The morning air chilled the breaths of the horsemen as they rode their horses through the forest. The snow had mostly cleared in this part of the area, but its chilling cold remained. The path the riders took was wide, but unpaved and surrounded by wild trees.

The soldiers rode wordlessly most of the way with a few scattered conversations between one another. None of them spoke to Vincent, who still had his mouth tied and was now blindfolded. The leader felt it best in case this boy were to somehow escape and tell others where the Swords of Chaos was located. Not that it was possible for him to escape. Vincent not only had his hands tied together, but but to the saddle of the horse he rode, which belonged to the soldier who died by Aeth's fight.

The trail soon lead to a wide clearing, the horses hooves clanking loudly upon the stone ground. A small town resided in front of them, with the large mansion the soldiers quickly appreciated from traveling for so long.

As the horsemen entered the town, the town's guardsmen welcomed them inside without delay. Seeing their black and gold uniform quickly told the guards they were Swords of Chaos soldiers returning.

After strolling forward through the small town, the soldiers soon approached the gates of the mansion and halted before the guard.

"Tell Lord Zael we've arrived." The black dog ordered. "Inform him that we found Brandon and have returned with him as ordered."

The guard gave a quick bow of his head before turning around and running toward the mansion.

The dog smirked and shifted himself on his horse to look back to the blindfolded mouth behind himself. Seeing the blindfold was still secured over his eyes, he gave a quick nod to one of the other horsemen.

The jaguar gave a soft kick to his horse to casually come up next to Vinneh's. After stopping next to him, the soldier quickly grabbed the back of the blind fold and removed it from Vinneh's head to reveal the mansion in front of him.

After the jaguar did as he was motioned to do, the black dog faced forward before dismounting his horse. "Take him... Lord Zael is waiting for him."

Vincent had forgotten the feeling of being blindfolded for such a long time. It was rather unsettling; and granted his ears were rather sensitive, he tried hard to not be startled by a sudden noise or voice that popped out of nowhere. Half of the journey were filled with thoughts of Aeth's body on the floor of the cabin...still. He mostly fought with himself to deny his friend was dead. Everything had happened so quickly. The rest of the journey was more of a guessing game of what Zael had been up to. After remembering Kelico, Vincent had rationalized that Zael had taken his uncles fortunes with the Swords of Chaos and brought it up again. If true, it was a very bold if not productive thing to do. If Vincent weren't tied up like a prisoner to his own child, he would have felt a little proud of his son's...businesslike take on things.

His ears twitched as the horses hooves trotted on stone, moving his head gently to hear better. He heard noises of a town surrounding him. Louder, but it was an old and familiar sound Vincent recognized as his old home. Suddenly he felt the blindfold stripped off his face, eyes squinting at first to the bright light. After a few blinks, his eyes rose up to the mansion with tapestries of black and gold with a symbol in the middle, adorning the walls. With all the soldiers guarding the gates and the bustle of the place it...Vincent couldn't believe this was once his home.

The rest of the soldiers dismounted their own horses after the dog did. After the jaguar was standing on the ground, he untied Vincent from the saddle and quickly pulled the back of the mouse's shirt to quickly force him to get off the horse and stand on the ground.

After Vincent was off of his horse, the jaguar kept his hand upon the mouse's back and walked forward; making sure to keep Vincent walking forward.

The black dog casually walked forward towards the mansion, leading the others behind himself. Vincent and the jaguar were right behind him with the last soldier at the rear.

Two rhino guards stood at each of the double doors at the mansion, clad in the same uniform but with more armor around their chests and shoulders. After the canine approached, both guards stepped aside and opened the large mansion doors to allow them to enter.

Within the mansion, servants scurried around the large lobby area to clear themselves out of the dog's way and stationed themselves at each wall, next to the large windows of the room. Soldiers stopped as well and stationed themselves at the base of each large staircase, which resided at each side of the wide room.

