Unknown Heritage

[Maira]

When Carma said they needed to go elsewhere to finish their conversation and climbed out of the hot tub, Rune felt the strange urge to pout. What in Hell was Carmine doing to him?! Instead, he smirked back and climbed out of the steaming water, pulled on his pants and gathered up his boots and shirt before gesturing Carma to lead the way out of the private sanctuary.

Once they were back out in the main halls, Rune's skin got rather chilled from the temperature change and he couldn't help but hurry them both to their destination. He wanted to be warm again and he knew that the conversation they were about to have would do that for him. As they reached the hallway both of their rooms was in, Rune walked straight to his rooms. Darius, hopefully, wouldn't walk in unannounced on them in his room. After all, the man barely knew him so hopefully he wouldn't feel comfortable enough to let himself into a locked bedroom.

*****

He was deffinately warm now. As Rune lay on his back on his own bed, Carmine was on his belly and playing with Rune's hair. It wasn't overly long but he had to admit, if Carmine became a regular part of his life in this respect he was going to let it grow a bit. Having the man play with it was incredibly soothing and sensual all at once.

At Carmine's words, Rune stiffened a bit with surprise. He'd heard nearly everybody in the household calling him Carma but being so new, and still practically a stranger despite their familiarity in bed, Rune didn't think he would be told to call him that for a very long time. With a soft smile on his lips, Rune happily recieved the kiss that Carma presented him. Then when the older Custos snuggled into his side, Rune, in an unconscious gesture of affection, wrapped his arm around the other man's back and waist and drifted with him off to sleep.

[Demeter]

When Carma woke up the room was dark and warm. He rolled over and found himself confronted with Rune's scarred chest. He wiggled an arm up and traced the lines of criss-crossing scars. It just seem wrong for someone so young to bare so many marks. He had his own sizeable collection of scars but they'd came from decades of battles.

The scars were something he still had to address. In the trial against Ellen, documenation against her would be needed. He could do it, just him and Rune rather then having an audience for the event. Carma lifted his face and kissed Rune until the man woke up. "Come on, Pet, wake up. We need to talk."

He continuted raining kissed down on Rune's face until he woke up. He gave the man one, long kiss. "We haven't finished taking care of what Ellen did. The courts will want pictures and proof. If you wanted, I could do it, just by myself. Darius is crap with a camera. Besides, I've already seen and become very familiar with your body."

[Maira]

He didn't normally dream, or if he did he never remembered them. Yet for some reason, tangled up with Carma in his own bed, Rune was dreaming. The dreams weren't overly pleasant but at the voice that intruded into them,they took a turn for the better. Somebody was calling him "pet" and was kissing him. Suddenly scenes from just before he'd fallen asleep surged through his sleepy brain and he started to surface. The kisses from familiar lips were a very good motivation to wake up.

Before Carma's words could sink in, Rune's arms were tightening around his waist and his hands were starting their explorations of the older Custos's body again. And then what Carma was saying sunk in and he froze. He was silent as he listened.

When Carma finally stopped talking, Rune remained silent for a moment longer. "Since we have to do it, I'd rather it be just you." Through all their enjoyment of each other, Rune had somehow managed to forget that the scars he mostly ignored were going to be evidence in a case against his mother. He normally wasn't overly self conscious but as they weren't actively enjoying each other, Rune was very aware of Carma's eyes on his bare chest and the scars. He had to fight not to roll away and find a shirt, but as it was, Rune could not look his lover in the eyes at the moment.

[Demeter]

Carma shifted, pushing Rune onto his back, and straddled the naked Custos. He'd seen the way Rune acted on the faces of many other people when sensitive topics were brought up. He'd seen the way Dream would close herself off when her abduction was brought up.

Carma leaned down and pressed a kiss into one of the more promient scars that stretched across Rune's chest. "None of these were your fault. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You were a child. Even the children of Custoss are helpless for some time. These wounds, these experiences, have made you stronger."

Carma kissed another scar. "What you are doing, subjecting yourself to these examinations, will help to put that woman into a pit. If Shadis was still alive, he'd be right alongside her. Ellen has a history of mental and physical abuse. Shadis just drew her towards a new level of deprativy." Carma rested his chin on Rune's chest and peered up at the younger man. "Besides all these scars give you this dashing, mysterious air. If someone didn't know better, they'd be curouns about how a strong man like you became so scared. Probably some dark and tragic tale of true love gone wrong...if I know the ninny-brained twits who don't see the darker side things."

