gray as far as the eye could see, the sun was also there but camouflaged by clouds, giving the sky a light gray tint. He stood up, taken by panic, he was indeed on a beach with dark gray sand, the beach was surrounded by cliffs with black rock extending about twenty meters high and all around him. He looked at the sea, to see it gray also because of the reflection of the sky but a gray just as deep. But the thing that struck him when he looked at the sea front a few hundred meters ahead was what was in the water and on the beach.

An army.

An army of abominable creatures, more abominable than anything in the world of Terra. No doubt such creatures could have killed some people out of madness because of their hideous appearances far beyond the commonplace of Terra. But he had seen much worse. A billion times worse during his travels. But in front of the army of creatures with diverse appearance whose colors turned around white, gray, blue and sometimes purple, was a young woman on her knees, who seemed to have fought with the army in front of her. One of her hands on her long sword stuck in the sand, the other holding a wound she had on her chest. She seemed to be out of breath, her long white hair streaked with grains of sand, as was the rest of her navy blue outfit that reminded her of a Yarhnam hunter's outfit. He asked himself a myriad of questions at a blinding speed in his mind, wondering where he was, what was this army? who was this woman? how was he here when he was reading in Kjerag a few seconds ago?

He understood.

He was cut off from his thoughts by a presence in his own mind. Like someone trying to observe the inside of his mind. But he didn't let himself be cut off, closing the access to his own psyche, and that's when he understood, he hadn't left Kjerag, in fact he was maybe still in the same chair in his room, because what he was seeing wasn't reality. The writing in the Aegir book indicated the existence of psychic powers in this world and Sebastian knew that he was giving off a very particular psychic trail so an entity with sufficient mind power must have spotted him and infiltrated his mind while he was asleep in front of his book. Already knowing his situation he used the little psychic power he had to launch a scan, sensing the entities around him. He could then understand that he was indeed in a psychic construction of an entity, as well as the creatures which were gathered in a hive mind but also that the young woman on the beach front was not part of the entity because she had a trail of her own. He then decided to walk towards the beach, the young woman still out of breath looked at the creatures in front of her, some of them were slamming their jaws in an intimidating way while slowly approaching her walking on the corpse of their fellow creatures without it seeming to bother them.

Sebastian: Quite a nightmare you are having there hunter...

?????: What?!

He could see the young woman jump when he arrived next to her without her having spotted him before, she looked at him with her blood red eyes piercing through the emerald ones of the giant, she would probably have stood up and swung the sword she had next to her out of pure surprise if she wasn't quickly brought back to the ground because of her wound.

?????: Who are you?

Sebastian: Me? I'm just a humble doctor lost in this nightmare just like you.

She looked at the blood on her hand.

?????: It doesn't look like a nightmare to me...

Sebastian: Well, neither do I, because in a nightmare we have no control over what happens.

Suddenly she stopped feeling the pain in her chest and could see that the wound, the blood or even the cut in her clothes disappeared in a microsecond. She looked puzzled once again at the emerald-eyed giant who didn't seem to be impressed one bit.

Sebastian: See I told you.

?????: But why am I here then?

Sebastian: When you were sleeping your mind had left its front door wide open, which allowed whatever is controlling these things to infiltrate and manipulate your mind while you were sleeping.

?????: And you, why are you here?

Sebastian: Whatever locked us in here must have wanted to kill two birds with one stone. But tell me, do you know what these things are?

?????: Unholy creatures... The ones who destroyed Aegir... I fought them in the real world.

Sebastian: Look at this...

The young woman pulled her sword out of the sand, which she seemed to wield with ease, although it seemed to weigh several dozen kilos, showing impressive strength.

Sebastian: Don't worry, I'll get rid of it...

The doctor took a step forward, then abandoned all barriers and protections that prevented the entity from entering his mind, leaving the power to the entity to enter his head, but as he began to feel a presence in his mind, he remembered one thing, a quote from Nietzsche: "When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you". He laughed slightly as the entity that had imprisoned him and the huntress in that dream decided to look into the terrifying, endless abyss that was the doctor's mind. All the things he had seen and fought were light years away from what was in front of him now. The young woman next to him felt, something deep inside her, like an electric shock or an explosion, but nothing that could be felt with the five senses, then as she looked in front of her the army of creatures disappeared instantly leaving nothing behind as on the horizon the sky and sea themselves seemed to disappear like glass cracking and falling giving once again a more surreal view than it already was. The young woman opened her blood red eyes once more.

?????: What's going on?

Sebastian: All dreams come to an end.

He began to turn his back to the horizon and walk towards the beach, then instinctively looking up at one of the black stone cliffs he could see, 3 human looking figures, the only thing he could tell was the color of the clothes they were wearing, one dressed in bright red, the other in navy blue and white, and the last one in grey.

?????: Who the hell are you?

Sebastian: Me? I told you. I'm just a humble doctor. May our paths cross again hunter.

And at the end of his sentence, he was blinded by a white light. Then complete darkness.

--------------------

He finally felt back in his room. Sitting in this so comfortable armchair. His eyelids heavily closed. That smell of burning. Wait, what? Noticing the smell of burning Sebastian's eyes immediately reflexively opened and the possibility of danger woke him up completely. His senses now awake he felt the temperature rise a few degrees in the room and as he looked toward the door he thought he saw a few wisps of smoke coming through.

Sebastian let out an insult in Russian from his lips for not having a moment's rest and then he got up quickly and broke down the door to find himself in a corridor full of smoke, he coughed slightly because of the smoke and his fears were confirmed when he caught sight of flames at the end of the corridor...

Sebastian: FIRE!

