Alcina left with a mischievous laugh, and the Pario brothers did so after exchanging a few words with Rakna. Ensis was the next to approach and the therian had to look up due to the unexpectedly tall stature of the man.
As old as he was, you wouldn't expect him to be anywhere near the two-and-a-half meters of height he possessed. His posture was also as straight as an arrow and the pressure of his presence would no doubt cause a lesser mind to cower.
"The evaluation will occur two days from now," Ensis said with a gruff but not unkind voice. "Your power is not in question. Your battle itself will be the subject of my attention. Until then, rest well, boy," he inclined his head and promptly headed out.
"That's the boss, all right." Lux walked up whilst massaging his neck. "After all this time, I still don't know if he's just blunt or doesn't like to talk. But anyway, nice to meet you," he smiled and extended his hand for a handshake, which Rakna accepted.
"Likewise."
"You already know, but I'm Lux. I'm also the Vice-Leader of the Guild. I'm sure we'll see a bit more of each other from now on," the fallen angel said before pulling his arm back. He walked past Rakna and patted his shoulder. "See you at the evaluation. Everyone will be there."
Once he was gone, Zialtra, Lacros, and Cura also went their way and Rakna ultimately stuck around with his group, Fiora included. There were still two people who seemed to want a word with him.
Cain was the first to come forward, Kamiria lagging behind with her arms crossed. "Hey, I've been meaning to meet you for a while," he said amiably. "I don't want to take too much of your time, so I'll be brief. I have a question; is it okay if I ask it?"
Rakna raised an eyebrow. "I don't see why not."
The man let out a chuckle. "Yes, of course…" He shook his head and his smile turned a bit sad. "It's a simple question, all things considered. Is your goal… the Fruit of Eden?"
The therian froze, his forehead creasing in a mix of confusion and skepticism, "Why do you ask?"
"Haha, well, I guess you can say I'm curious," Cain laughed lightly. "I happen to know a few more things about it compared to everyone else. I'm privy to certain details," he informally revealed, not even fazed by the shocked looks he got from everyone still here, even Kamiria.
"…what if I say yes?" Rakna retorted inquisitively.
Cain smiled. "That would not do anything much. In a way, all active Hosts have Eden as their goal by default. But all I want to know is, what you intend to do with it? Destroy it? Use it?"
For a moment, the therian fell silent. Then, he swiftly raised a hand and snapped his fingers. A pair of runes blinked into existence and temporarily separated Cain and him from the outside. No one would be able to hear or perceive his next words.
Everyone saw Rakna open his mouth to speak inside the improvised rune array but couldn't hear anything nor even read his lips, as if there was an illusion over it. Most of them could have easily broken through it but it would have required an equally easily detectable intrusion.
Most importantly, it didn't even last a few seconds before Rakna dispelled it, revealing Cain with an amused, but also somewhat defeated expression.
"I see. I'll be honest, I like that answer more than I imagined," he chuckled, eluding everyone with the meaning of his words. "I'm satisfied. Thank you very much," he bowed and turned toward his partner, who had a frown marring her face.
"Sorry about that. Let's go, Kamiria," he said softly and walked toward the invisible boundaries that delimited the exit area. But before crossing it, he addressed Rakna one last time. "Right, since I have the chance, I'll say it now. No matter what, please keep in mind that I am your ally," he stated with an offputtingly casual tone.
"I promise it," he finished and disappeared. Kamiria delayed her own departure for a few seconds, staring at where he had been standing with an unreadable expression. She clenched her hands out of what seemed to be frustration and then stormed out, leaving a confused group of people behind.
Only Rakna and Hans momentarily displayed a flash of doubt past that perplexity.
⠀
* * *
⠀
"Could we talk alone for a moment?"
Lastly, Karyu faced Rakna with neither a stern nor polite countenance. His expression was set in a serious kind of neutrality.
The therian silently judged his reasons before nodding. "You guys go ahead," he told his group and left Evelyn in Astraea's care. They went without much fanfare and once there were only the two Nine-Tailed left inside the Myth Tower's dimension, Karyu let out a quiet sigh.
"Well, how should I broach this?" The fox man uttered with an amused snort. "First of all, I suppose warning you not to hurt my dear daughter is a good start?" He hummed speculatively.
Rakna sweatdropped. "Why the question?"