Carma lifted his body up and pressed a third kiss against Rune's chest before rolling off Rune. He clambered off the ed and picked up the bedside phone. He contacted the kitchens, ordered food for two and hung up. He glanced at Rune. "I'd suggest covering yourself up or getting dressed. We'll eat and then document your scars. And then we'll shower. I smell like hot tub chemicals..."

[Maira]

The intake of breath through his teeth was as close to a hiss and Rune would allow himself when suddenly Carma was straddling him and kissing one of his scars. He was barely listening to the older Custos as Carma tried to obviously talk 'sense' into him about his scars. Then the teasing about how others would romanticize his scars just aggrivated him more and he had to close his eyes to hide that they were going red.

When Carmine finally rolled of of him, Rune took a deep steadying breath and just lay there with his eyes closed. He heard Carma order something to eat and when the other Custos hung up and spoke to Rune again, he finally opened his still red eyes and answered, "I'll take my shower now." Then he rolled off the bed, kept the sheet around his waist, and stalked off to the bathroom to do just that.

[Demeter]

When Rune stalked into the bathroom, Carma smirked. The man responded just how Carma wanted him to. If Rune was pissed off and grumbling he would be distracted. Carma wanted Rune distracted for this. Each scar would be catalouged, photographed, and discribed.

While Rune showered, Carma dressed and dashed over to his own room to collect his supplies. When the food arrived, along with a bottle of wine, Carma laid it out. When Rune exited the bathroom clad in only a towel, Carma nodded in approval. He needed the man nude for the examination. He motioned Rune towards the food. "Eat first and then we'll get started. And I meant what I said earlier." he spoke with his head bent over his camera, making sure that everything was working.

"This will be recorded, both orally and written. You'll have to explain just how you recieve each scar. If it happened after Shadis and Ellen, just say so. I'll also photograph each scar." Carma turned to look at Rune. "Whenever you are ready, Rune."

While he waited, Carma fiddled with his supplies, glad that Rune was being all snarly. He was about to put his hands all over the man and the process would be easier if the man wasn't feeling affectionate.

[Maira]

His shower was not as relaxing as he had hoped it would be. In fact, he was more aggrivated when he exitted the shower than when he'd gotten in. While washing off the scent of hot tub checmicals and sex, Rune had come to the conclusion that Carma had purposefully provoked him. He still wasn't quite sure -why- Carma had provoked him, but he wasn't happy about it. The fact that the man could get to him so easily meant he was letting him past all his carefully constructed walls. That wasn't something that Rune did intentionally, let alone unknowingly and it pissed him of.

When he finally climbed out of the hot water, Rune didn't bother with clothes. He had scars from Shadis all over his body and clothes would just get in the way of Carmine documenting them. So, with just a towel on, Rune stalked back out into his bedroom, the bunched up sheet under his arm.

The smell of food made Rune's stomach rumble but he ignored both his stomach and the food and tossed the sheet on the bed. He eyed Carmine as he started talking, and he knew his eyes were still red. They always were when he was mad. At this point though, he just didn't care. Better that Carma know he was mad than just wonder why Rune was being so cold and distant.

Once Carma was done talking, Rune took a step closer to the food and snatched up a nice fresh roll. It was enough to take the edge off his hunger, but not enough to upset the knots that were quickly forming. After downing that and a large glass of wine, Rune growled out, "Okay, lets get this over with. Tell me what you need me to do."

[Demeter]

Carma raised an eyebrow at Rune but shrugged. The man had been through several emotionally rough days and probably needed a break from the DeLorme family and everything that came with it. "lets start with the major scars and work down to the less serious ones." Carma picked up his recorder and then glanced at Rune. "Dop the towel, please," and then he flipped the recorder on.

The process took several hours and several rolls of film. Carma tried his best to preserve Rune's modesty with each image he snapped. He could feel Rune's anger in the way his muscles bunched and knotted. He could see it in the way Rune shifted his weight or the way his hands clenched at the telling of hiw he gained particular scars.

Carma's own anger grew as he documented each wound. How anyone, even a Custos like Shadis, would allow this sort of abuse to carry on. Carma wasn't a fool. He knew that the only thing between him and a past that mirrored Rune's was Mars' intervention in his life. The general was cut from the same cloth as Shadis had been. Carma sneered at the thought of his own father.