He started to run towards the stairs which were fortunately opposite to where the fire was likely to be, but just before he went down Sebastian's consciousness lit up, and he decided to turn left towards Pramanix and Cliffheart's rooms as the flames were slowly gaining ground behind him, the mansion was old, mostly made of wood and lacked firefighting systems so the only thing to do was evacuate and call for help. He arrived in front of Pramanix's room and knocked on the door, close to breaking it down as well, but holding back so as not to break into the room on principle, and he did the same for his sister's room, which also had a nameplate on the door. Less than ten seconds later the two doors opened and the two young women were visibly still numb from sleep, but when they caught the smoke in their eyes and nostrils and heard the crackling of the fire, their instincts shattered all fatigue.

Cliffheart: What the hell is going on?

Sebasstian: The mansion is on fire!

Matterhorn: Ladies!

The three of them turned to the forte one who had just arrived with panic on his face. Pramanix ran into her room and before Sebastian had time to wonder what she was doing she returned with a bell in her hands, the same one he had seen her with earlier in the day.

Matterhorn: Let's go now!

As he finished his sentence the ceiling began to crack, Sebastian thinking quickly grabbed the two young women and pushed them down the hallway towards the butler before collapsing dropping flaming wooden beams into the hallway separating Sebastian from the other three inhabitants of the mansion.

Pramanix: Sebastian!

Sebastian: I'm fine! Go on without me I'll go somewhere else!

Pramanix: No-

Matterhorn: Madam let's leave before it's too late!

The forte man grabbed the hand of the two felines before running towards the stairs, descending the steps four by four, facing more and more smoke like a vicious danger that penetrated their lungs making them feel that they were starting to lose their lung capacity, coughing more and more, their eyes crying because of the acridity, After a few seconds of avoiding the flames, the three of them arrived at the entrance hall at the same time as Silverash himself and Amiya and Kal'tsit, all three of them coughing as well, the tall feline opened the entrance door wide, letting all of them finally get outside and breathe fresh air. Most of them tried to hang on to what they could to catch their breath or some of them fell down to the ground. All of them were trying to get the adrenaline down from waking up in the middle of a fire in the middle of the night.

Amiya raised her head feeling as if a part of her was missing, she looked left and right and Kal'tsit formulated the concerns of the cautus.

Kal'tsit: Where is the doctor?

Indeed Sebastian was not there, Silverash and Courier looked around to see the giant but without effect.

Pramanix: He was with us, we got separated... *cough* *cough* He said he would join us... *cough*

Amiya: But why did you leave him!

The feline was startled by the hostility of the brunette who clenched her teeth in front of her, while Pramanix could have sworn that the girl in front of her was going to jump at her throat. But quickly she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she stopped hearing the heavy breathing of her sister right next to her, she turned to Cliffheart and her eyes went wide. Right in front of her sister was a man, ursus, unshaven and with a long brown cloak on his back who was pointing a short sword between her sister's eyes.

Assassin 1: To have you so easily... All unarmed, maybe we didn't need to form a group to attack you...

Silverash: Leave my sister alone!

The feline would have already cut the man in half if he had his weapon, but it wasn't going to stop him from defending his family with his bare hands. He was about to get up and run towards the assailant but heard something to his left.

Assassin 2: Easy, easy, don't move, big cat!

Another man to his left came out of a bush pointing a crossbow at him. Seeing the situation escalate Kal'tsit began to summon Mont3r feeling her back shudder as black dust gathered in his back.

Assassin 3: And don't you dare try your hand at it, cutie...

A dozen other assassins came out of their hiding places, some with ranged weapons, others with swords, daggers, axes and other weapons as well as casters. The feline thought, Amiya or herself would not have time to invoke their arts before they were shot. The situation had just worsened by ten thousand percent while all around them individuals who all looked less commendable than the other were threatening them, none of the assassins' victims being armed.

Assassin 1: Maybe the boss was right to set fire to the nest to get the rats out...

Assassin 3: Remind me again that the contract says that it doesn't matter what happens to them as long as they are dead?

Assassin 2: That's right.

Assassin 3: The girls here are not bad, I like the rabbit.

Assassin 4: Stop that one, she's a kid and those two are infected, you better not touch them.

Assassin 3: Oh yeah, good point...

Assassin 1: But the Silverash sisters are really good, are you guys thinking the same thing as me?

Some of the assassins laughed while most of them had smiles on their lips that did not indicate anything good. As the minds of the Rhodes Island and Kjerag group began to sink into fear, panic and helplessness.

Silverash: You bastard, I'll kill you!

The feline stood up but was thrown to the ground by a crossbow bolt immediately fired into his shoulder causing him to cry out in pain.

Assassin 2: I said easy, big cat.

Assassin 3: Besides, this one is the saintness of Mount Karlan, I'm sure she has never known a man yet.

Her eyes were wide open and in tears amidst the fat laughter of the assassins, her house was in flames, her brother was wounded, the man who was to be the man of her life had disappeared and she was surrounded by men who were going to kill her, her whole world was collapsing around her... Kal'tsit too was panicking feeling the situation slipping out of her control without her being able to take it back, Amiya too was panicking in front of her uncertain destiny and her helplessness but in the shock and fear, her mind filled with a single thought almost like a prayer, while Pramanix breathed in the air for a long time and then she shouted with all her strength

Pramanix: Sebastian help!!!

She screamed, head down, eyes closed as tears rolled down her cheeks waiting for a miracle, her cry heard from dozens of meters away. For once she decided to put her fate in the hands of something other than the heavens.

Assassin 1: Because you think someone will come-

And miracle there was, a sound like an explosion sounded behind Pramanix as flaming wood splinters from the upstairs wall behind them were thrown everywhere as the wall exploded letting out flames with a jump Sebastian's clothes as well as his flaming skin. The latter fell right in front of Pramanix and Cliffheart, taking advantage of his momentum to kick the first assassin in the head. As Sebastian reached the ground, the skull of the first assassin under his shoe, the witnesses of the scene could notice that he had Silverash's cane in his left hand, but the most important thing was the state of Sebastian, while he was pierced by dozens of small splinters of wood, he was also literally burning alive without it seeming to bother him, the injured skin and flesh still seeming to be usable by the doctor.

