Where while Alter talks things out with his soulma-

*COUGH* *COUGH*

Where while Alter talks things out with Tefra, Geno is almost about to escape, but the enemies are lurking around, once again stopping him from progressing to the mission and all hope seems lost for success.

Almost...

No one's POV:

Alter searched his pockets and pulled out a small paper object. It was wrapping something like a little gummy stick. He looked at it from all sides and sighed dissapointed.

"You don't have to ever use it, you might never use it! But just in case, keep it. You can never know priest. Accept it just for me, I tell ya that it can genuinely help in a time of need."

The tall skeleton lit the one edge of the pipe with the edge of his finger, summoning a tiny flame. The pipe started making smoke. The skeleton brought the little object close to his mouth and seemed to inhale the smoke from it.

readers: Is Alter smoking?!

me: yesh.

readers: NOW we've seen it all.

me: foolish bambini. you've seen nothing yet. just you wait😈

"As much as I don't like it, the pain is already temporarily numbed. And sadly it has a... 'charming' taste. But I won't make a habit out of it." Alter thought and watched calmly as the soldiers were turning around the corner and spotting him. He inhaled one more time smoke.

"THE TALL SKELETON!"

"KILL HIM!" The commander of the team yelled.

"I ain't dying yet mister." The priest managed to stand up without feeling much pain and stomped his foot on the ground loudly, causing many of the human soldiers to fall down by the earthquake he caused.

He grunted quietly, as even with 2 inhales of smoke he still felt the sting travelling to his leg but stayed up. Quickly he looked at his soul. The cracks were 'patched up' by green aura, effects of the cigarette. He focused again on the humans and summoned a long bone in his hands.

"GET HIM!"

"C'mon ya ol' frail body. Endure just for this time." Alter thought and gripped the bone tighter in his hands. He ran towards the soldiers, swinging the bone skillfully and knocking them off their feet. He was holding on very well. The battle didn't last for long however, but it wasn't because Alter or the humans managed to defeat 'their opponent'.

The priest caught a glimpse of a specific monster who had just entered the area.

He almost stopped dead on his tracks, as he looked at her, but still kept fighting any human coming at him.

Alter took one more deep 'sip' from his cigarette, threw it and stomped on it exactly the moment he was pushing back another human soldier with his bone-cane. Then he unsummoned the bone and ran towards Tefra fast. On his way he summoned walls of fire, seperating him from the soldiers.

"You will NOT hurt her again!" Pyros yelled as he saw too the tall skeleton running at the small female with crazy eyesockets.

He ran towards Alter, but the priest responded sharply by making the goat's soul blue and throwing him, kind of gently actually, out of the way. Tefra stood on guard ready to fight 'Guido' again, waiting for him to get close enough. Though deep inside still terrified.

But in front of the Infernal's eyes, the tall skeleton did something unpredictable. Just a few steps away he unsummoned all fires around him, slowed down and fell on one knee. He raised his arms towards Tefra while his palms were facing towards him and lowered his head.

like this:

"GET HIM AWAY FROM THE INFERNAL!" The commander yelled again and all soldiers were ready to attack the poor skeleton.

"Arrest me. Now!" Alter said sharply and looked at the small female monster with an intensive look as his pupils were turned at her and still lowered head.

When a monster was falling on its knees in front of another monster of higher authority in the kind of position Alter was, it was sign of humiliation and submission. In the case of Lisbon's traditions and laws, a monster falling on one knee, hands streched towards a monster guard and lowered head, was quite literally asking what Alter told Tefra to do: arrest him.

But like, right now. With that kind of humiliation however, the monster was gaining you could say, better treatment and certain judgement instead of instant death by the humans. Some kind of protection.

That's kind of why the commander yelled at the soldiers to get Alter away from Tefra: before she could do the arrest herself and loose their chance to wipe out the skeleton. Tefra almost stepped back seeing the tall monster, who still seemed, even though heavily injured, ready to wipe out the soldiers.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Asking for your temporary protection upon me! As monster towards monster. Hurry!" Although Alter was talking agitated, he suddenly smiled in a strange way and a playful glow appeared inside his eyesockets. "Maybe it can benefit both of us in our own ways if you arrest me and don't let me to the humans." He continued.

"Thə mømənt thəy arə a thrəat tø my prıncə, I cæπ'τ ałłøw thəm tø apprøach hım. I cæπ'τ gıvə up frøm prøtəctıng hım as I was assıgnəđ tø. £ør thø œπłγ rəasøn I wøułd əvər gıvə mysəłf up, ıt wøułđ bə ıf I knəw my prıncə was safə æπđ søunđ."

