Written By: Epicstu Wyyvernwriter

Having spent the night in the Meadhall just talking, Edward and Zesrial were still enjoying drinks together. “You are so much more coherent when you’re drunk,” Zesrial giggled and the two of them laughed together. “Okay, I have a question for you. It’s sorta been bothering me and I simply must know.” Zesrial admitted.

“Go ahead,” Edward replied, interested in what she might inquire upon.

“You are covered in a thick coat of fur from head to toe,” Zesrial began her introduction of the question she wished to ask, “and you wrap your rather large, very fluffy, tail around your body three times to reduce its length to just over three feet,” she took a deep breath, “so my question is this… isn’t all that plate armor uncomfortable?” Edward started to laugh. “No really,” Zesrial insisted. “It looks tightly fit and the only places you don’t wear armor are your hands, feet, and head. How can you even move squeezed under all that heavy reinforced metal?”

Edward stopped himself from laughing and caught his breath, “This is a very good question and I believe the only good answer would be that I have been wearing armor ever since I was old enough to begin training as a Knight. I’ve hardly ever taken it off aside from bathing, sleeping, or attending formal gatherings. I guess I just got used to it.”

“You don’t need it anymore though,” Zesrial pointed out. “Nothing can really touch you if you don’t want it to. You are the Blizzard, why do you continue to wear it?”

“As I said,” Edward replied. “I’ve worn plate armor all my life. I’d feel naked without it.”

“You are covered in fur…” Zesrial argued. “You are never naked.”

“You are not covered in fur,” Edward rebutted. “So you could never understand.”

“What about Sarah,” Zesrial made a good point. “She only wears her hood and a battle harness. She is covered in fur, is she naked?”

Edward laughed, “It’s a manner of preference, but I guess you have a point.”

Laughing with Edward, Zesrial started playing with the thick fur covering his ears, “Got any questions for me?” she asked eager to answer any inquiry.

Edward thought for a moment, “why is your armor so revealing?” Zesrial pulled herself back with surprise and blushed. “I don’t mean to be rude, but your gut is completely exposed and your battle skirt is way too short to be effective. There is not a whole lot covering your arms or legs and aside from your wings, your body is not invincible. The only thing I can see your armor accomplishing is distracting men who catch sight of your cleavage. I mean, don’t you feel naked?”

“A distraction?!” Zesrial snapped in reply, “I wear this because it is comfortable, allows for maximum range of motion, and I was under the impression that you liked it.” She crossed her arms, pretending to be mad at him.

“I do like it,” Edward replied looking her up and down, “a lot, but you don’t have to sacrifice defense for my visual pleasure. I bet I could help you design a full body set with the range of movement you are looking for that is comfortable and pleasing to the eye at the same time.”

Zesrial blushed, “Well, I…”

“My lord,” a man wearing dress clothes bowed before Edward. “My apologies for the intrusion…”

“Stand up,” Edward interrupted, “and do not apologize for nothing. I am not that sort of God.”

“Sorry… uh I mean,” the man brushed himself off nervously. “I, I mean we were wondering if you would resupply our mead stores. You, uh, drank us dry last night. You actually have the last of it in your mug there.”

Edward laughed heartily, “Well, I suppose I owe you then.” He downed his mug and stood up. “My Lady,” he bowed his head before Zesrial and then turned to the man, “take me to your mead stores and I will see what I can do,” he patted the man once on the back placing his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Don’t be so nervous, alright,” he said with a gentle voice, “I am only here to help.” The man brought Edward to New Valhalla’s mead stores and proved to him that the barrels had indeed run dry. Edward thought for a moment and remembered that Zesrial had told him of an event from her past quite similar to this. “Hmm, I wonder if I even could.” Then said to the man, “fill them all to the brim with water.”

“Water, Sir?” the man questioned.

“Just do it,” Edward replied, “and don’t call me Sir.”

The man did as Edward had requested and had his fellow employees fill all the empty barrels with water till they could hold no more. “We have done as you have asked,” the man said to Edward.

“Good,” Edward said as he handed the man his mug, “now fill this up, please.”

“With the water?” the man questioned.

“A minute ago I could not stop you from fearing me, now you question everything I say?” Edward rebutted.

“Well, I… uh,” the man stuttered.

Edward sighed a smile, “just do it.” The man did and brought Edward the mug. “Good, now taste it.” The man pointed to himself, “yes you,” Edward replied.

The man did and, “what the… Why this is the finest mead I have ever tasted.” The man shared it with his coworkers and they all agreed, “You must tell us how you did this.”

Edward poured himself a fresh mug, took a swig, and replied; “I honestly have no Idea.” Then something suddenly angered him and he left to contend with the problem.

*          *

After finishing the glass of wine she had been sipping, Zesrial got up from the bar and was suddenly greeted by a beautiful, young looking, Goddess. “Heaven,” she panted as she caught her breath.