"It's not like I had a choice…" Karyu lamented. "Kaelith might as well be the parent here. She wants something; she gets it. Not because we spoiled her or anything. Quite the opposite. Whenever we'd try, she would just give us the cold shoulder and obtain anything she wanted alone, with her own hands. And if we ever dared to try and intervene…"
"She would beat you up," the therian nodded sagely. "Mentally, physically, or both."
"Quite so," Karyu smiled.
"But then, what did you want to talk about?" Rakna tilted his head. "I don't mind getting to know you, far from it. I would happily welcome you to my territory. But why the need to talk alone here?"
The Patriarch's smile turned a bit lax. "Well, there's another stubborn vixen we both know, no?"
Rakna blinked dazedly and then face palmed. "Aah… right. That woman's such a damn storm of a person that it slipped my mind," he grumbled, but smiled nonetheless. "Though I can't say I don't appreciate the unique brand of liveliness she brings around."
"That's good to hear," Karyu snickered. "To clarify, there is no bad blood between us. In fact, it makes me more than happy to leave Kara in your care. And I don't mean it lightly," he added with a solemn tone.
The therian silently raised an eyebrow.
"This isn't about hurting her or even answering her feelings," he continued. "Did she tell you about her past?" He asked.
"She did, but glossed over it quite a bit, I admit," Rakna answered simply. "Though, rather than her being hesitant, I would assume she just didn't want to make me feel sympathetic."
"Hah, sounds like her. You see, Kara is probably one of the oldest members of our clan," Karyu said whilst looking up at the sky as if reminiscing. "But that lifespan was not spent with us. She joined the System late… too late. She already had endured a life of crippling loneliness by the time we welcomed her into the clan. As much as it hurts to say it, our relationship started due to her desire for 'closure'. She was desperate and my acceptance of it was shamefully superficial."
"As such, it wasn't enough," he huffed. "I wasn't enough. Her past had made scars she couldn't get rid of. Giving birth to Kaelith helped a lot, but otherwise, she holed herself in her room, never stuck out her neck, and killed time drinking. I think she couldn't escape the lingering solitude. The scars overpowered whatever she tried to heal them with… and maybe it is accurate to say that she eventually surrendered to it."
His expression darkened. "And ultimately, the blame lies with me. I failed to do anything about it when I should have. I couldn't help her and it took me several years to recognize it," he shook his head. "So, imagine my surprise when I recently heard she frequently went out to meet a Host that also happened to be the target of my daughter's fancy."
Rakna grunted. "Don't remind me. Those two are bold enough to badger me together. I can already predict the torments they will make me suffer," he sighed. "And from what I can tell, Kaelith enjoys it more than she lets on."
Karyu grinned. "That's wonderful news," he genuinely seemed happy about it and the therian gave him a blank stare for daring to find entertainment in his 'misery'.
"In the first place, I never assumed you would do wrong," the Patriarch chuckled. "Maybe you have something Kara relates to... or something she's compelled to interact with. I wonder, is it possible that you understand the kind of loneliness she suffered?" He asked softly.
Rakna pursed her lips. "I wouldn't say so," he said. "I believe our experiences are too different to draw large parallels. But, I suppose, the heart of the issue is the same. Both of us have been forced to repress our 'hunger for affection' in a way."
Karyu nodded gravely. "I see…" He muttered. "I'm sorry if this conversation was too abrupt. Like I said, I wasn't scared you would hurt Kara. I have lost the right to do so. The reason I'm here right now is mostly selfish after all… if you don't mind, can I leave this regret of mine with you?"
Rakna narrowed his eyes slightly. "I… will do as my desires dictate," he stated ambiguously, but if anything, it appeared this answer managed to satisfy the vulpine man even better than any other could have.
"Thank you," he closed his eyes gratefully and swiftly stepped out of the Myth Tower, returning to the 500th Plateau from where he had entered.
The therian gazed at the empty field for a while, no clear emotion showing on his face. After some additional minutes of reflection, he finally left as well. The change was instantaneous; he mentally voiced his demand to exit and in the blink of an eye, he was back in New Athens.
There was no one around the Myth Tower when he came out, but he could sense his group waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase they had taken earlier. At the same time, he curiously looked behind him to see the tall tower quietly shake.
