The two women stopped after crossing the portal.


    "So that''s how it feels."


    Tetra understood to her core what the void element was. Now that she experienced the portal herself, it made her realize that it was different from her own rule over ''Space''.


    She looked at Henrietta with a worried look.


    "Are you alright?"


    Her friend looked anxious. Changing from her hideout to Horizon so suddenly would obviously cause her trouble to adjust. She was actually clenching her fist pretty hard.


    "I''m fine. I''m just preparing in case something happens."


    But nothing happened, even after a few minutes.


    "You should relax for once. Even if something does appear in Horizon, I''ll simply bring you two outside. You can return to where you were before in a few seconds."


    Orion had already thought of this, in case Henrietta thought of doing something she would regret again.


    She was Amelia''s mother. His own mother in some ways. What kind of son-in-law would he be if he accepted her request for help without even thinking about it.


    "You have a point. I suppose I could try... to relax."


    Letting go of her anxiety, she relaxed her body.


    "You two are coming with me."


    He opened another portal, which led to the front of his house this time. They silently followed, and before long, they were inside his house.


    They both sat on the couch and waited for him to return. The moment they entered, Orion continued upstairs, and returned Stella to her room. Sirius stayed with her, as he seemed to want to protect her, so Orion allowed him to do so.


    Once she was back in her room, Orion returned downstairs, but not before taking two items out of his own room.


    He sat in front of them both and laid the items on the coffee table.


    "That''s the items I''ve created."


    Tetra noticed immediately that it was the factions locator and the hourglass, two artifacts she created after being ordered by Nature to do so.


    "Yes. Thank you very much for your help. Without both of these, I would have been unable to find either of the factions, and I wouldn''t have known about Elliott''s return. Also..."


    He looked at the hourglass.


    "Having a physical depiction of my parents helped me greatly in many occasions. For that, you have my deepest thanks."


    With a sincere bow, he showed his appreciation.


    "You don''t have to thank me! I just thought it would make a less suspicious gift, that''s all!"


    Tetra felt embarrassed all of a sudden. She wasn''t expecting him to thank her again so earnestly.


    Orion straightened his back and continued.


    "Make yourself at home for now. Once everyone is back, I''ll take care of finishing the guest house, so you won''t have to sleep everywhere. For now, Tetra will take my own room, and Henrietta will sleep in Amelia''s room. We''re going to sleep on the sofas until your own rooms are done."


    "Is that fine? This is your house."


    Henrietta couldn''t help but feel bad about taking over their rooms.


    "This is temporary, you shouldn''t worry too much. Amelia would have done the same thing."


    "Fine, then. Thank you."


    After she bowed alongside Tetra, Orion showed them the rooms they would be staying in. Since they never look inside the house with the all-seeing table, they discovered how it looked like for the first time.


    Orion showed them each room one by one after that. After that, he left them in the plane to get accustomed to their newly obtained freedom while he returned to Noctelagia.


    ~


    Sirius looked at Orion leave the house and warp away to the portal hub.


    ''Master. Have a nice day.''


    The dog thought, before sitting near the front door. His duty was to watch over the house, and primarily over the little girl known as Stella, which his master was very fond of.


    He rather liked her too, as she was very kind and loving toward him. This could also be said for everyone living in this house, but Stella was similar to him in many ways.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Once broken and injured, now healed and healthy.


    The reason for that was Orion. He was the only reason Sirius recovered a will to live through another day.


    ''"You stupid mutt!"''


    He remembered the past. It wasn''t that long ago, but it felt like a long time had past since then. The voice of a man he called his master echoed in his mind.


    -


    "Why can''t you do as I say?! I told you to not bother me when I work!"


    The man was a researcher. He wasn''t particularly well-known, or liked across his peers. Maybe that was the reason for his bitterness.


    ''But master, I haven''t eaten since two days ago.''


    Sirius, who had no name besides ''mutt'', had his food bowl between his jaws when he entered the study room.


    Though, the man seemed to completely ignored the dog''s request as he didn''t even care to glance at him.


    "Get out of my sight! Can''t you see that I''m busy?! I don''t have time for you!"


    Hungry and disappointed, Sirius turned around.


    "If only my son would have asked for something other than a dog."


    For the first time, Sirius acknowledged the hate the man had for him.


    ''I''m hungry...''


    He already wasn''t fed well, but he wasn''t treated well either. No one really cared for him in this house.


    ''I should leave.''


    With this realization, he decided to leave the house at the first opportunity. Luckily for him, he found a window on the first floor that he jumped through.


    He found himself in a quiet street with not many passerby. Looking around him, he chose to leave the city altogether.


    Where he was, he didn''t knew, yet, he still chose to go somewhere else.


    When he approached the main gate, he was stopped by the guards.


    "Hi. You sure are big for a dog."


    One of the guard approached Sirius and began to pet his head. Since he wasn''t a bad dog, he had no need to attack the man. In fact, he knew he would be killed on the spot if he ever showed his fangs.


    But the kindness the guard showed was something he was unfamiliar with.


    "Recruit, you''re on duty right now."


    An older man approached the young guard with a smile.