And finally, the eyes of Pramanix and Amiya filled with hope.

Sebastian: Excuse me, I should have been here earlier. I'm taking matters into my own hands now.

The assassins, trembling to their souls, their criminal instincts allowing them to sense danger, and right in front of them, a mountain of danger had just stood between them and their targets. And they could feel it, without really knowing how to explain it, an unprecedented fear.

Assassin 1: Help me-

Sebastian: Quiet.

*Cronch*

Blood sprayed in all directions as the infamous sound coming from under Sebastian's shoe made anyone who heard it want to vomit, a sound that was like a foretaste of the hell that was a brain and skull crushed under a boot. The assassins were terrified by the violence, and the fact that Sebastian's facial expression was as cold as the temperature around them.

Sebastian: You're up against the wall and i am the fucking wall.

He threw the cane he had in his hand at the feet of the feline who recognized it as his weapon.

He started to walk but hardly had he made half an inch of advance that one of the rare casters raised his wand because of the instinctive fear. And this was a huge mistake for him, as he had not even begun to conjure his arts a shot rang out and he fell to the ground with a gaping hole between his eyes. Then a series of shots pierced the air as 44 magnum bullets pierced the skulls of the assassins who could fight from a distance eliminating all crossbowmen, archers and casters with such speed that the assassins did not have time to retaliate. Those who could attack from a distance being eliminated, those behind Sebastian finally took their courage in both hands, starting with Silverash who seemed to have healed his wound and this one took his cane and with a movement as lively as graceful took out the sword starting to conjure his arts around the blade he whistled creating a piercing sound in the air that the other members of the Silverash family recognized then to answer the call of his master a hawk landed on the shoulder of the feline this last one putting himself on guard ready to fight. And he was far from being the only one, for at his side the young cautus, emboldened by Sebastian's presence, prepared her arts, a black diamond rising in her back as the black matter concentrated in threads around her hands, making her feel the originium crystals quivering in her body, a pain that was no longer unpleasant as it had become so familiar. Kal'tsit did the same, the crystal dust condensing to slowly reform the terrifying green and black creature that was Mont3r at her back.

Rising several feet and letting out an almost mechanical roar Mont3r cast his glowing eyes upon the poor victims that had stood against Rhodes Island. And the doctor when he, while some expected him to reload his sidearm or pick up the melee weapon of one of the henchmen lying on the ground, or draw his combat knife, merely raised his fists, taking a barehanded fighting stance, hopping on his feet remaining mobile to dodge just in case. Seeing that their targets had recovered from the surprise effect and were ready to fight, the thirty or so assassins who remained pulled themselves together, ignoring the death of their comrades, to try to cover the ten meters that separated them from their targets. 

Kal'tsit pointed at the group in front of her, signaling the monster at her back to attack, which it did, the creature throwing itself into the fray, the sort of paws it had at the front serving to tear apart the few unfortunate ones who were unlucky enough to be in Mont3r's path, Amiya and her destructive arts demolishing the enemy ranks to such an extent that a good part of the assassins had been eliminated by the two women in a few seconds, far from leaving them to fight alone the doctor threw himself into the fray. One of the assassins tried to stab him with his dagger but the emerald-eyed giant dodged with a simple side step, showing a disconcerting ease, then he grabbed the wrist that held the weapon and gave a knee blow in the tense elbow completely breaking the arm, the bone coming out of the flesh with enough speed that the assassin didn't have the time to move but on the other hand his cry of pain echoed well in the cold air of the night Dropping his dagger, Sebastian caught it in mid-air and stabbed it into the assassin's skull, cutting off his scream and killing him instantly. The action took place in a fraction of a second and the other assassins who were less than a meter away barely had time to move when Sebastian slit the throat of another assassin who was to his left and then as a mace descended on his skull politely from one of the assassins, he dodged it once again making a leap backwards, and threw the dagger he had recovered obliterating the skull of the assassin with the mace. Then he leapt backwards out of the immediate attack zone of the assassins dodging a myriad of attacks, the assassins injuring each other because of their clumsiness in trying to hit the doctor. This last one dashing again in the melee, moving so fast that it had become difficult to follow him with the eyes. Plexus of the right fist, throat of the left fist, between the two eyes of the right fist. That was the order of each of his strikes. Gritting his teeth he struck in the same way a dozen of the assassins killing each of them with his combo, at such a speed that it was terrifying. For when he finished attacking the last of his series of enemies, the first one he had attacked with his fists fell down, dead, then the others did the same in the order in which Sebastian had attacked them. And just like that. In exactly four seconds, the doctor killed a dozen professional assassins. Without even being touched. Then he made a leap backwards, coming back well outside the action zone of his enemies, whose numbers had once again been reduced by half.

He raised his fists ready to fight once more in front of the group of enemies that had been considerably reduced by Rhodes Island's fighting skills in a matter of seconds making the doctor's efforts seem almost futile in comparison, although where the doctor shone the brightest was not in fighting large numbers of weak enemies but rather the other way around. The doctor once again got into a fighting stance with his fists raised ready to kill. Then all of a sudden the group of assassins was reduced to nothing by Mont3r who charged into their ranks tearing them apart in a single charge, leaving only one of the assassins alive who turned terrified to what remained of his colleagues before falling to his knees. Sebastian turned his head in dismay to Kal'tsit who looked him in the eye with crossed arms and raised an eyebrow. The emerald-eyed giant dropped his arms to his sides and sighed, and began to approach the last assassin who was on his knees begging for his life and crying amidst the corpses, Silverash doing the same having some questions to ask.

Sebastian: You have to take all the fun out of my day Kal.

Kal'tsit: If I didn't know the results in advance, I would have asked you to take a psychological test after what you just said...

The feline began to let Mont3r disappear, letting out a shrill cry once more.

