Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

As Peckla's pups looked at the not-so-large arena nearby, listening to the cheers filling the entire stadium, they were perplexed.


Defeated in the first battle by the mighty War Clan and cast down to the losers' group—such was the fate deserved by all the lesser species of Foresty Land, the very foundation, without sufficient combat power.


But after that, they vanquished one strong foe after another, finally becoming the victors of the losers' group, ready to face those tigers once more.


Now, they were listening, heads held high, to their Forest Master's speech.


They had asked themselves this more than once.


But they never got to see their Forest Master because an even more noble presence in their hearts approached.


Lord Du Lin gently raised his hand, and a small platform rose from the ground, lifting him to a position where all the Peckla pups could see him.


Chapter 11: The Sword of the Lover's Sentiment