Anđ əvən thən, ιτ wœυłðπ'τ ɓə τo τηem.

That exact part of the conversation occured to Tefra at that moment. She looked at Alter surprised and curious as to what was going on in that skull of his. But she needed time to think this through. She summoned a fire wall and blocked off the humans at the very last second.

"HEY, WHAT THE F-?!" A soldier was about to complain. But one glare from the small female shut him up. Tefra looked again at 'Guido'.

Geno wasn't here with him. He was right now by himself and willingly giving himself up. On her! He really meant it that he wouldn't give up unless 'his prince' was getting away safely. But why was he turning himself in? He still seemed able to escape. Tefra scanned him and his soul.

She almost covered her mouth realising how many scars and cracks he had. The thing keeping him together was a green aura surrounding his injuries. She recognised what it was, after all she had seen Alter for a fleeing moment smoking, most likely 'Fumelee'.

Now that was a very strong kind of monster drug. When not overdoing it, it was becoming a painkiller and could actully help heal just a tiny bit the injuries by covering them up and temporarily making the injured monster feel like they weren't there. Overdose was leading to fallen down state. The almost equivalent of coma for humans.

"How do I know... that you're not trying to trick us? That you're not going to try and fight back?" She asked slowly.

"The effect of Fumelee will soon fade. I am heavily injured and my body won't ignore the pain anymore. But if you still feel like I will be a threat, put on me magic blocker." Alter said sternly, looking directly in Tefra's eyes.

"Hey Infernal! Are you still going to chit chat?" A soldier asked rudely. The goat and the skeleton ignored him.

"Save me temporarily like this. Lead me to the court to get judged. Take me under your wing even like this and... before being taken away you will find your chance to ask me anything that is bothering you. That is how we both get benefited." The priest said.

"Anything?" Tefra asked raising eyebrow.

"For more difficult questions I'll consider if I should answer or not, but for you principessa, I MIGHT make an exception." Alter chuckled. "But you still can quench some of your curiosity." The 2 monsters stared into each other' eyes intensively, Tefra trying to find even the tiniest particle of deceit and lie behind 'Guido's' calm expression.

"Well? Infernal? Will you let us at him?" The commander of the humans asked impatiently. There, Lady Infernal placed hands on Alter's cheeks.

"This pirate is under my suprevision." She said as she started healing him.

"OH COME ON!" The soldiers yelled.

"Lady, you realise he's a threat for everyone while still alive." The commander growled.

"Go command your men around Duarte, but when you adress me don't forget that I am given authority as high as the master you so 'love' to serve. You like it when he abuses his power towards monsters, but you hate it when I decide to do that. Hmph. Go curse my name behind my back all you like when we're done here with the skeleton, but until that happens, I've taken responsibilty for him. I want to interrogate him. Now hand me over a magic blocker." Tefra said with a voice and expression that wasn't allowing anyone to keep being a jack*ass.

The humans looked at each other with expressions of indignation. At the end, a young soldier approached with slow steps towards the monsters holding an opened magic blocker.

"NOT another step Tomás." Duarte stopped him. Suddenly out of nowhere Atalanta interfered and snatched the magic blocker from Tomás' hand. "HEY!"

"I take that, thank you Tomás!" She said and walked closer to Tefra handing her the object.

She looked at Alter with a kind of hostile expression and hurried to back away. The small goat nodded and wore it on Alter's right wrist. All this time, the priest hadn't stop smiling seeing the small female shutting up the humans. Tefra saw that and raised eyebrow.

"What?" She asked crossing arms.

"Mmm~. Nothing much. I just enjoy it when you stand up against the humans." He said cheerfully but already 'breathing' shakily from the effects of the magic blocker. "Did I mention how soft your hands are? Heh." He said suddenly and smiled cutely and innocently. At least thanks to the little healing of Tefra's he wasn't hurting much. He could talk. He was in condition to have a conversation with the Lady Infernal.

~

Geno ran like crazy ahead, upset and just angry. He didn't know if he was more mad at Alter or himself. At Alter for how he decided to just act and straight up all of a sudden insult him, or at himself for feeling so gullible to ever trust him?

No no. He was at fault. His fault for thinking that he would ever get the chance get treated any differently from an actual monster. The humans back at Hondarribia had obvious reasons not to really like him, being of course the only monster, stealing and causing trouble just to live.

