Minutes passed before she finally drew in another deep breath and brought up her mother's number on her phone, hit dial, and waited, hoping that she'd answer.

Her mother answered on the second ring, rather chipper; she'd improved quite a bit since being in Rhy'din. She was still a little nervous about all the strange creatures about but she only went out during the day and locked the doors at night. "Hi sweetie, how are you?"

The chipperness in her mother's voice made her pause. The woman had been through so much already and was finally beginning to heal. And all she had was more bad news.

"I- Ah. I'm okay. I'm in Japan. Helping Gothrak remodel. It's comin' along good. How are you?" Her voice waivered a little at the end and, as if to cover it up, she cleared her throat a little. There had to be a couple of days before Beleth even managed to figure out how to get to Rhy'din, right? She didn?t have the heart to ruin her mother?s day just yet. A couple more days of happiness for her mother. A couple of days for her to find and locate Terry before she made a plan of attack and figured out what she was doing.

"Japan? On Earth? Are you safe there? Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself and worrying for nothing; you are there with Gothrak." He still made her nervous but she knew he didn't mean her or Zynnara any harm. Maybe there were good demons?

"Let's try again...That's lovely!" She chuckled a bit, "A bad habit to get into...expecting bad news all the time, right? Remodeling....a house?"

"Yeah. I'm safe. We're in the middle of a mountain range in the woods. No one's going to find us. I promise." Her mother's second attempt made a bittersweet smile tug at the corners of her mouth and guilt settle in her heart. "Yeah. A bad habit. But we're workin' on makin' it so you don't have to worry every time you get a call, yeah?" She paused for a moment and chewed at her lower lip. "Yeah. A house. He's doing all the structural stuff. And I'm plantin' a garden. It's goin' to be beautiful. There's a hot spring... we're gonna have to bring you and Rinn here when we get it finished."

"That sounds lovely, dear." She gave a sigh, "I'd put your brother on but he's found some friends to hang out with. It's nice, really. A little lonely for me but oh well. I've only met one of his friends, a girl named Curly. Apparently, she's a dragon?" Meredith wasn't so sure that was a real thing but stranger things had happened lately, "You and Gothrak should join us for dinner when he gets back. He's out at a cabin or a lake or something with some of his friends for the next couple of days though."

"That's good. I was wonderin' if he was ever gonna find some friends and give me a break, and stop being a pest. And yeah. I think he mentioned her. I wouldn't doubt that she's a dragon. There's quite a few of 'em here. Almost all are friendly, from what I've seen." She went quiet again, when her mother mentioned Gothrak and her coming over for dinner, and Rinn heading out to a cabin or the like with friends.... How the f*** did Beleth manage to find him? Unless Rinn had gone back to New York, despite how much she had warned him against it. If that was the case, she was going to kick his ass when he was back to being himself. "Dinner sounds good. Call me later, and we'll make plans? I'd offer to bring somethin'... but you know how well my cookin' goes."

She chuckled again, "That's okay, I'll happily make everything for you. It's the least I can do." Meredith didn't seem to have a clue that anything was wrong. Zynn had schooled her emotions well enough that the mom radar hadn't gone off.

Zynn had gotten rather good at keeping under the Mom Radar for most of her life. Most.

?Good! Your cookin' is the best. Even when it?s just a sandwich. I bet whatever you?ll cook will be amazing'.? She paused and drew in a deep breath. ?Call me later in the week, yeah? We?ll make plans then.? Another pause. ?Gothrak?s callin? for me mom. I gotta go see what he wants.?

Another lie that merely added itself to the pile of guilt that started with not telling her mother about Rinn, that was weighing her down.

"Have a good time, sweetheart." Her mother gave a fond farewell and hung up the phone.

"You too." The words were soft and most likely lost as her mother hung up. Her eyes had come to settle on her phone again, and she tried to ignore the burning threat of tears she felt at the backs of her eyes. For a couple moments she stood there, thumb hovering just above the darkened screen of her phone, unsure of what to do next.

Friday. September 11, 2015 - Early Evening.

It was in the backyard of her mother?s house that she had chosen to portal into, mainly because she didn?t want to do so inside the house, and risk the possibility of being caught unawares by Terry. She stepped out of what seemed to be a shimmering spot in the air, and out onto the grass. The two power boosting potions clinked in her pocket with her movements. Quietly, she scanned the back yard for Joe, hoping that even though she hadn?t told him so, that marching through the front door would be the worst thing to do. But he was a Nephilim. A shadowhunter. They were trained to realize that, right?

In his younger days, he probably would have but he?d learned the hard way over time. So, yes, he realized that it was better to wait for Zynnara and outnumber any sort of resistance they might encounter. He was in the far back corner of the yard, his back tucked against the fence as he smoked a cigarette. An up nod of greeting was given to the warlock when she appeared, ?No movement inside the house since I?ve been here.?

