AN: My heart goes out to the people of Brussels, and those families to grieve. I'm not the praying type, but will keep 'em in my thoughts. I've never had to experience such a loss before, and yes, I can write about it in my stories, but to actually have lived through it all? I'd rather not, if it's all the same.

Although it's a tad too early for a drink, here's to their smooth recovery from the attacks.

Thank you all for reading thus far. If you have a question, comment, or concern, please either let me know down below, or post it in the Q&A post after the epilogues.

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"It's been almost a fortnight since the incident outside the walls of New Wair, and-"

"Forgive me for interrupting, Ageless," spoke out a dark furred feline beastwoman, whose right clawed hand was raised as it stood up. All eyes turned towards herself, a few noting the large pair of mounds jiggling upon her bare chest, "But what happened to Nox? Did he live or die?"

"Indeed," agreed another of the same tribe as she, "What did happen to the hybrid you called 'Son'?"

The kitsune sighed, whilst leaning his back against a nearby wall, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling above. "It is true, I did have a son named Nox at one point in my life, but he died the moment he slew little Lupa. As to the broken shell in the story," he shrugged his shoulders slowly, "Think what you will on the subject at hand. Did he live, or did he die? Use your imagination."

"You killed children," accused the same bright elf who complained before.

"Yes," he replied slowly, "and I've explained why in the beginning. My past self will also continue to do this, until I became an Ageless, and governed this world called Terra."

"But... but why?" Asked another elf, whose skin was as dark as night, and hair of freshly fallen snow.

"Compared to the me of today, my past self was still a child. He was given an immense amount of power, and was told to venture forth as he willed it. The actions caused by himself will continue onwards, even after what happened upon the world called Terra." His voice became quiet, whilst the cup between his paws cracked then shattered into multiple pieces.

"What happened?" All minds and voices hushed after seeing such a display from their otherwise calm and patient Ageless.

"They stole everything from me," the Ageless's own voice, cold and filled with rage, echoed throughout the small room in a hiss. Whereas his eyes glared a baleful crimson, illuminating the whole of the ceiling above their heads.

*****

As I was saying, nearly a fortnight had passed since the incident occurred outside the city of New Wair, or as the people of that time had called it, Necropolis. It was at about this time news of the war between demons, monster, and humans began to trickle in. Our people were winning, as a few of the humans' major fortresses had fallen under our control. Of course, many within the city had been given an explanation as to why this was so, causing several groups to become quite troublesome. These groups desired an end to the war between all races, but after spending some time with myself, they quickly changed their minds.

However, there were still casualties to our side of fighters, and many mourned for their loss. Of which was only added onto our own brand of mourning, as I've come to realise many of the children, not just Lupa, were slain due to Nox and his band of merry creatures. Gone from the halls of the castle were the sounds of children's laughter, as were their merry and frightful squeals, and the pitter patter of their feet. In its place was silence, and the mourning of all.

For you see, my dear audience, the only children remaining were Puella, the kobold pups, and a few of the maids' children. All else were either removed by Nox and his group, or by my hands for siding with himself. This, and this alone, filled me with a madness so great, I had very little control over it and began to rampage throughout the city.

When I came to, I found myself releasing yet another mournful howl upon the heavens. The area about my person was the ruins of the brothel I and many others had raided so many turns of the sun ago. Slowly, my mind calmed down, as my own form became that of a large, black wolf, and trotted through the streets of the city. Later, someone would speak of how their god came down from his throne on high, and rampaged throughout the city below. Of how he destroyed properties, but not lives, and would linger, staring mournfully upon the children before releasing a pain filled wail and returning to his rampage.

Many below believed they, themselves, had wronged their god somehow, and became frantic. However, others from the castle broke the news to them via heralds' proclamation. "Our Lord High God," they began, reading from a scroll of parchment, "Protector of Necropolis, Creator Lord of the Undying, and worshiped by all He sees, has lost many of His children to Nox the Betrayer. For this, and this alone, was the reason for His rampage, and desires to extend His apologies to those who lost their homes due to His wrath. His mages will be arriving soon, to fix what He had destroyed, and declares a month of mourning for all lives, great and small."

Within moments of such a proclamation, they were replaced by dozens of elemental mages. of which began to create great structures that would be used to house many individuals for all time. However, for the complex that was the brothel of "The Mistress", a grand temple of darkened stone stood in its place. This was dedicated towards the worship of my past self, and a mausoleum was hollowed out beneath such a place.

The area below the temple held magically sealed coffins that held the bodies and bones of the deceased children. Towards the end of the mausoleum was a single, small open coffin. In it contained Lupa, of whom I had placed within. My form was that of a kobold, and wore only a crimson vest and trousers upon my body. No tears fell from my eyes, as the coffin's lid was closed, and a portrait of her smiling face was placed in front of it.

Indeed, all other coffins had the smiling faces of their occupants in front of them, and each was visited by my person before the seal was set in place. This was so, for I desired to look upon the faces once more, committing them to memory. Each and every one, to this very day, I have not forgotten, and mourn them all.