Assassin: Please I'll-

*slap*

The doctor began his interrogation by putting a huge slap to the assassin breaking his nose on the spot as well as certainly cracking his skull by the only force of the backhand of his hand, then he grabbed him by the collar of his cloak and looked him in the eyes, and his tone of voice calmly reflecting however a certain animosity he started to speak.

Sebastian: Why did you try to attack us?

Assassin: I was hired to kill the Silverash! Since we were so busy with the contract, we decided to attack several people at night and set the mansion on fire! We didn't know you would be there, but who are you anyway?! AAAAAAGHHK!!!

He let out a cry of pain at the end of his question as a crack was heard, the work of Sebastian who had just broken his finger without flinching.

Sebastian: I'm the one asking the questions. Who hired you?

Assassin: Kapoor! Gulshan Kapoor!

SIlverash: Kapoor? That bastard tries to kill my family right after he tries to buy my company?! I swear I will kill him-

*crac*

Assassin: AAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHK !!!!!

Sebastian: there's no point in lying to me because I know it when you lie. So who hired you?

Assassin: But it's Kapoor I tell you!

*crac*

One more broken finger, and one more cry of pain went up in the air under the cold eyes of the doctor.

Sebastian: When I have more fingers to break, I'll take care of your neck. So I advise you to tell me the truth and stop protecting your real employer.

Assassin: Okay, okay! We never met him face to face, he's a rich guy who calls himself la vulpe nera.

Sebastian: La vulpe nera... that's Siracusian for black fox, does that mean anything to you?

he asked, turning to Silverash.

Silverash: There is an ex-mafia godfather from Siracusa who has settled in Kjerag, a vulpo with coal black fur, it might fit.

Sebastian: Are you sure?

Silverash: That's all I can think of.

Sebastian: You won't be safe while you're in Kjerag if he stays alive.

Silverash: At least Ensia will be safe in Rhodes.

Assassin: Are you kidding me? You won't be able to leave the country, Vulpe has men everywhere!

Sebastian: Not if he's dead. Well, we have enough information. Well, it wasn't that complicated, was it?

He said while looking at the assassin he had just tortured with a smile and while giving him a small slap on the cheek to humiliate him a little more. He stood up and turned his back to the assassin, the latter having his mind broken, took out a knife from under his cloak and stabbed Sebastian in the back, making the others present at the scene widen their eyes and not be able to act in time to help the doctor, while time seemed to slow down, Amiya and Kal'tist shouted at the doctor to turn around but it was already too late, the assassin's blade planting itself on the side of the giant's neck, the only part being accessible due to his size, the steel weapon sinking to the guard under his skin letting a trickle of blood fall down his neck. And suddenly, at such a speed that it was impossible to see, Sebastian was now facing the assassin who after a second fell to the ground, his own head rolling on the snow at his feet, leaving a trail of blood. Anyone could have wondered what had happened, but not when they saw the side of the doctor's hand dripping with blood, but not from his wounds. It was then that those who had just seen what had happened realized that Sebastian had decapitated him with his hand. Then the realization hit Silverash, Sebastian was powerful. Extremely powerful. He had shattered a wall dozens of centimeters thick just by running through it, caused an open fracture with a single knee strike, shattered a skull on the ground as easily as one would crush an insect, and was able to slice someone's head off with his bare hand. This man was a monster, not only for the strength he had but also for the fact that he seemed unaffected by fatal injuries. The feline whose face was sweating shock inside him had his eyes riveted on the knife that Sebastian still had stuck in the back of his neck, earning a questioning look from the doctor who began to advance towards the girls who were a few meters behind them.

Sebastian: Anya, Ensia are you okay?

He said his voice tinged with concern getting as answer a nod from the young women who were too shocked to see him so injured but still alive to articulate properly. Then the giant sat down on the ground, breathing heavily from exhaustion as Amiya and Kal'tsit ran to their colleague. The cautus kneeling next to him in the snow seemed to be trying to see every wound he had, Kal'tsit doing the same but seeming to dwell more on his neck wound.

Amiya: oh my god you are bleeding so much, Doktah please hold on...

The poor young Cautus was on the verge of a panic attack, but was calmed when a strangely reassuring hand came to rest on her head and began to ruffle her hairs, a smile on the doctor's lips.

Sebastian- Don't worry Amiya, Rhodes Island still needs my dirty face right? So I'm not going to let myself die now.

That smile, that damn smile. The one that had the ability to turn hearts upside down or comfort the worst traumas. Making Pramanix, Cliffheart and Amiya blush, driving the residual fear and panic from their minds.

Sebastian: Kal, do you have any cholrophyte?

Kal'tsit: Wait, don't move! The blade could be grazing the carotid or spinal nerves or even the vertebraes.

Sebastian: I would be dead already if that was the case.

He grabbed the handle of the weapon and pulled the object off his neck with a sharp tug, sending a spray of blood onto the snow that melted from the sudden heat. Kal'tsit's mouth hung open in surprise to see him do this without the slightest hint of hesitation or pain, then quickly reached into her pockets and pulled out a glass test tube containing a liquid the same green color as her eyes, she shook it lightly the viscous liquid inside seemed to react to the movement, the vial glowing with a faint glow the same color as the liquid. Then she removed the cap of the vial and began to quickly pour the contents of the test tube over Sebastian's head. The liquid flowed along his wounds, the one at the back of his neck and the others caused by his crossing of the wall, burns and cuts because of the splinters of stone and wood. Strangely these same wounds began to shine like the liquid and slowly but surely closed by itself, the skin and the flesh coming closer to finally close, the charred skin resuming its color and its normal aspect after only a few seconds. The cholorphyte. Or more commonly known as the healing vials. Used by Rhodes Island medics who do not use medical arts to heal wounds in battle. A true miracle of Terra's medicine, the effectiveness of a medic without the arts is judged by the power of his cholorphyte. But Kal'tsit frowned, although her healing vials were among the best in the world, they weren't supposed to be that effective, this kind of injury should have taken ten times longer to heal. The giant sighed and ran his hand through his hair, then looked over to Silverash who had already healed his wound with his arts technique, the latter starting to speak. While Matterhorn and Courier were taking care of the Silverash sisters.

