Sophie and Scylla made their way outside, ascending the steps, in a much more vocal way than they had descended. Scylla's ranting left Sophie looking at her like a time bomb ticking down to the seconds.

"Scylla, what's up?" Sophie asked, increasingly desperate to defuse the situation.

"That damn Bluecap!"

"Mine, or the other one?"

"Both! Your one is a sociopath who literally just said he would rather have his father's power than the man himself. The other one just said he kept my people around like pets to extend his own life."

"Scylla, like you just said to them, make sure everything is on the table."

"Right, fine. It's clear that Bluecap only prolonged his life to meet his kid, but he was just going to let that go unspoken. Not only that, but he watched that kid being tortured in the orphanage and did nothing? Sociopathic father like sociopathic son I guess."

"What else? You're leaving something out still."

"He's ending his father's life for the faction. I don't think Carl would like that."

"So tell him. You're right, Carl wouldn't like it, I don't think he'd stop it though. Carl cares about family more than anything, if this is the natural shape of Bluecap familial ties, Carl wouldn't stop it."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I told him to at least make sure they've aired everything out. Still, it sucks, I hate the fact that there are people who exist just because the immortals wanted to deal with us. None of it sits right with me and it sounds like Gillian is another tool."

"Right, so you're worried about him..." Sophie moved closer and bumped into Scylla gently. "...For what it's worth, at least he's the most well rounded one of the bunch."

"You're right, I did... I think that Gillian stole my burden though. I think I was supposed to be the lycan, I am a favoured of Lycaon. Is there a chance that I was the one meant to be dealing with this?"

"Maybe, you know who would know, don't you?" Scylla did know who she meant and hated the idea of calling him, but she also wanted to know.

As they reached the top Scylla took a deep breath and called to him, unsure if he would even hear after their link was severed, but the portal crackled open a moment later.

"Scylla, I am surprised to receive your summons, how may I help you?"

"Wow, you really are a pup now, does Illerion scare you that much?"

"Does the elven god who flayed a thousand demons, a thousand dragons and a thousand vampires scare me? Yes she does, don't let that sweet face of hers deceive you Scylla. She is easily slighted and returns any transgression a thousand fold."

Sophie and Scylla found it hard to imagine that fair little thing doing what Lycaon had described, but no one would argue that as powerful as she was, it was strange how nervous they had all gotten in her presence.

"Right, understood. Now, tell me, was I supposed to be a comp-" Before she could finish Lycaon grabbed her and silenced her, then with a growl, asked Illerion for help, who was so intrigued she couldn't resist.

"Why hello little ones, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."

"My favourite pup, wishes for a private conversation, in exchange for the deatails will you blot out their senses?"

Illerion wolf-whistled and chuckled, then looked down, then back to Lycaon. "Why didn't you just ask the one down there, he seems very competent at going unnoticed an-"

"No, please don't interrupt them. It is a son getting to know his father and tied to this topic." Sophie interrupted, moving to block the descent.

"Calm yourself little girl, I won't interrupt, I can overhear perfectly well from here. Fine, I sense an interesting tale and secrets relating to my new favourite human." With not so much as a gesture or look, she erected a sensory blocking barrier more powerful than any they had seen the others use.

"Now Scylla, I can only imagine you were about to ask if you were meant to be a companion. The answer is yes and no."

"What does that mean?"

"Ishtar asked another of us to make a companion for someone, I overheard and regretted it immediately. She asked Remus to make sure that his line was deeply involved in human society and if they ever encountered the hero to make him aware."

"Remus was killed four hundred years ago though."

"Exactly. I won't lie, we never got along, but I respected him. When I heard of the human with a plus, I granted my blessing and set you on a path that you could fulfill the promise of the Remus clan, so he might rest in peace."

"So you're the one who encouraged my dad to pick Gillian."

"No. I did ask him to, but he told me he had already picked the boy. He was a prodigy, strong, intelligent and loyal to a fault. Sometimes the brat reminds me of Remus himself."

"You should have told me!"

"I should have done no such thing girl. I had absolutely no part in events beyond blessing you, fate had already picked the correct path for you."

"For what it's worth little Scylla, I can tell you for a fact he isn't lying. What I want to know though, is why would Ishtar set all this up? Why a lycan of all things as a companion?"

"If I had to guess, she done it as an aggressive influence. No one would ever imagine that the lycan in question would be the most pacifistic lycan in history, in fact from what I've heard, the hero is the only one he's raised his claws against."

Scylla suddenly grew very embarrassed. "Well, yes, he is wonderful and talented but he is also an idiot. Why did you test us when you arrived at the beach?"

"Because you ignorant pup, you needed me to. You think I haven't seen how uneasy they all make you? Did seeing Carl rip out my divinity and make a fool of me on your behalf not help you put those concerns to rest?"

Scylla felt a little bad, she had never been a fan of him, but she couldn't help but feel that she had done him an injustice. Finding out that he had been doing his best to push her towards accepting the faction and even sacrificed his dignity to that end was a shock.

She was about to apologise, when Illerion started cackling and Lycaon's head darted to the floor.

"Oh wow! An ascension, should we let it run rampant or go and contain it?"

"Do you wish to risk Gilgamesh seeing?"

"Oh fine, I guess we're containing it.

---Gillian---

He found himself in the ruins of the once disgustingly overwhelming city. "Hard to believe that this is the same place Lillim showed us. If I'm not mistaken, this is the place where that damn bell tower stood.

It was now nothing but a stone square marking where the tower had stone and in the middle, a giant bell in the middle of the the square, severely damaged but actually still recognisable.

"So this is Big Ben? I think that's what Lillim called it..."

"Well, Well, Well, Big-Ben, is it? Been a long time since I heard anyone use that name, most of old London proper's long forgotten."

Gillian turned around to look the speaker in the eye and found himself face to face with some kind of apparition. "Sorry, have I disturbed your rest?"

"Ha! I haven't known rest in my entire existence, the name's Jack, now what brings you all the way to jolly ol' London?"

"Jolly? What exactly is jolly about this place?"

"Hey, now! Talk 'bout a man's 'ome with a little respect."

"Oh right, sorry."

"Hahahaha! Come on, son, I was only yankin' yer chain."

"Oh, right, okay."

"My word, you ain't no fun at all, are yer?"

"Sorry, I don't think I should stay, something feels off and I get the feeling that Lillim will kill me if I don't trust my instincts."

"Hahahahaha! You ain't goin anywhere lil' pup. I was going to have a nice little chat with you first, but if you want to bring up that bitch every other sentence."

"There it is again, sorry, but can you not call my best-bud's grandma a bitch? I knew it was off when you showed up only after I mentioned her."

"So then, you're the grand whore's grandson's friend are yer? Well, well, well. If you're about, where's the little nipper at?"

"Don't even try it, Ja-" As Gillian was about to speak, his arm was almost cut off.

"You are entirely out classed me old mucker, be a good lil pup and tell me where the nipper's at, you ain't no whore but I'll cut you all the same."

Lillim suddenly appeared next to Gillian and looked utterly fed-up. "Did I waste all my efforts in making sure you could fight?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.