Felina appears in a hurry, and without announcing herself like usual. They're not doing anything nasty anyway, she checked briefly. "Dewei?"

The halfbreed, very nearby of course, blinks and looks over to her. "Hm? Is everything okay, mom?"

Ai, attired still in allover black - clothes, shoes, makeup, she's even dyed her hair - manages a weak smile for her friend's arrival. "Do dire tidings bring you, Felina?" She's been morose lately, as well.

"Unfortunately, yes," Felina admites with a small, sheepish smile. She doesn't need to bring any ugliness into Ai's world at the moment. "I just need to borrow your boyfriend for a bit."

"Now?"

"Five minutes ago."

"Got it..." Dewei glances back to Ai, eyes softening a bit with concern. "Will you be okay, Ai...?"

The goddess nods a little. "Of course. Please be safe." She reaches out for Dewei's hand, smiling just at the corners of her lips. "My love."

Dewei smiles, and nods. "I will. And I love you too, Ai. See you soon, huh?" He squeezes her hand gently, and then looks to his mother, and then they're both bound back for Helantri Deru.

Ai looks back to her tea, smile fading just a little after they leave. She stirs it, thinking of how wonderful it is to have a family - even if they aren't her own. For some reason, the warmth warm thoughts she entertains for them prevent her from consciously acknowledging the acrid scent of smoke in the air.

---

Dewei appears practically the exact instant Ai cries for help, his sword flashing out just as he glimmers into existance. Screw with Ai and there will be blood.

It's fantastic timing. Ai's hands are wrapped around the thick wrist of that smoking monster from Il'sha, whose impossibly long, wavering fingers are clenched around her throat. Much of the area has been blasted into dust already by the goddess's attempt to fight back, but if the monster is hurt it doesn't seem like it. 

It looks to Dewei, its eyes three softly glowing specks of light within the gray. Squeezes harder, until the goddess can only gurgle a bloody sound.

Dewei growls, but when he moves, it's blindingly fast. No time for question. He laces his sword with a powerful light elemental spell as the blade flashes downward towards the attacker's loathsome head.

The monster kicks on reverse-jointed leg against the ground, turning enough to fling Ai into the way of the sword.

Not far off, Sxavior blinks into sight. He loads a yellow cartridge into his sword, surveying the field.

Dewei shields against his own weapon, to a harsh recoil. Is thrown, but just for a moment, before immediately shifting into two of him with Moorn's doppleganger technique so that won't work again. Both script light-based attack runes into the air that shift into what are essentially spinning, wildly flying shuriken of pure energy. They won't strike Ai, but do shred towards the attacker at various points as the two Deweis follow.

The monster releases Ai, who tumbles, smashing into the earth and lying still. The light draws a howl from within its hidden mouth, and in response the monster bursts in twelve directions. Wisps of inky stench shoot outward and converge on both Dewei's. 

Sxavior dashes towards the fray, but runs almost headlong into a blast of ash and smoke. Makyon appears within the mist, a smirk that has never soured his features set upon his face.

"Hello." A swing of his strange new staff fires a pulse of black light that surrounds Sxavior in dark crystal, and just as quickly, both disappear.

Dewei growls, shielding...but waits to attack, his first priority being to open a portal beneath Ai and send her to Helantri Deru.

And she goes, just as intended.

The monter's attack bounces off the shields, and it reforms, its horrible white eyes locked on Dewei. It tilts its head as if puzzled, though, when Ai vanishes. Growls questioningly.

Dewei narrows his eyes, resetting his grip on the sword, displaying that feral-esque glint he had had when fighting Moorn so many weeks ago. "You won't touch Ai again unless I am already dead."

The monster's head tilts the other way. Its long, wispy finger points at Dewei. Nothing more.

The eyes narrow further. "What do you want?" He's still trembling the littlest bit, both from rage and fear for Ai.

Again, it points to him. Hisses softly, but if it belligerent still, that is not apparent.

Dewei is...well...confused. "What? You want me? Usually that's Ai's job."

The monster stiffens, quite abruptly, as if listening to something, and vanishes in a wink... replaced almost instantly by Makyon and his lich's staff. There's no transfer of energy, though.

"Dewei."

Dewei blinks, taken aback. "Makyon? What the hell?" It sums it up pretty well.

"Come on. Don't make this harder by acting surprised." He lifts the staff, tilts it a touch. "I wouldn't have hurt Ai. That's why I came. That beast is way too rough."

"You have wonderful timing," the halfbred observes acidly, Ai's torn body flashing through his mind. Unlike Ting, who's deeply hurt by all this...despite not being even a little comfortable with the idea of fighting a man who's been a friend for some time, he's just deeply, deeply pissed off at the betrayal of his mother and family.

"I didn't even know she was coming here. I swear, I didn't. I like Ai. I do. Listen, Dewei... has anyone explained why things are plunging into hell about now?" The slip mage holds the staff low, in a defensive position... though the eyes are certainly open, blinking.

"More or less. Feel free to expound." Dewei, for his part, hasn't lowered his sword, either.

"We need to recruit officers. Simple. Some people are fated to fight in a war to end all wars, Dewei. You and I are among them. So is Ai. Your aunt and mother. Orrin. Your teacher was. Yoru. The list overlaps your house a dozen times. We were supposed to recruit Ai, to get to you. I guess Ai said no and Cali decided to eliminate her." Lowers his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Who's 'we,' anyway? If this line overlaps our house so many times, why side with some group trying to murder people minding their own business to leech numbers away from where they already exist? If this line overlaps my family so many times, then why betray us instead of establishing the solidarity there, where there's already a link and common ground?" It seems like the most goddamned obvious thing in the universe from where he's standing.

"Whether Felina knows it or not, the power balance isn't on her side." Makyon's eyes cloud a little bit. "I can't tell you now. I can't ask you to trust me, either. But... I'm guessing that just about now, a leak on our side is informing your mother about it. So ask her when she gets back." Looks down. "We're not all like Calginia. I don't even know what she is. Or that she's female, really."

Dewei just shakes his head. Finally... "My mother would never assume that she had a power edge against the divine and the infernal. Wars are rarely won and lost based on power balances." He's just...in such a damnably bad mood. Sheathes his sword. "I'm going to go tend to Ai's injuries. Is there anything else you wanted?"

"Yeah." The staff's eyes close. "When the fight breaks out at last... kill me. Don't be afraid to, I know you have it in you."

Dewei's expression clouds a bit at this. "If only so Ting doesn't have to do it." And then he's gone, headed for Helantri Deru.

Makyon is silent for a second. How he hates himself for this.

"Keep your heart, Makyon." Lythe Nain fades into sight next to him, her cool gray hand settling upon his shoulder. "You know that all is for the best."

"I do. But if I have to fight those kids, I'll never be able to forgive myself." And together they vanish, heading back to base.