The Adjudicators moved for the first time and entered the portal themselves. It closed after them and the entire structure began to slide into the ground with a metallic sound accompanying it.
Rakna appreciatively glanced at the seamless mechanism before walking away. He tugged his scarf a little, repositioning it without disturbing Pronos who was sleeping under it as usual. The golden crosses of Crystal Sight surreptitiously glowed as he directly stared at his friends even despite the distance and buildings separating them.
"{…there's something brewing in that head of yours,}" Fray commented matter-of-factly. "{Does it weigh on your mind?}" He asked. "{You shouldn't have to overthink it. She probably is seeking her own personal salvation. Simply let her.}"
A tranquil and agreeing hum was all the therian responded with. Before long, he rejoined his group and the first thing he saw was Allan gazing strangely at Evelyn's grown figure.
"Doesn't she, like, look taller than me now?" The blond muttered as Higure similarly inspected the half-devil as she was carried on Astraea's back.
"And you say her hair and eyes were completely black when she transformed, and that she killed those guys while laughing?" The lioness confirmed with Ceresta who nodded faintly. "Damn, she's got potential…" Higure rubbed her chin.
"I fear to ask what kind of potential you're referring to," Flavia shook her head in exasperation.
"Ah, welcome back, wolfy," Kaelith smilingly greeted Rakna as soon as he came into view. "How was it? Not too boring? Or maybe a bit overwhelming?"
"Eh, in the middle," the therian shrugged. "It was interesting to meet the members, at least."
"Um, Rara?" Kara raised her voice to catch his attention and he turned toward her. He blinked in a daze for a moment when he saw her expression.
She was nervous; a vulnerable sort of anxiety. It was the first time he had ever seen her display something like that. In one way, it fascinated him, and on the other, he realized that she was just as fearful of her inner struggles as he once was.
"Hans told us that Karyu asked for a private talk…" She started hesitantly, her eyes darting in order not to meet his. It was obvious that she had an idea of what may have been said to Rakna.
The helpless regret of the Fox Patriarch was something she was aware of. Her personal grievances with the man notwithstanding, she knew he was concerned enough to share his worries with the therian. Karyu was that kind of person; responsible but dolefully passive.
"Hm…" In response to her inquiry, Rakna simply gazed at her as if he was viewing a certain puzzle, which only worsened her nervousness. "Kara, can you lift your arms for a moment?" He suddenly requested and her mind blanked.
"Eh?" She exclaimed in confusion. "Why?"
"Just do it. Extend them to the sides."
Bewildered, the vixen complied and spread her arms while Kaelith watched with a scowl… and an amused smile on her lips. "Like this?"
"Yep."
Before Kara could even say something, she was abruptly wrapped in a hug. Her body froze and her mind shut down. She felt Rakna's hand rubbing her back as if soothing her and for a moment, the warmth of that sole action clouded all her senses.
The therian's presence was assuaging all her worries without even trying. She got reminded then and there why she always came back to this boy. It was like chasing a drug, indulging in the sense of peace it gave her; she had never met someone whose soul cried out louder than her own.
There were no words conveyed and all he did was hug her as gently as he could, something which she reflexively returned. They separated after about half a minute and Rakna smiled at the frozen form of Kara.
She didn't come off as embarrassed, or even shocked. There was something else stopping her from reacting. With the same amount of gentleness, he patted her head and walked past her.
"All right. Let's go back home," he spoke up with a casual tone as if nothing had happened.
A few of the onlookers had their eyes wide open in surprise, while others sympathized with Kara despite not even being aware of the details. Just looking at her, they could tell the hug had meant something greater than they could imagine.
Kaelith approached her mother alone and with their back facing everyone else, the younger vixen spoke up. "Well, how does it feel?" She asked softly as she watched tears flow down Kara's face.
"Heh," she let out a stifled chuckle, wiping the tears away with her palms. "I feel like… I've regained something precious I lost a long time ago," she confessed and allowed a grin to finally restore her habitual mood. "How lucky you are, Kae."
Kaelith raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "How lucky we are, indeed," she emphasized her words and turned around to follow the others out of New Athens. But at the same time, she heard her mother whisper something to her.
"Thank you, Kaelith."
The younger vixen pursed her lips and looked away with a blush on her face. "You're welcome…"