/A/N/ I finally finished my exams and wrote this chapter in around 5 hours so bear with me pls :') but aaay back from hiatus
Upon seeing both his sons in the throne room, heads hung low, Chronos couldn't help but wonder what news they had brought him this time. It certainly wasn't going to be good. ' What happened in Cydonia?'
Vulcannus held his breath for a moment, then confessed, ' We lost to the combined forces of the Tidesinger, Ardoni clans, Enderknights and three kingdoms...'
Chronos frowned. That was half of the six Ardoni kingdoms gone. He had initially thought the Enderking would be the only inconvenience, but this Tidesinger... would be a problem. And unlike the Enderknights who defended Ardonia on their own, Ingressus was uniting the Overworld people. Vulcannus and Pythus were his best fighters, yet they had lost despite having backup. Chronos slowly leaned forward, ' Any idea where they're headed next?'
' Most likely K'arthen,' Vulcannus guessed, ' If they manage to join forces with Magnorites...' He didn't even need to finish his sentence for them to know what he was getting at.
' Then we'll kill every one of them in that kingdom,' Pythus suggested bluntly.
' That will be genocide!' his brother exclaimed. Chronos rubbed his chin, deep in thought, and for a moment Vulcannus worried that his father was desperate enough for power to take such extreme measures, so he quickly added, ' If we do that, it'll only make the Overworld retaliate even more than they already have. They were obedient for some time after the defeat of the Enderknights... If we can do the same to the Tidesinger and prove that there is no questioning your power, perhaps the rebellion will die down...'
' Seems to me you're just trying too hard to spare their meaningless lives,' Pythus remarked, ' What about our people?'
' I care as much for our people as you do, Pythus.'
' Do you?' Pythus turned to face him, ' Are you actually loyal to the Nether, or are you scheming behind our backs? How are you able to lift Enderknight armour, the armour that only our sworn enemy should be able to lift?'
' I have no reason to betray you. There's still a lot of secrets to this world we have yet to discover, that being one of them,' Vulcannus argued.
' No reason? If Father dies, the throne will be yours-'
' Pythus,' Chronos warned, and the princes went silent. He then declared, ' We cannot defeat the combined strength of the Enderknights, the kingdoms, and the Ardoni. We must retreat.'
Both his sons were taken aback, especially Pythus, who protested, ' If we retreat, you will bring shame upon our lineage and draw question upon your right to the crown.'
Chronos considered his words for a moment, but still stood by his decision, ' I invaded the Overworld to ensure we would have more resources so our people would live better lives. But if it comes at the cost of having thousands slaughtered... I would rather save their lives... and both of yours as well... Inform everyone to return to the Nether, I expect none of our forces lingering in the Overworld by next week.'
Vulcannus was stumped yet relieved. Pythus however, was angered at his cowardice to take risks. Even so, he remained silent as he bowed with his brother, who noticed as he tightened his grip on the polearm of his axe.
~*~
Ingressus brushed his hand softly against the cut on Achillean's cheek. The Nestoris tried to hide it, yet couldn't help but wince at the pain. Ingressus frowned, feeling guilty knowing that he was the one who caused it, even if he wasn't in control of his own actions at the time. Achillean had done so much for him, but all he seemed to be capable of was hurting his brother.
' Ingressus?' The Voltaris snapped out of his thoughts, realising he had already tuned out everything Achillean had been saying. Achillean stared at him for a long while, until he sighed, ' It's not your fault.'
' I could have killed you-'
' But I'm still here, aren't I?' Achillean smiled. Ingressus really wondered how his brother could remain so optimistic about the situation. No matter how much the world threw at the Nestoris, he'd still see the best of everything and everyone.
They were interrupted when an Enderdragon landed near where they were sitting. Oh, right... Thalleous Sendaris... The name was still like poison to Ingressus. It didn't matter that the champion convinced the other clans and Enderknights to help out in this raid, the fact remained that he had the blood of a thousand Voltaris on his hands, his father's included.
After the Enderknight, a Sendaris got off, carrying a medical bag with her. What the two Ardoni weren't expecting was to see two more Sendaris with markings that matched Thalleous to follow.
As soon as Cecilia's eyes landed on Ingressus, she was already prepared to storm up to him and give the Voltaris a piece of her mind for all the lives he took when Galleous tugged at her arm, pulling her back as he shook his head. They were here for their younger brother, not the Tidesinger. Cecilia was annoyed, snatching her hand back, but it was enough to keep her from strangling Ingressus. ' Where is he?' the Sendaris healer, Liliana, asked.
