Mara - The Lady Grief (Completed)

16 Hailstorm

2651 B.C.E., City of Tmari-on-the-Euphrates

Late Summer, Month of Abu, One Year and Five Months after Mara's Rebirth

Thelios

I wake up with the snarl still on my lips. I can feel that the spark of fire I'm already craving is gone.

"Thelios," Belen greets me flatly.

"Where is she?" I panic. She's not here. What if she's lost to me forever?

"Yes, about that. You need to take it down a notch, Lios. That's Death's Daughter. You wanna know what happened to the last male who flirted with her? Three horned vipers bit him. He died in agony, Lios. Stay away from that female."

I blink at my friend. Anger scorches me, but even my demon dismisses his warnings. He's just trying to help us. He doesn't realize... this isn't flirting. She is my life.

I rise with a groan, ignoring Belen's skeptical expression. "Did I miss the elemental ceremony?"

Belen folds his arms over his chest. "Yes. I rescheduled."

I rub my sore head. "You didn't have to hit me so hard, you fucker."

"Yes I did," he snaps.

I glare at him. "She's my Fated, asshole. Even Death himself can't stop it."

Belen's arms drop. He looks at me, wary, sad, "don't be too sure about that, Lios. Death... my nan..."

"What, Bel?" I prod when his voice trails off. Stumbling a little, I right myself and pull off my blood-stained shirt to change.

Belen is staring at my chest. "Nan says there's a war. She told me that it's why it took so long for a decision to be made about a new Captain. Death is a god, Lios. We can't understand his plans."

I look at him askance. "You realize that as Recondites we swear to serve the gods, right?"

"I told you that, fucker."

"So why are you telling me not to trust Death?"

"Because," Belen mutters, "he's fucking scary."

"Well, his daughter is mine, and I won't give her up for anything."

"We're going to lose another Captain," he laments. "I'll choose your burial site. Or do you want to do it? There's a nice spot right in front of the shitter."

I punch him in the gut hard enough to get him to stop whining like a little bitch.

"C'mon, let's get this ceremony over with."

"'Over with' he says," Belen croaks out, straightening back up. "I hope the fire test burns off your dick. It may be the only way to save your life."

As we walk towards the door the sky darkens. I look up and curse under my breath. "To the fields, Bel. That's a hailstorm."

"How the fuck do you- Lios! Captain!" he shouts out behind me.

---

Mara

My belly is so full right now. Gods, it feels good. Alnue poured three of those flasks into my wine as I drank and ate with Sera and Tafia.

The wine is flowing and I am drunk. I guess it worked out, because we can't see anything the Recondites are doing right now, anyway. There's a hedgerow and a mausoleum in the way.

The streets over in War are celebrating the naming of a new Captain. We can hear them singing and laughing. But, the actual barracks and training grounds of the Recondites are dead silent.