Chapter 105

chapter. Work has me busy with new tasks, and Tyson has me busy because I decided to redo a bunch... XC

Kaizen

"Master there is a mortal at the door." Said Jack while I was doing a census and audit of the pack. That bullshit takes forever, and my Beta was in his room. Ace freaked out that he didn't do it right, which he didn't, but he would learn.

This place was turning into a town.. It really was I had 2,000 applications in front of me. This was a welcome break.

"Send him up. Do him no harm." I said casually.

My pups wiggled around the middle of the floor. They were two months now, and their eyes were still closed. I believe mine opened when I was 4 or 5 months, since we developed slowly. Then one day, we kind of just started growing. Willow sat on the floor with them, letting them chew the toys we bought. I looked forward to their troublemaking. I know I gave mom a run for her money come bath time when I was small.

"Delivery from King Uriel." Said a mortal currier.

The 40 year old man held a slight smile, but I knew by his appearance that he'd traveled a long way, likely from Uriel's Origon, summer castle. He was thin and disheveled looking. His curly dyed blue hair was messy, as if he didn't sleep. His hazel eyes were bloodshot. I could only assume he went to every pack, as there were multiple sent by him.

I opened the box he handed to me. It was even sealed with a wax stamp on the paper wrapping, to ensure that the package was untampered with.

I finally got the special stamp delivered by the human. Uriel designed this with of all people the Beast Prince, possibly the smartest man alive. He invented and tinkered with both flesh and magic I could scent the magic from it.

"How does this thing work?" I asked the man. He was a nervous mortal. New faces were with people like me.

"You just press it to the neck of the human. It will erase all knowledge of the supernatural up to 2 years, and replace their memories with human ones. For example, most think that they were kidnapped, and released if it's over a week. For others, like if they're gone a day, they just got sidetracked like a car breaking down it can only work *once* though, so use it with caution." He bowed.

I nodded my head so he could rise. "Good. Stay as my guest." I said more as a command than a suggestion.

"I just need a nap." He said trying to sound stoic, but he looked relieved.

"I'll take you to the human zone myself. But do NOT leave after sundown. There are four ghouls here now." I warned.

"You don't have to tell me twice." He looked pretty freaked out.

"I'll watch the pups. The boys will protect me" Said Willow happily. "Isn't that right lil Ari." She picked him up, and he wagged his tail. He could hear us now, but they were still too small to really do much more.

Ghouls of all the undead were the most unpredictable. They don't go after supernaturals, but he was mortal. They Need human flesh, bone and brains to live with some semblance of control. Those that don't become zombies It takes a while, but I wouldn't risk a subject of Uriel like that.

With a kiss goodbye, I left my mate with our pups. I got in the passenger side of the human's car.

"I'm Herb Meadows." He shook my wrist.

"I'm Kaizen Charred." I chuckled.

"No long winded titles?" He joked.

"Nah, that stuff's for old people." I countered. "When you get to the light make a left."

"What's it like in Hell?" He blurted. He figured that he wouldn't be able to ask this again, so he went for it.

"Different on every layer. Each one is designed not *just* for torment, but also penance It is painful mentally and physically. Some go mad; those are thrown in the Pit. There are others who refuse to change; they do too. Those who repent are transferred to the Romanesque city of Repentance. There they may live almost like mortals here, or play the lottery to be reincarnated and try again. But there is no second return Should they fuck up while reincarnated, they go *straight* to the pit." I warned.

" That sounds kind of fair.

"It's as fair as it can be. They must confront the wrongs they have done, and experience them as their victims do Time isn't even the same A few hours up here is years, even decades Below. One could be whipped a thousand years, only to realize it was actually about a thousand minutes, or a few hours that passed on UrthTime down there is completely up to the Horned One.But you have no worries other than dying before your wife." I said bluntly.

"When I found out, I accepted her for all she is. I was 19, and she was 876 She hasn't aged a day. I'm 97 now. People think I'm her father. I don't look it, but I won't be here forever." He smiled. "My only regret is that I could do nothing when the goblins took Mynt. She was green you know. Green as grass; 9 years old. We almost named her Clover." He chuckled. "I named my son that, since he's green too. My youngest, Sunburst is orange. Those are rare colors for her people " he smiled. "Both of them are married to unicorns, though they did it for love."

"I won't turn you." I said firmly. "Make a right there. It's that building."

"I don't want immortality if it means we'll still get separated later anyway. But thank you for at least mentioning it. You're a good person. Don't let anyone steal that from you." He said pulling over.

"I just try to be better than what people want or expect." I said truthfully. "You, a human, sit next to the grandson of your people's greatest enemy. An enemy who uses me to audit his people, that this never happens again." I gave him my phone number. "I can teleport. Should anyone ever try to take a child's horn again. I will hopefully be able to save them."

This angered me more than I let on. I knew why too. Goblins as helpful as they have been for me, are torment for unicorns

"That sounds hard." He mumbled. "It sounds like you go against your nature Thank you."

Doing what's right is hard It's so *easy* for someone like me So easy to do cruel things for revenge, or cruelty's sake. To hate is easy to do things in the name of your master is easy too.. That's someone to place the blame on. It's hard to keep the killing part of all this separate, and protect all beneath me.

"There is more responsibility to this power than any mortal could ever realize But for their sake I collect those who disobey." I said getting out the car. He said nothing, mulling over my statement.