It was the bright orange of the cherry of his cigarette that pulled her attention his way. His words helped her locate him faster. Two seconds later she was scurrying across the lawn, and to his side, where she joined him in crouching. ?No movement at all? How long have you been waitin? here?? She eyed his cigarette for all of two seconds, before she reached out to pluck it from his fingers, and took couple deep draws from it before he could say anything. Then she tucked it back between his fingers, and blew out smoke.

He lifted a shoulder in a one sided shrug, ?Five minutes or so.? He scowled at her when she stole his cigarette for a moment but didn?t bother raising a fuss over it, pulling a drag from it then switching it to his other hand. The one further away from her so she wouldn?t be able to pull that again. ?Only light on is one in the north east room. Looks like a lamp. How do you want to proceed here, kid??

?Not long then.? She snorted as she watch him switch the cigarette to his other hand in attempts to keep her off of it. If she honestly wanted to, she could probably swipe it again, but she was too focused on the task at hand to do so. ?I?d like to get in, check the bedroom first. Then the rest of the house if he isn?t in the bedroom. And if we encounter Rinn? ah, Beleth, we figured it out as we go.?

?Joy.? Joe mutter dryly but nodded and put the cigarette between his lips to hold as he stood, his hands now free for any combat that may transpire. He didn?t know the layout of the house, so she would have to lead the way.

?Neither of us have died yet.? The words were spoken with a shrug, that tried to disguise the fear of encountering the demon wearing her brother as a skin, that was gnawing at the back of her head. She stood shortly after him, before darting across the grass, silent apart from her sneakers squeaking against the grass. Once she reached the back door, she tried turning the knob, in hopes that it was open.

It was indeed unlocked and opened easily for her. Joe was close behind, his hand on a pistol under his jacket.


It was dark inside the house, the street light out front casting the only light. The steady tick tick ticking of a stand up clock gave a steady rhythm from the living room, echoing through the quiet of the house. Nothing seemed disturbed, no scuffle or destruction. The bedrooms were upstairs.

Once inside, she paused long enough to let her eyes adjust to the light, before she started gesturing at Joe. She hoped he understood the gist of it being that she wanted him to watch her back for her. Then she freed her dagger from its thigh sheath, and moved towards the stairs, which she took one at a time, and most likely quicker than she probably should have.

The older grizzled man gave a single nod, understanding what her gesturing meant well enough. He had been planning on watching her back anyway.


The lamp light from the master bedroom seeped out through the cracked open door into the hallway, making it easier to see where they were going. So far, there was no sign of her brother or the demon that now inhabited his body. Upon coming to the doorway of the bedroom, she spotted the only other individual in the house. An unconscious Terry sprawled out on his back on the bed.

In all honestly, she was thankful, by the time that she made it to the doorway, that she had yet to encounter her brother, mainly because she didn?t wish to hurt him in any way just yet, as he brother was still in there. Her eyes fell on Terry?s unconscious form for a moment, before she breathed out a sigh of relief, and closed the distance between her and the bed.

Two fingers oved to search for the pulse in his neck, while her free hand came up and tapped at his face lightly. ?Hey. Hey Terry? You alright?? Her words were loud enough to be heard and gentle.

He had a pulse, he was still alive. He gave a groan when she spoke and jostled him a little. His eyes cracked open a little before squeezing shut again, ?Nn...no...Zynny get away...just leave them alone?.please?? he groaned again, out of it and still thinking he was trapped in his own body, that any minute the demon that had been piggybacking on him for near 20 years would use his voice and his hands to hurt his family more.

Zynny. The nickname tugged at memories she couldn?t recall, and instead of pushing after them, she shoved them away, and focused on Terry himself. ?Shh. Terry. I hear you, yeah? But he?s not inside you anymore. He?s-? She trailed off, and let her thoughts die, as she figured that telling him that Beleth was now inside of Rinn would be a bad thing.

?I wanna get you someplace safe. The mundie doctors here can?t do anything for you, but I?m hoping that one of the ones back in Rhy?din can.? She pulled her hand away from him, but still held it out in a quiet offer for him to reach out and take it. ?Please. Let me help you, yeah??

His eyes cracked open a little again, ?You...can hear me?? He moved his hand to reach for hers and sucked in a gasp when it moved instead of being a fruitless wish. ?Wh...what?s happening?? Terry gave a whimper and looked like he was able to burst into tears. Being held captive and only able to watch the things Beleth had done, unable to stop the torment that now seemed to be at its end was overwhelming, ?I?m free? It?s gone??

?I can hear you.? The words were firm, and soft, before she reached out to meet him the rest of the way, and take his hand into hers. ?It?s over. Beleth has left you. I?m sorry. That you?ve been trapped away for so long. I- ah.? She paused for a moment, and squeezed his hand gently. ?I know it wasn?t you who hurt me. Or mom. Or Rinn.?

Joe had remained at the doorway, keeping a watch in the hall in case something or someone would try to sneak up on them.