    "Yes, sir! I know!"


    He stood up in a hurry.


    "Well, I don''t mind."


    His superior placed his hand inside a bag he took with him, taking out a piece of dried meat.


    "If you sit down, I''ll give you this meat, and even a second one."


    He said while looking at Sirius. At first, he was cautious, thinking that this could be a trap, but he was very hungry right now.


    So, he sat on the pavement.


    "Good dog."


    The man crouched and gave him a piece of the dried meat. He kept feeding him until he was out of food.


    "Are you sure sir?"


    With amazement, the recruit asked his superior.


    "I like dogs, what can I say. Anyways, back to your duties."


    He stood up and left Sirius'' sight with the recruit.


    ''Thank you for the food. It was tastier than anything I''ve eaten so far.''


    With gratitude in his heart, Sirius moved on. He walked through the main city gate and enjoyed the scenery for a while.


    ''Where do I go now?''


    "Move you whore."


    "Stop! Please! Ah!"


    Sirius immediately stood up and began to growl when he noticed a man dragging what seemed to be chained women with a half the body of a snake.


    ''What are you doing with them?''


    He was reminded of his own misfortune.


    "A wild dog?"


    The slaver stared at Sirius for a moment, before walking toward him while dragging the lamias.


    "What are you looking at?!"


    *Bam*


    He kicked Sirius with a powerful kick in his hind leg, sending him rolling a few meters away.


    "Stop! How could you-"


    The lamia could finish her sentence, as the man began to strangle her with the chain.


    "Shut up and move, or I won''t hesitate."


    Sirius watched in pain as the women were taken into the city. There was no way a dog like him could do anything. He knew it, but he still wasn''t pleased by it.


    Feeling powerless, he fumbled while trying to stand.


    *sniff*


    His nose picked up on the lamias scent.


    ''Hmm?''


    A strong scent similar to this one could be smelled from a place quite far away. He could barely see the tip of the city''s palace from his position.


    So, he ignored the pain, and walked in that direction.


    ''I have to tell someone. Even if they can''t understand me.''


    For two weeks, Sirius traveled through the land, eating whatever he could find while enduring the pain of his injury.


    He barely ate, and when he could, it was berries. Multiple times, he had to hide from big grey creatures, and then, continue slowly toward his goal.


    At last, he arrived near the lamias'' city, Lahro. He entered the city, while the lamias worriedly gazed at him, not knowing if they should help or not.


    ''Where do I go?''


    He was in a really awful state. His white fur had been dirtied with dirt and mud, and it was disheveled and wild. Since he hadn''t eaten much in the past months, he was on the verge of dying from hunger.


    But he had to complete his goal. He had to tell the lamias about the man who enslaved their friends.


    Following the main road, he arrived near the palace, the landmark that helped him find the city.


    "You are the Queen? Deveralna, right?"


    "And you are Karteira, right? The sender of this letter?"


    Two women, one with strange blue hair and a single lamia with a red tail surrounded by armed lamias talked in front of the massive building.


    Sirius quietly watched from afar and listened.


    "I am. If you''ve read it, and came to meet me, I suppose you either agree to follow me, or want to ask me something?"


    "I have only one question. Are you really one of his acquaintance?"


    "Let''s say that I''m more than that. But is that going to stop you from following me?"


    "No."


    There was a little tension between them, but they seemed to have arrived to the end of their conversation.


    The red-tailed lamia turned to look at her escort.


    "You can return to your normal duty. I leave the palace in your hands."


    "Yes, Queen Deveralna!"


    They all dispersed and returned to the palace, while the ''Queen'' stayed with the blue haired woman.


    ''She is the queen? Is she the most important person in this place? I could try to tell her about her friends!''


    While Sirius began to think that, Karteira and Deveralna began to walk away.


    "Alright, follow me. And don''t be so tense, I won''t hurt you or anything. I''m pretty sure Orion would hate me for that."


    "Even if you ask me to relax, I don''t know you. This could be a trap for all I know."


    "Between you and me. I''m a fairy."


    Her scorpion tail appeared for a split second.


    "..."


    "Do you believe me now?"


    Sirius quietly followed while ignoring the pain in his leg. He was accustomed to it by now.


    "I do now. But what about that special thing you asked me to attend?"


    "Oh, right. I thought that writing it straight in the letter would make you uninterested of attending."


    "Not saying it is more suspicious."


    "Well... You might be right."


    Karteira shrugged with a smile.


    She turned around into a dark and empty alley. In there, all the way to the back, a small crack in space was waiting.


    "Is that?"


    "A way to his own space, yes. We''re going to throw a party for Orion''s birthday, and we thought you might be a great birthday for him. He seemed very interested in you and the lamias'' history."


    "Huh?"


    The crack opened into a white portal of dark stars.


    "Follow me."


    Karteira entered the portal, with a still stunned Deveralna. She had suffered too many important news in a single sentence.


    ''I need to follow.''


    Without thinking much, Sirius entered the portal too.


    He limped through, blinded by the brightness of the place. When his eyes were adjusted to the light, he looked around.


    ''Where am I?''