Silverash: Now what?

Sebastian: We find a place to hide, and I'm going to kill that black fox, and then we'll see what happens.

Kal'tsit: I'd like to get this thing over with as soon as possible, and I think that if this vulpe nera causes any more of these incidents, we might not be able to get rescued at the last moment.

Amiya: And if we really can't leave the country because of his men then we really need to eliminate him.

Sebastian: No, you find a place to hide, I'll take care of it, the night has been hectic enough for all of you.

He stood up and took off his tie before moving towards the assassin who was carrying a mace, the assassin in question was also wearing a white shirt of the same size which unlike the doctor's was not stained with blood, holes, tears and burns.

Sebastian: Amiya pass me your phone please.

He asked the cautus executing as soon knowing that he did not have a cell phone yet while he was removing the shirt of the dead man while dialing a number and then when he finished typing on the numeric keypad of the device and stealing a corpse he began to undo the buttons of his own shirt while having the phone between his ear and his shoulder.

Sebastian: Yes it's Seb. No, I'm calling you from a friend's mobile. The vulpe nera in Kjerag. Real name, address, everything. I pay you ten times more than the others so tell me... Is it true? Yes. I'll take it too. Only forty? Thank you.

He hung up and gave her phone back to Amiya, then he took off his shirt leaving his back to the other two members of Rhodes Island and the Silverash, then he heard the cautus suddenly gasp in surprise as well as the feline sisters.

Amiya: Doktah... Your back...

He turned his head towards her to see her almost dumbfounded as she looked at his back, it wasn't so much the muscles that seemed to be carved out of marble or the huge tattoo he sported, seemingly representing the eagle from the flag of Ursus but yet with a crown above the two heads of the eagle. But the most astonishing thing was the dozens and dozens of scars that ran across his skin, some older than others but all testifying to great pain.

Sebastian: It's nothing I've had for years judging by their appearance.

He put on the new shirt in a second or two and then put his tie back on ready to go.

Sebastian: Well, I have his real name and I know where he is now.

Kal'tsit: Who did you call?

Sebastian: I have amnesia Kal, if I don't have any way of knowing what's going on in this world then I might as well shoot myself in both feet and have the same effect.

Silverash: Matterhorn, Courier take my sisters to the secondary cabin, doctor I'll go with you.

Sebastian: And you Kal? Donkey?

Amiya: I am not a donkey!

They all looked to her with uncertain faces as to what the chimera was saying. But Kal'tsit didn't forget her protege and ran a hand through her hairs and gave the doctor a cold look.

Kal'tsit: It would be nice if you were a little more sympathetic to our dear rabbit. But yes, as I said, let's finish this business as soon as possible, so I'll go with you.

Amiya: Me too-

Sebastian's fist immediately landed right in front of Amiya's face and she reacted a quarter of a second too late to dodge, the wind created by the force lifting a cloud of snow behind the girl.

Sebastian- We both know you would have dodged it under normal circumstances, but now you need to rest.

She lowered her head knowing that he was right.

Amiya: *sigh* Okay...

Sebastian: Take her to a safe place too.

The feline nodded and motioned for her butlers to accompany the Rhodes Island leader.

Amiya : Good luck doktah.

Pramanix: I pray that the gods are with you.

Sebastian : Don't worry. We can handle it.

He said, tightening the knot in his tie and leading the way as Kal'tsit and Silverash stood by his side once again, all three ready to kill in the cold night of Kjerag.

---- Later... (Not to make 25,000 words...) ----

?????: What the hell?!! I paid you for three months!

Assassin: Sorry sir but someone else paid us all ten times that much to get us away from you.

?????: But how?! I am the biggest fortune in Kjerag!

Assassin: That's not my problem. Goodbye.

The assassin hung up, leaving the man in his fifties amazed that someone could buy the services of his henchmen at a price ten times higher, which must have been in the tens of millions. But he didn't have time to analyze the situation any further when his phone rang again. Moving from the hallway to his office, he picked up the phone, recognizing the number of his banker, and made himself comfortable in his seat, taking advantage of the darkness that the room offered, with the faint glow of dawn coming through the windows of the room.

?????: Mr. Peligrini, what can I do for you?

Banker: What the hell were you thinking?

?????: Peligrini what's wrong with you ?

Banker: What do you mean what's wrong with me? You transferred all your fortunes to hidden accounts without telling me! Not to mention your property deeds!

?????: Wait, I don't understand-

Banker- You don't understand? I'll make it simple for you. All your accounts are emptied! You no longer own anything! You are ruined! I'm writing your name off my bank, Mr. Andolini! And have a nice day!

*beep* *beep*

And the phone was hung up on him. For the second time in a row. He had no more henchmen, no more assets and no more money. Had he really just lost everything...? In a matter of minutes...? He dropped his phone on the floor and put both hands on the side of his head with tears falling from his eyes onto the wood of his desk.

?????: How is this possible...?

Sebastian: Tough day Mr. Aldini. Or should I say Vulpe Nera?

The vulpo almost fell backwards but pulled himself together at the last moment, seeing the two people sitting on two chairs in a dark corner of the room, a giant with emerald eyes and a feline with white fur. The fifty-year-old seemed for a second to be looking for something in a drawer of his desk, but when he heard a piece of metal fall on the floor, he was struck by a loud bang.

Sebastian: Is this what you are looking for?

Vulpe looked down to see a one-handed crossbow fall to the floor. The one he kept in his drawer as a last resort. He fell backwards in terror as he recognized the CEO of Karlan Trade and Warlord of Kjerag, Enciodas Silverash, in front of him. But he did not recognize the other one, although the aura he gave off was just as frightening.