With that said, she cast a glance towards Joe, and offered him a tight smile in thanks for keeping watch over there for her.

The freed man gave another choked sound and pulled her hard into a hug as he sat up in the bed, ?I?m so sorry. So sorry?? He trembled a little, free finally but still in a state of shock, ?Merry. Rinn.? He flinched and looked around, ?Wait, wait, where is it? The demon, that Beleth thing, where is it? Did you kill it? Is it gone?? Terry started to panic, his breaths coming in gulps as he grew close to hyperventilating.

The warlock made a soft little startled sound when he yanked her forward, into a rather sudden hug. It took a couple seconds for her to return it, but when she did so, she returned it tightly. ?You?re okay. I know it wasn?t you.? The words were said softly, before her face pressed into his shoulder briefly. Then she pulled away, so she could peer up at him, as he started working himself into another panic.

Almost immediately, she took both of his hands in hers, and squeezed. ?It?s not inside you. and right now, that?s the most important thing. I know he's not dead, but he?s not in the house. The rest of your questions we?ll worry about later. They?re not important right now.?

He gave a hesitant nod, his eyes wide and flicking about as if to search out the truth of her words, searching for the monster but when he didn?t see it anywhere, he gave a twitch of a smile. His eyes were glassy and wet, the swirl of emotions making it difficult to think straight. Fear, relief, shame, guilt, anger. Even though it hadn?t been his fault, the thing had used his body and he had seen everything that happened.

A few of the horrible things that had happened came to mind in a wave and he let out a sob and covered his face, repeating ?I?m so sorry.?

Joe looked into the room and frowned, ?If he?s alive and able, we should get out of here.?

Joe?s words pulled her attention his way, before he received a curt nod. Then she turned her attention back to Terry, who by that time, was covering his face, and repeating how sorry he was.

?Hey.? The word was sharp and spoken with a shake of his shoulders, her intentions on getting his attention. ?I know you're sorry. Honestly. But focus on this, okay? You wanna see my mom again, right? Seein? you like this would only make her panic, and worry. She?s happy right now. You don?t wanna ruin that for her, right?? From what she understood, her mother had been Terry?s everything, and she hoped getting him focused on her, would help her get him calmed down, and back to Rhy?din.

He sniffled a bit, wiping his face when she got his attention off his thoughts and onto her. He listened then shook his head, ?N...no, I don?t want to ruin that?.? He murmured then groaned, closing his eyes, ?God...I...I tortured her, tortured you. She...she won?t want to see me again.? He gripped at her hands, ?Just kill me...please.? He covered his face again.

Joe sighed heavily, annoyed, ?We don?t have time for this. Knock his crazy ass out and let?s go.?

If it wasn?t for the fact that she felt like time was running out, she would have told Joe to take a long walk off of a short dock. But the Nephilim had a point. So she reached up and touched her fingers gingerly to Terry?s temples. ?Beleth tortured us. Not you. And I?m not goin? to kill you. That mercy isn?t needed. But I am sorry that I have to do this.? With those words, she let loose a small jolt of electricity. Not enough to kill him, but a small just enough to knock him out via his temples.

Saturday. September 12, 2015 -Early morning


It was way into the early morning hours, by the time Zynn had returned to her apartment. Riddled with worry, not only for Terry, who she had finally located, gotten to Rhy?din, and to a hospital, but for her brother and mother as well, she had found that sleep would not come. So it left her in her kitchen, pacing back and forth, with her phone in hand as water simmered in the kettle for tea. As she paced, she was scrolling up and down through her contacts, before finally she settled on Mach?s and hit dial. He should be up, right? If not, oh well. He could pass back out afterwards.

Luckily for Zynn morning to the hunter was the hour or so after which he woke up during one of the few times he actually went down for sleep, and this happened typically rarely and at odd, non-conventional times. And so when he felt the buzz of that phone in his shirt pocket which interrupted the report he was working on he was wide awake as he pulled out that phone and swiped the answer with a grunt. ?Unf? h-hello?? Spoken in as groggy a tone as he could manage while blues ticked about the report that still glowed on the screen of the laptop.

?Mach! Uh. Did I wake you? Or ah. are you busy? Do you have time to talk?? The words came out in rapid fire, her exhaustion, worry, and perhaps a touch of anger rather evident within them. As she spoke, her pacing continued, and her teeth started worrying another hole in her lower lip.

The man hadn?t bothered to look who was calling him at this? oh, it was dark? at this early time of morning. If anything his mind was rather focused on the work he was doing? until he heard that voice filled with so much emotion pour from the phone. There was a blink as he finally looked looked at the display, expression scrunching as he forced that cochlear receiver to connect to the bluetooth bringing the audio directly into his skull. ?Zynnie? What are you doing up at this time?? His tone was a little concerned as she spoke though there was a pause as he realized he?d so quickly given up his sleepy facade. ?Oh, uh, no, you didn?t wake me? um, just sorta snapped me outta a daze.? That would work? at least it was better than the truth he felt anyway. ?But yeah, I got time to talk. What?s wrong? You sound stressed.?