"§TŒÞ ßƏING §TUCƘ ŒN MƏ ŁIƘƏ Æ §ŁIMY, Ð I § G U § T I N G ŒY§TƏR! §TŒÞ NŒT £Æ€ING THƏ RƏÆŁIT¥ Œ£ THƏ §ITUÆTIŒN! ÐŒ §ŒMƏTHING Æ€TUÆŁŁ¥ RƏÆŁŁ¥ U§Ə£UŁ £ŒR ŒN€Ə ÆNÐ RUN Æ₩Æ¥! §TŒÞ! ₩ƧTING! TIMƏ!"

And then Alter just spoke out his few nasty thoughts about him a few minutes ago. Stop being stuck. Geno wasn't sure if he was this clingly towards Alter all this time, but last he remembered, wasn't Alter too running after him? If he was this annoyed all this time, why run after the smaller? Why even care?

Do something actually really useful for once. Geno wasn't given the chance to do anything critical or relatable for the mission, something whenever the situation was really threatening. But considering all this time he knew Alter he hadn't done much but cause him trouble. And he was taking care of most things.

He had taken it all so far patiently, but at the end of the day, Alter wasn't a God. He was a mortal too, tired and with his own limits. He eventually snapped and he did it in a moment of pressure and tension, while soldiers were still hunting them.

Yes, this much Geno had comprehended, analysed, overthought the priest's last words in his skull.

"Let's do us both a favor." He had told him amongst other things before leaving him behind. For Alter to at last relax, for Geno to just stop having any ties with him.

It could be excused that it was the pressure and anxiety of making it out of Lisbon alive, but this much? Yes, this place had severely traumatised Alter and caused him nerves, which affected him in his actions and behavior. It was also when he narrated out loud more from the darkest pages of his past.

He had caused him to. And then he stopped being to the slightest kind or patient. He was barely heard of ever cussing or insulting heavily anyone, but today, he let out heavy words hit the smaller like tsunami.

While from one side Geno was ready to shut himself once and for all from ever trusting anyone again once he returned to the ship, from the other side he had started getting confused.

Seriously, what had gotten into Alter?

It was sudden. WAY too sudden of him to yell like that, be this aggressive towards Geno. Was he this pressured to not snap all those days and it all came out way too aggressively just a few minutes ago, or...

No. Just no. Geno forced himself to stop overthinking Alter's behavior and kept running for the port.

"Forget it. Just forget it. Everyone keeps getting away from you at the end, like always."

~

Tefra crossed her arms. Even though Alter was kneeled he was still taller than her. But with him unable to fight, he didn't pose a threat to the slightest.

"Alright." Duarte started with a 'please kill me' face. "Interrogate your pirate but make it snappy! Don't take forever." Tefra didn't reply. She just looked again at Alter, ready to start her first question.

"Ah ah ah!" The priest suddenly did. "The soldiers are way too close. Same as your brother and his sweetheart. Tell 'em to step back, this conversation I suspect had better to stay as private as possible." Tefra's eyes slightly 'daggered' in suspicion, but she looked around with that look next.

"Step back. All of you." She said with a voice that wasn't raising any objections. The soldiers looked at each other confused.

"And why is that?" Duarte dared to ask. "You have something important to hide that can cause harm if heard?"

"That is none of your concern." She said sharply. Then she looked at Pyros and Atalanta. "Please, I want you too, to step back."

"Tefra!" Pyros said surprised, but soon his expression changed from concern. "Are you... sure?"

"... Step up only if the skeleton does as much as to raise his hands in the air. If I don't finish him off first." The small female goat said. Pyros looked at Atalanta and her at him puzzled. Eventually they went alongside the human soldiers and their commander. As Atalanta passed by next to Alter, she moved her finger across her neck.

"I'll be watching you, skeleton." She snarled and Alter just grinned brighter. He looked again at Tefra and finally the circumstances were just right for the interrogation to begin. The small female sighed quietly and looked at the skeleton serious.

"The necklace you threw at me. Before leaving..." She started saying very quietly but clearly. "... were you really part of the Asteras once, or you stole it from someone?" Alter took a quiet deep 'breath'.

"I used to be in the secret personal army of Aster's, sim. I kept the necklace as part of my loyalty and my symbol of recognition to the monster Lord."

"Are you sure you didn't steal it from an unlucky Astera monster?"

"No, Lady Infernal, I didn't steal it." Alter got suddenly serious as he said that. "I was swore member of the Asteras before Raymond destroyed the unity of the 3 Aces 4 years ago." Tefra exhaled from her nose quietly, letting her arms fall for a moment before folding them again on her chest and stare at Alter.

"An Astera who became a pirate?"

"I had no other choices to hide and survive then, Lady. I only had in mind to stay alive at any cost."