When he finished with the last scar, Carma didn't say anything. He just turned off the recorder and set his camera on the ground. Kneeling as he was behind Rune, Carma placed his hands on the backs of Rune's naked thighs. He wanted the man relaxed and calm before he left this room. He hoped to acheive some aspect of relaxation and calmness before he let Rune out of the room, even if he had to beat the man into submission. "You're cold," he murmered more to himself then rune as he slid his hands up to Rune's lower back. He pressed one single kiss into the soft flesh at the small of Rune's back, his hands curved around his hips.

Carma stood and loosely circled his arms around Rune's waist. "Get on the bed and lay on your stomach," he whispered into Rune's ear. "and no arguing with me. I'm going to repay your favor of a message." He pushed Rune towards the bed.

Carma kicked up the heater in the room while he waited for Rune to comply. He had Rune's towel from earlier drapped over one arm and a bottle of lightly scented oil in the same hand. Once Rune was in a face down, supine position, Carma flipped the towel over Rune's bare ass and straddled his thighs.

For over an hour he worked at the tense mucles in Rune's back, neck, shoulders and legs, rubbing the oil into the flesh. He never said a word but let his hands do the talking. When he finally rolled away from Rune's body and knelt besides him, he spoke. "Go home, Rune, and spend a few days by yourself. Trust me, now that this family knows about you, they won't leave you alone."

Carma gave Rune one last long but not particually slow or sweet, kiss before climbing off the bed. He gathered his belongings, took one last look at Rune before he waved and left for his own rooms.

[Maira]

By the end, Rune was cold both physically and emotionally. He had never had to expose himself so wholy before and it had been very draining. With each explination of every single scar, Rune had closed himself off more and more. When it was all said and done, Rune wanted nothing more than to go back to his house and lock all the doors. Then his walls wouldn't just be mental and hopefully they would work a bit better...

The kiss at the small of his back startled him. He hadn't heard the older Custos's words nor felt his hands slide up his thighs to his back. Rune was already tense and being ordered back onto the bed after having all his worst nightmares dredged back up made him bristle. If it had been any other person, male or female, who had ordered him in any bed at that moment, Rune likely wouldn't have done it. But it was Carma. For some reason that Rune couldn't even fathom, he trusted the man. So, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment, Rune did as Carma had told him, not without glaring however.

Being rubbed down by Carma's strong calloused hands was probably the most soothing thing Rune had ever experienced. Yet the only thing it soothed was his body. He felt his muscles slowly begin to relax and release their knots under Carma's ministrations and while his anger subsided, a dark depression began to settle into its place.

His eyes were no longer red when Carma finished his massage but they were closed against tears he refused to cry. He had learned long ago, as his body showed, that crying was not tolerable behavior in a Custos. When he was certain there were no more tears trying to fall, Rune opened his icey blue eyes and just stared at Carma. He didn't get a chance to say anything by way of thank you, not that he was sure what to say, because he was being kissed. It was nothing too passionate or sweet, but it was enough. If it had been anything more, Rune wouldn't have been able to handle it right then.

He then watched as the older Custos gathered up his things and left the room. Rune didn't have it in him to wave back but he nodded his head in response to the other Custos's goodbye wave. As soon as the door was closed, Rune slowly got to his feet and crossed to it. He flipped the lock. Not because he felt threatened, but just because he needed some active barrier between him and the man that now knew his worst nightmares and darkest secrets.

Once the door was locked, Rune was able to breathe slightly easier and he hurried to get dressed and back in his armour. Another layer added to protect him from his past. As soon as he was dressed, Rune went about making the bed. He knew it would need to be changed before anybody else slept in it but he refused to leave the place a mess. On top of the freshly made bed, Rune folded his borrowed clothes and left a note that they were to be returned to Carma after being cleaned.

Leaving the DeLorme house was a quick and painless matter. Nobody stopped him, hardly anybody looked at him despite the fact that he wore the armour of a different Custos Lord than the one whose house he was stalking through. As soon as he got to an exit, Rune took it and lifted to the sky almost immediately.

The flight home was rough, there was a storm brewing in Hell and that always made the skies dangerous. He was comletely exhausted when he landed rather gracelessly in his own courtyard. The only reason he didn't stumble was that there was a wall handy. He immediately went inside his house and ordered all doors, windows and any other possible entrance locked and barred. He wanted -no- company. He didn't care if Darius himself came and demanded to be let in. As he wasn't the Lord Rune was beholden to, he didn't have to answer. In truth there were only 4 people he -would- permit into his house and only if they demanded to be let in because of something urgent. His Lord, his Lord's son, and either of his Lord's two generals. That's it.