“Demeter?” Zesrial recognized her immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“Please come with me,” Demeter replied. The matter seemed urgent, so Zesrial followed her.

Coming to the Meadhall’s exit, Demeter pulled a ring of keys, that all looked the same, from a pouch and put one of them into the door. “Through here,” she said as she opened the door. The two of them entered into a white room with operating tables with peoples from all across the multiverse laying on them. Men and women wearing white gowns and masks moved fleetingly between them checking monitors and patient vitals. “This is our Medical wing where we tend to the wounded and the ill.”

“I thought New Valhalla had a death system that prevented the need for such a place,” said Zesrial.

“We never thought we’d have to use it, but just this morning a virus began spreading that prevents death but causes tremendous pain and partial paralysis,” Demeter replied. “The virus has also affected our infinite food stores. We have no food to feed anyone.”

“Every living thing in the multiverse is in the Realm,” Zesrial concerningly replied.

“We were hoping you and Edward could do something,” Demeter explained. “Where is your Knight?”

“He left to help replenish the Mead stores not long before you came to me,” Zesrial admitted. “Where is Kale Agustus Pier?”

Demeter pointed to an operating table at the end of the room where Kale laid, “his condition is much worse than the rest. I fear he may wither eternally with no end to his pain if we cannot cure his ailment.”

“Demeter!” one of the nurses shouted, “the screen.”

Demeter looked and saw Edward was in the Meadhall beating Set to a pulp, “Famine,” Zesrial sighed. “Of course.”

*          *

Set, pushed back by a solid blow to the face, maintained his footing. “Why!?” Edward demanded to know.

Set wiped the blood from his lips with a grin, “isn’t it obvious? or are lies the only way you can solve mysteries?” Set chuckled, “I think you do know, but you just don’t want to believe it.”

Edward growled as he spoke so that only the Wyyvern Knights of Fate could hear him, “the only reason you are not in much more pain is that you are not mine to punish. You are my brother, the End’s, to punish. You have embalmed his Wyyvern weapons, but this is not why. No, it is because you have embalmed his love, Death,” he now spoke directly to Anubis. “Undo what you have done. Killing off all life in the Multiverse will not save you from his wrath.”

Suddenly Set disappeared and Edward found himself standing next to the King’s throne with Zesrial on the opposite of it. Loki, his face and body covered by the Wyyvern Plate Armor of Law and Order with the Wyyvern Bastard Sword of Vampirism sheathed at his side, got up from his throne walked up to the edge of his booth and leaned on the railing there. “New Valhalla,” he said as he gestured to the new Horsemen who he had summoned to the arena before him, “these men stand accused of exposing an unspeakable virus to all you Living who are here with us today and of Sabotaging your food supplies. So I ask you, Living of the Multiverse, what punishment should they receive if they do not undo what they have done?” The stands were filled with, among the Undead, every Living thing in the Multiverse, yet the audience was silent. “Do you interfere, Edward?’

“No,” Edward replied, for he knew Aleister had influenced the Living not to answer and now stood before the Horsemen so that only they could see him.

Loki had noticed Anubis’s face flood with fear as after a begrudging look and a subtle growl Anubis said, “no.”

“What?” Loki questioned furiously.

“God can fix it himself,” Anubis taunted at Edward with a smirk hiding the fear of his own End well.

Loki turned to Edward, “Well, can you?”

His focus on Anubis, Edward growled at him as he snapped his fingers. “What does that even mean?” Loki questioned as his patience thinned. I don’t know what,” he snapped his fingers, “this means.”

Then Demeter came running to Loki, “My Lord,” she panted with a large bundle of wheat in one hand, “the food is back and everyone is making a full recovery.”

“Ah, right,” Loki sighed, then he spoke only to Edward. “Thank you, but that is not the only reason I have summoned you here.” Edward raised an eyebrow in response. “About your challenge to the Horsemen,” Loki continued, “I am afraid I cannot allow it to be a race. The moment the Horsemen enter the Dreadnautilus Aleister would his Wyyvern weapon’s back and since this is a tournament I am sure you understand why I can not allow it.”

Zesrial sighed, she had hoped this would speed the tournament up. “I agree,” Edward replied. “What do you propose.”

Then, suddenly and without warning, Loki inflicted a mortal wound upon Edward, “this is for my brother. Now into the arena with you,” he replied. “The announcers are about to explain,” then he sent Heaven and Hell into the Arena.

*          *

In the Dreadnautilus’s brig, Ember Fray locked the barred door of the box that held Kali in chains. She twirled the keys, “Chastity will deal with you once she returns, one way or the other,” Ember said as she turned away from Kali. I’d let you go, but even as the Warpriestess and the Wyyvern Agent of the End, I still do not outrank his Captain,” she looked back over her shoulder at Kali and grinned. Then she left her there.