Vulpe: What do you want from me?

Silverash: You sent people to kill my family. And there is no way I can let that go.

Sebastian: As for me, your henchmen attacked my associates and a woman whose safety I promised. And as long as you live, I can't guarantee it.

The feline glanced at his comrade.

Silverash: Well, I'm going to finish.

The patriarch of the Silverash family started to stand up and draw his sword in his cane, but was stopped.

Sebastian: Wait, we had an agreement.

The doctor was the one who had just stopped Silverash from executing the man in the same room as them, and then from one of his pockets he took out a small metal object and held it between two of his fingers. A coin from Kjerag.

Sebastian: Heads or tails Enciodas?

The feline sighed and sat back in his chair.

Silverash: Heads.

The doctor flipped the coin with his thumb in the air, and the coin fell back into the palm of his hand, a smile on his lips. He opened his hand and the two men looked at the result of the coin toss. Sebastian's smile fell apart as it seemed to reappear but this time on Silverash's face.

Silverash: Ah ah ah ah... Looks like it's for me.

Sebastian: I'm a good loser, go ahead.

The feline stood up for good, and drew the concealed blade, the silver of the weapon shining at the slightest light falling on the metal. Terrified by the feline who looked death in the eyes, the vulpo who was already on the ground tried to crawl on his back but found himself literally with his back to a wall of the room.

Vulpe: Did you really just decide to flip a coin to decide my death?! You fucking psychopaths-

He was cut off by the silver blade that was about to pierce his throat but stopped right on the spot, causing a drop of blood to run down his throat.

Sebastian: No, we were deciding which one of us was going to kill you.

The mobster felt his heart stop as he heard these words come out of Sebastian's mouth with the greatest of ease. Silverash took a swing with his arm, his sword reflecting the dawn sun above his head. A second of silence. Then with a movement so fast it was almost invisible, the weapon fell on the skull of the vulpo splitting his bones and spilling blood all over the wall behind him, the fifty-year-old not even having time to scream, his brain already cut in two. With a quick and precise movement of his blade Silverash pulled it out of the corpse of his enemy and removed the blood that ran along the blade to fall to the ground.

Silverash: That was for my family you bastard.

Sebastian: *sigh* Now that it's done we can finally leave.

The giant rose to his full height and almost touched the ceiling with his head and led the way out. The police officers also began to enter the Siracusan's mansion, worrying Silverash because of the murder he had just committed, but to his astonishment, the police officers passed by them in the corridors, letting them pass without even looking at them for some, others just nodding their heads and looking at Sebastian as if to greet him, the giant remaining implacably calm.

Silverash: What's going on?

Sebastian: With good words and a little money you can get anything in this world. You can even have some people blind and deaf to your actions.

Did he bribe the police of Kjerag...? In three hours...? But how powerful was this man's influence among the shadows? Did Rhodes Island really need the kind of person Sebastian was by just being a pharmaceutical company? And what kind of surprise was this man still hiding? So many questions, so many surprises offered to Silverash by what he thought were just business partners, for the medical treatment of a VIP. But obviously Rhodes Island was much more interesting than it was letting on, and this "doctor" was even more interesting. The idea that had been running through his head, knowing that Sebastian had the power to protect his sisters and more, finally developed. He had a proposal for the doctor. A proposal that would affect the fate of his entire family. As they left the mansion, they came across Kal'tsit leaning against a wall, arms crossed, her expression cold as usual, seemingly unimpressed by the dozens of police cars that ignored them. The feline spotted the two men and approached them with her hands in her pockets.

Kal'tsit: Vulpe?

Sebastian: Dead.

Kal'tsit: Good. Mr. Silverash, all we have to do now is sign the contracts and we can finally leave Kjerag with Ensia and finish this whole thing.

Silverash: Dr. Kal'tsit, I have one last request to make to Rhodes Island. Vulpe only had money on his side, my other enemies in Kjerag have much more, and Vulpe has already nearly taken the lives of my sisters and myself. As much as it pains me to admit it, we won't be safe here for a while. But on Rhodes Island we will be safe.

Sebastian: You want the safety in RI?

Silverash: Exactly, for me and Anya. Of course I would provide a lot of financial and tactical support, and I could even show up on the battlefield as a fighter if you want.

It was a half lie, in fact he could probably survive staying in Kjerag with Pramanix but he didn't want to take that kind of risk, besides going to Rhodes Island could allow him to carry out his plan coming with the idea Sebastian had indirectly given him.

Kal'tsit: That sounds like an acceptable deal to me. But are you sure your influence on Kjerag won't suffer?

Silverash: Dr. Kal'tsit, we live in an age of technology. Distance will not be a problem, and I'm sure Ensia will be happy to have us come with her.

Kal'tsit: Doctor?

Sebastian: This is a win-win situation for both parties, I see no reason to refuse.

Silverash: Wonderful, we can go back to the cabin to sign the contracts.

---- Later----

In a small chalet on a nearby mountainside, the morning sun was already up, while in one room four people could be seen signing and exchanging papers. This chalet was where the Silverash and their butlers were, along with the Rhodes Island representatives. Sitting on a couch like in the mansion, Sebastian had Kal'tsit and Amiya next to him and Silverash himself in front of him.

Silverash: All you have to do is sign this agreement, Dr. Sebastian, and we're done.

The doctor took the paper and swept his emerald eyes over it before his brows furrowed in incomprehension.

Sebastian: Wait, Enciodas, this is not a trade agreement...

Silverash: Look doctor, I'm not going to beat around the bush here, I'm asking you personally. I've seen how you treat my sisters and I know what they think of you so I'm going to make one last request. Please doctor, marry my sisters and continue the Silverash bloodline!

...

.....

Sebastian: Chto?

