Mara - The Lady Grief (Completed)

52 Friends and Forests

Time Immortal, The Palace of Irkalla, The Underworld

Thelios

"That's the metal works, where the damned build the blades of the Underworld," I point out the low-hanging, dull grey buildings covered in soot.

"An ironworks?" Thane asks. "It's... necessary here?"

I shrug. "All I know is that our blades take metal. It's more metal than what you would use in the above... down here things are different."

Thane nods, his sharp grey eyes taking everything in. He's been examining the city ever since we were marched through the great bronze doors into the Palace of Irkalla. It's his way of dealing with the anxiety of waiting while I pace and curse under my breath.

"Where do you think Mara is?" I ask Thane.

"In the above, in Tmari, Lios," Thane replies calmly.

"Where? She's alone, isn't she? I can fucking feel it, can't you?"

"Yes, I can," he murmurs.

I heave a breath of pure anger, "Is she hurting, Thane? Is she scared?"

"Most likely," he says quietly.

"Fuck you. How can you be so fucking calm?" I growl at him.

"I'm not calm!" he roars suddenly, spinning around with murder in his eyes.

A knock on the door signals yet another intruder to this barren chamber one the outer walls of the Palace.

Thane visibles reigns himself in. "She is alone, Lios. Alone, hurting, and scared. And there is not a fucking thing we can do but wait and try to entice Urto into a fight with us, understand?"

"The Death god could maybe-"

"He already told us that the doors are closed. He's not even speaking to us because his Queen detests us. Mostly me," he admits in a raw tone.

The knocking comes again.

"There has to be something, Thane. Anything," I'm beyond pride, desperation making me beg my brother for a fucking miracle.

"We have to concentrate on our task, Lios."

"So we just wait for her to die and ignore her suffering? You think that's a good plan? You do? After everything?"

Thane snarls my way. "I hate this shit, Lios. I hate waiting and I want nothing more than to rescue my Princess, but we need to become powerful or we lose her anyway."

The knocking grows persistent. We still ignore it.

"Do you want power for yourself or for her, Thane?" I ask seriously.

He punches me in the gut. I was expecting it.

"I love her more than anything. More importantly, I trust her, Lios. I trust that our Mara is smart enough to find her way here if we can't win our way to the above. I want her to have gods at her side when she gets here. That war in the above? It's going to follow her here."

I nod, my jaw flexing. The knocking is now accompanied by calls of our names. I stalk to the door and swing it open, "what the fuck is it?" I growl before I register who it is.

Fuck me. I let the scales ripple over my skin, the horns peek out, my fangs lengthen into sharp daggers jutting from my upper lip.

"Belen. My friend," I whisper.

"Friend?" he grins wickedly at me. "I'm going to fuck you up, Captain."

He leaps at me with a straight punch to the head. I dodge it instinctively, the motion bringing him into the room past the doorway.