?I can?t sleep. I?ve had a long night. There?s too much on my mind to sleep, and if I tried, it?d probably be nightmare city. I uh. Ah. Do you remember? a couple months ago, when I bumped my head, all that jazz? The demon I told you about, and everythin? that happened?? There was a paused, and he?d hear the hinges of her cabinet squeak as she opened it, and a mug thunk on the counter a couple of seconds later. ?Well my brother was a dumbass, and went back to New York. The demon caught him, and because he?s pissed at me for not doin? what he wanted me to do, he left Terry?s body, and possessed my brother.?

?I can?t? That?s not something I can let go on. I?m not goin? to let the bastard ruin my brother?s life like he did Terry?s. Ah? I guess what I?m asking is just how much do you know about demons and gettin? them outta someone?s body, without hurtin? the someone??

The schmooze listened to those pressured words, the tone rapid and uncertain. He recalled what they?d talked about when he found her those months prior. About all that happened, the tidbits of it still popping up here and there as he taught her potion brewing and basic alchemy. It was all a nasty sort of business, and it marked the woman and marked her hard. But then how could it not? By the time she finished the man had closed his laptop, his focus on her voice, the background sounds, the information that poured in, and the raw emotion that laced it all. ?Shit?? The single curse spoken softly yet with purpose, meaning. Things were bad, and they?d gotten worse.

Shit. That was a good embodiment of everything she was feeling at the moment, and she couldn?t agree any more as to how right he was.

?So you know where your brother is?? He spoke in a measured tone, confident and compassionate. This wasn?t Mach the Schmooze speaking. No, this was Mach the Hunter, the military lieutenant who was a professional hunter of the weird and terrible. There was the impulse to ask her if she was alright but he already knew the answer to that. How could she be? If this sort of thing happened to him and one of his siblings he could only imagine the sort of hurt and rage that would be wreaking havoc within him. No? she needed structure, and that was something the man was surprisingly capable of doing if he needed to. ?He?s healthy? I? I?ll be honest with you, I?m not the best at de-possession. My games always been more elimination, BUT!? He made sure to speak fast before that thought took seed. ?But I am good at restraint. At containment. Keep a powderkeg contained safe for others, safe from itself sort of thing. Secure someone until someone who is more capable of subtle de-possession can come and work there thing yeah??

?Know where my brother is? No. Not at the moment. But I?m certain somethin? could be arranged with the demon, Beleth, some kind of meet up, or a talk of a peace offerin?, or somethin??? She was quiet for a moment, and drew in a deep breath.

?Somethin??Somethin? has to give.? The words were soft. It was obvious that she was close to being at her wit?s end, and it had yet to even be twenty-four hours since she had received the call from Rinn, or Beleth, rather.

?Is Rinn healthy? Uh. I guess. He smokes pot with me and eats a little too much junk food, but other than that, he?s pretty healthy?? She let her words trail off, and silence pervade when Mach mentioned that he wasn?t the best with de-possessing, and better with eliminating. That she didn?t want, as it meant that her brother would end up dead. Though, as Mach continued on with his explaining, there was a small plan forming in her mind. ?So if I could get you close enough, you could get him contained, and hold him until I got someone there to help with the gettin? rid of part??

He was up now, moving about to find one of his many notebooks. ?Do you know what kind of possession it is? How much power has been granted to the vessel? Is there a way to talk to your brother or are we talking, like, full on takeover??

?Ah. I dunno. The best I know about the possession is that the demon wiggles himself in there, Subdues the human counterpart, and takes over from there. From what I understand, Terry made no attempt to take back over. But I guess the least I can do is try when I find him, yeah?? It was dim, but there was a faint flicker of hope in her voice as she said that.

The hunter compiled this with everything else that had been said while he rummaged through his notebooks, the sound of leather bound books tumbling about filling the void of the background. ?So healthyish male, mildly delayed cognition from sub ab, no known self recovery, likely domination with suppression matrix or something like that?? He muttered more for himself than her as he was already piecing things together while racking his brain for information that he hardly used but knew got shoved in there during his time at the academy. He forced himself to focus on the task even as he heard the woman breaking down? heard the pain and the fray in her voice? and felt the pangs of sympathy that tried to draw upon his own emotions.

Yeah. Mach?s muttering? It would have left her scratching her head in confusion, if she hadn?t realised that his words were most likely for himself, and not her. Instead of asking what he meant, she merely stayed quiet and listened.

?Alright? I think I got the gist of this. So yeah, if we can get a meeting I can contain Rinn? Beleth? the both of them. Preferably someplace like Rhydin where there?s free magic running about but if it has to be elsewhere I can make due?? He knew that the woman came from one of the forms of Earthrealm that was a popular dimensional setup? and he knew that many of those tended to be stint on magic. But what was a little bleeding for a friend?

