Esther followed a goblin creature towards the ye juai village, the sound of war raging behind her.
She should have been awe struck by the creature in front of her, a creature she only had knowledge of through books and words.
But instead she was trying as much as possible not to lose her calm and run. Because she wanted to see her sister. She wanted to know her only family was safe.
All through her journey she worried for Katherine. Not knowing if she was okay was a slow torture.
The female goblin stopped walking and looked up at Esther with big eerie eyes, her skin akin to a green color so light it might have not been noticed.
Then she waved for her to crouch. Esther crouched beside the goblin as the creature put a hand to her head.
Where there was previously nothing before her but an expanse of land with trees dusted by snow, there was suddenly a village phasing into sight.
Glamour. Incredible.
It was silent and looked empty but for two of what seemed to be fae's, — noticing by the fact that elves were visibly marked by blue hair — holding spears and looking very aware of their surrounding.
Esther moved through the village, unquestioned by the two fae's who must obviously be guards.
Then Katherine stepped out of a cabin, with a younger girl beside her.
Esther didn't realize she hadn't been breathing well till she saw Katherine. She was fine. she was okay.
Katherine turned and met her eyes, a tear escaping her.
Calm be damned. Esther ran to Katherine and pulled her into an embrace.
"Esther you're okay." Katherine whispered through tears. "I thought I was never going to see you again." She said, clutching onto Esther like she would disappear the moment she let go.
"I'm okay." Esther said, relishing the moment. "And I'm so happy you are too."
Katherine was the most important person in her life. To lose her would be unbearable and something she wouldn't consider even though it seemed most likely in this war.
Their mother might have left but Esther made sure to fill that space in Katherine's heart with as much maternity as she could remember their mother exhibiting.
They pulled out of the hug but didn't let go of themselves. It was like that always happened when they met after a while.
Katherine was leaner. She looked so exhausted and her white hair was begging for a wash.
"Katherine what have you been doing? You look so...tired." Esther said, palming Katherine's face and pushing her hair back in worry.
"Yeah well it turns out taking care of ye juai children is a lot harder than it seems. Plus this isn't exactly the time to care about looks." Katherine said.
A mature and reasonable statement. The past few months have made her sister age a bit more. Esther smiled and kissed Katherine's temple.
"How are you here anyways? You can't be here so soon. Did you come with the army?"
Esther huffed a laugh.
"Yes we came with the army. It was no easy task convincing the generals but..." Esthers face drooped, thinking about how they got here.
"But what?" Katherine asked obviously noticing the sudden change in Esthers tone.
"But he has a way of convincing the hardest of people." Esther said. Katherine's face showed understanding.
"Where's Garett?" She asked.
On cue, three men led by the female goblin from earlier moved past them, an unconscious Garett in the arms of two of the soldiers.
"Garett." Katherine murmured, her face masking confusion. She had no idea what was going on with him.
"What happened to him?" Katherine asked. So Esther explained it all.
How Garett's body could not hold under use of the power that was the alumnai's. And how they got here.
"He warped the entire army here. He warped us all." Esther said. Tears streamed from Katherine's eyes. It was all Esther could not to break into tears as well.
Esther squeezed Katherine's hand in consolation. She had already shed her tears for this man she had come to care for.
He wouldn't listen to her futile pleas. Claiming this was the only way to contribute more greatly to the war. So he traded his life for billions of others who would probably not know.
He wasn't dead yet, but he was slowly dying. His body was becoming leaner as though he was being festered from inside out.
Katherine sobered up.
"Cen." She called out to the girl behind her.
The young girl walked up to Katherine. She looked small but fierce. And silent but smart. One you would never consider in a crowd. Like a spy.
"Please. Find Abel." Katherine said to Cen. The honey skinned girl with dark hair nodded and left.
"Abel needs to have a chance to say goodbye." Katherine said.
Esther nodded. Because they both understood the pain of not having a proper goodbye.
******
Amish walked hastily through the battlefield bathed with red and black blood, Ava flanking her.