"With what purpose in life left, if all your Leader was supporting collapsed?"

"You're right. Maybe it seems all Aster kept like golden rule in his soul is gone. And his followers. But all that's left for me is vengeance. Even if I can't stand high enough, until now, I swore that whenever I had the chance, anything I learned about Raymond's movements, I wouldn't allow him to accomplish it easily."

"Ah. Should I guess you are the reason I would often hear reports of ships Raymond would send or call to, getting destroyed?"

"Especially when they were carrying monsters as slaves or for displacement. You judge me for saving fellow monsters from horrible fates?" Tefra didn't answer. She looked away comprehensing what she heard. "You understand that I think."

"Even if you have altruistic goals to help other monsters, you realise others cannot- won't see it like that."

"Oh I know. Most humans hate the idea of freed monsters. Common knowledge." Alter shrugged his shoulders.

"And how come you never ever gave into temptation to kill any human? Everytime humans would return to Lisbon after their failed missions, they would come back bruised, but all of them alive."

"I might be a pirate, but I am not that type of guy who murders to have less on his way."

"Then if you're trying to get revenge on Raymond, you think that is a satisfying enough vengeance?" Tefra started testing him, checking to see if 'Guido' had other goals in mind.

"Maybe. Maybe it is not enough. But if I was to take somebody's life, even if it was my last, I would prefer that one to be whoever acts as the root of the problem. In such case..." Alter leaned closer to Tefra. "... thæt wøułđ bə thə Aristø wə æłł sø đəspısə."

"I see that hardly possible to become reality now." Tefra crossed her arms. Alter chuckled lowly.

"Ðøəs that məan yøu wıłł lət mə frəə tø finđ Ræym¤ŋð mysəłf ænd chøƙə hım uŋtıł I cut øff hıs həæđ with my ɓærə hæŋđs? Nœw thæt søuŋđs mørə sætısfyıŋg!" He said suddenly 'cutely' and 'innocently'. Tefra's eyes slightly widened up.

"I forget that this skeleton-. Yeah, he holds a lot of grudges against Raymond. Like, many."

"Oh come on principessa. Don't give me that face." Alter leaned slightly closer again. "Don't act like you didn't have these thoughts, more than once, for what he did to you and took from you." He said more quietly and Tefra looked at him, momentarily betraying that the skeleton was... right. But she adopted again a serious face.

"Dangerous words you let out of your mouth. I can't let you go, for obvious reasons."

"I figured." The priest said casually, rolling his eyesockets. "Now what else are you gonna ask? Lemme guess, you will start questioning my friendship with Bernanrd Aristo, aren't you?"

"Real 'prophet'ional, are you not?" Tefra asked causing Alter to hum cheerfully. "You showed us that letter from the first day we met and which saved you from getting arrested when that human tried to frame you for attacking him and for wearing fake magic blocker. Bernard's signature is real. How did you really get your hands on such letter?"

"Oh. You see, that was careful planning, days back. I shall explain, but I must take it from a little further back: you didn't ask me, but yes, I really was an Astera, now swore member of the Reapers. The Captain sentenced me for a very important matter of life and death, alongside my lilttle partner, Geno. There was something in Portugal we needed to find."

"And that was?"

"One question at the time Signorina. In this important mission, me and my partner needed a strong, believable cover. Roles with which no one would suspect us for being pirates. As an Astera I was, I had and still have ties with Bernard, even before he made the 3 Aces. That one better not be said any further or your husband will be in trouble. We were and we are close friends. While I was still in the ship of Reapers, I wrote him a letter, asking for him to help us be more believable in our roles. Before you ask, I had a few other friends, mermaids like the ones you have here, to send the letter straight to Bernard for me."

Tefra raised eyebrows. The skeleton didn't look like a fool, why was he sharing information about his plans instead of denying as much as he could? Or maybe even now he was lying all this time and she failed to understand him??? There was no way Bernard didn't know who he had as friends.

"He says he has ties with Bernard. But does Bernard really know who this skeleton is? If he knew he was helping a pirate, with what purpose would he allow such danger enter Lisbon?" She thought confused. Alter seemed to catch up on her expression.

"I think I read behind those fierce eyes your confusion and thoughts. More over, you have doubts. How can a pirate like me still be friends with one of the current highest authorities of Portugal, such as your husband? Does Bernard even know I'm a pirate?" Alter smiled wider. "Am I allowed to answer?" Tefra didn't seem to focus too much on his words.

"Go ahead." She mumbled as she looked down deep in thought.