?Will Rinn have powers?? A frank question, because dodging lightening while trying to contain someone made things significantly more difficult. ?Do you have someone in mind who maybe can do depossession other than me?? Mach sort of really hoped that she wasn?t putting all her hopes on him as he knew he didn?t know anyone like that, or at least anyone like that who was in Rhydin.

?I have a feeling that he?ll be in Rhy?din soon, now that he know how to get there through Rinn?s memories. It shouldn?t be hard. Or I could piss him off somehow, and get him here.? She swallowed audibly, and shifted so that she could hold the phone against the side of her face and her shoulder. Once she was certain that it wasn?t going to fall, she scooped up her container of varying teas. Mach would be able to hear her sifting through them for a moment, before she muttered a soft. ?Fuck this?.? And set the container back down with a solid thunk.
She moved towards her shelf filled with herbs, and started picking those up, and setting them back down. Bottles clinked, and clanked, and slowly, she started setting aside a bottle here and there.

?Powers like mine? No. I?m not sure what Beleth?s capable of. Rinn himself is a hundred percent human. We only share a mother, not a father. But I know Beleth?s strong. Specially since he figured out how to release his powers and get them back. He was able to reflect my electricity back at me with his powers sealed,, so? Uh. That one is kind of a wild card?? She trailed off when she realized that he?d asked about whether or not she had someone to serve Beleth his eviction notice. ?I?d have to give him a call and see, but Cane may know how. And he told me to call anytime I needed help.. so uh.. I?m hoping he knows something. Or maybe someone. I dunno what Izumi knows, but I could ask her as well. She?s got a lot of resources, knows a lot of people. I have maybe someone else to ask but--?

The shrill whistle of the tea kettle cut her off. She had forgotten about it, and with her nerves already frayed as much as they were, she yelped, and two seconds later there was the sound of something connecting with the ground and shattering. A string of curses followed, mostly drowned out by the shrill whistle. A couple more seconds passed before the kettle?s whistle died down slowly, signaling that it has been removed from the heat.

On the other side there may have been a slight grunt as well when that kettle started to cry out. He was receiving the call direct to his ear drum so there was no holding the phone away when a painful sound was made. Up to that point he had simply been quietly listening, taking notes in his pocket notebook while he flipped lazily through the pages of the old notebook which he had been looking for and found. It was filled with scrawled notes and pictures, runes and sigils, and every sort of tid bit and shred of knowledge the man had on demon and hostage host containment. He was dog earing pages for reference as he went along, some notes scrawled into his pocket notebook while he let everything steep in his mind.

?So it may be happening in Rhy?Din? alright, good. And they may have powers? alright, bad. But workable.? There was a lot of unknown regarding all this, a lot of chances for things to go tits up or to blow up in their faces. Tactically it was a bad plan, but Mach knew it was something that had to be done. And it was something he couldn?t walk away on. ?Cane?? The name considered before remembrance kicked in. The warlock guy with the funny accent. ?Izumi?? The asian girl who? well, he wasn?t sure how she fit into things but he was sure such was merely just an oversight on his part.

?Okay. Sounds like a plan. Are there any constraints or time limits tha-? He fell silent as another part of him kicked in to soften the hard and fast hunter. ?Actually? you mind if I come over?? He spoke softly, warmly. ?We can go over some stuff together that way and I can pick up some munchies and stuff on the way.? She needed structure? but she needed a human touch as well, particularly as during all this background noise that he heard none of it implied a worried Gothy pacing along after her, watching her, comforting her. ?How ?bout it??


She was quiet, apart from the sounds of her picking up shards of glass, and dropping them into the trash. And then the broom and dustpan scuffing against the floor as she swept up the herbs and the glass that the bottle had consisted of. Finally, she set the broom back into the thin sliver of space between the counter and her fridge, and leaned up against the counter. It was possible that he heard a soft sniffle when she brought a hand up to rub at her face. For the majority of his words this time, she was silent, trying to keep her brain from overworking itself over a broken bottle and a few wasted herbs.

It wasn?t until Mach stopped speaking mid-sentence and asked if he could come over. She almost told him no. Mainly because she had asked Gothrak to keep watch over Terry at the hospital, and snuck away under the pretense of getting a shower and heading to bed. She loved the demon to death, but when she was worried he practically smothered her sometimes in his own worry for her. ?Come over? Ah? Yeah. Please? Food and company sounds like a really good thing right now, especially since I can?t sleep right now. I? I need..something.? Her words were soft. And it wasn?t until she spoke these words that it was evident that underneath all her worry, her anger, and furious anxiety, that she was afraid as well. As to why wasn?t clear, but she was indeed, afraid.

The man could hear the signs of breakdown, of anxiety and frustration building to a head in the warlocks voice. He?d seen it happen many times with soldiers and civilians alike, with people in general. Folks could only take so much, shoulder so much alone. Nobody was an island? it was something he almost preached religiously to those whom he felt needed a helping hand the most even if he wasn?t real good at adhering to his own sermon. Maybe he was wrong sometimes, judged people to quickly, got too nosey, but such was simply born out of a history of sometimes pushing too late.