The humans had taken the frontlines and were battling against the animalistic force of evil. Ye juai's had sensibly fallen back, logic prevailing over their anger towards the humans.
She walked into the warm tent the humans had already set up as their base of operation. Even in the face of probable peril, the humans still sought comfortability.
Four stern faced men looking to be a little over middle age stood around a large wooden table with a rough map on it. Other soldiers — dressed less gallantly — stood around, probably serving as guards or messengers.
Had they already mapped out the battlefield? Amish thought, knowing how effective the humans had already been since they got here but feeling anger all the same.
Anger. Towards this kind that had wiped out the majority of her people.
It suddenly felt like a betrayal to her emotions as she...she cared about the humans she had traveled with.
But Esther and Katherine didn't seem the kind to cheat in a war and slaughter a race of creatures to near extinction.
And Abel...
Amish struggled to keep every one of her emotion in check just thinking about him.
She approached the four men who must have been in charge.
They immediately went stiff with fear. The soldiers gripped their spears and swords tighter.
The air stank with fear, just like the battlefield. And fear could push one into making stupid decisions.
Ava took a few steps forward, her expression saying 'I dare you' and the wind starting to stir mildly under her command.
Ava was in no mood to pet humans and feign being friendly.
Amish lifted her brows at the four men. The tallest of the four men recovered first, nodding so the soldiers would stand down. The soldiers eased, as did Ava.
"How brilliant of you to charge head first into a threat you know nothing about." Amish said.
Their efforts may have seemed brave but all Amish believed was that it was a show of power.
Humanity came to the rescue of ye juai's and destroyed the evil.
"We saved you." The tall man said. To his credit, his voice held no fear.
"After you killed us." Amish retorted but knew it was a futile effort pouring her anger on these people who didn't understand even a little of what their kind had done in the Armageddon.
"Now now Amish you know it's not their fault." A voice drawled.
She knew that lazy sensual accent. Viktor prowled into the tent from another entrance.
He and Kai shared a resemblance. Except where Kai had the mood of a grim reaper, Viktor looked warm and seductive.
His looks didn't deceive Amish. Underneath that mask of warm brown eyes, bushy brows and bare head which heightened his masculinity, he was a predator, dangerous and cunning.
The former leader of the most dangerous group of assassins — exterminated by Kai — the cadre of eight.
Amish glanced at his wrists which Kai had twisted in ways it shouldn't have gone. It was set back but bandaged.
"I can't say I'm happy to see you here...alive." Amish said. Viktor smiled.
"I've still got a deal with Ga—" Viktor was cut off by a strong blue light.
Amish felt the intimidating force of Kai's energy as he walked into the tent.
Every human began shifting back in fear, unsheathing their swords and murmuring curses except Viktor who just folded his arms and stared at Kai.
"What is that thing?" One of the four men that were at the table said.
"You're going to have to calm down little brother. You've always been too angry." Viktor said, perhaps just saying that to rile Kai up or he actually saw the emotion on his face that no one else could.
"Little brother?" Another of the four men asked, looking like he would collapse.
Amish was almost bothered that Kai would retaliate. But then he suddenly breathed in. When he let it out, the blue that ran from his neck down to his body began to fade.
His eyes began reverting back to its regular gray. It seemed even his neck length locked hair had an ease to it whereas before it looked...different. Eerie in a way.
He was gaining control. He nodded at Amish and Ava, completely disregarding his brother.
"Who are you?" Amish asked, her question directed at the four leading men.
The tallest of the men cleared his throat.
"I am General Hector of Baros." The tall man said.
The smaller man next to him nodded at a soldier. The stiff soldier stepped forward.
"This is General Whis of Embberdale." The soldier said. General Whis made some gestures with his hand which the soldier studied.
"A pleasure." The soldier interpreted. The General seemed to lack the ability to speak. Amish nodded at him, understanding.
"General Quill of Belvedere." One of the four men said, fixing his weak stance and setting his chin high. This one was proud and weak, Amish thought.
"General Amaro of Guresque." This man's voice sounded as cruel as he looked. Perhaps one of the reasons why the cruel king of Guresque chose him.
