ODE TO THE END: A BALLAD OF BROTHERS

CHAPTER 38

It then stood up and reclaimed the distance between Adlai and Naomi set when she was first brought here. The serpent sat in its darkness now, its eyes fixated on its once sought prey. Naomi suddenly remembered that she needed to breathe. The Caitlyn Princess gasped for air, but confusion wrinkled her countenance. She stared at the thing before her, sweating and shaking.

"You were correct, girl. I am not Adlai Arbitor. That fact that you saw, no, felt the difference is...unexpected. Then again, you saw us before," said the Slithering Serpent. "He will regret not laying you low now, in this moment."

"I-I don't understand," said Naomi.

"You are blind yet you still see so well," said the Slithering Thing. "A miracle, as your mortal kin would describe. You asked for my identity before, did you not?"

"Yes. Tell me who you are, now!"

The creature snickered. "Unbending babe." It then answered. "I am a warrior. One devoted to The Cause."

"What's that? What's The Cause?"

"An effort mere mortals continually prove themselves incapable of fully appreciating. Regardless, if he fails to kill you now, our wills are destined to war against one another. I can see it, written in the words that made the world."

The Serpent seemed to fade after that, its voice slithering into the darkness of the subconscious. There it lay, waiting, watching, from behind those inky eyes. The still figure before Naomi melted away. From the darkness a trembling young man would emerge. One that seemed to shrink the instant he was seen. "You asked me what my Justice was, right?".

"You're him. Achim's brother." Naomi knew instantly.

"I – My Justice is not just to kill Achim. It is to make him suffer the punishment he deserves," said Adlai

"For killing your family," Naomi whispered.

"He told you?" Adlai was silent for a moment. "You two really have become close."

"So what?!"

"I-I'm sorry. It's just..." Adlai spoke meekly. "Achim. The Achim you know – He – He isn't the kid I grew up with. The years have...changed him. M-made him softer."

"And you still want to hurt him?! That's not fair! He's changed right?! He can keep changing!"

"Maybe," said Adlai. "It doesn't matter though. He is still deadly, and what he did is still done."

Naomi scoffed. "You sound like Achim. Resigned."

Adlai was silent for a moment, his mind mulling. "Life. Life isn't fair. The world isn't fair. The universe, none of it. B-but that doesn't mean it needs to stay that way. Maybe. Maybe I can change that. We can change it; Me and him."

"You and that thing that's taking your body?"

Adlai nodded. "It will start with this. With Achim. A cruel boy chosen by a cruel God, forced to learn the lessons of his sin. Achim will learn by feeling the fear of losing a loved one. By losing you. Once he understands the pain, I will personally deal him his death and send him to heaven as a symbol of revolution. Then I will most likely be killed too."

"What?! That doesn't make sense! I don't know if God is real or not, but even if He – smites you? Even He does, won't that mean you can't start your revolution? And why do you even have to do all of that just to get Achim to understand how much he hurt you!? Just talk to him!"

"I refuse," said Adlai. The eldest Arbitor clenched his fist until it bled. "To be honest, the thought of him living happily. It pisses me off. My family gave him everything. He had everything, and what he didn't have he was given because he was 'chosen'. Him throwing it all away just to find it again. W-what sort of world is that? He doesn't deserve it. Just like my family didn't deserve to die by him." Adlai sniffled a little. The young man then pulled his hood down and cradled himself. "I...I am not a hero. I hurt people too, to get here I mean. So whatever happens after Achim is gone, I will accept. It doesn't matter if I die though, because They will know that we think the world is wrong, and that we won't stop trying to make it right. That is how I will help The Cause in exchange for his help with this."