"Well, Bernard actually does know where I am and with who's side. Even like that, he still helps me if I ask for his help. But rarely, I don't want to trouble him. Don't blame him though, he has a good reason. I only did ask for his help recently to guarantee us an as safe pass as possible. Promise, the reason is a very good one-, did I say that?"

"What's this so good reason that made Bernard help you and the other little skeleton pass inside Lisbon?" Tefra could have known sooner the reason to that if Atalanta was telling her why she kept silence like the other mermaids.

But she didn't. She explained about the siren-blessing and what purpose the bearer had. She didn't prevent to explain further, as they had to urgently aid all injured soldiers Alter was leaving behind.

"For the very same reason the mermaids kept silence around our real identities." Alter's expression darkened again, leaving no time for Tefra to get confused or more surprised. "Despite I have the connections, the reason I came here isn't about me. I wasn't the one who had to do something. It was all about my little partner, Geno." Tefra flinched.

"For Geno???"

"Sim. There was someone important he had to meet. With that out of the way, we were gonna leave yesterday. But your brother insisted on witnessing the monster marriage. Leaving by denying to stay any longer like that could cause suspicions. Our leave should seem unhurriedly. It would have worked. Then Raymond came with his armored puppies, wasting our time. Even like that, we would still be able to leave. But then Calisia, that mermaid arrived." Temporarily Alter glared somewhere to his left as he mentioned the evil mermaid before looking again at Tefra. "It might have looked like I was the more important one, but no. I am Geno's guardian. I serve him. He is a prince."

"Siren-blessed guardian. Right."

"Signora Atalanta talked about these guardians I assume." Alter turned his right arm with his palm looking up the moment that in perfect sync Tefra was reaching to hold it and lift the sleeve. She looked at the siren symbol with interest, even rubbed it to see if it was painted, causing Alter to chuckle. "Everytime somebody sees it they assume it's painted!"

"How come you got such blessing?"

"4 years ago I was deemed worthy by the prince's mother to be one. Time is not by our side to explain the whole story, but she was staying away from him to not endanger him from the mermaids. The mermaids of the depths got corrupted by a curse that made them evil, hence why the ones of this land weren't friendly with Calisia. I agreed to be blessed, promising to protect Geno. The blessing became my first ignation of hope after I lost my life because of Ræγmœnð. More power, more capabilities. But if I fail to keep the prince safe from any harm, there goes all for me."

"And so you stayed behind so you waste our time and Geno escapes?"

"Isso mesmo principessa. Since the prince did what he had to do and escaped, if I know he's safe, I don't care what happens to me." Alter sighed. "Now. Is there anything else to ask before I get handed to be judged?"

"If the mermaids of the depths are the evil ones, did Calisia lie about your identities?"

"Not at all. But she said only all that will benefit her. She snitched on us, because even as pirates, me and the prince came here to complete a mission that involves the safety of the world. And the mermaids will do anything in their power to stop us." Tefra's eyes perked in curiosity and interest.

"What do you mean?" Alter leaned slightly forward and his eyesockets went empty.

"In 2 months from now, the world as we know it so far, is threatened to change. The mermaids of the depths want to conquer the surface. They will cover all land in water and kill anything that walks on it. In 2 months, they will have the ceremony of The Purple Moon. In that ceremony it is said they will release giant sea beasts, awaken them from their slumber to destroy the land and rule all. The mermaids of the depths will unleash forces so great and dark, this very world we live on will collapse. All life as you know it, will transform completely. It will dissapear. But Geno, the boy. He is the only one who can stop them. He is foretold by a prophecy that if he fights the mermaid queen and beats her, he will save the lands from the threat. That's why it is of most importance he stays alive."

Tefra was hearing more and more shocked Alter's revealations. She was staring sometimes at Atalanta's direction.

"Such thing threatens to happen and she didn't say it!"

"If you're staring at Signora Atalanta like that because she didn't tell you what's going on, don't blame her. She feared that if she would say whatever I said, word would come out further and cause absolute panic. I take the responsibility if I cause such." Alter said.

Tefra looked at him agitated. But soon she lowered head to think. Even if all Guido said were reasonable with the situation, she still found it hard to believe it all. Too much. She exhaled, managing to cool down. Soon she looked again at Alter calmly.

"This information... although important, it is not of my personal concern. If your little prince is the one who has to save the world, I cannot interfere to that matter. Least I can do is ignore he escaped and end this here."

"Thanks Signorina-."

"You still can't go anywhere."

"I know..." Alter said quietly and smiled. "I said I don't care about that. I want the boy safe, not me." The 2 stayed silent for a few seconds with lowered heads.