The king who murdered Garett's and Abel's mother, as Abel once explained. Amish forced away the urge to shove her blade down the Generals throat.
"In absence is General Galvan of Arocelli and General Feyre of Mohja. We have entrusted them with staging a successful coup on all governments involved with the one known as Babayega." General Hector said.
Amish had no care for the human governments. Her people were all that mattered.
"How did you get here so soon?" Kai spoke, his voice laced with calm as usual.
"Garett did his warping thing." Viktor said for them, unwilling to be left out.
Amish frowned.
"Garett warped..."
"Every single human here." Viktor finished.
Oh no.
Amish shut her eyes for a second. Garett's body couldn't take that much pressure. There was no escaping his fate.
She looked at Kai who gave her a look of understanding. Not many would catch it. Kai had trained his face to betray no emotion.
Amish wanted to see Garett. She wanted to slap his head and also hug him for being so sacrificial. She wanted to be there for him when it ended.
But she couldn't. She'd mourn another time, she thought, as she turned her face from Kai's.
"Is there something I should know? Perhaps something that has to do with why he collapsed after the warp?" Viktor asked, his voice holding an edge. He was suspicious.
"All that should concern you is winning this war." Amish said. This hell could break loose after their fight with the evil.
Because if Garett died, so did the knowledge of Viktor and Kai's mother's location.
"Well then Generals." Amish said "Battle plans."
******
Garett gently opened his eyes when he felt someone sit next to his laying form. It was Katherine. Esther stood by the door, her face drawn with concealed pain.
"Hey there Princess." Garett said.
Katherine took Garett's hand in hers. Then lifted it to her mouth and kissed it as a tear rolled down her cheek. He smiled at her.
He also caught a glimpse of his hand. It was thin. In fact his whole body was abnormally thin. The mysts' power was eating him up from the inside.
Even if they left his mind now, the remnants of their power would still finish the job. He was a goner.
He was in pain. But he wouldn't let them know that. He wouldn't let them think of his last moments and remember his pain.
"Who's going to say really smart things and heat up springs for me now hmm?" Katherine asked with a smile, cleaning her tears but failing to stop making more.
Garett huffed a laugh that literally rocked his bones.
"Katherine." He murmured. "Your passion is your strength."
She cries when she should triumph at the fact that theres a chance for survival in this war. It is one life for billions. The mysts voice rang in his head.
They had been silent up till now. Last time they spoke was when they convinced him to warp the human armies.
Garett laughed inwardly.
Thousands of years in this world and you still don't understand human emotions. Garett said. And what do you mean by 'chance'? You said the human and ye juai forces together would undoubtedly prevail.
Certain unexpected powers have come into play.
What does that —
Abel walked into the cabin, flinching when his eyes landed on Garett.
"Garett." He murmured. He stood still.
Garett knew what Abel was doing. He was thinking up a solution, anything that would keep Garett alive. Building up a wall of hope so he didn't have to go through the pain of accepting his brother would be dead soon.
It was silent for a minute before Esther walked up to Garett and knelt beside him. She kissed his forehead. A silent goodbye.
"We'll leave you two alone." Katherine said, kissing Garett's hand once again before she and Esther exited the cabin.
"Abel." Garett murmured. A plea for him to do or say something before it was too late.
Abel walked to where Garett was lying down. He sat down beside Garett with his legs crossed underneath him.
"Does it hurt?" Abel asked, his eyes to the ground and not Garett's face.
"No." Garett lied.
"Bullshit. I'm a healer. We're talking about a power that's draining you. You're human and have no power of your own so the only thing it can consume is your organs, your flesh and bones. It's excruciating." Abel said.
"Abel —"
"You could have just told me."
"You would have worried too much about my fate."
"Damn it Garett you could have told me!" Abel jammed his fist on the ground. "You could have told me! You could have told me!" Abel repeatedly jammed his human fist to the ground.
Garett used all of his energy and pulled Abel so that his head was on his chest. He felt warm tears wet his chest.
"You can't go now." Abel whispered. "You can't go."