' That way,' Achillean gestured in the direction of the healing room not too far away. Liliana thanked him before rushing off. As the siblings passed Ingressus and Achillean, Cecilia couldn't help but throw a glare at Ingressus, who returned it with an accusing stare that made her blood boil.
Galleous didn't understand how she had become so bloodthirsty after the tournaments, believing the easiest way to settle everything was a fight and making her a ticking time bomb in these situations. Whenever she was like this, Thalleous would somehow manage to calm her down, probably because they both shared an understanding that Galleous lacked, but now that his younger twin was not here, he was the one that had to make sure she didn't do something reckless that she would regret later. Problem was, he was not Thalleous, so he was pretty much left unsure what to do for her to relax, especially when he could barely hold himself together at the news of his younger twin.
When they finally arrived at the healing room, they spotted Hadion pacing around anxiously outside. The Mendoris waved as soon as he noticed them, ' Thank goodness you've arrived... The Cydonian healers had no idea what to do... most of them don't even know the first thing about Songs...' Hadion let Liliana inside, but was hesitant to do the same for the siblings... especially Cecilia.
' Let them, this may be the last they ever see of him,' Liliana told him. Cecilia looked offended at how little faith she had in Thalleous, but bit her tongue to stop herself from lashing out at the healer. Hadion was sceptical, but gave in.
Thalleous was laid down on the bed, markings dim and flickering. Something Liliana immediately noticed was that there was a large burn on his chest. She had dealt with injuries like this multiple times before, but this had to be one of the worst. Songs were known to be destructive, yet their power was greatly limited by the strength the wielder had to summon them. Whoever did this to Thalleous was probably one of the most powerful Ardoni both mentally and physically.
Upon seeing Liliana's reaction to Thalleous' condition, Galleous wondered if he should be worried or not. The healer had seen many wounds and remained completely composed for the majority of her patients, but was visibly nervous this time. ' Can you help him...?'
' ... I'll try my best.' That answer did not sit well with them at all, but Liliana could not make any promises. She looked towards Hadion, who got the gist and led Galleous and Cecilia out of the room.
Outside, the siblings could do nothing but wait. As much as Cecilia would prefer silence, the longer it stretched, the more urge she had to dart back inside the room despite knowing full well that Liliana needed her space. As her thoughts were fixated on her brother, she turned to Hadion, ' Who did this to him?'
Hadion shrugged, ' He was already half dead when I found him...'
' Ingressus hit him with Aggroblast,' all three were taken aback by both the sudden appearance of another champion and the information, ' I heard he was being controlled by a Wither though,' Zulius added, folding his arms as he walked to stop beside them.
' Oh, nonsense! It's no secret Thalleous killed his clan master, he just wanted revenge and then covered it up with a stupid excuse.' Even Galleous thought she had a point despite not agreeing much with his older sister - or any of his siblings for that matter.
Zulius sighed, ' That's what I think too, but my warnings have only fallen on deaf ears. The humans and Felinas simply trust him too much. And the only ones who can confirm anything are the Netheran or Thalleous. Even if Achillean has backed him up, I doubt that he is a reliable source of information.'
' I, for one, do not believe that Nestoris,' Cecilia snarled, ' I wonder what kind of dark magic or trickery that blasted Voltaris used to turn him and Master Aegus to his side.'
' And I, for one, think that they can hear your yelling ten feet away,' Hadion commented. It was then they noticed Ingressus glaring at them, the scowl on his face showing that he had heard every word loud and clear. Achillean was also staring at them, looking disappointed as if he had lost all hope in the Ardoni.
' I don't know, maybe they just have a heart to care unlike you,' Ingressus snapped.
' Says the Ardoni who murdered two villages in cold blood,' Cecilia hissed back.
' As if you didn't do the same to my clan, champion.'
' The clan that killed five of my brothers and sisters.'
' If they died in those Voltaris hunts, then they had it coming for them.'
' Really? Thalleous fucking convinced the clans and Enderknights to help you reclaim Cydonia, and you repay him by putting him on the brink of life and death?'
' Ingressus wasn't in control of-' Achillean stepped in to back his brother up, only to get shut down immediately by Cecilia.
' Don't give me that Wither crap, because I don't believe it for a dang second,' she growled, ' If you really want to "help", why don't you start by returning the Supporium Prime Song that is rightfully ours and leave it for an Ardoni better suited for the job? I refuse to put the fate of Ardonia in the hands of a Voltaris.'
