"We should get away from here as soon as possible!" I shouted.

No way will I fight something like that.

There was just no way I can—

"You must be Rui, how is your kind faring without a God ruling you?"

My eyes widened when that deep and sultry voice laid sweltering footprints in my mind. My eyes shot at the revived God that stood more than twenty feet from the ground and I shivered from its intense and knowing gaze. His six tails swayed in motion and his grin widened.

Were somas born to be that humongous?

"Such a shame that your dear Ta oppressed such potential. Such a waste...Tsk...Tsk."

My breath hitched and I clamped my ears. "Get out of my head..." I seethed through my teeth.

"Hm...so how about it? Why don't I just revive your father-figure? I'm sure you'd be glad to be reunited with him."

"Shut up!" I roared.

Garmir raised his claw up facing the purple skies and electricity began to surge through his visible flesh.

"I will crush my brother's creations and rule this world and the next."

"He is alive," Lucian spoke and stared intently at the ground where Garmir stood.

"I'm pretty sure he's dead. His weakling body couldn't have survived that blast," I scoffed, trying to divert my attention from Garmir invading my thoughts.

The blonde man clucked his tongue and I saw a flash of annoyance in his gaze before it disappeared and left blankness.

"That gizzard-looking skeleton man is in my way..." he deadpanned and raised his arm.

The ground began to shake judging from the sound of the earth tearing from below and metal pierced through Garmir's feet and he was flipped away.

My jaw dropped and I gave Lucian a quick glance. I'll add him to the list of people that I shouldn't anger.

"Skwak must take Lucian away from here," the giant bird murmured like it was his life-long mission to protect the blonde man.

"We must first retrieve Saint."

Skwak turned his head to look at Lucian before swaying his head. "No, Saint told Skwak that Skwak must protect Lucian at all costs. That is what Saint wants. That is what Skwak wants. That is what Sin wants."

Confusion was splattered all over my comprehension.

How did he know about Sin?

"I do not need protection," Lucian stubbornly replied. He raised his gaze at Skwak and his dull eyes were now filled with resolve. "I do not want to be a Prince in a world full of suffering."

Skwak tightened his hold on me.

"Skwak understands. Skwak will follow you wherever you go."

Lightening shot out of the skies and Skwak tossed us away to solely claim the strike of the God. My body was carried safely to the ground by the winds which were most likely Lucian's doing and my eyes directly opened to witness Skwak get electrocuted.

He couldn't have survived that could he?

Garmir stood up with a bored look on his face and I was immediately on my feet yet I froze once his bloodshot eyes darted at me.

The strike of lightning stopped and Skwak's toasted form fell.

"This world is full of weaklings yet..." Garmir trailed his last words before inhaling a hefty amount of air and a menacing grin spread across his face. "Many Gods reside here...and one of them is near..."

His eyes narrowed in bewilderment as if he figured out who this God was. "You...What are you doing in this planet?"

Lucian landed beside my form and was carrying someone on his back who was almost burnt beyond recognition. His body was covered in blisters and burns yet he was alive. I can see him breathing.

Garmir pointed at Lucian. "Aside from all the weaklings here, I find you impressive. How would you like to become my servant?" he asked. His eyes was searching the place for the other God he was referring to. 

"I reject wholeheartedly," Lucian deadpanned.

"Gar-Garmir! Ga-Garmir!"

The old man who led the shepherds crawled out of the debris that crushed half of his body into a mashed tomato paste.

"I am your humble servant. Please my Lord...give me strength!"he begged and reached out towards him.

Garmir let out a hmph and snatched the dying old man from the ground. He bit on his finger and squeezed blood out of the torn skin before shoving a part of his digit into the old man's mouth. Lucian nudged me to move and the winds carried us where Skwak fell. He was lying still with smoke coming out from his body.

"Skwak..." Lucian mumbled and a hint of worry was in his tone of voice.

He bent to wake him and was prepared to drag the giant with us even if he ended up being dead. The blisters on Skwak's body quickly healed and his form was pulled up with some kind of imperceptible force.

"Your Highness!" the adult monkey called out. Ziru was tagging along with him and Kox was nowhere to be found.

"What the heck is that thing?!" Crowley shouted.

