Zach and Nessa didn't waste any time. After bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager, they left the Imperial Palace and found Anerias waiting nearby. While Nessa waited for Zach to wake up, he had taken a trip around the Empire to check on the state of things and gather some supplies for the Underworld.
To Zach's surprise, Anerias hopped off Darkwing and greeted him with a tight hug.
Zach thought he had grown a lot lately since he was no longer felt like he was the shortest in every room he entered. Nessa had also put on some muscle and matured in the time they were apart.
But Anerias had almost undergone a complete transformation. He was a head taller than Zach and three shoulders wider. His body was a solid hunk of muscle. It wasn't just his body that had changed. His temperament had done so as well, considering he greeted Zach with a hug.
"I missed you, man," Anerias said, holding Zach by the shoulders with straight arms and looking into his eyes.