Orders given, Rune stalked off to his suite of rooms and shut and locked those up tight. He even pulled the heavy curtains on his windows so that his room was nearly pitch black. Solitude was what he craved, and nobody was going to steal that from him until he was ready.

[Demeter]

Carma was annoyed. Generally when people where expected to be somewhere at a certian time, he found them there. He'd sent the note off days ago. Rune was supposed to have been at his house, sitting pretty and waiting for Carma to pick him up, considering that the man was expected at Darius' earthbound house. But no, the staff at the Dahl house said he was off in the seventh layer. And the people in the seventh layer said he was off taking part in a battle. He hated hunting down his employer's errant children.

Carma leaned against Kublai Khan, the hell horse stallion that Darius had gifted him, while he waiting for the infantry man one of the generals had sent off to find his quarry. He leaned against the horse, occasionally giving the reins a little jingle when Kublai got distracted by the various wounded that traveled by. "No eating the maimed, Kublai. Trey will kill me if your diet gets messed up again."

When Rune finally appeared in the General's tent, Carma grinned at him. "Lord Darius DeLorme requests your appeance."

[Maira]

Being summoned to the General's tent during the middle of a battle could be annoying at best and deadly at worst. Deadly on the part of either, or both, the messenger or the recipient of the summons at times. In this case, neither had died, though after getting gashed on the thigh by the messenger's sword when the messenger tripped over a corpse, Rune had wanted to kill the messenger. If not for that idiot he likely would have come out of the battle unscathed as it was already winding down.

With a glare at the clumsy messenger, Rune lifted from the main battle into the sky. Sure there was fighting aloft as well, but not nearly as much and it was a much quicker way to reach the General's tent. He landed outside the tent, stumbling only slightly thanks to his gashed thigh, and entered quickly. The person waiting inside was -not- the person he expected to see and the smile he always wore during battle was immediately replaced by a mask of indifference.

He refused to let himself snarl at the grin on Carmine's lips that accompanied the summons he brought from Darius. "And just what is it that Lord Darius wants from me?" Rune asked snidely. This was followed by, "I think its fairly obvious I'm busy at the moment serving -my- Lord." Then with a pointed look at the seeping wound on his thigh he added grumpily, "Thanks to his summons, the idiot messenger gashed my leg when he tripped on a body."

Rune had volunteered for this battle for a reason. After the few days he had spent at the DeLorme house he had been a wreck. Between the torture of relaying verbally everything Shadis, Ellen and those in their employ had done to him, and then being humiliated by Carmine's kisses on and teasing about the origin of his scars Rune had wanted to seriously maim something when he'd left. If he hadn't left when he did, it may very well have been Carmine that he'd struck out at and that was the last thing he wanted because somehow that blasted bodyguard of Darius's had gotten under his skin and past all his walls. He'd locked himself away in his house for a week, not allowing any visitors except those on Marrus or Rhystic's business and when one had come bearing news of a battle, Rune had put on his armor and left immediately to take his place in the army.

Now, finally somewhere he could get his head back on straight, Carmine shows up with a summons from Darius and by the looks of things both Carmine and Darius expected him to just drop everything and do as he was bid. It just rankled.

[Demeter]

Carma remained leaning against Kublai, though he wound his hands around the stallion's reins and slipped that same hand through his headstall. Kublai, unlike his older brother, was a full-blooded hell horse and he tended to like blood. Khan may have been a vicious beast but Kublai was a perfect example of a hell horse.

He likes seeing Rune all snarly and bristly. The man seemed to have recovered from his time spent within the DeLorme house. He shifted then, drawing a rolled up message from the bag attached to the front of Kublai's saddle. "Marrus is no longer your lord, Rune. We had hoped that you would have come easily but I've been instructed to do this if you resist."

Carma handed the scroll to the general, Caspian and turned back to Rune. "By the laws of hell, the heir of one Custos lord cannot serve the Custos lord of another level. You, Rune DeLorme, are the only legitmate, full-blooded Custos son of Darius DeLorme, Lord of the fifth layer. The reseach has been made, your mother was indeed impregnanted by Darius while they were still married. You, Rune DeLorme, are the offical Heir of Darius DeLorme and you are to come with me."