And so when he heard her give consent to the company, to accepting the helping hand there was a sigh of relief. ?Food and company are always good. Alright, I?m gonna grab some things and pick up some food and I?ll be right over, yeah?? Even as he spoke he was moving, those notebooks he had searched out snagged and stuffed into a satchel along with his laptop and the keys to his apartment. He figured he would stop off there and pick up some peaceful sleep and calming potions as well as a few fun cantrips. He ventured there may be some planning going on, but without all the players there really wasn?t too much that could be set in stone. No, the important thing now was that she knew he had her back, that there was still room to hope, and that life was still moving forward. There was some concern about how Serah may take such, or Gothrak? but then consequences like that were something to be dealt with later because Mach just couldn?t let things go, Not when a friend was involved. It was one of his better traits after all, or so he told himself.

Gathering the last of the things he needed he?d head out, locking up behind himself. As for that phone call he?d keep it connected as he moved about, doing well in another regard as he often did: acting as a distraction. ?Alright, I?m headed out now. Gonna grab some stuff from my apartment too, some of the good stuff yeah to help with rest when that time comes. And pants! I got me pants this time since there was such an uproar about me just wandering around in a gun belt and newspaper?!? And so he?d ramble, joke, and jibe as he set about along his way to Zynn?s to comfort the woman, try to alleviate some of that fear, and maybe kindle the embers of hope once more.

?If you?re picking up food, get something like the most deliciously disgusting heart attack donuts you can find.? Not that she would admit it but junky foods she found comfort in. And after the night she had, she needed comfort on a large scale.

Mach could hear her sigh as she settled onto the couch and closed her eyes. There was nothing she needed to be looking at at the moment. All she wanted, no needed was to focus on Mach?s voice as he spoke, as it distracted her from everything else. It was when he mention his pants that there was a soft mirthless chuckle that drifted through the phone. "Good. I'm not quite sure how well Gothrak would react if he came back to me and you with no pants on." It was a tease that had little heart put into it.

As Mach traveled to her apartment, she kept on the phone, simply exchanging mindless banter Back and forth with the hunter. She let herself become absorbed in it, otherwise her thoughts would stray back room everything else that was going on.

She didn't plan to hang up either, until he was at her doorstep.


((Many thanks to Mach!))

Sunday. September 13, 2015 - Late Morning


The warlock pulled in a deep breath, and stared at her mother?s apartment door for a moment. She had been standing there for a moment or two, trying to work up the courage to actually knock on the door. She glanced over her shoulder, searching for Terry, as last she knew he was still behind her. How exactly did she break this news to her mother? Because she had a feeling that just going ?Hi mom, your husband is minus one demon now, while your son is plus a demon!? wasn?t exactly going to make things go the smoothest.

Finally, she?d give a sharp jerk of her thumb to the side. ?Take a step back out of the immediate view of the door. That way she?ll not freak out and lock everythin' up, Alright??

Terry was still unsure about everything and not only paranoid and concerned about his son but still slightly suicidal. He didn?t think Meredith would want to see him ever again...even if it hadn?t been him doing the horrible things to her over the years, it was still his face that she saw.

He gave a slight nod before trudging to the side to stand there and out of the way.

?Thank you.? The words were a soft murmur, before her attention shifted back to the door. Here we go. A deep breath was pulled into her lungs, held for a couple of seconds, then breathed out in one gigantic huff. Her hand came up to knock, hesitated a couple of seconds, then actually did so.

It took a few moments, made to feel longer with the uneasy anticipation of what to say when the door finally opened. Finally her mother opened the door and looked pleasantly surprised, ?Hey, sweetheart, I didn?t expect you.? She stepped forward to give Zynn a hug.

?Hey. I ah...I probably should have called. I just figured the matter as to why I was stoppin? by had to be dealt with in person.? She spoke, as she stepped into her mother?s arms, and hugged her tight in return. Even though she wished she could have stayed wrapped up in them forever, she pulled back, and let her hands come up to rest on her shoulders. ?I brought Terry with me. But, before you freak out about him, do me a favor, look at his eyes. They?re normal. Not yellow anymore.? She spoke gently, her words pleading.

Her smile remained until she mentioned Terry. Then the fear took over and Zynn could feel her briefly attempt to step back and away, ?W-what?? Meredith managed in a whisper, her eyes darting around for him. Her mother hadn?t seen the demon?s golden eyes until recently, all the years she had spent with it, they had been normal.

The formerly possessed man winced and stepped to the side and into the frightened woman?s line of view, causing her to panic a little more, ?M-Merry, it?s okay, it?s just me.? He offered, almost in pleading words as Zynn had but the woman was still afraid and shook her head rapidly as if attempting to wake up from some sort of horrible dream.