' We were the ones that discovered the Prime Songs, if they have any rightful owner, it's the Voltaris. Besides, unlike the other clans, who have used it for nothing but genocide, I have actually done something with it.'
' Because unlike you, we do not risk using it unless absolutely necessary.'
' Oh, so terminating my clan was necessary?' Ingressus snorted, ' Thousands of Ardoni dead for a meaningless civil war... Your siblings included.'
The way he mentioned them like they had died for a worthless cause was enough to push her past her limit, and she found herself drawing out her spear. Cecilia thrust her weapon at him, yet Ingressus caught it effortlessly with his hand. No matter how hard she tried to force it forward, her strength couldn't rival the Tidesinger's, whose grip seemed like it was powerful enough to snap the polearm in half. Before she knew it, he had ripped the spear from her grasp and threw it to the ground. But he hadn't even reached for Voltar nor his broadsword. Achillean was right. They didn't need to make any more enemies.
Just then, the door to the healing room opened once more, and all eyes were on the Sendaris healer. Liliana looked tense, biting her lip, and that was when Cecilia knew it wasn't good news. She still didn't say anything, waiting for the words to be spoken, for her suspicion to be confirmed, for the harsh truth to hit her. Deep down, she still hoped that maybe, just maybe, she was wrong. She wanted to be wrong. She didn't want to relive the same feeling of despair whenever Thalleous entered her room - alone. She didn't want to hear the words "didn't make it" and the name of one of her siblings in the same sentence ever again.
Everyone was patient as Liliana held her breath, then finally announced, ' Thalleous Sendaris is dead.'
~*~
Arion took a heavy step forward in the snow from his portal, eyes glued to the ground. In his hands was Willa's Aggressium Song, its tune deafening him to the chilling winds of the Barrier Mountains. He didn't even realise where he was until he tripped over a log and fell face-flat in the snow. Arion grunted as he tried to get up back onto his feet that were numb from the extreme cold, but ended up staying laid down in the snow, blankly staring through the strands of hair hanging in front of his face at the Song he had dropped in front of him as it violently hummed.
The horrific scene played in his head yet another time. How he had been powerless to help as Pythus killed her mercilessly. Thinking about it only made him tear up again, and he buried his head in his hands as he broke down for what felt like the hundredth time. She was gone. He was all alone, reliving the despair he felt when he arrived back at his camp to see the aftermath of the slaughter. Of being the sole survivor. He was always the sole survivor. But how could he feel grateful when he didn't deserve to be the one to live?
He looked up, gazing at the campfire they had gathered around endless times. He recalled the first time he stumbled upon this camp and found her along with three other Voltaris. Willa had been trying to start the fire, and grew frustrated when it wouldn't work. He remembered how adorable she looked pouting as she shoved the flint and steel into her brother's hands, who had been giggling from the side at her futile attempts.
Arion paused. The campfire... it was smothered. And it looked like it had been for a long time. They would always make sure it was burning bright unless he or another one of the scouts suspected enemies in the area and wanted to make sure the smoke didn't give their location away. It was basically their main source of warmth. As he got up, it suddenly hit him that everything had been quiet. Too quiet.
Before he could even call out the first Voltaris' name, he was stunned into silence as he felt a cold blade placed across his throat. ' Where is the Tidesinger?'
~*~
...
The silence stretched for what felt like years, until Cecilia turned around. Ingressus was still stunned by the news - part of him was shocked that he had accidentally killed who could have been a great ally, another part of him felt satisfaction that he had managed to avenge his father - when she wrapped her hand around his throat, slamming his back against the wall, her sky blue eyes burning with fury and hatred. Ingressus tried to pry it off, but to no avail.
' He didn't mean for this to happen!' Achillean defended, rushing up to stop the Sendaris. He only managed a few steps forward before someone from behind grabbed his hand, stopping him from rushing in. Achillean looked behind to see Zulius before getting thrown to the ground. At the sight of the Kaltaris hurting his brother, Ingressus was even more determined to get free, but as Cecilia crushed his windpipe, he struggled for air and his vision started to blur.
Hadion and Lililia simply looked on from the side. If anything, they thought the two Ardoni deserved it for playing a part in their friend's demise. The only one that acted was Galleous, who tried to pull Cecilia back. As much as hated the Voltaris for all the distress he had caused, he was now a symbol of hope to all of Ardonia, killing him would only make the Ardoni clans be seen as an enemy and tear apart the fragile alliance they were trying so hard to hold together. ' Cecilia, stop!' However, she completely ignored him, her murderous glare fixated on the Voltaris in her hands. The Voltaris that killed her brother.
