“What... do you mean...” Will paused, taking in the serious emotional expression being given to him by a god. “Playing with my mind?”

Matéas straightened up, “It's really very simple. Gods have powers over other creatures, though limited. We exert more power over those we have Bound.”

“Bound?” Will took a step back from him.

He nodded. “Bound.” He paused briefly, gesturing an arm up into the air around them. “Like all of the people holed up here, they have a Protection Seal of Binding upon them. It protects them from another god consuming their precious soul and devouring them. But, it also means that they are bound by their souls to the god who imprisoned them, sometimes in a gruesomely painful manner.” His green eyes glanced down to Will's blue eyes. “Such as a possession, forced to share their mortal body with the soul of a god which cannot be contained as such. Some gods like to enact other painful procedures upon their imprisoned souls to make sure they do their bidding.”

Will's eyes thinned, “Like turning their eyes to gold?”

Matéas turned to look away with a shrug. Will stared at him, waiting for an answer. He let out a sigh after a moment, “Yes, in some cases.” He smiled a bit, turning to look at Will again. “But in any event. I came here for a reason, little honeybear.” Will tilted his head a bit to the side.

Matéas took a step toward Will, leaning down his eye level. “You must want something, right?” Will asked.

“As all gods do. Did little Crow tell you that?” Matéas asked with a dry smile, seeing the nod being returned. He made a sad voice, but his smile carried through still in a mysterious manner. “You see, we gods live forever, and as naturally such, we get... Angered with one another from time to time. And this time, a god that's in a Bind under the god here has stolen something very precious of mine in order to benefit her own petty desires.”

“All desires are petty.” Will cut in flatly.

Matéas paused, smiling, leaning down slowly to look into Will's eyes. He saw close to no expression or emotion there on his face.

“There's a hint of anger in your eyes and your voice drips in bitterness.” Matéas said cooly. “Tell me not who has betrayed you, but who has imprisoned your shattered glass heart.”

Will's stare remained and silence filled the room.

It was as if an icy glare lacking of all malice was being placed upon the god from Will. He wasn't angry at Matéas, but at his circumstances, and himself for letting it bother him like it had.

This... isn't how I want to be. Why can't I just be more grown-up? Will thought to himself in the silence that followed, as Matéas had straightened up and crossed his arms.

“Honeybear.” Matéas said after several minutes. “Maturing and growing older doesn't mean forfeiting all of your emotions so that they no longer exist. If that were the case, how would mortals imagine and create things, and continue to live between the cycles?” He smiled, looking to the pink hair. He fluffed the locks some with his hand. “Sometimes,” he paused, pulling Will's head up to look at him, “All that is required is a little forgiveness.”

Will's blank stare widened a bit. Then they thinned as anger filled his being. With control in his voice, a slow husky voice came from his throat created by the rage within him. “Forgiveness is for children.”

Matéas smirked a bit, “And bitterness is for the weak.”

Will looked down and away from him. How could he understand anything?! He wasn't there! He doesn't know about anything of what I've been through! How could a god understand anything that happens to a mortal?!

Matéas tilted his head to the side, a smile growing onto his face. “Look up.” He gave his order short and curt, and Will fell for it. Will had jerked his head up angrily, getting ready to shout at the god.

Matéas had grabbed Will's chin and held it firm, while with his other hand he placed on Will's shoulder, holding him still. He leaned down, with his mouth open, his sharp fangs glimmering. A deep heavy purple and green fog suddenly came erupting from within Matéas' throat, surrounding Will in the cloud. It felt warm scorching Will's skin with the aerosol poisons.

Will tried to take a step back, opening his mouth to yelp from the pain, but he covered his mouth and nose with his hand, closing his eyes tightly. In his ears echoed another order from Matéas, low and husky. “Inhale.”

With his eyes still closed, Will slowly dropped his hand and inhaled the painful gas with a soft gasp of pain.

Matéas let go of him, and backed away. Within a few seconds, all of the smog had dissipated into nothingness. Will's skin stung and burned where the poisons had touched. But inside his body, Will's lungs burned on fire. His esophagus felt like it was melting away. Grasping at his throat and chest, Will fell to his knees.

“Don't worry. When you need my help, I shall come.” Matéas had said soothingly to Will while stroking the top of his head. “This Protection Seal: Blessing will keep you safe from that god tampering with your head anymore.”

He straightened up and left the room, saying as he closed the door to Will still collapsed on the floor. “Though the pain only lasts an instant, it is the physical manifestation of your bitter and sour emotions locked within.”

---

Crow walked around the kitchen with the pasta stain seeping into his clothes. He paced quickly with brisk steps and a wide gait. His face was flushed bright red.

“You sure are embarrassed easily. All it took was a brief glance of a human body nearly identical to your own.” came a voice echoing through Crow's ears.

Crow stopped and threw his arms up into the air. “What the heck? It's not cause it was  nude~”

A deep chuckle that shook Crow's sanity back to normal vibrated through his being. “Out of all the humans, you sure are one of the most interesting to have Bound.”

Crow rolled his eyes. “God, thanks. So much.”

“Crow.” came the voice again, this time with a sense of firmness and power. “You need to return that boy to his home tomorrow.”

Crow looked around, brushing his hair with his hand. “All right.” He sighed a bit. “You want me to get Adell while I'm at it?”

There was silence, and as the seconds passed leading to no response coming Crow's heart began to pinch. “There is no need. Will is far more intriguing.” And with that, the pinch in Crow's heart turned into a sharp pang.

Crow swallowed his immediate disgust, “Just how far do you intend to play with his mind?”

A chuckle sounded, as the god was clearly amused by Crow's interest. “Directly, not for much longer. Matéas is appointing a new bishop to the game.”

Crow's golden eyes panned down to the floor. A chess game of the gods is not really something anyone should be involved in.

“What piece are you?”

“Don't you know? Players are outside of the rules that control the pieces.”

At first Crow didn't say anything back. He just thought over the situation. “What does that make me?”

“A Knight, of course.”

---

Now Will was sitting on Crow's bed as the other was shuffling with some blankets and pillows on the floor making himself a cot. Crow had changed into some pajama pants, a tank and a dark green bandana wrapped around his hair tightly.

“All right,” Crow finally said after he had organized all of the blankets down on the cot. “Oh,” Crow turned to Will. “I'm taking you home tomorrow.”

Will tilted his head a bit, confused and startled. “Really?” he asked softly.

Crow nodded, putting his hands on his hips. “Yeah. I got the okay, and it's safe for you to go home now.”

“Safe?”

Crow shrugged, “Something like that.”

Will nodded a bit, looking down. I can go home? But... did they even miss me? Would they even want me back? Do they even remember me? Or have I just forgotten them?

Crow smiled a bit, starting to lay down on the pile of blankets. “You'll do better if you don't think on it too much.”

Will looked up to Crow, watching as he had settled into his cot and pulled a blanket up over his head.