So surprised and distraught, Sebastian was the first to say something in ten seconds and spoke in Russian, his native tongue.

Silverash: This may sound crazy but you heard me right.

...

Kal'tsit/Amiya: Eeeehhhhh?!!!!

He was very serious, it was visible on his face and confirmed when Sebastian listened to the heartbeat of the feline not to hear any trace of lie Sebastian's screaming inside his own mind.

Sebastian: 'But we met less than 24 hours ago and he's already serving me his sisters' asses on a platter but what the fuck is wrong with this guy's mind?!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH'

If one looked at the doctor's face one could see how much he was screaming in his mind. After a few seconds of silence once again the doctor calmed down and looked at the other two Rhodes Island representatives beside him, which turned out to be a monumental mistake. Kal'tsit and Amiya looked at him, their faces far from amused, and the aura they emanated was even more terrifying, so much so that they could have killed the weakest of minds who were subjected to such an oppressive aura, Sebastian did not know if the two women would kill him or Silverash or both. Regaining complete control of his mind the doctor sighed and put the paper and pen in front of him back on the coffee table.

Sebastian: I'll have to decline.

Silverash: I can pay you-

Sebastian: It's not about the money, Mr. Silverash.

He says, cutting Silverash off, a hint of aggression in his voice.

Sebastian: The point is that a marriage is a gesture of love. And that I certainly don't want to marry for money because I would feel that it would go against the very principle of marriage. Don't get me wrong Anya and Ensia are wonderful and beautiful women but I don't feel ready to marry someone I've known for a short time either. So I refuse whatever offer you can make me today or even tomorrow.

The feline gritted his teeth as Kal'tsit and Amiya's auras faded, their spirits slightly calmed by the doctor's words. Then Silverash sighed, accepting defeat. For now.

Silverash: Then I think that will be all. But know that my offer will stand as long as you live.

Sebastian: T-thank you Mr. Silverash.

Kal'tsit: Mr. Silverash, could you give us a minute? I'd like to have a private conversation with my associate.

Amiya: Yes, me too.

The doctor broke out in a sweat and knew that his last hour was approaching as he heard the tone of voice of his two companions who both had big smiles on their lips.

Silverash: Yes of course...

The two representatives of Rhodes Island took Sebastian to another room, where all sorts of threats were made against him, Kal'tsit not failing to illustrate her threats with a banana if he decided to accept the tall feline's offer.

Soon the delegation from Kjerag and Rhodes Island found themselves aboard the osprey bound for Rhodes Island, Silverash having told the rest of his companions of their change in plans, Pramanix and Cliffheart happy to learn that they were going away together as a family, and Pramanix even more so because she would be closer to the man she wanted. The Silverash sisters boarded the aircraft for the first time and were a little worried, but the chatter on board the aircraft replaced their worries with excitement as they discovered their future new home, Even though they were a little disappointed that they couldn't score as many points as they wanted with the doctor, who had fallen asleep during the trip, exhausted by all the events that had taken place and his lack of sleep, having only closed his eyes for two hours recently, even Kal'tsit fell asleep, exhausted.

And after several hours...

Amiya: Doktah...

She didn't even touch him or speak loudly to wake him up, but his eyes opened all of a sudden completely awake just by hearing the donkey's voice addressing him.

Amiya: We are almost there.

By way of thanks the giant only gave her a smile and a caress on the head making the girl blush and shake her animal ears. Then when he looked in front of him to where the Silverash sisters were he saw them yes, but from behind, both of them looking out of the windows of the aircraft into the desert at dark night an oasis of moving light, a miracle of engineering in the middle of the dunes leaving a plume of sand behind. The doctor laughed slightly as he saw the young women's leopard tails wagging excitedly behind their backs.

Sebastian: I almost forgot, this is the first time you've seen a mobile city.

Remaining attracted by the view, the two young women did not look away but both nodded at the same time, making Sebastian laugh once more. Then the plane started its descent waking up the emerald-eyed feline, then after a few seconds of interminable waiting the osprey landed slightly shaking its occupants and the ramp at the back closed letting out all the passengers, the Silverash sisters challenged by the light and sounds of crowds approached an embankment protecting from a void of several tens of meters high, this void led in fact on the central part of Rhodes Island. In fact, most of the time Sebastian Kal'tsit and Amiya were in the upper parts of Rhodes Island, which were reserved for staff, operators and workers, but the lower parts were for patients and civilians. The large pit in the middle of the arch crossed almost all the floors, the windows on each floor allowed to see what was happening on each floor and at the bottom of the pit was a kind of park open to the civilians who liked to spend their free time down there, moving the two young women because it was the first time they saw such a gathering of people, which was in contrast with Kjerag and its rather sparse population. Putting on his best smile, the doctor leaned on the metal railing admiring the wonderful view of Rhodes Island.

Sebastian: Ladies, welcome to Rhodes Island.

His little charm act earned him red cheeks from the young women and a murderous look from Kal'tsit. All this little world finishing to admire the arch during the night returned in the corridors of Rhodes Island Amiya wishing to show their quarters to the members of the delegation of Kjerag, the two doctors found themselves both in the corridors of the mining cruiser arriving at an intersection the feline decided to speak.

Kal'tsit: Are you going somewhere?

Sebastian: Yes, this is where I'm leaving you for today, considering the time it is, we have to wait for me at the honey moon.

Kal'tsit: See you tomorrow doc-

The few hairs on the back of Sebastian's neck bristled sensing imminent danger as all his other senses failed to warn him of anything usual, in a quarter of a second the doctor ducked down dodging a knife wound a hair's breadth away from scalping his skull. Seeing a flash of red in his peripheral vision the doctor leapt backwards to get out of the immediate attack zone of whoever was attacking him, his two feet touching the ground after his leap he saw more knives piercing the air aimed for his skull. He caught them all, as he had done with the assassin's earlier in the day, one between each of his fingers. He took the time to look at his opponent, a gray-haired lupo dressed in a red parka and equipped with several knives. But the most terrifying thing was how much she made Sebastian's instincts completely crazy, and not only those related to fighting, but they evaluated the young lupo for more dangerous than his brain evaluated her.