Many of the female Undying had gone through a transformation, of sorts, during this funeral. They had become a four armed skeletal version of their feline selves, and were now commanded to stand guard over the temple and mausoleum, barring even gods from entering such a place. In order for them to do this, they each carried a single sword infused with the metals of the blue hilted sword I had taken from the hybrid I called "Son".

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Yes, I had the sword melted down, and my reason for it was because I had no use for it. So, I had taken it upon myself to melt it down, which caused quite the explosion within a nearby smithy. However, the damage was minimal, and from the liquid metal, seven swords were created for seven of the female Undying to wield in defense of the temple proper. Each sword, by the by, did not have any extra markings, nor were they gilded to stand out. Instead, they were crafted to look as plain as a standard iron long sword, but with one major difference. Every blade, from the hilt to the tip, had the names of the deceased children etched into the fuller. So that if time ever eroded their names from the temple's records, they would remain in remembrance upon each sword.

Others from the castle had arrived, but none wept more openly, or greatly, than the little queen and Puella. For they were the very best of friends with each other, and the survivors mourned the loss of their wolf-kin friend. The feline girl-child was accompanied by Simara the she-orc, who was now being called "Mommy" by the girl-child. Yes, she was ecstatic at being a mother, but upset because of her new daughter's depression over the loss of the wolf-kin.

"Is there nothing you can do, My Lord God?" She asked the following morning upon her hands and knees, as I stared out from the door of my cathedral, watching the world's day-star rise slowly above the horizon.

"No," my reply was hollow, and did not rumble or shake the earth as it normally did, "The magicks I hold can only bring back those who have fallen upon Death's door within a single turn of the sun. It cannot grant life to those that have been invited into the home of Death, Herself, for She will not speak of where She has taken their essences for the next part of their journey."

"Then, is there nothing we can do?"

"Mourn the dead, Simara. Mourn for the loss of life, but continue to press forward knowing you are still alive."

"That's not-," she began, to which I turned to her, becoming my kobold self so that she may see the sorrow etched upon my facial features.

"No, it's not enough, and never will be. I mourn them all, Simara, as only a father can. Truly I do, but I must push forward, as should you all." However, the moment I said this, the world had become black, white, and grey.

It was a strange sight to see, but what is more, the she-orc's body was now frozen in time. "Simara?" My voice rumbled with curiosity and concern. Tentatively, I touched her body, and watched as her entire form became dust. "NO," I roared at the scene, trying to keep the rest of her body from become a pile, but to no avail. "The children," my head snapped towards the direction of the little queen's garden, where she, the pups, and Puella were last seen playing with Brutus guarding them all.

Not caring about the cathedral I called home since the beginning, my body transformed back into its skeletal form, and broke through the small opening into it. My person then charged into the castle, passing by several frozen bodies that were slowly becoming a pile of dust. Each and every one, I flitted past, not caring for their persons, until I reached the small garden. However, I came upon a strange sight of the young queen, Puella, and the pups huddling together under a small dome of magick that was being maintained by the Lich.

"My Lord God," he called out the moment his eyes found my person, "I cannot hold this barrier up for much longer," and it was true. The small barrier was being condensed into the small group, as the black, white, and grey colours continued to claim everything within the world.

However, the moment my body reached the midway point between us, the barrier failed, claiming their bodies just as Puella and the pups shouted, "Papa!"

A primal howl escaped my being, one that shook the earth in its entirety, and caused much of the castle to break and fall apart. I had lost the remainder of my children, whose bodies were slowly becoming piles of dust. No, I did not count Silvanna among them, as she was safely tucked away with the dragon-men. I was hollowed out from this experience, and it would be some time before my hearing returned to me, as the words of, "My Lord God," continued to repeat itself within my mind.

"My Lord God?" The voice asked, as my body rocked slowly, whilst my eyes continued to stare upon the piles of dust that were my children. "My Lord God," it spoke again, laced with panic and concern. Slowly, my skull twitched towards the sound that called out for my person, and found the metallic, four-armed skeleton that was Brutus the Lich.

"Brutus?" My voice was a hushed whisper, as my eyes slowly focus upon his body, "Are you truly here?"

"Yes, My Lord God," his own was filled with relief, and sighed at the dust piles that were once the children and queen. "Forgive me, My Lord God. I could not save them." His own head was bowed low, and was about to kneel before my body, but was stopped.

"No. You did what you could, Brutus. Whoever did this to us will die for their actions, but first, we need to-." At that moment, the world's light was gone, and in its place was only darkness.

"My Lord God? What happened to the light of the day-star?" His question would be answered soon enough, but first came the odd, bright red letterings that etched itself before us.

<< GAME OVER>>

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The letterings then snuffed themselves out, leaving the both of us unsure as to what was happening. Whatever this "Tribunal" was, I would make it pay for its crimes again my person, and for stealing away that which was precious to me.

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AN2: Don't be mad. Your hint was at the end of chapter eight. Not my fault if you didn't pay heed.