Her eyes darted between the two of them, gauging her mother?s reaction, and gauging Terry?s reaction. When she noted her mother starting to panic, she shifted, making sure that she was in between the two of them. ?Mom. Focus on me. Okay? We can go inside, so I can explain things.? Then her eyes flicked back to Terry, and she gave him a rather pointed look. ?Terry?s goin' to stay out here, so we can talk, right??

His shoulders slumped but he nodded, he understood. It was as he feared?


Her mother made a soft whimper of a noise and retreated into the house, almost shutting the door on Zynn.

?Stay here. Don?t do anything stupid.? The words were firm, and directed at Terry.

Almost shut the door on her, but that meant that she did not indeed shut it, so Zynn would quickly move after her, before the woman changed her mind, and did, indeed shut the door on her. Instead of standing, she?d move quietly for the kitchen, and dropped down into a chair at the table, with hopes that her mother would at least follow.

At first, her mother didn?t and instead peered out the window at the man who looked lost and sad. She certainly hadn?t seen that look on him before and it gave her pause but her heart was still beating heavy and rapid like a terrified rabbit. Finally, Meredith moved to the kitchen to seek out Zynn.

Meredith would find the warlock at the table, her fidgety fingers nervously working their way along the worn edges of her hoodie, plucking at loose strings here and there. It was only when she heard her mother?s approach that she looked up at her. Her exhaustion was plain to see now, as she had dropped her glamour that made her look a little less stressed. There were dark circles under her eyes, she looked about two shades paler than normal, and like she was close to her breaking point.

?I?m sorry. I.. I shouldn?t have done this to you. I just? It really is just Terry now. He?s done nothin? but beat himself up for the past forty-eight hours, for what Beleth did to you, and Rinn, and me as well, with his body. I?m not sayin? that to help his case. I just figure that it?s somethin? you should know.?

The woman checked over her shoulder to make sure the object of her nightmares wasn?t about to jump out at her before she settled down into a chair across from Zynn. Her eyebrows pulled together a bit in worry over Zynn?s state, adding another thing to be concerned about, ?...You...you got rid of the demon then? How??

She looked back towards the door and chewed on her lower lip a little, ?...I thought he was gone...the man I knew when I was twenty years old...I..? She looked back to Zynn, ?I don?t know what to think...Zynnara, all I see when I look out that window is who I?ve lived with and suffered through since I lost you.?

She was quiet for a while after her mother had finished speaking, turning over in her mind how to say what she needed to in the most gentle way. Finally, she gave a groan, and for the moment, seemed to ignore her question. ?He?s been trapped in there all this time, unable to do anything about the way Beleth treated you, treated Rinn. I won?t make you talk to him if you don?t want to. If you never want to see him again, I?ll make that happen as well.?

More silence stretched out, and within it, she brought a hand up to rub at her face. A soft whine formed in the back of her throat.

?Everythin?s so f***ed up right now I don?t even? Beleth left Terry of his own free will. And made his new home in Rinn. Apparently he went back to New York, and Beleth caught him.? She drew in a deep shuddering breath.

?It?s my fault because I didn?t find and perform that ritual for him. It?s apparently my punishment. I?m goin? to make things right again. I?ve already gotten people that are goin? to help me get him contained, and get the demon out. I won?t let him ruin Rinn?s life like he did Terry?s.?

Meredith felt like she?d been punched in the gut at the news. Her panic about the man outside of her apartment momentarily forgotten. ?W...what?? She barely managed to squeak out. The demon had her son. The woman?s lower lip trembled before she bit down on it hard, the thought of Rinn doing horrible things like Terry had made her want to cry. ?Rinn?.?

Her mother?s reaction made her heart hurt even more than it had before. Her teeth caught her lower lip, and started worrying yet another hole in it. There had to be at least ten by now. In hopes to keep the tears she knew would be coming from her mother soon enough, at bay, she launched into everything that she had spent the past two days arranging.

?I?ve got two friends that are willin? to help me. Mach. I?ve told you about him. He?s the one that?s been teachin? me potions. Well he?s a hunter. He?s skilled with catchin? and detainin? possessed people and exterminatin? demons. Cane?s helpin? me too. He?s the one that?s a warlock like me. He?s got someone searchin? for Beleth?s true name, and he?s good at doin? the de-possessin? of people.? Her fingers moved to tap along the table top.

?The plan is to find some way to lure Beleth. Mach will catch him, and thus Rinn. Detain them. Then I call for Cane, he?ll come, do the exorcism, and the moment the demon?s out, then Mach will eliminate him. It should take a week at the least, at the most, hopefully only a couple weeks.?

Meredith listened and nodded a little. It sounded like a fine plan but all that was going through her head on repeat was that her son was in the hands of the demon doing who knew what. ?A week.? She managed to get out but in her head all sorts of words came after it. ?that?s too long? ?what if it doesn?t work? ?he may already be dead.? The last one made the woman hiccup a bit before the dam burst and her tears came.