Sebastian didn't try to understand, he drew his handgun and pointed it at the young woman's head and probably would have fired immediately if it wasn't for a familiar voice stopping him.

Kal'tsit: Red stop!

Just as quickly, like a machine, the lupo put away her knives and abandoned her fighting stance, surprising Sebastian who was guarding his gun pointed at the lupo's head.

Red: Doctor Kal'tsit.

Her voice was cold, almost emotionless, as was her face, which seemed a pity because her beauty was not accentuated by emotions. Like a work of art frozen in time. Seeing that the lupo recognized and obeyed his colleague, Sebastian put his gun back in his holster.

Kal'tsit: Red, don't attack this man.

The young woman asked as she tilted her head to the side, going from looking like a threat to looking adorable.

Kal'tsit: He is very important to everyone on Rhodes Island. So we must not attack him.

Red: But he smells like a wolf. He is a wolf.

Not understanding what the girl said, the doctor raised an eyebrow.

Kal'tsit: No Red, the doctor is not, he's nice.

Sebastian: Projekt Red is it? I hadn't read your file yet, nice to meet you.

He said as he extended his hand towards the young woman.

Kal'tsit was about to stop Sebastian from reaching out to her knowing what usually happened to what came too close.

The lupo looked at his hand for a second, moved her head closer, seemed to smell it with her nose and then rubbed her head against the doctor's hand, making slight noises of satisfaction, unlike what one would expect Sebastian was not surprised but instead continued to rub the lupo's head with his hand lightly brushing her ears giving more and more noises of satisfaction from the young woman. Maybe his touch really did have some virtues. Kal'tsit was as surprised as when Silverash had wanted to make his "deal" with Sebastian, her mouth almost hanging to the ground. In front of her, Projekt red, the lupo who inspired an instinctive terror in almost everyone, who cut in two everything that approached her within a meter alive or not, a renowned and merciless assassin, was begging for caresses, like a dog that would have been abandoned after a day's work and all this with a person she had just met less than a minute ago. The doctor could count himself very lucky.

----Later----

Shaking his hands to get all the wolf hair off the skin of his hands, Sebastian sighed. The young woman had a wonderful fur and once again he had gotten carried away, having narrowly escaped the polite death of Kal'tsit not appreciating the projekt red moaning with pleasure under Sebastian's hands as he enjoyed the fur on the young woman's tail and ears.

He went to open the door of the honey moon and at the moment of turning the handle recognized two familiar voices which made him smile, then he turned the handle of door of the bar, the bell above the door rang announcing the person who had just returned. Sitting at the bar he recognized Nearl and Nightingale both of whom were somewhat regulars at the place, both turning to the door to smile as they too saw the doctor enter the bar and head behind the counter.

Nightingale: Doctor.

Nearl: Seb!

The two young women said enthusiastically, making Sebastian chuckle slightly as he was already behind the counter getting out drinks and a bottle of alcohol.

Sebastian: Liz, Margaret, after all that happened you don't know how good it is to see you.

Within two seconds he had instinctively prepared Nightingale's favorite cocktail, which she accepted with a gentle smile, and then the doctor grabbed a bottle of Kazimierz vodka and two small drinks for himself and the kuranta.

Nearl: that bad?

she asked, raising an eyebrow as the doctor sat down on a stool he kept behind the counter.

Sebastian: Yes. That bad.

He filled both their glasses and sighed, both fighters toasting and raising their glasses to their lips.

Sebastian: What do I start with, the fact that I almost got married or that I'm wearing the shirt of a guy I killed?

He looked Nearl in the eye with a serious look on his face as Nightingale nearly spit her drink out of her nose in surprise.

Nearl: Why don't you start at the beginning...

Sebastian: Well...

---- Later----

And after several hours and one drink after another Sebastian had just left the bar where he had stayed until late in the night with the kuranta, Nightingale having left much earlier than the other two. He had enjoyed the time they had spent together, both having extremely different behaviors as soon as alcohol started to interfere in their systems, both being much more at ease and honest, Nearl not hesitating to make humor or to laugh contrary to usual where her behavior was much calmer and wiser, while Sebastian became infinitely more calm, talkative and emotional, not hesitating to listen to the stories or the little misfortunes of the operators and even became a little flirtatious making the kuranta blush with embarrassment every time, each of his attempts to charm being like a successful sword attack during one of their morning training sessions. The knight of Kazimierz not being very experienced in this subject she did not have much resistance to the assaults of the doctor.

And now he had just returned to his quarters exhausted after such a long chapter and such a long day, he quickly undressed and went up to his room and threw himself into his bed with a last sigh of fatigue. All his senses were shutting down one after the other without any knowledge of the thing that had just slipped into his bed discreetly when he was already completely asleep. And if Sebastian was already tired of his journey in Terra, he was far, far from being at the end of his sorrows.

-----------------------------------

????- You are going to get out, you are going to get out, you are going to get out, you are going to get out...

Insatiably the young woman repeated the same words to convince herself that her destiny was finally going to be for the better. Her long white hair scattered on the ground, tears running down her cheeks, as she was rolled in a ball on an old wooden floor completely broken by the cataclysm that had fallen there is what seemed to be an eternity so much time was slowed down by the suffering. She wiped all her tears from her eyes and pulled herself together when she heard someone approaching the room where she was, then the door was opened, the figure that had just entered the room familiar to the young woman who had just entered the room.

????- Natalya the distress message has just been sent.

????- Thank God... Please someone come to our rescue...

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I don't know if ya'll saw what happened with Platinium VA but that's a fucking shame. Let's just pray for the best from now on.