Galleous grabbed her arm that was holding Ingressus in hopes of getting through to his sister, only for Cecilia to whip around, her fist meeting his face. Galleous grunted in pain, but it was enough to distract Cecilia, and Ingressus found the strength to free himself from her deadly grasp. He took a few steps back, gasping for much needed air when Cecilia picked up her fallen spear.
Before she could get any closer, Galleous stood between the two of them. Cecilia growled, ' So you're siding with that murderer? Just when I thought you couldn't be even more of a disgrace to the family.' Galleous didn't even flinch at her spiteful words. He was long used to them. He was never a fighter, much less a champion like the rest of his brothers and sisters, nor did he want to be. At first, he did what he could, forging their weapons and training Ardoni to wield Songs, yet as time passed, Songs did nothing but tear his family apart, taking away more than they could give. He watched as they took away his parents, then his siblings, destroyed his once close relationship with Thalleous and turned his oldest sister into a revenge driven monster. If they saw him as a disgrace, so be it. He wouldn't be like them and deepen the cracks in his family.
' This is exactly what the Nether wants!' Achillean exclaimed, ' We have to stick together if we want to defeat them and save our home!'
' Forget it, Achillean,' all of them froze as Ingressus spoke, ' I told you so, it was nothing more than a dream. No matter what we do, the Voltaris clan will never be good enough for them,' he stormed up to Zulius, shoving the Kaltaris aside before helping his brother up. ' I never asked Thalleous to come help us. It was his choice to give us a chance. If you refuse to do the same, then feel free to leave.'
' Oh, we will. I await the day when you reveal your true colours and prove that we were right after all, Tidesinger,' Cecilia spat the name out with disgust, ' By then... you'll wish I had killed you. At least you would've been able to rot in hell together with that traitor.'
Ingressus was done with the conversation when he did a double take. Achillean froze as well. Other than Achillean, there was only one person she could be referring to. ' What have you done to Master Aegus?' Ingressus demanded.
' He is no master, and doesn't deserve that title nor the right to hold Nestor,' Cecilia snapped.
' What have you done to him?!' the Voltaris repeated, now shouting, startling everyone else but Cecilia, who stood her ground.
' You didn't know? He was executed weeks ago,' she told him, ' Aegus is dead because of you.'
...
' I thought you crossed the line before... but it seems the other clans will always continue to surprise me with how heartless you are,' Ingressus hissed.
' Heartless? That's a bold claim... Thalleous could've killed you and we would've been done with this, but he didn't - Aegus stopped him. And what's to say he wouldn't again? We didn't kill him because we wanted to, we killed him because we had to.'
' So those tournaments and hunts were something you had to do? Banishing the Voltaris was something you had to do? What in all of Ardonia did we ever do to wrong you? And don't give me that "we killed your siblings" crap, they were going to kill us, all we wanted to do was survive! In fact, all we ever wanted was to do was survive!'
At this point, the commotion had brought the attention of everyone else around. Felinas and humans had gathered around to see what the fuss was about, including King Rendor, Kiyoto and Lyle. All had heard before the tales of Ardoni hunting their own kind, but seeing the heated quarrel between the Tidesinger and Sendaris made them realise how much it affected both parties. However, it also made them question how united Ardonia truly was. Sure, they had managed to gather together and fend off the Nether forces this time... but how long would it last? The Voltaris and other clans were already walking on thin ice, who's to say the rest of them won't turn against each other halfway through this war, or tear each other apart in the aftermath?
A caw sounded, and everyone looked up as a raven flew towards them. Though Galleous didn't recognise it, he held out a hand for the bird to perch on, realising that it held a roll of paper. For a moment, the tension died down, turning into curiosity as Galleous unrolled the paper. The Sendaris' face morphed into worry before rolling it back and glancing towards Ingressus. Cecilia was expecting something that would prove that the Voltaris could not be trusted, but instead, Galleous told him, ' It's from Arion Voltaris.'
' What does it say?' Ingressus asked. Arion had asked for permission to return to the camp the previous day, most likely regarding the death of Willa, and he had allowed it, but didn't anticipate to hear from the other so soon. Galleous didn't answer, simply handing him the scroll, which Ingressus snatched without hesitation.
Pythus is here. He wants to meet you, alone.
/A/N/ *casually sips tea*