Taïna looked at the wave of people rushing to the gate. Her dogs were truly useful in this cases. She loved the protocol. It's too bad that she couldn't used it more. She did have to free the inmate who found the targets after all... She was a woman of her words after all.

While she was absentedly osberving their rush, a lieutenant asked her:

???: Where should we send them, Commander?

She pondered for a minute before replying:

Taïna: Gorgaen.

The lieutenant nodded. A soldier near the door received the door and inputted the coordinates. The vortex opened and not long later, the inmates rushed in. Then, there was complete silence as the vortex was closed. The jail was silent. There were no longer any inmates inside.

Taïna: I hope they find him soon~

As she said so, she plunged down into her throne made from a fluffy creature from some random planet she had went to. She had hunted the beast solely because it was fluffy. She had thought that a chair made from it would be nice. And it did. In the end, she didn't regret killing that innocent beast. She wouldn't have regretted it either way though. Remorse wasn't her forte.

Except for this man.

She was supposed to capture him too. Like any other criminal she tracked and hunted down. Yet, this one had something more to him. He got her curious. They had a very exciting and stimulating battle first which was rare too. Then, she managed to cut an arm. But he didn't even seem to feel it or care as he grew one of pure Magic.

That's how she noticed that he had a puppet body too. So, curious, and not in danger from this battle, she decided to talk. She asked him:

Taïna: Are you a master puppeteer too?

Yet, the man laughed at her. And he told her:

Shen: Neither of us are.

She wasn't focusing on puppeting but she did believe that she was quite good enough. At least to the point where she could be considered a Master. After all, she did manage to create herself an undying puppet body and retain her soul. So, she asked him with a bit of anger:

Taïna: Are you questionning my ability?

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Shen: No. I am questionning whether that ability is really yours.

Taïna: What do you mean?

Shen: ...Why are you here, Taïna?

Taïna: To send you to my jail.

Shen: What crime did I commit?

Taïna: Uh? You did... Wait... What did you do again?

That's when he looked at her with a sad smile. He had an expression of pity on his face and you could see it inside his eyes. He pitied her. He pitied the great commander of the space jail... How? Why? What was happening? She couldn't explain it but that look in his eyes captured her heart.

Then, before she could really understand, he said:

Shen: Since I have commited no crimes, I'll leave as an innocent. I wish you the best, Taïna.

And he disappeared. And she did not even grasp how. It was incomprehensible. But more than anything, he got her curious. He got her to feel things she had never felt before. Being pitied on...Did he care about her?

More and more she thought of him. And more and more she wanted to meet him again. The further she thought of him, the further she fell for him. A man who did not look at her with fear but pity and care instead? And he was quite strong too...And quite handsome...

She began to fantasize about him leading the jail at her side. She began to feel 'love' for the first time. Not a twisted love like the one she had for hunting or torture... True romantic feelings were developping out of nowhere inside her. And solely from a look that he gave.

She needed to find him again.

Taïna: I want you...I will find you...

...

A snake humanoid was walking on the scorched lands of a desolate planet. Remnants of Karvus squeletons were here and there, mostly burnt. There were some mechanic devices melt and buildings melt too here and there...

'Wurm: I fought here...'

'Wurm: There was Archbishop Ash and Jail Commander Taïna too... But why did we fight? And together?'

'Wurm: I can't remember who we fought...'

'Wurm: There are only Karvus here...But I have no interests in them? Nor was I hired to kill them?'

'Wurm: Why did I fight here? Who did I fight?'

'Wurm: I need to find answers... Did I really attack the Karvus?'

'Wurm: ... I will get to the bottom of this'

Wurm took out a mechanical device with a screen. On it was a single arrow pointing forward. He followed the direction until he found a door standing there in pristine state. Just like the divens, the doors were indestructible. And they would remain as long as the divens that brought them to creation did.

Wurm activated the door and crossed over the vortex not even looking back. The planet had been destroyed and all lives extinguished but the Divens remained and life would come back someday. It always does. After all, Magic is Life.

He went through the gate and reappeared in a central plaza. All around him were hundreds of Karvus pointing guns at him with many more behind them manipulating canons. There were some airships too. And he noticed a few strong beings around as well.They were easy to spot. They weren't hiding at all. Compared to their dumb brethrens, they did not have red scales but cyan ones. They were the top of the Karvus empire.

One of them walked up and after sizing him, he said:

???: I am Ocearus Karvu. I ask you, Wurm, Legendary mercenary, Patriarch of the Stone-eyed reptilians, what have you come to us for?

Wurm: ...I want an audience with your Emperor.