Carma was hardly playing the lover tonight. When it came to the leadership of the fifth layer, he was the offical second-in-command and Darius' emisary. He'd play the lover layer. He enjoyed the attentions of Rune in bed that was not here and now. Carma turned to look at Caspian. "Sir, is he free to go? As you can see, that document has been signed and sealed by both Darius and Marrus."

While he waited for an answer, Carma unwound his hand from Kublai's reins and headstall and swung into the saddle.

[Shinigami]

Caspian took the roll of paper from Lord Darius' messenger, a man he's seen around and heard of for quite some time. He checked to make sure the paper said what Carmine claimed it did, huffing under his breath about losing one of their best soldiers because of a damned technicality. Cas scowled at his Lord's signature along side that of Lord Darius'. It was legit.

He eyed Carmine for a moment before nodding and handing the paper back. He turned to Rune. "The paper is for real. You're no longer a soldier under Lord Marrus. Though, I wish they had picked another time to do this." His eyes flicked towards Carmine again and his tone showed his annoyance.

[Maira]

The formal tone that Carmine had taken, and the scroll he pulled from a saddlebag, did not bode well for Rune. As the older Custos started speaking, Rune's temper flared and his hair went jet black with crimson highlights. His eyes were already red from battle, so those weren't really any indication to his temper at the moment but those who knew him well would recognize that when his hair went black, Rune was at his most dangerous.

Through the whole ordeal, being named Darius's heir, being called by his last name, and being ordered to go with Carmine, Rune said not a word. He stood perfectly still, his eyes following the paper that held his fate as it passed from Carmine to Caspian and back again. More than anything else in the world, Rune hated when people played with his life like he had no say in it and considering that was precisely what Darius and Marrus were doing, Rune wanted to just storm back out into the battle and keep right on fighting.

Instead, Rune looked up at Carmine but answered Caspian, "Me too Sir." Then he looked back at his former General and bowed formally, "Give Lord Marrus my regrets that I have to leave his service, and let him know that if I'd been given a choice I would have gladly continued to serve him."

His tone as he addressed Carmine was very controlled when he asked, "So Carmine, what does my father want with me? I asked that before and you never quite answered." As he waited for Carmine to answer, Rune's red gaze took in the beast that the man was sitting on. A purebred hell horse, that was clear from the way it was eyeing the wound in Rune's leg, and one of the line bred by Darius's other son Trey if he wasn't mistaken. He'd heard about Khan and his line. The whole family was known for being viscious even if the blood was diluted a bit by regular horses. As this one was not a halfbreed, it could only be related to Khan through a common sire which meant they were half brothers. He was seriously impressed.

[Demeter]

Carma smirked. He inclined his head towards Caspian. "Darius truely regrets having to go this route and it has put some strain on the friendship between our families. We had hoped that he would have come along quietly." Carma returned his gaze to Rune. "Your father wants you by his side, learning how to run the fifth layer of hell. He also wants to make up for your less then stellar childhood. Do not begrudge him that, Rune, its part of his nature."

Carma casually laid a hand on Talos' hilt, tapping his fingers against the warm metal. He remember how Rune was impressed by his reputation and he would use that reputation if he had to in order to drag him along. "Rune, do you know how to ride?" He asked the question causally and barely lifted a brow when a bought of cursing started outside the tent.

"You arrogant brute of a beast! Move your ass, Khan, or I swear I'll lock you up and let Lani crawl all over you!" Trey spurred the stallion forward, swearing again when he refused to move forward, distracted as he was by the ongoing battle. "You cannot fight today, Khan."

Khan snorted and plodded forward. Trey groaned in relief and gave a tug on the reins of the stallion behind him. Khan's Warrior, the youngest of his stallions trained offspring, followed behind. "Carma, you better have a damned good reason for requesting Warrior."

Inside the tent, Carma smirked and kicked Kublai. "Follow me, Rune, your father has sent along a present, one that befits your station." He ducked his head as Kublai trotted forward. He grinned at Trey. Rune's older brother, was sweating and grumbling at his horse. Kublai tossed his head at the sight of the other two horses.

Trey dismounted as the other two made their appearance. "Khan, stay." he said to the half-breed and grumbled. He swore that the horse rolled his eyes. He took the measure of Rune just by eyeing him and adjusted the sturrips on Warrior's saddle. "Rune, pleased to meet you. Trey, older brother, horse breeder, and Captain of the Hell Horse Troop in the Fifth Layer Cavalry."