We were met by Sentinel. He was in his armor, wings and passively had his hand on his sword. He enjoyed being in his true uniform, as honestly, it did look cool I could get why someone would prefer that over a plain old mortal cloth one.

"Kaizen you better not be detaining that human." He warned.

"I actually just got the object Uriel made. I mean to let Mr. Meadows rest in peace and safety, protected by the town's protector." I said like an announcer at a wrestling event. He scowled. "Come on that was a *little* funny." I elbowed him.

". I liked it better when we were enemies with a common cause." He huffed. "It's downstairs. I can take it from here."

"Alright. I need to check on some things." I said teleporting.

That was So convenient I was all the way across the country in the time it takes to blink one's eyes. I checked on my sister. I landed on the roof of their condo. She resided in Indianapoly. The skyscraper was the tallest in town, and from up here, I could see dragons fly by. It took all of one minute for the only child of the Wind Goddess to meet me up here.

"Oh Kaizen It's you." Said Aureus. The scales on his face and neck told me that he was seconds away from shifting.

"I should have called but I wanted to see the pup." I smiled.

"The whelp." He corrected. "He's so fucking small. Come see." He motioned. I followed him to their lavish condo. Not a thing was out of place, and nearly all the rooms except the bedrooms were open concept.

"What the FUCK is that thing?!" I asked as a little white animal rubbed its body on my leg. It was Too fluffy I bet it brushed its fur regularly.

"You've never seen a cat before?" He questioned.

"Not in person" I admitted. [Do you speak cat?] I asked, kneeling down to extend the back of my hand to this small shifter. Cat dialect is spoken, not hissed or growled as much as wolf.

Meow.

"What dose that mean?" I asked. He licked my hand and rubbed himself on my knuckles "That's weird. Don't do that sir."

I got laughed at by them both.

"Nothing. Cats are domesticated pets. I KNOW you've seen one before." Said Aureus.

"It isn't the same as TV!" I complained. A golden something crashed into my shirt.

The boy flew into my arms. He was wet and soapy. He looked so pitiful I'd think he needed help.

"Get back here!" complained Grace. He managed to get under my t-shirt. His little claws clung to me as if she were torturing him.

"Sorry lil' guy." I chuckled. "Zolotos, The Mighty One, the Strong One, the Charred One A pup with three titles." I mumbled. "Neat."

"Technically two." Said Aureus. "Mighty and Strong are kind of the same thing The difference is that the 'Strong' title is passive, but the 'Mighty' title is activated when you need it most. Your father thinks he'll be comparable to HerculianMaybe even Uriel."

"Aureus, if you make my nephew some battle ready zealot. I'll kill you myself." I said petting him on the nose. I didn't like his wording, nor did my sister.

To be a dick I let my nephew be free. He flapped with all his might, only flying about 4 feet off the ground at light jogging speed.

"And I'll Help." Huffed Grace. "Come here Zuzu." She cooed, but the cheeky dirty pup knew what she was up to; the dreaded 'b' word: bath. She managed to get him, but he wiggled, trying to escape.

[No!] he squealed in draconic before she got him between the horns Damn She turned him off. He calmed. He was so shiny that he glittered in the light. The pup, or rather whelp, was pure gold. Of all our children, he would likely be the most in danger

"How *Cruel*" I said shaking my head. "I'm surprised he can talk though." I commented.

"Dragons are born more like a strange combination of toddler and baby. They don't know anything but they are picky, fussy, and they're born eating meat." He smiled.

"Herculian told me that the same thing happens to fae." I mumbled.

"He's right. Unicorns can shift by three months, most times sooner, and instinctually run away from danger. I think Hyena shifters too, but their children can because they can and will fight to the death. No matter their form, they're born with teeth."

"Oh I didn't know that." I mumbled.

"Samira told me." Said Aureus picking up the cat. "And no getting into my son's plate again you little shit."

It meowed.

"I mean it. Snow if you keep this up, I'll demote you to whelp cleaner." He put him back down, and it lazily walked off to a cat tree.

"What do cats do?" I asked.

"Eat, shit, eat, then throw up stuff KNOWING they can't eat it, scream at 3am, chew my *custom* $300 headphones I got Yesterday." Aureus looked super pissed at him, but pet his head gently. "And purr. That's their secret weapon. They're so cute here." He put it in my arms.

It vibrated.

"I get it." I said with a nod.

"Snow is Zuzu's little-big brother." Joked Aureus. "Him holding Snow is going to be the Royal postcard this year."

When I put him down, he led me to his food bowl and did the 'meow' thing again. "Little creature do you want some chicken?" There was a can labeled as such, but both Grace And the Dragon King stopped me.

"Don't feed him!" Shouted Grace.

"He lies!" Shouted Aureus.

It rubbed my legs and *really* acted like it was starving. I found treats. "Can he have one of these?" I asked. Next to the can of 'wet' food, was a little yellow bag labeled Tempting. It did smell like its name.

"Those are my snacks. You better not!" Yelled Grace. It said 'Chicken Bites' . I ate one without her permission.

"Bleh! You Ass!" I screamed. That wasn't chicken it was probably dried cat food! "This tastes like grandma's!"

She laughed so hard she had to put her son down. He flew around her and landed on her while she thought she was *so* funny. At least the beer Aureus gave me took away the taste.