The Frozen Melody

13.Blood.

Note: For future reference, Diábolos is the term for the dark gods (often known as Devils. Examples: Neine, Xing, and Daeken), while Dikaios refers to the holy gods. They are differentiated by how they collect the energy within souls, not by now 'nice' they are.

"What did you want to tell me mother?" Judice asked the Captain when they reached an empty hallway.

Zitrinna giggled behind her hand, "I managed to convince Daeken. He's going to be on our side now."

Judice raised an eyebrow, "Oh?" After a thoughtful pause, he asked, "What are his next steps then?"

"Basically the plan you came up with. He's even solved how to deal with Xing. By the way, how are the portals? Did they work?"

"... Yes. They worked." The boy answered calmly, his eyes staring straight ahead.

Zitrinna laughed lightly and ruffled her son's hair, making him growl in annoyance, "Come on Judice, you should be happy! Everything's working out! I'll finally have Joker, and you will be made a Captain. Daeken promised."

"Did he now?" Finally Judice turned and smiled sweetly at Zitrinna, "Can you tell me exactly everything you told him? I need to confirm we covered everything."

"Well, I basically told him that we can help Daeken get Neine and her Hell, in exchange, he gives us Pye and some of the powers he'll be getting from this Hell. He liked the plan you had, about getting Xing and his archangels to take care of Neine. After we sent the portal balls to you, he left to talk with Xing. I was going to wait and hear the result, but your father called me back. Do you know what he wanted?"

Judice pitched his nose ridge, looking tired. "Yes. No matter how useless you have proved yourself to be so far, I had not expected you to start trouble."

Zitrinna stopped in her tracks at the words coming out of her son's mouth. Had he just called her useless? Did she hear wrong?

"It seemed I have become too trusting over the years." Judice turned his sharp gaze to the Captain. "I have become foolish; to allow trash such as you to wreck such havoc."

"J-Judice? What are you talking about?" Zitrinna stuttered, her eyes searching the other's features for a clue of where this was going. Her mouth dropped open as the boy before, the one she thought was her son, began growing taller and taller... His raven black hair began turning blond, and his coal black eyes morphed into a piercing golden glare.

"P-P-Pye..." The name slipped from her suddenly dry lips. Then, unable to accept the reality of her huge blunder, Zitrinna's vision went black and she tumbled to the ground.

Judice opened the metal dungeon doors and took in the scent of blood and lust. His eyes instantly shifted to the limp figure hanging by her wrists against the wall. The colours drained from the boy's face as he realized who the woman was.

Joker turned around with glowing golden eyes, the front of his white shirt was stained red with the Zitrinna's blood. He licked his fingers, enjoying the aftertaste of the Captain's heart. Eating it had added a nice little boost to his powers.

Judice took a step back at the hungry look in his father's eyes. His back touched a solid mass. Whipping around, the boy stared fearfully at the wall in his face; the door he had walked through was gone. He was trapped.

Swallowing the hysteria threatening to rise up and consume him, Judice turned to face the Commander, "Father."

"It was quite an ambitious plan you came up with Judice. I am almost proud. If your mother had been less brainless, perhaps you could have succeeded."