Chapter 122

A/N: I'm back. Had a heart attack Monday morning, and found out at discharge my insurance dropped me in April I've been paying the whole time. They told me not to worry, yet Wednesday I got a refund from them.

Kaizen

I was called 'dickhead' the rest of the week, but today was Monday, and two weeks later.

My office was finally fixed!

No more office away from home, but honestly the location doesn't matter

Especially since I was called to Sentinel's office by the request of his superiors. Who I didn't know yet, but to be safe I wore my punishment clothes. My bare chest held scars any Warrior would be proud of, with grandfather's tattoo on my back left shoulder. I was not *technically* his champion, but I was a general.

I turned the knob to his office, and when I opened it, he was kneeling to a man with dark, raven hair and yellow eyes the spitting image of Arviel. The scent was off though. It was much higher than the scent I carried, yet, not as high as Xaxas, or father.

"I am Humblon." He said firmly. "As the God of Mercy, you have sent me plenty to tinker with but I request your aid."

"I am on paternity leave." I said hoping it would be enough to thwart whatever work he had planned.

"I know." He chuckled. "I was hoping to borrow you for about 5 hours your time. You like punishing the wicked right?"

"Not particularly, but I mean I *can* if grandfather permit-" He cut me off.

About 5 pounds of gold appeared between us.

"See. *that's* the part I was trying to avoid. I have a small project, nothing special really." He scratched his chin.

"If it will make your superiors angry, I'm out. I'm just a demigod. You're Arviel's brother; he will likely just be mad at you. They'll punish *me*." I said pointing my clawed thumb at myself.

"Then I swear on my blood that nothing will happen to you." He said firmly.

"No. I'm sorry Lord of Mercy. I have a family and mortals to think of. As a designated keeper of the peace, I will not only be missed, but I cannot risk the ire of the gods. For us it is not something so simple or casual to brush aside." I said this respectfully. He pursed his lips.

"At least hear what I offer." He said as I stood.

"Not without the King of Hell's permission." I said truthfully.

"I want to prevent more unhappiness this world Your presence the day you claimed your birthright created a calamity *I* thwarted Demigod of Decay, Surely that counts for *something*." He said firmly.

"Then for it, I truly thank you. However, unless I am cleared, I *must* decline if I want to help or not. I'm not risking my mate and children or the pack. *They* will suffer for my crime." I said respectfully. I meant that the planet would be fine if it lost a few humans without Willow or my kids, I have no interest in being here, nor protecting Urth.

"You are the Demigod of Decay, living among Normal Mortals. Soon, they will wither away and suffer but cause a wave of undeath this world has not seen since my nephew walked this world in Hell Iron Boots." He hissed. "I prevent that but I may make a localized mistake."

Now he had my attention.

"Your presence will trigger the death of even the dirt of the land This land will become slime under your feet should you not contain yourself. The other two don't care. They have mates, and neither will be as affected now that Lia is the only earth goddess, and Lulliba the only moon. All others have been absorbed by them."

".What do you want me to do." I asked. "If it isn't too bad, I could swing it by Below."

"You're *really* set on snitching." He complained.

"My grandfather is also my *boss and creator*. Not telling him something he'll find out the moment I'm near is bad for my health." I said with a smile. He looked stressed out.

"True Then know what I say next is all our fault. I am the God of Mercy because I am the last line of defense for egregious acts of wrath. This one was proposed by a now dead god One Normally, those are delivered to the Pit by my Herold Torr-Terrios, but we had a bit of an incident with a mortal dissatisfied with their rulingHe was busy and it wound up on my desk."

"You approved a world ending event." I said and he pulled his hair.

"I approved a world ending event." He sighed. "I fucked up. I saw a catastrophic event appear in my office, and I was already pissed off, so I approved it without thinking." He frowned at my thoughts. "Yes, I have a fucking office. I run Purgutory! I deal with souls who have stories *ninety* feet of eternal scrolls long. You know how many decades it can take me to make *one* ruling?!"

It was why I think the time on his realm runs the slowest. One minute on Urth was 60 years there. Each second aged you a year. I dare say if a human accidently found themselves there, they'd probably die of old age before they were zapped back here.

"So, you're trying to stop an event already approved by all of you?" I asked. "Why?"

"Thank the Gods he didn't know what world to curse, but it was meant for here So instead by default it went to a random one of mine I really *really* like that world Kaizen. They both told me it's my fault, but I have 3 trillion mortals on my fantasy world. It's the size of Jupiter. My temple is run by cute cat girlsSome are even sentient house cats It's a giant fucking green marble of peace and tranquility Even they are jealous of how well it's managed. It's become a resort for all the gods"

We didn't have that planet. Well *Jupahtori* was the largest planet in our solar system. That's what he meant most likely.