High above the group, Zael stood with his hands upon the white railing of the high balcony and watched the dog enter with the young mouse just behind him. A serious look was on his face, eyebrows lowered and features stern. He was dressed in finely tailored apparel with the same coloring as the soldiers.

A large, black minotaur stood next to him; glaring down toward the group who entered. He wore the same uniform as the other soldiers, but wore a heavy breastplate at his chest and armored shoulders.

Vincent's eyes searched the mansion as the jaguar pushed him forward. The servants stared at him strangely as did the other soldiers who stood erect in attention. With the colors of black and gold surrounding him, Vincent looked to his blood red shirt, feeling very out of place. As they walked along the carpet deeper inside, Vincent's eyes lowered to stare at the floor, knowing that his son was standing before him.

As the dog stopped well before Zael, the jaguar at Vincent's back clutched hard to keep him still. All the soldiers around Vincent bowed their heads respectfully to Zael, all but himself, standing stoic with a quiet expression on his face. He gave no sign of acknowledging Zael.

From where Zael stood, Vincent looked exactly like Brandon being a good distance away from him. But something about him, bothered Zael. He couldn't put it his finger on it, something was different about him. Something familiar, yet different. Zael kept his stern face as he moved his hands back from the railing and turned to his left towalk toward the stair case.

"Remove that from his mouth." Zael casually said and continued down the stairs. "He's our guest, not a captive."

The black dog turned around quickly and moved to Vincent's side, making sure to carefully, but swiftly remove the binding. After it was removed, the black dog side stepped to allow Zael to approach.

After walking away from the stairs, Zael clasped his hands behind his back and stood behind the canine patiently. His brow was lowered, but his face was calm. "You will have to forgive my soldiers of their rude behavior. They're only doing what is necessary to get you here. ...After I heard you were taken by those..." Zael suddenly stopped mid-sentence after the dog moved out of the way of the mouse before him. Who Zael saw made his entire form tense up with his eyes widening. This cant be... Zael stepped back and unclamped his hands from behind himself. This is not Brandon!

A short moment passed as Zael stared at the person in front of himself before a hard glare appeared on his face and aggressively stepped forward. Zael thrust a hand forward to wrap his hand around Vincent's mouth and jaw tightly. Without saying a word, Zael stiffly turned Vincent's head as if examining him unbelievingly. This... person... in front of him was not his brother. He was the same age and almost had the same scent... but it was Vincent. The father, he knew, was dead, and the man he beat to a bloody pulp years ago before that FREAK killed Vincent's brother!

The fingers that clutched his face caused his brow to lower, refusing to move as his son examined his face. Vincent's eyes rested on Zael in the same quiet manner. What caused him to be silent was the color of Zael's eyes, a fusion of blue and red around the rims of the pupil. Something happened...Vincent frowned as his thoughts carried to the demon Judas, knowing he was responsible.

But this was his son, and as Vincent knew how much abuse Zael would submit him to, nothing would make Vincent deny it. To see his son's face after so long, twisted in confusion and anger as it was now, he couldn't help but to love him. It only saddened Vincent to know how much hate Zael had towards him after all this time.

"Hello, Zael." he greeted with a quiet voice, his form held straight as opposed to his eyes that looked down at him gently.

Zael aggressively pulled his hands back; making sure to keep his distance from the mouse in front of him. "You're supposed to be dead." he remarked spitefully. "How is it that you stand before me? Not only that, but you are younger than what you were before."

Riddick grunted as he watched Zael's calm attitude quickly change. He knew the mouse in front of him was bound, but he wanted to make sure the mouse knew he wouldn't dare touch him... The minotaur turned and began walking down the stairs, watching Zael and Vincent.

The soldiers were glancing at one another and then to Vincent and Zael. This was nothing they had expected. Vincent took a deep breath, reminding himself that he was on Zael's turf now. As opposed to how Zael would have treated Brandon, Vincent was an enemy. The first one at that. With Judas somewhere in there, Zael's could give the word and he would be dead again. Great...come back only for this situation. The men who had brought him back must never thought Vincent had so many enemies. Well...save for one those soldiers attacked earlier. He still hated them for that.