He led Warrior forward, pleased that the stallion resemebed his father ever so much. "And this is Khan's Warrior, gifted to you by Lord Darius. And that," he said while pointing over Warrior's back, "Is Khan."

Khan, hearing his name, looked over at the new guy and laid his ears back, as he did to most new comers. He stretched his his head out, snuffled the man, bared his teeth. Trey reached over warrior's back and grabbed the dangling end of one of the reins. He gave a sharp tug on the reins.

Carma looked over at his shoulder at Rune. "So, will you join us or do I have to sling you over Warrior's back and tie you down?"

[Maira]

He was still just staring at Carmine when the older Custos answered his question matter of factly. Rune didn't miss when Carmine's hand slipped to the hilt of Talos, and he had to wonder if it was a threat to him to behave. He wasn't acting like a child so what the hell was Carmine threatening him like one for? That just riled his temper more but the next question Carmine had for him kept it in check.

With a tone just as matter-of-fact as Carmine's had been only moments before, Rune answered, "I've been riding since I started training." And on the heels of his answer, Rune heard somebody outside apparently cursing at and threatening a horse. When he heard the name, Rune's interested was perked. Carmine didn't have to tell him to follow him outside because Rune was walking as soon as Carmine turned his own mount.

The sight outside was enough to shock Rune out of most of his temper and his hair, by locks, started changing back to the silvery white it normally was. The appearance of his older brother, as he was the only one to ride Khan and the rider had called the horse Khan, was a bit of a surprise but the fact that he came with an extra horse was what really caught his attention. A son of Khan he was guessing just by looking at him and after Trey intoduced himself he introduced the horses, confirming Rune's guess about the second horse's parentage.

Khan's actins toward Rune just made him smile wickedly with pleasure. If the beast had acted any differently he woudl have been seriously dissappointed.

Carma's next question went unanswered as he thoroughly examined Warrior. When the stallion kicked at him while he tried to lift one of his legs to examine one of his feet, Rune laughed like a kid with a new toy and patted the tempermental beast affectionately on the rump. Once he was familiar with his mount, as it had been more for that reason than to make sure the horse was sound that he'd examined him, Rune answered Carma's question simply by mounting up. The saddle and the stirrups were a perfect fit and he sighed with pure pleasure at having such a powerful creature between his legs. "Lets go," Rune said shortly to Carma then he tuned his attention to his brother and started interrogating him about Warrior's lineage and training, again for familiarity's sake.

[Demeter]

Carma watched as the two brothers rode off. Trey had mounted Khan quickly. He'd spent most of his adult life on Khan; seeing as how he was the only person save for Hope and Lani to get near the brute. "He's mean, just like his father and sister." Trey said to Rune as he tightened his hold on Khan's reins and used the pressure of his left leg to keep the stallion from leaping into battle. Trey glanced over his shoulder at Carma and Kublai. He looked at Rune. "Hey, don't give Carma a hard time. He's just doing his job. Dad has this way of meddling in his children's lives. You should have seen Dream when he all but sold her off to Rhystic. Its rare for her to get pissed but when she does... Didn't talk to Dad for a week and, after that, spent hours glaring at him. Swear that there was ice coming off that girl." Trey chuckled.

Carma rode along behind the brothers has they traveled to the gateway that would lead to Trey's farm. From there, they would go to the main house. He tilted his head and glanced between them. He may have had fun with Trey but he enjoyed Rune. Also, Trey was into commitment and such.

[Maira]

Rune was pleased to hear that Warrior was bred true, and was actually smiling when Trey told him not to give Carma a hard time for what their father had done. He looked back over his shoulder at Carma, still smiling slightly, then turned back to his brother. "I'm not giving him a hard time for doing his job, I know he's only doing what he has to. I left the DeLorme House for my own reasons and he knows what they are. He also likely knows why I'm not happy with him." For Trey essentially being a total stranger, Rune found himself speaking rather freely around him and that was... unusual to say the least.

After that, Rune nudged Warrior's sides with his heels and rode a short distance ahead to put the young stallion through some of his paces. The only time he didn't listen to his rider was when a small group of fighters broke away from the main battle and fought their way into Rune and Warrior's path. The stallion wanted to join in the chaos and he fought viciously for his head. As much as he wanted to test him out in battle, Rune reined in Warrior. The young stallion needed to learn who was in control, and while he wasn't happy about being directed away from the small group, he did finally give in to his rider's commands.