"I knew there was something under there!" Ziru exasperatedly screamed before yanking his hair. "I hate it when I'm right."

"Don't worry; it probably happens in one out of a hundred situations in your life," Crowley scoffed.

"Let us hurry. Saint must be treated immediately," Lucian spoke in the most urgent way his tone of voice can get.

"He's going to die. There's no way he can survive!" I pointed out.

Lucian's gaze pierced at me and I didn't deter. Adults and their stupid persistence towards futility, I can never understand them.

"He will live. I will not let him die here," he murmured.

I clenched my fists and ground my teeth. "He's only going to slow us down. Leave him be, he would have wanted that!"

He was already prepared to die. Who would have wanted to live in this world? 

Lucian's eyes lowered in what I assume was some kind of...sadness?

"If it was Buck, would you have left him?"

"Rui..."

My body was enveloped with chills from recognizing that voice. I twirled like a hurricane and felt my heart stop beating for a moment. Bars of wintry metal enclosed around me and my eyes searched frantically for him. Light was completely shut out from this shift of dimension and I could hear the people I was with fighting their own battles.

"Guchork! Run! Get away from him! He will turn you into ashes!" Crowley growled. Exhaustion, pain, and desperation were traced on his tone.

"Papa...papa...don't die. Don't leave me...Take me with you. I don't want to be alone," Ziru whimpered.

My hands slowly grasped the cold bars that detained me and sweat surfaced on my skin. What was this place?

The sound of flesh being chewed noisily emerged from the unknown depths of darkness and I shivered.

Not this again.

Why...why was I back here?

My heart dropped to my stomach when I suddenly became smaller. The darkness started to grow shadows and curves which mimicked the walls of the cave. I was lying down on my side with my eyes watching Ta feast on the dead child he had hunted the other day...

The other day...

"Ru-Rui..." the child suddenly breathed. "He-help me Rui..."

My heart came to life and my body clashed against the metal bars. "Buck...BUCK!" I screamed.

Wha..what was he doing here? Ta and he never met.

"Hi...my-my name is Buck. Where am I? That monster took me from my village. Everyone must be worried sick about me."

I never befriended any of Ta's victims.

I never paid heed to them.

I didn't know any of them.

Right?

"Don't worry. He won't keep you alive for long," I told him. He'd die the moment he bleeds out from the part where my Ta first takes a chomp on.

He could start with his fingers, his toes, or his ears. He would cry out in pain but it wouldn't last long. Children die easily. They would forget this nightmare.

I heard a sniff from him before I saw him smile widely at me.

"I'm really going to die aren't I?" he murmured.

Why were you happy?

I looked away and nodded.

"Yes...you would."

He wiped his tears away and held my hand. "Then will you be my friend and hold me? I...I don't want to be alone."

Why were you here in the first place?

Wait...

I remember each one of my Ta's victims and I never—

No stop it.

This wasn't how we met!

Buck...Buck wasn't one of my Ta's victims.

He wasn't...

"Or so you thought..." Garmir's voice broke through the line of my disgruntlement.

"Foolish child. Everything is just a figment of your imagination. That person that killed your Ta is just the product of your desperation. The light you saw at the brim of freedom is the last straw of your sanity and Buck...Buck is the first friend you had who became your Ta's meal. His presence even after his death is just a dream that you continuously have out of denial and grief."

I shut my eyes tightly and my body was stricken with disbelief and apprehension.

He was lying.

He was lying!

"No...No...That's not true. Buck is still alive. Buck is still alive! Lucian told me so. He told me—"

"Lucian...is that another one of your Ta's tasty meals?"

My eyes snapped open and my knees gave out.

"Poor child, you haven't realized it but you made friends out of every last child that your father ate. They're no longer real. They're long dead. Why do you keep holding on to them?"

Ha...

Haaa...

"You can't fool me. You...I'm not..."

"Let them go Rui. Let them rest. They have served you well..."

Garmir's face appeared outside of my prison and he wrapped his hands around my white knuckles. He was staring at me as if he pitied me.

"Stop holding on to the dead..."

No...

No...

"You're lying!" I gritted out and glared intensely at him.

Garmir smiled at me and rubbed my knuckles with his sharp claw.