She?d lost Zynn and Phinn and while her life with Terry in raising Rinn had been rocky, she at least had gotten to watch him grow up. Thinking that she may have to attend his funeral or never see him again broke her heart. ?Get him back. You-you have to.? The woman hiccuped between sobs.

She couldn?t do much other than sit and watch as the dam holding back her mother?s tears burst, and her heart sank a little further.

?A week, at least. It?s gonna take some time for Cane to get a hold of his friend?.? She trailed off, and moved to place her hands over her mother?s gently. ?Look at me.? As this was said, her eyes moved to find her mother?s, and would hold there. Once she had eye contact she squeezed her hands. ?I promise you. I will get him back. I don?t care what I have to do in order to make it happen, mom, but I?m gonna bring my baby brother back. In one piece. And anyone that tries to stop me is going to have one hell of a time doin' so.?

The older woman didn?t really trust her voice at that particular moment and didn?t speak, so she simply nodded and caught Zynn?s fingertips between her thumb and side of her hand to return the squeeze. She would trust the warlock and her friends in getting Rinn back.


Her mother?s returned squeeze pulled a faint and tired smile from the warlock, before she let her hands fall back into her lap. ?Just keep safe, yeah? I?ll bring groceries and stuff for ya if you don?t want to leave the safety of the wards of your apartment. There should be only people you want in, able to get in here.? She paused, and pulled in a deep breath. ?And if Rinn shows up, the first thing you do is call me, alright? Because that helps us get here, without him knowin? what?s up, and gettin? Beleth outta him, and Rinn back to bein? him.?

Meredith nodded again, she liked the idea of no one she didn?t want to get in getting in. Absently she looked back over to the door and whatever might be out there. ?...you keep safe too.? She looked back to Zynn, a shakey smile for her.

?Of course. I always am careful.? She moved to shift to her feet, and brushed a kiss over her mother?s cheek, and made a soft sad sound in the back of her throat. Before she spoke, she gathered her up into a tight hug, and buried her face in the crook of her neck.

?I promise I?m gonna make things right again. Then no more misery.? She pulled back, and offered smile that didn?t quite reach her eyes. ?I love you.? The words were murmured gently, before she started pulling away to leave.

Her mother gave a similar smile, returning the hug tightly and nodding a little again. ?Love you too.? Meredith managed though her throat felt tight, she gave a little wave before hugging herself and moving further into the apartment. She didn?t want to chance seeing Terry out there and having more nightmares.

Which was good, as the warlock was trying to give her mother as little nightmares as possible at the moment? It wasn?t long after her mother retreated, that she herself was slipping out through the door. She shut it behind her, and figured her mother would be there soon enough to lock it behind her. She only lingered for a moment, to check the wards, and make sure everything was fine, before she turned her attention back out to last spot she had seen Terry.

The man was still there, looking sad and defeated. When she came out, he looked up, a flare of hope in his eyes that died when the door shut behind her. ?...She doesn?t want to see me?? Terry murmured, his shoulders slumping.

She frowned at his statement, and hurt a little within when she noted the hope die in his eyes. Seeing those around her hurt, always pulled at something inside. ?Not today. She?s scared. Panickin? about Rinn. She needs space. And she needs time to breathe. You can?t rush. I wish there was some way I could make things better for you, and for her, and for Rinn, but I can't do everything.? That didn?t mean she wouldn?t try though.


He gave a twitch of a smile that certainly didn?t stay long on his face or reach his eyes, ?...It?s alright?.? He murmured then sighed and started walking in a random direction. He really had nowhere to go.

She watched him for a second, before she moved to catch up with him. ?Hey. Where are ya headed?I know you don?t know much about Rhy?din. I can show you around.? Her suggestion served two purposes. One, to offer a distraction for herself, and two, to offer a distraction for him as well.

?It doesn?t matter?? He murmured again, his hands in his pockets, ?Don?t really have any place I can go. Anyplace that I could go wouldn?t want me anyway. That demon destroyed my life...might as well just give up.? Terry paused and looked over to her, ?...You grew into a great woman, Zynny...I?m sorry?.? He sighed and started trudging forward again.

She considered him briefly, then drew in a deep breath. ?I grew into a great woman because I never gave up. I thought about it for a while. Even almost went through the motions. But I didn?t, and things got immensely better. I found a family here. Fell in love.? She blew out her breath. ?It?s not much, but you can start with my couch. I?m not gonna let you wander an unfamiliar city, and have no safe place to rest at night. Things get better.?

?Right.? He didn?t sound convinced but he recognized she was trying to help...he just wasn?t able to see past his predicament at that particular moment. He sighed and shrugged, ?Lead the way then.?


She merely gave a soft sigh, and nodded. ?It?s this way then. Come on.? With that she turned on her heel, and started back in the direction they came from, her heart heavy, and her head full of too many things.