Two years after the events of The Giggling Dark Xellous went to find Telos. He did so, but also met Xalmantra, the man who had originally ordered that Xellous's family be destroyed in the first place. Xellous had looked for Telos in order to get advice on using an Angel Arrow to make a weapon that could protect his family, as well as journeying to get a power source for Ikuinen Lampo that would assure their safety. With permission to build the weapon and a deal cut with the elves of Heranyt to get a Void Ship, Xellous is almost all set.
Xellous was eager to get to work, but Telos took him aside. "Xalmantra couldn't track you before. He still can't."
Xellous nodded. "He said as much, yes."
"But just because you can't see a stone doesn't mean you can't track the ripples it made when it got thrown into the pond."
"So he knows where my family is?" Xellous asked, feeling a little sick.
"Wouldn't you be curious if you just saw a pond send up water, for no reason?" Telos dropped a few pebbles in Xellous's hand. "For whenever you want to come back to this planet." He turned to leave.
"Is there really nothing you can do?" asked Xellous.
"Who is the most helpless in the universe?" asked Telos. Xellous shrugged. "The one with the most power. With power comes obligation." Telos's golden robes were a whirl in the howling blackness. And then he was gone. And so was Xellous.
Xellous was back in his barn. The aura was all wrong; the whole world felt tainted. Xellous made his way out of the barn as fast as he could; nothing seemed unusual with the farm. The front door slammed against the house as Xellous rushed in. Threen and Kora's laughter greeted his ears. So did Xalmantra's. He put his cup down and stood to greet Xellous. "Welcome home, friend! I hope you don't mind, but I thought I'd come and meet the family. I hope that's alright! I didn't want to intrude on this idyllic scene." Xellous managed a nicety somehow, but all the wrongness in the whole world was coming out of this entirely sincere man. Gerard, Xellous's two year old son, came running up to Xellous and jumped into his daddy's arms. "Oh, he's adorable!" cooed Xalmantra.
Finally Xellous found some words. "Would you mind taking a walk with me? Old friend?"
Xalmantra practically skipped out the front door after Xellous. "You really have it all, young man, " Xalmantra gushed. "Truly! Power, a beautiful family," he tickled Gerard's neck with tenderness, who snuggled harder into daddy, "Fame, and on top of it all you deserve every last bit of it."
"Thank you," was all that Xellous could manage.
"You've done so much. I'd really like your input on things whenever you feel ready. After all, who's the most powerless in the world?"
Xellous felt a sinking in his gut. "Why don't you tell me?"
"Oh, those with the most power," said Xalmantra, with a sadness in his yes that was eerily similar to Telos. "Any help one such as that can get is invaluable."
"I... I honestly don't know what to say." That was true.
"Well, think on it. Please. I really could use your help." Xalmantra clapped Xellous on the shoulder and vanished.
Gerard wanted to play, but Xellous barely heard him. Walking up to Kora Xellous pulled her aside, leaving a disappointed Gerard with Threen for a moment. "We need to leave." Kora sputtered in confusion. "Ernzen claimed to be a member of The Cursed of Xalmantra. That's him. That's Xalmantra."
Kora was ashen. "He's the one who-"
"Who wrecked our family. He's the one who gave the order. We need to leave. He's... the king? Of this whole planet."
"Yes, now. Let's get out of here. Did you find Telos?"
"I did! He's living in a palace Kora!"
Kora's brows furrowed and some color returned. "... Telos. He's living in a palace."
"Yup, with cloth of gold clothes."
Kora laughed so hard she almost dropped their daughter Lily. "He must look so uncomfortable!"
"He does! So much!" They laughed and laughed, with Lily looking at the both of them with a serious confusion that was amusing to her parents, all on its own.
"So Telos is the king of his planet?" asked Kora.
"He is. He shouldn't have been here at all. A war could easily start over Telos being here."
Kora's smile was devious. "So we're solar criminals. We're king smugglers."
Xellous opened his mouth and shut it. "I mean-"
"WE'RE SMUGGLERS"
Xellous sighed. "Yes, dear. We're smugglers."
Kora giggled. And then regained her composure. "We should get going." Xellous was still shaking his head as they walked into the house to gather everyone together.
Kora's jaw dropped when she saw the golden palace. As Telos came out to greet them she called out "KING SMUGGLERS FOREVEEEEEEEER!!!"
Telos laughed as he embraced Kora. "You all were smugglers, of a sort." Telos saw them into his palace, nodding at Xellous while he cooed at Lily, who was fast asleep in her mother's arms.
Xellous refused to let the elves see his work until he'd finished it all; he didn't want them changing the deal and keeping him there. The elves wanted a few magical swords that they would use with certain races they deemed unworthy of being killed with elven weapons. Xellous made both items relatively easily and then turned to his pistol and the Angel Arrow. When he emerged a few days later Xellous proudly carried the pistol to Telos. Telos held it with fear. "Xellous, you could rip a hole in the fabric of the universe with this. If you miss your target you could punch a hole in time." Xellous blanched. "You should only use this weapon once. Anything more than that and everything in the universe would come for you. I'm sorry but I... I can't advise you to use this even that many times. Even for your family. Don't use this unless literally everything rests on you doing so."
Xellous hid it away, profoundly shaken.
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