By that point, Trey and Carma had caught up to them and Rune directed Warrior to walk beside Carma and his mount. He didn't say anything, he didn't know what to say because he was still angry, but he had to admit he'd missed the man and he just felt an urge to be near him. Damn Trey, why did he have to bring a bit of doubt into his mind about his anger with Carma?

[Demeter]

After exiting the gateway in that particular level on hell, with a politefull nod to the gateway guardian, a bored looking female Custos who'd barely glanced their way, Carma watched Rune for his reaction. He hadn't told Rune just where they were going. He'd purposefully negelected to tell him that they were expected at Darius' earth bound house. And that the hell horses were housed on the 4ooo thousand acre farm owned by Trey. The gateway that the family used to get to earth was conivently located in a clump of woods on that farm. The gateways, keyed to all seven layers of hell or heaven, depending on where one wanted to go, were the fastest way to get between the different worlds and were located all over the place. They were, nexxt to the ability of reapers to literally pop into places, the fastest way to get around.

They followed Trey back to the hell horse portion of the farm and, when the spotted the little blonde puffball known as Lani, Carma grinned. Rune more then likely knew Khan's repuation for killing anything that moved within his line of sight. This would be interesting.
Lani right straight for Khan, who whickered and trotted, though Trey claimed the damn horse pranced, actually pranced, whenever he saw Lani or Hope, right on over.

Trey just sighed and dropped the reins. He twisted in the saddle and looked back to Rune. "Don't worry. He acts like a love sick bunny rabbit around that one. Lani Love, would you like to lead Khan back to the barn?" he flipped the reins over the stallion's head and Lani giggled.

Carma turned in his saddle to look at Rune. He'd already met the little girl happily skipping ahead of Khan, he'd played with Lani in the pool. He grinned. Khan's apparent attachment to Lani and Hope was a family secret. Who'd be scared of a horse who let a little girl climb up his body?

When they left the horses with the staff, all trained in the careful handling of hell horses and Hope left with Khan, Carma escorted Rune over to the main house where his Maserati Spyder was waiting for him. "We're meeting Darius as his earth bound house. He prefers it above the house in hell. It's where the girls were raised."

Carma climbed into the car and paited the passenger seat. "Lets take a ride." Carma grinned. If Rune thought the hell horses and the gateways were a fast way to travel...well, Carma smooted a hand over the leather covered steering well, he was itialian and though he had no use for Ferraris, Carma did enjoy the feel of 390 horses clinging to the road.

Once Rune was in the car, he turned the igniation and punched the accelerator, spinning out of Trey's driveway.

[Maira]

Rune knew about the gateways that led from Hell to other places but in all his life he had never been through one. He had never had a need honestly. Why would he want to go to Earth or Heaven when all aspects of his life were firmly grounded in Hell?

Needless to say, when Trey led the way through one of those gateways, Rune hesitated. The hesitation wasn't long enough to be noticed by any but Khan's Warrior and he quickly followed his brother through the gateway, Carma by his side. If Rune weren't so highly trained to handle the unexpected, he had a pretty good feeling that the sights, sounds, and smells of Earth would have overwhelmed him.

Earth was very green.

Warrior seemed rather at home in the strange surroundings so Rune didn't stress too much, but he was incredibly alert. At the sudden appearance of Lani, Rune raised an eyebrow and watched with amazement as the little girl ran up to the hell-horse in the lead. Khan. Khan had a reputation for trying to eat anybody or anything other than his rider, and he couldn't help but worry about the little girl. That is, until he saw Khan arch his neck and prance delicately over to the little girl, whickering at her as he went.

"What the --?" Rune started but his query was cut off by Carma informing him of just where they were going. It took him a moment to tear his eyes away from the spectacle of Lani and Khan, but when he could, he turned to Carma and nodded understanding.

The rest of the ride was short and uneventful. What happened next however, was a completely new experience for Rune. Having never been to Earth, he'd never seen a car, let alone been in one. He warily climbed in when Carma instructed him to do so, and then when the older Custos did something and the car shot off, Rune instinctively grabbed the handle on the ceiling and muttered, "Oh shit!"

Once he got used to the huge force of gravity throwing him against the side of the car and the seat when Carma turned or accelerated, Rune actually started to enjoy himself. By the time they arrived at their destination he was grinning like a fool. He didn't know how to explain the thrill he'd just had so Rune just sat in the car for a moment, waiting for Carma to tell him what to do next.