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(Time Palace)

"…and why on earth would you listen to him Iris! Chand is known for his complete lack of regard for rules and protocol…"

Iris rolled her eyes, she had been listening to Akal rant for nearly thirty minutes now. Her golden wings rustled softly as she changed position in the large arm chair she was in, "Wonder what I should make for supper tonight? Perhaps I will let Pitch chose…he has been through a lot since he had to leave the hatchlings with Francis…"

"Iris! Are you even listening to me!"

"Not really Akal." Iris smiled when the man's face turned crimson with anger, "Look your making a big deal out of nothing. I simply went to check on Chand's family since he cannot."

Akal inhaled, "I don't want you getting involved Iris…there is a lot more to this than what you are aware of…"

Iris narrowed her eyes, "So I should do nothing to make sure this innocent child is not harmed?"

"Iris dear, I am sure that Chand is just overreacting. He tends to be a bit…overprotective when it comes to his offspring. We do not even know if someone is going to try and claim the child."

"Oh I am sure it not a matter of if Akal, it is really a matter of when."

A sense of dread filled Iris at the deep calm voice that suddenly filled the air, she could literally feel the supremacy within each word. She inhaled slightly at the sight of the spirit now stepping from a swirling portal that had erupted in the wall.

The man was outlined by a steady ripple of purplish energy that seemed to rise off his pale skin. Iris stared in awe as tiny stars streaked across the man's arms and face, multiple comets and asteroids shot across the velvet robe that cascaded down the man's back. Amber eyes full of wisdom studied her as the man walked over to them.

Iris shook slightly when she caught sight of the six coal colored wings that flared slightly as the man made his way to them. Instantly she knew who he was. This was Abyss the Keeper of the Void, a place where even Death held no power, where his word was law...and where the very fabric of the Universe was kept.

"…You must be one of Akal's factions. Iris is it?"

Iris was snapped from her thoughts by the man's question, "Yes sir I am."

"And as I understand you agreed to consort with Chand against my orders correct?"

Golden wings rustled as Iris got to her feet, her emerald eyes dancing "Yes, I did." She continued despite the fact Akal was waving for to go silent "And if I may 'sir' I do not agree with the way you are treating Chand at all. That man is worried that his family is in danger and you treat him like a monster."

"Because Chand is a monster." Amber eyes gleamed, the man's own wings flaring out slightly in response to the spirit's anger "He has done unimaginable atrocities in the past my dear so forgive me if I don't feel bad for his fate."

"So innocent child should suffer because of his father's past?" Iris glared back at the amber eyes now studying her.

Abyss crossed his arms, "None of Chand's children, save for one should even exist. The fact that they all have been wiped out by spirits or natural disasters is simply the Cosmos's way of ridding itself of souls that should never have been."

Iris narrowed her eyes at the callused way the man spoke, "What are you talking about?"

Abyss snorted, "Chand went against Universal Law and brought his wife back from the Void so therefore all her children from that point exist outside the parameter of the Cosmos. That cannot be allowed, therefore the Cosmos has dictated that these souls be removed before their existence destroys the fabric of the Mortal Realm."

"If it's that bad for the child to be then why not kill him yourself?" Iris waved a hand, "It would be much easier!"

"It is more…complicated than you know Iris." Abyss inhaled suddenly, "I am done with this conversation." The spirit turned to Akal, "Where is Chand now? I need to take him back to Chandrakumar."

"He is in the study." Akal waited till Abyss left the room, he then glanced back at Iris, "Iris dear Abyss is not one to trifled with, he has a lot on his plate and has a lot of very tough decisions to make in order to ensure the survival of the Cosmos. So please dear, forget the promise you made to Chand."

Golden wings flared slightly as Akal left to catch up with Abyss, "That is something I cannot do Akal." Iris growled slightly at the thought of abandoning the spirit's family to cruel whim of Fate. "I will keep watching over his family, whether you want me to or not."

The room erupted in a bright light as Iris silently whispered a spell to take her back to her palace.

(Dungeon of Connaught)

Low scraping of iron on iron resounded in the cramped space of the dungeon, Patrick desperately trying to use one of his knives to pry open the lock of the cage he was kneeling in front of. As he worked the spirit was also working on gaining the cages occupants trust.

"..ok let me see if I got this right." Patrick smiled at the two small white swans that were watching him intently, "Your Conn and Fiachra…Lir's youngest right?"

One of the swans nodded, his soft feathers moving with the motion, "Yep we're twins, though I'm older."

"Hey!" a hiss echoed from the other swan, "You're only older than me by a few minutes Conn."

Conn rustled his feathers, "A few minutes, a few hours still means I'm older."

Patrick chuckled as the two began arguing, while they were bickering he turned his attention to the large swan watching him "Are they always like this Fionnuala?"

"Yes." The swan sighed her wings flaring slightly, "Sometimes it's hard being the oldest of three brothers."

