NOVEL NEXT Chapter 220: "Carl, is dead."
The rest of Nergal's story was more or less the same self-imposed exile to his city, some of it filling in some blanks, but mostly a series of non-linear events because of how disconnected his sense of time was.
In the end, it didn't particularly matter to any of them anyway, Klaire, Kyubi, Lillim and most of the others had gone numb the moment they heard him talking about the eighth gate and they pieced together what he was trying to explain.
"Nergal... What are you not saying." Kyubi was already holding onto Klaire and they were both crying, then they fell to hold their children.
"Carl, is dead. Trapped in a realm filled with unstable and paradoxical energy, the energy of dead immortals, countless numbers of them."
The moment he finished speaking Tiamutael appeared next to him in dragon-form and swatted him across the surface of Haven, then disappeared as he pursued him.
In an instant, the surface of Haven erupted into dozens of craters where Nergal had been smashed into it and finally, Tiamutael held him pinned as he prepared to use his breath.
Nergal accepted it, focusing his mind to hopefully keep it intact long enough to push Carl through the gate, but Tiamutael lost his chance. Pulled away roaring by his mothers and pinned to the ground as they comforted him without success.
"Let him, it's the best option. If I die, I'll go straight to the realm beyond the eighth gate, then I can push Carl through. Everything is doomed without the hero anyway, Margo will undoubtedly be on the move when that one reports what happened."
"If we take that path, it will not be a child to end you!" Kyubi roared back.
"Get off of me! He let Dad die!"
"No, stay put Tiamutael, your dad probably did what he always does and charged in without thinking and he'll come back like he always does as well." Nergal was about to say something, but thought better of it and remained quiet.
Suddenly, Kitsunoko ran up with Raziel and jumped on her brother's face and a short while later Tiamutael stopped struggling and transformed back, eyes still red and puffy as his sisters held him.
"Thank you, Ki-"
"Sorry, Mums. We'll be back soon, promise, okay!?"
The moment Kitsunoko finished speaking, the three of them disappeared, leaving the others to erupt into panic.
Hidden in the space between realms that was Tiamutael's private space, Kitsunoko looked about. "You know little brother, that was bad. You shouldn't hit people just because you're angry, you know Nergal wouldn't have let Dad do it if he could have stopped him."
"I know..." Tiamutael rubbed his eyes, still sniffling as Raziel continued hugging him. "...Are you sure you have a plan? Why didn't you just tell Mums and the others?"
"Absolutely and because they are all too upset and something dangerous will happen if we let them decide, they'll be too busy worrying about us right now to do anything with Nergal and if he dies we're all gonna be in trouble."
"Maybe I should go back?"
"Nope! Need you too, Raz-y! Was I the only one listening to Nergal?"
"We were all too worried about Dad, unlike y-" Tiamutael didn't get to finish snapping at his sister before she slapped him.
"Stop it. I'm not worried about Dad, because he's fine. I know you're sad and feel guilty for running away, but you need to calm down if we're going to save Dad..." Kitsunoko didn't give him them the chance to get upset again and flowed into her plan.
"...It's simple, the problem with that realm is paradoxical energy and what is it our dear sister happens to specialise in?
Next up we have a realm independent from any other, but a little softie who can go to any realm any time as long as he can find it."
"Okay, you were doing well, but how are we going to get there when he can't find it because it's hidden until Nergal opens it?"
"Because while you guys were panicking, I was being a lady and standing there looking cute, just like Mama Kyubi taught me to do..." Her siblings looked at each other as their faith started to waiver, but then Kyubi clapped loud enough to bring them back on track. "...Duh, guys! Little brother, grab Sis and our siblings, quick!"
The other two sighed as they started to join the dots, ever concerned about their sister's mix of intelligence and ability to scheme along with her enjoyment for pranks.
When Tiamutael had gathered the others, though Kidnapped would be more accurate, they braced themselves for their sister's usual theatrics. Recent events had changed her however and rather than bluster and confidence she greeted them with humility and a sincere request for trust and help.
The sight of her kneeling with her head to the non-existent ground, immediately snatched both her siblings' and aunt's attention.