"I would never lie to you. Come my child, it's time to hold on to something new. Give me your faith. I will not waste your trust in me."

I grasped the bars even tighter and kept my gaze firmly at him.

I will not deter.

I will not let him manipulate me.

I was strong.

Garmir's smile faded and he lowered his body to level at my face.

"Do not be foolish. I am offering you power. Is it not an honor to serve the Great Garmir, God of Trauma, God of Salvation, God of Ruin, and God of Conquer?"

The temperature dropped and blood bubbled out of the floor. Garmir continued to grow in size and his patience started to run out. I was shaking. I was afraid. I didn't know how long I can last against him or if my mind can withstand his tricks. What if I fall into his trap? What if I get stuck here forever?

What if he was telling the truth?

Did I really get out of my Ta's cave?

"They...they're all dead?" I shakily breathed out. "Was I really stuck here the whole time?"

"It's true. Why would I lie to you?" Garmir asked.

"Bu...Buck is gone?" I barely got out in a whisper.

"He was never with you to begin with..."

I've really...lost it haven't I?

"Give yourself to me and you will no longer suffer, child."

If I obey him, I won't feel this pain anymore.

"Hey, what's your name?"Sin's voice came up in my memories.

"My name is Rui. I...I've seen you fight. Will you help me become strong so that I can help my people's suffering?"

Sin scoffed and waved his hand to shoo me. "Such a kid, if someone offers you power to end pain then it's just a hoax to swindle you into becoming a blind believer. Get out of my sight kid."

"Get out of my sight," I spoke out loudly that took Garmir in a moment of shock.

"I am just a child," I spoke out and felt my body warm up.

Memories of Buck filled my head and I smiled.

Fine, I admit it, it was stupid of me to forget this bond we had Buck. In times like these, the bond that continued to connect us no matter where we were was the only thing I should be holding on to.

"But even I know the difference between reality and nightmare."

Garmir mutated into Ta and started to vehemently shake the cage. But it would seem that I wasn't the only one who didn't fall for his traps.

"Who are you calling fool, baka?" I heard Lucian's voice pop in. "How many times must Iltut be revived? And why must you bring Wye Fye into this? She is an innocent woman with the purest of hearts. Do not trick me for I have not lost my carrots just yet."

"You impotent brats! How dare you oppose a God?!"

I huffed. "God my ass, get out of my head."

Air filled my lungs as I breathed heavily and sat up. Ziru was sitting beside me and the skies gurgled with thunder.

"He's awake!" Ziru cheered.

An excruciating scream of a probably hideous monster caused the ground to tremble. "Now that you're awake, why don't you help us fight those things?"

I looked at where Ziru was referring to and rubbed my eyes in shock. Crowley and the others were engaging in a fight against the leader of the shepherds. Its white eyes were crying out blood and its body had grown out multiple hands. Thick and hairy spider legs grew out of its neck and there were some parts of his body bubbling out boils which explodes into a fleshy amount of blood and a...whole lot of ghastliness.

"Did you shit that thing out?" I blurted out.

"Even my shit is prettier than that thing!" Ziru replied with equal disgust.

More shepherds like him appeared from the trees and our bodies jolted when Lucian slammed against the tree.

"Your Highness, we're outnumbered. We should retreat!" Crowley shouted.

Skwak grabbed Lucian and threw Saint over his shoulder before flying off but the leader of the shepherds shot his slimy tongue out and hurled Lucian back.

"I must say..." Lucian huffed. "You are far more exquisite than Bebe and Wye Fye combined. I fancy your...boils. They bloom like the flowers."

Adults...I can never understand their humor.

Figures wearing black cloaks appeared out of nowhere and began to slash and slay the shepherds surrounding us with their scythes. The leader of the shepherds grunted and scampered away on his fours once Skwak severed his tongue with his claw.

Crowley stormed towards us and grabbed both Ziru and I and Skwak retrieved Lucian before soaring away.

If the reapers were here then Sin was close by.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! HOHOOOO!"

Definitely him.

===========================================================

A/N: Crowley was fighting against Garrison in his dreams.  If you would remember chapters ago during the war, Garrison and Crowley were enemies.