"It's nothing, honey, just stay here and don't you dare come out, got it?" Edge said lovingly and firmly, as if he was warning his children not to wander into the woods. Skylark's eyes began to fill with water as he blinked away more tears. 

"Daddy, I can handle it..." He muttered slowly. Edge sighed as the hydra bore holes into his back with their eyes; they thought this was nonsense. There were damn dragons in the castle- they needed to hurry up! Even child loving Noire seemed to think that there were more pressing matters to deal with. Which, in all fairness, there were. 

"Listen, Daddy will protect you. Stay here and stick together." With that, Edge beckoned his allies to follow him out the door. Skylark bit his lip. He knew he could help. Even as the hydra began to file out, one lagged behind. Leonides... He would make a good first slave. Squeezing his brother's hand confidently, the young boy was filled with a strong emotion, one he had been given by both his parents. The will to fight. 

Scampering over to him, Skylark tugged the lazy hydra's pant leg. Even as Leo spoke, Skylark locked eyes with the powerful hydra and gave him a burst of mind control. Not even a hydra could stand up to his eyes; Leo would be nothing but a slave to this child. Sky would become his god, in time. 

"What is you name?" Skylark paused. He felt like a king already. "Listen, I am your Master, and you are my slave. On your knees and kiss my feet, you will obey. You love your Master and will change or do anything. Do you understand?" 
---
Everyone else seemed to think Leo was just being Leo- always lagging behind. Edge spoke quickly as he lead the hydra through a tunnel system. "Be careful; I do not know what they are planning." 

"To imprison us.., using some kind of rock." December warned, having premonitions. Charon grunted. 

"My king, how do we separate them?" Edge sighed. 

"We can't. Just do your best;even if we are trapped, we will be revived he day. Crush the elders, and show..." His voice hitched as he though of Path. "Show no mercy. Now, he maze is through this door. Tread with caution, my friends.." 
---
Terra followed worldlessly. There was no logic in wasting energy in speaking.She would do anything to destroy this caslte- it angered her it dared to touch the Earth. This was the cursed rock that the hydra lived in; this was hell. It smelled of sulfur and blood. 

After following Path for a while, she took a deep breath. Something smelled.,. Off...