"Did he curse them to rot away and die terrible deaths?" I guessed.

"The now dead Earth God Titan-" A black scroll appeared in my hands That was A LOT of mortalsbut the planet wasn't evil

Humblon allowed me to read it. " I don't want to do this."

"As you can already see My realm is one of trials and punishment meant for the wicked I deal with mortals who make poor decisions, but I must determine if they deserve the fate of Tarteron. The widow that killed her abusive husband, the thief who steals for their childrenThe man who breaks his oath to a friend, getting him killed, but if he stayed, he'd die too Those who do wrong, but do so because it is the most equitable, but their hearts aren't bad." He said firmly.

"I understand. What would you have me do about it? I'm literally already ordered to shoot my arrows into the heart of this world that it rot from the inside out" I was given instructions on how to ruin a planet alone The scroll will take me there and home once completed.

"If you can hold off however you can. That world has bad beings as they all do, but ultimately It's pretty pure and good as far as planets go. Their world is prosperous and filled with so much life. I don't want to see so many suffer. Not like that." He said honestly. "Whatever you wish within my power and my favor is your payment."

A wish and the favor of the Light King's brother for saving an innocent world condemned to die I'd do something like that for free.

"I cannot go against those higher than me." I said thinking out loud. "I'll only resign if I'm cleared. If I can't I swear in blood right now that I will take no enjoyment from so much life lost and that I will try to make it swift." I said teleporting.

I would do this right I made a formal request to see grandfather. The wait time for me as a general is nonexistent anyway. Plus, the request will attract the attention of grandma.

Good ol' grandma if she can't convince him, no one can.

I was banking on her being there, but her absence made me turn around before I entered the throne room. I did it right and requested her too.

"You bring my wife. Whatever it is, I'm listening." I heard his chuckle lick the walls. I was all the way in the grand reception room. His throne room was a few halls away.

I teleported to the foot of his throne and kneeled. "I beseech an audience because I was beseeched by Humblon."

"Oh yes, I already know about that world. Your loyalty gives me pleasure, but that will not change my mind. Do not worry of his mortals." Said grandfather casually. "You understand the instructions yes?"

"What's wrong with them?" grandmother asked sweetly.

"Three trillion along with a planet was cursed by the dying breath of a titan for the innocent to suffer" I said kneeled, but I felt grandmother hug my neck.

"That's awful. And awful that you brought me to help you." I looked up to see her grin.

"Can't hide anything from you." I chuckled. I was motioned to stand. "I want to help Humblon. He's an idiot but mortals who aren't scheduled shouldn't suffer my hand."

"It is his folly. I have told him time and time again not to stamp everything that crosses his desk. Terrious was meeting with Apythmenos. They exchange souls and orders in the In-Between., since it's closer." Said grandfather.

"I agree. If it was a mistake, husband, please speak with Arviel and cancel this." She asked sweetly.

He glared at me.

"Don't be mad at him. If I found out, I've have asked anyway." She went to his throne and sat in his lap. She hugged his neck, and he still glared at me as he embraced her gently.

"For your sake. I will not allow Humblon, nor our blood to cause you tears." He gently placed her in his throne, and let her sit there.

Technically during this time, as Queen of Hell she had King's authority Had she desired anything, no one would question her anyway, but now it was as if she was Zuviel in the eyes of the Night Court

If she wanted to use his power and make a solar system with life on every planet right now she could He sits in that chair to absorb so much power. It gives people the ability to exist in the same room as him I knew that from touching the other half of it the crown. Some things I remember from learning how little I actually am other things were forcefully taken from my memory.

Thinking about it made me nauseous.

Not even Arviel would give such power to Lia so casually. Well, maybe now that she's his mate. That is the power and danger of the mate bond If grandmother was power hungry, or a bad person, there's no telling *what* she could rule.

"I hear you, my grandchild." She said sweetly. "I can't count how many times he's told me to watch hell while he runs a quick errand. In this seat, even for the few moment's he's gone, I could turn this realm inside out, and end all things That is the power of this position. As his mate I could ask anyway, and I know he would do it with a heavy heart. It is why I didn't come at first. I didn't know what you wanted to ask."

"I would not abuse your kindness that way." I said firmly.

"I know, but I must always be careful If I ask, he will do it, and I also don't want to be tricked into helping a sinister cause." She said as a queen.

Grandmother held a glow to her in that chair, and I could not help but smile. I don't know *How* she became his mate, but she was the best queen to sit in that seat