"Are you 2 done?!" Duarte interrupted.

"A few more questions!" Tefra said suddenly looking at the human commander for a second. Then she looked at the tall skeleton. "What you said about the world being threatened, it'll take me some time to accept it, but moreover I choose to believe Atalanta will tell me more or less the same things and confirm. As for the other matter, you being an Astera..." Her eyes daggered. "... even with this necklace, even if Vincent confirms himself that he knows you, that one sounds more uncertain. If there was one more way to prove right now that you indeed are an Astera, how would you do it?" She asked. Alter smiled widely.

"With words." He started and stared at Tefra with cheerful glowing eyesockets. "First of all, for all the time me and the prince have been here, thank you Signorina Tefra for your hospitality. You deserve all respect. But in order for me to prove who I am, an Astera and close friend of Bernard..." The priest leaned slightly forward, his smile darkening. "... I will tell you a secret. Something so personal and important that only a few living beings in this world know: You, Bernard and any alive Astera is still alive out there, in such case me too." Alter looked behind him for a moment. "Not even Lord Pyros and his wife know. You never told them. But they had better not to know. Not until the time is right. Signorina, lean forward and I will tell you this secret to prove who I am." The tall skeleton waited with a dark smile and eyesockets that seemed completely certain of how Tefra would decide to act. The female goat looked at the humans, her brother and the mermaid who were waiting for the conversation to be over.

"Don't move." She signed with her eyes to their direction.

Then she slowly leaned forward until her fluffy ear was close to Alter's mouth. She waited with agony to hear that secret, see if that would prove 'Guido's' claims. She waited. She heard as the skeleton inhaled quietly and then opened his mouth. Soon going to get caught off guard.

"Everyone knows that Cobalt and Monsoon Aristo aren't your sons and they are from Bernard's previous marriage with Barbara Arhana. But no one, except from the ones I named, no one knows that the youngest one is not his."

~

Something was wrong.

Edge and Red were supposed to wait at the port and take Geno away. If the plan to leave through the secret passage inside the human church wasn't working, the brothers would wait at the port. But they weren't there.

Geno looked around in hopes to locate them. Were they hiding? There was no reason for that, the area was empty!

"EEEdge! Reeed!" He called as he walked closer towards the water.

But 5 steps away he saw 2 unnamed objects emerging from the water and hitting the paved ground loudly. Geno stepped back yelping. Soon with terror he realised these objects were the bodies of Edge and Red.

"GENOoo... RuUUN!" The taller said with difficulty.

"She caught us off guard..." Red managed to say too. Geno stepped back again shocked.

Watch out behind youuu princeee~

Before Geno could even hear the wind he felt something penetrating the back of his skull. He gasped and felt his limbs paralysing. He fell on his knees and barely managed to put his hands in front to not fall prone.

"The poison of puffer fish sure does interesting things." Calisia's voice was heard from behind him and the sound of her bare feet hitting the ground made Geno realise she was walking around him. Suddenly he felt a hand forcing him to look up. And there he saw the mermaid's burned face smiling wickedly and evilly at him. She was holding in her other hand a needle, assumingly the thing that stung the skeleton from behind. "It is absolutely beautiful the position we are right now. For me at least!" She chuckled lowly and sarcastically. "Your friends over there unable to move, your guardian not around, only me right in front of you! Oooh~" She took a dramatic pose still holding Geno from his chin. "I could so easily kill you right now, you know? No annoying pest threatening my Queen's plans. Everything would be so easy. Just one lethal blow and you're done for!" There her face got serious. "But you're lucky I won't be the one to end you slowly and painfully. Queen Morganna instructed me strictly that no mermaid will get the pleasure of seeing your blood spilled and your dust scattering. She said that you may die by anything else except from mermaids. Because, she wants to be the one mermaid who will do that, if you succeed of course to reach her!" She laughed quietly. "Too bad I will have to tell her you found a slow death by the hands of the humans! At least your mommy will not have to watch this." She walked behind him and Geno felt getting dragged by the scarf. He was unable to fight back.

"SH*T!"

"Oh, by the way, I am handing you to the soldiers. By the time we reach them, the poison will loose its effect on you. And when that happens, your body will be able to feel ALL the humans will do to you! You'll be lucky if the soldiers are less cruel than me prince!" Geno felt the terror clenching his soul.

"F*CK, F*CK! What am I doing now?!" He tried to move even a limb. Pointless. He couldn't feel movement.

"One more thing, because I find myself LOVING it to fill you with despair: I got word from the wind that your guardian inulted you so heavily that like a little baby brat you ran away and left him behind! But guess what, he didn't mean ANY of it." Geno's pupil inside his eyesocket dissapeared.