There was no way to take away his brothers pain. Garett cried.
"You're nineteen Abel. I want you to live. I want you to have the full life I and mother couldn't." Garett said.
Abel squeezed Garett's shirt as more tears streamed from his eyes onto Garett's chest.
He had lost his mother to an evil king, burnt alive with their home. He wouldn't lose his brother to another evil.
They stayed in each other's hold for a while. Just what he wanted. To feel his brothers healthy warmth before he left. To know things would end well.
Garett couldn't feel his hands anymore. As they dropped from holding Abel. His eyes began to lose focus as more pain surged in him.
"Garett?" Abel called.
Garett smiled at Abel, taking in every feature before darkness took him.
He could have sworn that a bright light lit the cabin before his eyes shut close.
******
Kai felt more in control of himself, of the power coursing through him. He could think, and with that came the crushing knowledge that he had almost killed Katherine.
He groaned inwardly as he floated in the air, an ability he never imagined he had.
His rage towards himself threatened to rise but he calmed himself as much as he could. Giving into it would steal away any sense of reason he had acquired.
Giving into any emotion at all could shatter his little control.
He could worry about Katherine later. He could hold her in his arms without the threat of losing control when all this was over.
He could mourn Garett.
Burying all his emotions of love and grief and pain, he rained more and more fire on the evil.
Damn it.
The villainous creatures were not reducing in numbers. How? It was like for every three they killed, five more appeared. That was not good.
The humans needed rest. They weren't like ye juai's who depended on their ye juai energy to keep their strength up. Humans needed food and sleep.
Kai was fairly certain his human side wasn't in control. He wasn't tired physically. But since he had gained reason, he was becoming mentally stressed, calculating how the evil's numbers weren't depleting.
Nevertheless, he'd keep fighting. He'd keep burning every one of the evil till they were all exterminated.
He couldn't fly low enough. Power and skill were two different things. Even floating would have proved a problem if he hadn't been taught balance to the extreme while training to be one of the cadre.
Then he noticed something was happening on the field. The evil were pulling back once more.
Were they about to launch an attack like the first?
Malakai.
A voice mentally called Kai. Kai looked down, tracing the mental connection, he found it was Ava who stood beside Amish.
The elf might have been the oldest in the ye juai village, — even older than Adium — but she was still an elf, unable to make mental connections, like trolls.
From what Kai had learned, goblins had a connected mind that enabled them communication. And werewolf packs had an emotional connection so strong that communication sometimes didn't require words.
Being that the ye juai's were a small population, all werewolves became pack under Xander's lead.
And all ye juai's were 'almost' immortal.
Not pondering on what that would mean for him, he replied the dead chief's mate.
What is it?
His mental tone was laced with impatience but he couldn't help it. In this form it was almost like something else was in control. Something that craved focus on destruction and bloodshed.
It was a bold move on Ava's part, contacting him mentally in this form.
Are you seeing this? She asked, unflinching despite Kai's hard tone.
The evil are falling back. Kai replied.
It seems so. Do you think they're going for the same attack as last time?
Kai would have assumed that. Except the evil suddenly stopped moving and just started staring from the distance they had created, with eyes of hunger, as though waiting for something.
Perhaps, Kai said, but this kind of mental reasoning coming from creatures such as these just seems —
— Strange. Amish feels there's a chance they're been con—
Ava was cut off by the massive energy that suddenly erupted from the evil's side of the field. That wasn't the evil's energy. It was the same only in a sense.
Oh Malakai, someone mentally called Kai in a sing song tone.
This wasn't Ava. This voice was very very old. It held age such that it made Kai wrinkle his forehead, trying to process the weight of power that left echoes in his mind.
I'm hereeeee. Let's have a chat shall we? It didn't take Kai long to have a solid guess of who was here.
That would explain why the evil kept coming. She had most likely been here all along, somehow...creating more.
Fall back, Kai mentally said to Ava.
What is it? Ava asked.
She's here, Kai said just as a woman pale as the moon stepped out of the mass of evil and stood in front of them. Their creator. Their leader.
Babayega's here.