The sun was lowering over the mountains, an orange glow beginning to settle over the still busy city as the days work continued. Much of the debris in the streets had been cleared away and the wounded accounted for.

By the time Murdoc had found the inn and room Aidan was placed in, Antonis was already there by his side. In his normal form, Murdoc closed the door behind himself quietly before coming nearer to them. Antonis was seated with crossed arms, staring ahead with a tense look. Aidan turned his head, hearing someone enter and tried giving Murdoc a smile, though it came out weaker, possibly because of what happened between him and the general.

"I'm glad you're alright, Murdoc." Aidan said, broadening his smile. Seeing it, Murdoc stepped up to the bed, returning the smile as he momentarily forgot about Voltrick. In that moment, Antonis stood from his seat with the same look in his eyes, not bothering to look at either of them as he headed for the door. Murdoc looked after the dog curiously until the door shut, causing an awkward feeling behind.

Aidan watched Antonis go with a saddened expression, emitting a little sigh himself as Murdoc looked back to him. "Did something happen?" he asked.

"He's just upset." Aidan replied, looking up to the ceiling.

"Clearly." Murdoc glanced back towards the door before carefully setting himself down in Antonis' seat. After a moment, the wolf looked back down at Aidan. He held his hands in his lap, rubbing his thumbs together as he found his earlier, conflicted thoughts muddle together concerning Voltrick. But sitting here in this quiet room...it seemed like a far off problem.

"Did you...get hurt?" Murdoc said after a long silence awkwardly, eying Aidan, noticing he was lying in bed looking pale.

The cat closed his eyes, giving a half-smile, "It's better now. The doctor says I just need to rest. It seems I've lost a lot of blood."

"You have? Does it--"

"Debalora took care of the wound."

"...I see."

Murdoc looked to his hands as Aidan's eyes remained closed, thinking about what Voltrick had said to him before riding off. Something wasn't right...The way Aidan speaks is as though nothing were wrong. But Antonis just now, leaving as though he couldn't stand being in this room any longer and Voltrick taking steed.

"Did...something happen with Voltrick?" Murdoc asked carefully. He was surprised when Aidan's head turned nearly immediately with an attentive look.

"Why?"

"I--I'm just asking." Murdoc said, holding off until he's learned more. He didn't want to outright say that Voltrick was seen leaving the city. That would have come as a shock if something didn't happen between him and Aidan.

"...Oh..." Aidan settled back into bed if not uneasily, "It's...not between us, if that's what you mean...but...something upset him about me." Aidan said slowly, as though he didn't understand himself. Murdoc let out a brief sigh as he looked towards the floor. The answer wasn't enough, but it was all he was going to get.

He turned his eyes back to Aidan and saw the cat's head was turned away from him. His lips thinned, holding in something he was going to say to continue the conversation. Instead, giving up, Murdoc spoke.

"...Voltrick's left the city." he paused, waiting for some response. Hearing none, he continued briefly. "He said he was going to save you and Gordan from monster's worse than him...he took a horse and..." Murdoc looked at Aidan again and saw no sign of movement from him. Feeling strange, Murdoc stood, knowing Aidan wanted to be alone with this news.

"I thought you should know." he said before turning his back, walking towards the door. Taking the knob and pulling it from the latch, Murdoc glanced back again until he shut the door behind himself. Outside he stood, staring in front of himself feeling...well, ashamed. His visit seemed rushed, something he didn't intention on and the whole thing was awkward. A saddened glance was given towards the room before Murdoc slowly led himself out.

---

A few minutes after Murdoc left was when Aidan finally moved, slowly pressuring himself to sit up. His head felt heavy while the rest of his body felt weak from the stress of the day.

But Voltrick was gone.

Aidan looked out the window with an anguished gaze. He knew exactly where Voltrick was going. Especially what he planned on doing. But why was he risking everything to go there?! Because he learned who really killed Vincent, his closest friend, or because Fyren threatened him by getting in his head? Either way, going back to the Ministry alone was insane! There was no chance Voltrick had, even as a beast. They would only capture him like before and...

Droplets of tears fell onto the blanket in his lap as Aidan leaned over, pressing his hands against his face as he imagined the terrible nights in the dungeon. The sound of Voltrick's blood curling screams and the pool of blood Aidan was forced to lie in. All the disgusting tortures the soldiers thought of to test on Voltrick--

Aidan sniffed loudly, taking in a firm breath as his eyes opened narrowly. He was weak then...he couldn't do anything to save Voltrick from those horrors. He couldn't do anything for himself.

But things have changed.

Maybe those murders meant something...he was certainly stronger after them. He could kill now. The things he went through in that dungeon had broken him and his ideals about others. He learned that there were people who had no morals, no boundaries to their cruelty. In a way, it awakened him to reality. No, not "it". Fyren. It was Fyren's word that made everything happen to him and Voltrick. With Voltrick, he understood why Fyren would have wanted to see him like that...but why him? Fyren could have just as easily killed him, especially since he was associated with Voltrick, but there in Fyren's mind, there were no feelings of that.

It didn't matter. Voltrick's life was in danger and no one else knew where he was going. Even if they did, the risk was too great. But Aidan...he had this ability. He had a chance.

Aidan blinked as his thoughts came to a pause, finding himself staring down at his open palms. Fyren had awakened these powers within him and now it seemed like an invitation. There was something Fyren wanted from Aidan...and certainly Aidan wanted something from Fyren, Voltrick included.

It felt as though this was all planned out.

Hands balling gently into fists on his lap, Aidan looked out the window again with a hard stare, looking across the gates and the valley as the sun began to set. It was finally time for him to do something reckless, brave and impossible for someone.