"W-What?" He managed to stutter.

"Yes that is! But you were so panicked and already hurt inside to realise it! 'Poor' guardian, I almost feel sorry for him that he will watch you dying! Just kidding, I will enjoy every second of it!" Calisia let a low psychotic laugh escape her mouth and Geno, who could feel the poison loosing little by little its effect on him, but not enough at all to make any big move, started shaking.

~

Tefra's eyes went empty as she stepped back and looked at 'Guido'. Her bottom jaw started shaking after hearing him revealing the secret that was burdening her for so long and always feared for Raymond to never find out.

"I think you believe me now, don't you?" Alter asked 'innocently'.

"I..." Tefra failed to muster other words.

"Tefra?! Is everything ok?!" Pyros asked clearly seeing her agitated expression. Instead of giving any sign to relieve her brother, the small female stepped ahead and grabbed Alter from his collar. Her eyes were now burning flames.

"You better keep these words to yourself until you're not here anymore." She said lowly.

"Relax principessa. The secret will live in you and Bernard and die with me." Alter hummed. "Even if such secret benefitted me in some way to reveal it, word could reach Raymond. I wouldn't trust sharing it to anybody else. Knowing he could hear such thing makes me keep my mouth shut. If that means keeping that cruel man's hands away from the truth and you, then I will stay silent. I heard the kid holds some skeleton characteristics. You're lucky everyone believes he got them from Bernard's half monster nature and not Alvino..." Alter seemed to be thinking for a moment as he looked down. But soon he looked again at Tefra. "I know it is not my businees Signorina but I want to suggest you something. When you go back to Azores, when you enter your house, go find your son and hug him. Hug him and tell him that you love him. Each passing day you and him are together, do not forget to tell him that. Once a day is enough. You can't always be together, but when you are, do it." Alter closed his eyesockets and sighed. "Ok, that's enough. We shall take our leave at last." Tefra just stood there, realising their conversation was over. Eventually she sighed.

"We're ready to go." She announced.

"About time!" Literally all human soldiers said at the same time. Pyros and Atalanta approached the skeleton, to escort him until the court. Or they only prevented stand next to him.

"Not so fast!" Another female voice was heard and evereyone's heads turned to the direction of it. They saw Calisia, who was wearing her mask, as she was dragging a bundle of rags behind her. With an abrupt move she threw that bundle, who was none other than Geno. The small skeleton rolled one time ahead groaning, barely able to move. "I don't care what you do to the taller skeleton, but this one needs a harsh punishment right this instant. On his way to escape he murdered a few innocent citizens just because they were in his field of view."

"Li... Li..." Geno tried to say "Lies", his magic tongue stuck because of the poison.

"What?!" Duarte yelled.

The next 10 seconds became chaotic.

Alter suddenly stood up and ran towards Geno, kicking out of his way a human soldier. Calisia responded by sharply throwing at him a needle soaked in puffer fish poison. The needle found the tall skeleton on his shoulder and he lost his balance, almost falling prone on the ground.

He didn't, but in that fleeing moment he was trying to find his balance, a gunshot was heard. Silence prevailed for seconds that felt like hours. The moment Geno raised his head, he saw Alter's body hitting the paved floor just a few steps away from him.

The pupil inside his eyesocket dissapeared. Blood had mainly stained Alter's ribcage area, creating slowly and silently a puddle beneath him. The bullet, a normal one, could be seen still having smoke on as it rested on the ground.

"Al..." Geno muttered terrified as he crawled closer to him, the poison almost gone now.

Alter's pupils turned to look at him. Only that. In front of the siren's shocked eyesocket, the priest dusted completely. Only his clothes left. Geno couldn't physically scream. But his whole body was. Why?

Why?!

WHY?!

"₩HÆT HÆVƏ ¥ŒU ÐŒNƏ?!" Tefra yelled enraged.

"Your authority is over goat. The tall one was moving threatenigly instead of staying down. You had him under your watch and failed to stop him! Get out of here you and your friends. It's our turn." Duarte said and on the last words he looked at Geno with a smile up to no good at all.

Before the small skeleton could even comprehend what was about to happen, he felt a hand grabbing him abruptly from his wrist and lifting him up. The commander was looking at him evilly.

Have fun Genocide~

Calisia's voice was heard in the wind.

"So you're telling me that THIS weak pathetic skeleton killed citizens?" Duarte asked sarcastically and the moment he was letting Geno fall he kicked him. The siren rolled a few steps away gasping in pain. He tried to stand up, only to get kicked by another soldier.

