Weakly groaning, he slowly turned to me. Watching the exhaustion upon his weary bones, I squatted down in space patted his shoulder, "You should move this gate; times are changing."

  "And you still remain the same, Snake." He scolded, peering into my very soul, "How are your Lords of the Overworld doing?"

  "Demanding," I replied in an equally weary tone, although I wasn't to the point of death, "They wish to deal with one of your champions for the next time these gates open. And we both know it's going to open."

  Resting his eyes, he weakly uttered, "You are a fool, Snake. But I cannot stop you, not when a Lord commanded. Go and tell your King that we are prepared this time."

  "You mean with Nox, trying to obtain the Horseman Gates? You know they exist within each of the 9 Planes? However, unlike you all, we have all four in the Overworld."

  "Than you are a fool, for, without the girl, you have nothing."

  "You mean the girl who is being tortured with the help of Nox?" I asked, placing my palm upon the gate. Shooting my eye back towards the pitiful man, I sneered, "Arsene and Lilith are not your saviors. They will be your destroyers."

  Phasing through the gate, I did not appear where I always landed, but rather within a castle bathing with holy light. Feeling a little uncomfortable, I fell upon my knee, not daring to look around.

  "Snake," the divine voice of the King resounded, "How is Arsene's Trial going?"

  "He has become a royal of Noctem. And enlisting the help of an Arch-Angels." I fearfully explained.

  'tell, tell. You must tell the King everything. We are his!' it said, causing my heart to seethe with rage.

  "An Arch Angel? Those little things of our feathers? How distasteful, but I am sure my brothers have already told Arsene the truth."

  "True, but are we not in the same position. "The man I called shadow darkly told. "The Ruler of the Bed of Chaos, Aldrich, he is his—"

  "Aldrich is not our ally, not yet at least. He still protects the boy, and we have lost everything due to his brother."

  "So you have given up on forgiveness?" Asked the shadow, completely ignoring me. However, I can't say I'm not happy. This was driving me crazy. Who the hell were these people.

  They had simply appeared during the Overworld invasion, ending the war relatively early. Although no one knows why in the Bed of Chaos. they were the ones who saved them."

  "And if the Silver Devil doesn't forgive us. It all that blasted Mephisto's fault had he not—"

  "Not in front of the outsider!" Shadow hastily said, "Loki, what do you know?"

  Pulling the small black shard Arsene had given me, I raised it over my head but not looking upon the two lords.

  "He said, and the alliance could be in order, assuming your interest aline." I humbly said, "He knows I am working with someone, but not who you are."

  "Perceptive, but Aldrich will not allow us to make contact with him till he crosses the line into godhood. That is when all the training wheels drop. You think his family will make contact before then?" Asked the King.

  "I do not know; the Silver Devil was never one we could understand, but we shall help Arsene for now. We need him to connect the twelve realms to Illuthoth. Aldrich is blinded, trying so desperately to get off his leash. He doesn't even realize we are playing him. Return and make sure everything goes according to plan. Aldrich cannot know. Not yet, at least."

  "How annoying, how I simply wish to kill that insect."