Patrick nodded, "I know, my younger brother used to annoy the fire out of me…"

"Are you ok?" Fionnuala cocked her head when a look of sorrow crossed the spirit's face

Instantly Patrick forced a smile, "I'm fine just thinking about the past…" the Leprechaun quickly changed the subject, "So who was that in here with you guys before I got here?"

"Arian." Conn stopped arguing with his brother to join in the conversation, "He's a really…

"Mean wizard that hurt Aodh!" Fiachra interrupted finishing his twin's sentence for him

Patrick glanced at the large male swan noticing blood trickling down his white wing, "Are you ok?"

Aodh nodded, not taking his eyes off of the far wall, "I am fine…did that guy kill Arian?"

Patrick glanced back at the wall, where Pitch was currently circling the large sphere of obsidian sand like a predator that had captured its prey "It's a possibility…Pitch did you kill him?"

"Not sure." The Nightmare King's voice responded mechanically

"Could you check?"

"Yes." A low hiss of pain followed Pitch's response, the Silent Spell sending a ripple of shock through him.

Patrick cringed at his friend's reaction, "I guess my ward to keep Cyril's spell from hurting you must have worn off."

Pitch sighed when he heard one of the children ask about the spell and Patrick begin to tell them about what had happened before they had found them. The Nightmare King rolled his eyes when Patrick began to exaggerate the fight and the rescue, instead of correcting his friend however Pitch decided to see if indeed he had ended the wizard…which if he had it really wouldn't bother him.

The spirit looked the sand prison over, he couldn't hear the guy within anymore…earlier the wizard had been cursing and saying all the horrible things that he was going to do should he get free. Now though…the wizard had went silent.

"Did he suffocate?" Pitch frowned, "I don't really know if there's oxygen inside my sand prisons…" he gently tapped on the outside of the sand "Spirits never really complained about not being able to breath…then again spirit's don't need as much oxygen as humans..." Pitch tapped again, then listened for a response.

Nothing

Pitch then began tapping in a rhythm, knowing that being annoying was the best way to get someone to respond…if they were still alive.

"Smug bastard! Just wait till I get out of here!"

A smile came to Pitch's face when the wizard's voice suddenly screamed within the sphere, "Guess he's not dead. That's a bit disappointing…however this means that I can have a bit of 'fun' with him now."

Pitch snapped his fingers

A loud panicked cry resounded within the sphere as grains of sand began to rain down filling the prison.

"I swear upon Horvath the Great that I will get free and destroy you!"

Pitch smirked at the wizards angry words that echoed from within the sphere of obsidian grains. Instead of making the onslaught of sand to stop however, Pitch simply commanded the grains to start falling faster.

"Did you not hear me? Release me this instant!" the wizards voice cracked slightly with fear

"How do you like the fact you are helplessly trapped at another's mercy? Perhaps now you'll think twice about doing so to others." The Nightmare King smirked at the waves of fear that was now flowing into him from the trapped man.

"Pitch leave the poor guy alone." Patrick's voice echoed, the man deciding that Pitch had had his fun when the wizards frantic pounding increased.

"I wasn't going to let it fill up all the way." Pitch snorted as waved his hand, instantly stopping the sand. He glanced over at Patrick who was still trying to unlock the large cage door that held the two smaller swans. "Besides he deserves it for trying to hurt these children."

Patrick chuckled as he twisted his knife blade in the lock of the door, even though his friend couldn't talk he knew what Pitch was thinking "Just because he deserves it doesn't mean you should Pitch."

"Whatever." Golden eyes gleamed as Pitch left his captive and went over to where the cages were.

"I'm sorry you got hurt saving us."

Pitch glanced at the small swan looking at him, "Not your fault." The spirit simply shrugged, hoping to convey to the child that it wasn't a big deal.

"Pitch is a tough guy Fiachra, even though he wears a dress." Patrick sweat dropped when out of the corner of his eye he saw Pitch's scythe form, "Hey I was jokaaaaieeeee!" the spirit screamed when the blade suddenly arced towards him the Leprechaun ducked out of instinct.

A loud shattering 'crack' resounded in the still air.

Patrick stared at the lock that was inches above his head, the bolt had been shattered into ribbons of iron, "You idiot what was that for?"

"You were taking too long." Pitch cringed slightly, the runes on his neck sparking however he ignored the pain and moved onto the other two cages.

"I almost had it." Patrick pouted as he watched Pitch remove both locks within seconds. He huffed when Pitch smirked at him, "Look just get the shackles off Aodh and Fionnuala while I get the ones off the twins. We have to get to Armagh..." The spirit smiled when the children gasped with excitement, "…so I can break this curse and get you guys back to your dad."

Pitch rolled his eyes at Patrick's grin when the children cheered, the Nightmare king then turned his attention to getting the shackles off the two older children.

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