"He's a good ball!" The man commented causing all other men to laugh. Geno felt his vision getting more blurry as he looked at the pile of Alter's dust.

"This is cruel. Stop it!" Tefra interfered.

"We've had enough listening to you." Duarte said annoyed and commanded something in Portuguese. The very next moment about half the human soldiers shot the Infernals and Atalanta with anti-magic bullets. The 3 monsters fell on the ground unable to move from the pain. "Only because of your husband you stay alive, but move an inch and your brother with his wife gets it Lady Infernal!" He said as 2 other soldiers pointed guns on Pyros' and Atalanta's heads.

"These F*CKERS!" Geno thought angrily seeing this.

"Now..." Duarte turned to look at Geno. "What do we do with this little ugly sh*t?"

"I can suggest something." Calisia decided to interfere. "I think I deserve it for bringing him to you."

"I don't usually listen to women but tell us your idea to see if it's a good one." Duarte said and the evil mermaid chuckled lowly.

"I suggest... as a form of torture, you can burn him. Sirens like him are highly affected by fire and the screams he will let out will be loudly splendid!" Calisia started, causing the interest of the soldiers.

"Keep going." The human commander allowed her.

"To add to the pain, you can first cause him a few cracks, then burn them so they become even more painful and stay on him! Otherwise the cracks will heal."

"Oh no, YOU DID NOT JUST SUGGEST THIS!" Geno thought desperate. He saw as Calisia was leaning towards him.

"That is for what your father did to me. For taking away my own beauty! Now receive your own scars and become EVEN uglier than you already are you pathetic excuse of a prince!" She said quietly with venom in her voice and walked a few steps back as a soldier was dragging Geno from his leg and turning him to lay on his back. Before he could struggle, he was shot twice by anti-magic bullets on his legs and he barely held back a scream.

The soldiers pinned his arms and legs down laughing sadistically and mockingly. Geno didn't struggle, at least until he saw a soldier lighting up succesfully a torch and he started hissing and squirming terrified.

"No no. NO NO NO!" He though panicked.

"I am in good mood and I allow all of you to have a turn before me. I will still pick. But who wants to have the first turn?!" Duarte asked and most soldiers raised hands excited. "Hmmm. Alright Gonçalo, you can go first!" He announced and the other humans cheered as a human with casual brown hair and eyes walked towards Geno and looked at him arrogantly. He held the torch and purposely approached it close to the siren who didn't just hiss, he screamed bloody murder from fear. The humans laughed even harder.

"I am not going to lie men, I kind of feel nice today." Gonçalo announced causing the other soldiers to look at him in confusion. Geno knew for a fact the guy meant that he was feeling nice in a sick way and he wasn't wrong as he would soon hear in horror. "The first 'tatoo' will start with his eyesocket so he can't see how horrible he will look later on!" He said and everyone started cheering again.

Gonçalo took out his sword and Geno was barely able to struggle as he saw the blade approaching his eyesocket. He tried to turn his head away and struggled even harder. Soon he felt the cold blade slashing his only good eyesocket.

He clenched his teeth tightly, his throat being scratched by the screams that wanted to come out in full. He could feel his blood running down his skull, as he was seeing things extremely blurry now.

He felt his face being forced to look at Gonçalo. Next it was the heat of the fire that made him realise what was coming next. And then he felt as if massive weights had fallen on his face.

As if hammers were smashing his whole skull, as the fire was burning him upon his slashed eyesocket. Geno just screamed. He screamed with force stronger than a tsunami, his throat almost about to close from how loud he was.

Everything stayed extremely blurry, just colors and sounds, no shapes. Aside pain, he was also panicking. With only one good eyesocket, Geno had a fear of ever loosing his sight. Today, it was happening. The cloud from his melted eyesocket dissapeared.

With now 2 almost useless eyesockets, he watched the colors of things around him. Very blurrily he was seeing the faces of the soldiers above him, staring down at him. He could hear them laughing with his pain and suffering, but they sounded distant.

He felt loosing his senses. Geno let his head hit the paved floor, ready to just accept his fate, that he would die a horrible death right in this hellish land called Lisbon. Once again, despite the massive pain he felt, he allowed himself to get consoled.

"I'm coming soon Error, Fresh... Dad. I'm sorry I couldn't survive mom..." He thought.

THÆT

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Ə N Œ Œ Œ U G H

7490 words. uh oh, what is going on? or maybe, what is SOON going to happen? here is a line that will also give spoilers:

until the next chapter smols! *pat pat pat pat pat*

7490 words.