Colin's posts

It was then that Ash suddenly seemed to get an idea.

"That's IT!" he exclaimed.

"Yes! That's PERFECT!" he said further.

He then looked around, almost like he was checking to make sure there wasn't anyone around. However, he still leaned in and whispered something in Zeria's ear.

"So yeah." he said.

"Because of what I am, and the... position I hold... that should be the perfect place for you." he reasoned.

"As long as you stay there, you'll be safe, yeah?" he asked, seeking confirmation from her.

"...." Ash was silent as he heard this.

"Ohhhh damn it all to hell." he cursed.

"Of COURSE she would find a way to corrupt the bonds between mage and familiar." he snarled.

"And your deaths aren't helping...?" he then asked her. "That's... not good." he said.

"Damn it, there has to be SOME way to stop this." he muttered.

"Isn't there ANYTHING that can get you free of that bitch's control?" he asked her.

"Ah..." Ash muttered, before narrowing his eyes.

"Encrae!?" he exclaimed.

"What is that b-" he started to ask, before stopping and shaking his head.

"Kitt?" he asked.

"I... I haven't seen her in... uh..." he stammered, thinking about it. "...maybe about 2 or 3 weeks...?" he said further, before he paused again, some realisation dawning on him.

"...why? What's going on...?" he asked her.

The man looked over towards her, and was silent for a moment, raising his eyebrow.

"...Zeria...?" he mumbled, before patting the creature on the head.

"Stay." he told it.

He then stepped away, and started to make his way closer towards the woman.

"Zeria!" he called to her.

"What's wrong!?" he asked, before pausing when he got close enough to talk normally.

"...what IS wrong...?" he asked her, but with slightly different inflexion to his tone.

As she flew, an individual was on the ground, sniffing at the air, and the soil. He then raised his head and looked like he was listening to... something... even though the area was silent.

"....." he remained silent as well, before his head darted in a particular direction, and he sprinted off in said direction, stopping only when he reached a small clearing. He then looked through the trees and foliage, seeing what looked to be a manticore-like being laying there. Though it was only a manticore in the sense that it had a large scorpion tail, and a feline-like head.

'...what genius thought that something like THIS was a house pet?' he thought. The creature was a little larger than a great dane, but it was known for having a feral attitude, and being practically untrainable.

It seemed that some rich mage with more money than brains decided to illegally import the creature for an exotic pet, and it escaped, unsurprisingly. The mage had been arrested, and his guild tasked with finding the animal and returning it to its natural habitat. He in specific had been given this hunt.

So he waited for another moment, before launching himself at the thing, landing on its back and having a wrestling match with it. Sure enough, the creature's scorpion-like tail flailed about and jabbed into the man a few times, but he only seemed to react to the first one, and even then, it was only a wince. The two of them wrestled and tumbled for about a minute or so, before the man managed to pin it, causing it to relax slightly in defeat and resignation.

"There you go!" he said, before patting it gently, which caused the creature to relax even MORE, but this time it was far calmer.

He had a way with animals.

"Relax, we'll get ya back home in no time, fella." the man assured the creature further.

"All right, all right." Zeke responded.

"Tonight." he said.

Uriel just smirked.

"Well, I'm off." he told them.

"Thanks." Zeke said to him. "To all of you, and to Mom, for helping me see that Talon really IS my familiar." he commented.

"Treat it right, son." Uriel responded, before he bid them all goodbye, left the house via the back door, and they felt his mana, meaning he'd left the premises entirely.

Uriel just sighed.

"Talon clawed her a little." he said.

"....what!?" Zeke exclaimed.

"Don't." Uriel cut him off. "Your mother already glared me down for the same reaction." he warned, which clammed Zeke right up.

"And you're welcome." he then said to Angela.

"....okay sure, we'll go to the Irish place." Zeke told Liv.

"Tonight?" he asked her and Angela.

As the clip played, Zeke's expression changed.

It sank lower... and lower... and lower.

By the end, he looked like a dog that had just been scolded by his owner for tearing up something important.

"I..." he stammered, as the TV was turned on.

"Well?" Uriel asked.

"I'm so sorry." Zeke apologised to Angela and Liv. "I... is there anything I can do to make up for this?" he asked them.

Ryker seemed a bit surprised by hearing Eke, but turned around.

"Hey bro." he greeted him.

"You look a lot better." he commented.

"And fish?" he asked.

"Yeah, I can do that." he said.

"There's a maple-glazed salmon recipe I can try out, if you're interested."

Uriel crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh, I believe it." he said.

"Do YOU want to see proof, son?" he asked Zeke.

"..." Zeke was silent for a moment, before sighing.

"I don't WANT to see it, but I feel I should look at it, anyway." he responded.

"So you'll know just how profusely to apologise?" Uriel asked, a hint of scolding in his tone.

"...assuming I HAVE to." Zeke insisted.

The hours passed, and sure enough, the morning came. Aly was still asleep, but Eke heard Ryker milling about. It seemed he was awake and up, and getting things done.

Sure enough, he was.

He'd made his way down to the kitchen, and was thinking for a moment.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"What to make... what to make..." he muttered to himself.

"Would he even be hungry...?" he wondered, thinking about Eke's appetite, and how it was seemingly random these days.

"...." Zeke was silent for a moment.

"Ok, I admitted I snapped at you that ONE time, for no reason." he said.

"I'll confess to THAT." he went on.

"But... angry? At nothing?" he asked. "That seems a bit farfetched." he said further.

"I wasn't THAT bad." he insisted, before pausing.

"....was I...?"

Uriel just smiled.

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see." he told her.

"Anyway, yes, that eagle, Talon is your familiar." he said to Zeke.

"How... but... what's the actual proof?" Zeke asked.

"...two things." Uriel responded.

"One. How old is it? Because it looks like an adult." he told him.

Zeke was silent for a moment, before sighing.

"Okay, fair point, but that doesn't mean it's a familiar." he reasoned.

"Two." Uriel continued. "Would you say you were acting differently while your mother had Talon?" he asked.

"I dunno, I doubt it." Zeke responded with a shrug.

"Oh, I've mentioned Ana in the past, yes?" Uriel then asked.

"You have." Zeke responded. "To all of us. She's fate, essentially." he said.

"No 'essentially' about it. She IS the fate-weaver." Uriel corrected him.

"Anyway, some time ago, she came to me and asked what your favourite kind of animal way." he then told his son. "I didn't think much of it, but I answered. Bugged me for a few weeks until your mother got it out of my head." he continued.

"Guess this is why." he went on. "She was weaving a familiar into your life." he finished.

"But... why? How?" Zeke asked.

Uriel just shrugged.

"Nobody knows how she works." he said.