"I'm sorry." Was all he said to Zael before he glanced to the large minotaur that began to walk towards them defensively. The right hand man, eh? Vincent loved his son, but after everything was said and done, he knew he had to stay alive...somehow.

"You didn't answer my question, ...Vincent." Zael spitefully noted. "You stand here before me, alive, younger than you were before. About my age, if not younger, and my soldiers find you instead of Brandon."

The black dog and the other soldiers slowly stepped away from Vincent. They would stay close if Vincent decided to move, but Lord Zael was angered. The black dog held a more serious gaze after Zael noted his mistake. He thought it was Brandon. He met the description exactly.

"...And you almost have the same scent as Brandon as well." Zael added and stood closer to Vincent to glare at him eye to eye. "My soldiers were sent to find Brandon after a cultist group kidnapped him. Yet after they search the same area in which he was taken.. they find you. ...What did you do to my brother?"

Vincent frowned heavily as he saw the anger rise in Zael, noting how the soldiers backed away. So...he was physical. He kept his erect standing as he stared at Zael, listening to his son work it all out in his head.

It took strength to answer Zael, just like how it was hard for himself to handle the truth. Vincent knew what may come after he spoke and braced himself for it.

"That cult used Brandon...to..." he paused, finding it difficult to say this. It still hurt, his eyes narrowing, "...to...resurrect me."

Zael sneered, but closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As much as he wanted kill the man in front of himself, he was still infront of all of his men and servants. He was the lord of the Swords of Chaos, he couldn't allow himself to lose his composure in front them. But what Vincent said made his fists clench. "You're using his body..." Zael opened his eyes to glare at Vincent again. "My brother was sacrificed so this pathetic excuse for a person can stand before me. He didn't deserve that fate... but you will deserve yours for killing him."

After speaking, Zael raised his glare and quickly turned to the black dog. "Lock him up." Zael stepped back to allow the dog and the jaguar to grab each of Vincent's arms.

As the soldiers at each side of him took hold of him roughly, Vincent's eyes remained on Zael after his persistent accusations. He could only handle so much.

"You think I would have wanted this for Brandon?!" he shouted as Zael stepped back, pulling against the soldiers who now were forcing him back after the shout. "That is inexcusable to think your father would do such a thing! I didn't kill him!" his anger was rising and so was the faint gleam in his left eye as the soldiers struggled against Vincent's strength now. "Don't bother trying to find those cultists who did this! They're taken care of!"

Soldiers and servants around the lobby looked to one another after Vincent made his outburst. More importantly with the revealed fact that this young man was Lord Zael's father. The sight was unbelievable.

Zael kept a serious glare toward Vincent as he struggled against the soldier's grasp and stood firmly without reaction. "No... Not to your favorite son. ...But it happened nonetheless. You're still responsible for his death." he growled. "Take him away." Zael directed toward the soldiers holding him.

Vincent stared at Zael in disbelief to his response before he felt the soldiers pulling him away, feeling a gag wrap around his mouth once more. He was dragged out of the main hall, keeping his eyes on Zael's back as long as he could until he was out of sight. He didn't know now...whether that was really his son or not.

----

Later, in the evening hours, within the dungeon of the mansion, Riddick Creed stood guard before Vincent's cell. He had been ordered to keep watch of their new 'guest' and to make sure no one else came near Vincent.

Vincent, still gagged, was now in a barred cell and chained by shackles against the wall. The chains were long enough for him to sit upon the bench within his cell, but too short to reach the cell gate.

Unlike the ministry's dungeon's, this dungeon had small, barred windows every other cell. There were also several lit torches to keep the underground room lit. A guard sat casually at the dungeon's gate, guarding the only exit out of the dungeon. Another guard sat just outside.