"I know I'm young, childish and get into trouble a lot, but I need you all to trust me and help us save Dad."
"Ki-ko! Do you have any idea how worried Mums are?" Omedra yelled, not as willing to go easy on her just because she's grovelling.
"I do and I hate it. I only ask you to hear me out, as Dad's creations we can feel him when we focus, so I know he's alive. If you think it won't work, I promise we'll go back, but please hear me out."
"Omedra, let her speak. She might hide it, but she's always been a daddy's girl, I have no doubt she can feel the connection better than any of us." Squidge wasn't just trying to give her a chance either, he remembered how often she spied on him whilst pretending to be playing pranks.
"Grr, fine. She is grounded regardless when we get home though."
"Thank you for trusting me..." She re-covered the points she had already told Tiamutael and Raziel, then continued with the rest of the plan. "...Auntie Sis, I want to use recollection on you, then I can call the gate using the memories you copied from Dad.
Squidge and Omy, sorry, but you get the worst job. Can you please go tell Mums that we are getting Dad, but don't give them any details, just tell them that we might be children but we have amazing parents who taught us everything we needed to do this.
Levi, we need you to paralyse anything that tries coming through that gate, if you think you'll need help, we can have Tiamutael bring in Reaga and Orm as a bit of support and as proof we're not being reckless."
"The worst part about how silly you can be, is how much genius you waste in the process, Ki-ko..." Omedra picked up her sister and hugged them all tightly. "...You three better come back no matter what, I'll make sure no one kills Nergal, if I survive telling Mums what we're letting you do anyway."
"Yeah, I'll try and get Equinox, Aldra, Aegis and the pets on our side if things turn bad. We might at least slow Grandma Lillim down for half a second." With that the three of them hugged their siblings tightly and then Tiamutael sent Squidge and Omedra back as Kitsunoko started with Sis.
It became a difficult task however when thirty seconds later they were bombarded by angry messages from their mums, which led to them seeing Kitsunoko lose her temper properly for the first time in her life.
[ GROUP MESSAGE SENT FROM KITSUNOKO : MUMS, EVERYONE. I AM INCREDIBLY SORRY THAT I AM SO UNTRUSTWORTHY AND ONLY BEEN ALIVE FOR A FEW MONTHS. HOWEVER, CONSIDERING DAD HAS ONLY BEEN ALIVE FOR EIGHTEEN YEARS AND FIGURED OUT MORE IN THE LAST HALF A YEAR THAN ELDER-GODS DID SINCE TIME BEGAN, THAT CAN'T BE THE ISSUE. GUESS I'M JUST AN IDIOT GIRL WHO DOESN'T WANT HER DAD TO DIE, SORRY. ]
After that the messages stopped for a while, leaving her to sob to herself as she continued sifting through Sis' memories.
"Ki-ko, I know you're trying to be strong and brave to save your Dad..."
"I know, I'll apologise later, I broke for a second. I'll apologise and cry properly later though. Anyway, I found it, so I should begin."
[ GROUP MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM KYUBI : KIDS, AND ESPECIALLY YOU KITSUNOKO, WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU ALL. WHATEVER HAPPENS THOUGH, MAKE SURE YOU COME BACK TO US, THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT YOU TRIED. ]
[ GROUP MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM KLAIRE : WE LOVE YOU ALL, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE LOVE EACH OF YOU EVERY BIT AS MUCH AS WE LOVE YOUR DAD. DON'T LET US LOSE ANY OF YOU TRYING TO CLEAN UP HIS MESS. ]
[ GROUP MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM LILLIM : IF YOU TAKE TOO LONG, ILLERION WILL ACT, DO NOT WASTE A MOMENT. ]
[ GROUP MESSAGE SENT FROM KITSUNOKO : WHY COULDN'T YOU ALL BE SUPPORTIVE FROM THE START? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO MAKE SENSE OF SOMEONE ELSE'S THOUGHTS WHEN I CAN'T EVEN SORT THROUGH MY OWN? ]
With that, Kitsunoko began speaking the ancient tongue. It was far from easy and speaking it from the memory of a memory made it even more so. As she did so however, the gates started popping up one by one.