* * *
Debra paced in front of the King's throne. She had miscalculated. She had been outsmarted by a peasant and a common merchant!
Now the city was burning. After she had captured the general, she believed it to be over, but they continued to defy her! They must deny her at every step!
It had begun with trickery, giant illusory fires raged across the city, leaving not a cinder of damage. The citizens had tried to save their homes, but the water they threw wouldn't quench the fire, and they were too crazed to realize nothing was actually burning.
When they had given up hope on saving their homes, the people began to riot. Believing themselves utterly destitute, they began to destroy. They attacked guards, stole food, murdered… they went mad with their freedom.
Debra knew she could not trust Alkorn's forces within the city, and so she had called in the military police that was faithful to her instead. This had left Alkorn's army unguarded, but she had been that they would not turn on their own city.
Alkorn and his party had escaped in the chaos and now she could do nothing but rage. She did not know how her famous general had ultimately escaped, or what subterfuge his agents had used, but three days after the rioting began Alkorn's army had fled like cowards, leaving behind discord and death in her beautiful city!
She would find this 'general' and she would make him suffer. Already her prisons were lined with traitors to be questioned. She would know soon enough how the cowards had escaped and she would find them again!
Diablos, Ibalize, Solaris, Yaros
It was dawn, and the soft light brought a false calm to the previous day's massacre. The odd dog still wandered through the bodies looking for a bit of fun, but most had gorged themselves and were sleeping near the campfires.
Yaros stared across the field of death and embraced the serenity. Born from the patrons of life and death, he held no misconceptions about what would happen to those that had fallen here, and knew that it was not nearly so terrible as they imagined.
Ibalize approached from behind, making noise to inform Yaros of his coming. Yaros knew his brother, and this was as much an apology as he was capable of. Yaros smiled to himself, and turned to greet the god.
"We must visit our parents." Ibalize said.
Yaros had been expecting this for quite some time. Despite his bluster the day before, Ibalize recognized that they needed to move for Yaloran, but they could not do it without the harp. Their parents knew where one of the harp-shards was, and to continue their war they needed it.
They had not seen their parents since the war had begun. Ibalize hoped that her time stewing in disapproval had weakened her resolve. He had not forgotten who his parents were, however, and did not have high expectations.
Yaros nodded, and followed Ibalize to the rift. They had created it as an entranceway to their parents' prison. It was easier for Yaros to open, he made up in skill what he lacked in his brother's brutality. Ibalize could also gain access, but his methods tended to leave scars which could be used again.
Yaros compacted his will. He found the infinitesimal space between the bonds that formed this realm, and eased his way in. Once he was between space and time he slowly, painstakingly began to pull the bonds apart, slowly bending them away from each other. As he did so energy was created, and the gap began to power its own separation. Yaros changed tactics, concentrating on guiding the tear instead of pulling. This is where Yaros' true skill lay, and within a few moments a stable tear was ready.
Yaros contemplated walking through first, but decided it was likely not the best time to goad his brother, and stepped aside.
Once they had passed through they began to walk. Eventually, the path narrowed. Yaros watched his brother step across, then himself passed over, careful not to stumble into the infinity below.
Yaros was immediately enchanted by the smell of roses. He understood his mother's love for them, especially in this place. Roses used pain to protect their beauty, but they had no desire to kill. They were beautiful to survive, and survival was all that mattered.
"The spawn of our loins has joined us again, beloved. Rejoice."
"Sarcasm does not suit you, mother," Yaros said with a sad grin, "I would see you in a better mood."
Solaris glared at him, not unlovingly.
"Sunlight would put me in a better mood. Earth beneath me would put me in a better mood. An explanation would give me reason to praise the goddess." She retorted.
"You know what we hope to accomplish." Ibalize told them.
Diablos rose from the floor where he had been lying. "Everything you have told us far is much too moronic to be the truth." He said to his son. "From you, perhaps such an unexplored plan could have sprouted, but your brother lacks your dimness."
Ibalize tensed, and stepped towards his father. He started to speak, but Solaris moved in front and interrupted him. "I have all the time the goddess can offer in this place, and yet still I do not have time for your bickering. If you have not come to free us then you have come for nothing."
Yaros quickly moved in beside his brother. "Give us what we want, and we will finish our task. Then you will be able to return to your duties."
"To the remnants of world." Diablos shot.
"A dead world," Ibalize responded, "You should be joyous."
"Life and death work in tandem, as you well know! Your mother's gifts are balanced by my pragmatism, you would leave the realms barren husks!"
"We would rebuild!" Yaros exclaimed. "The power of the Harp will allow us to end the broken races that pollute the goddess' creation! We can start anew and accomplish what she dreamed before the dark ones came!"
"Pretty words." Solaris said calmly. "To mask your monstrous acts. Ibalize, will you grant your brother the power to make this truth?”
Yaros looked ashamed, his jaw clenching. Ibalize interjected, "The goddess made us most powerful, and I for one would not waste that. The Harp will give me options. I may choose to scour existence from the realms, I may choose to build anew. But I will have that choice."
"Not without our shard. And you will never see it."
Ibalize struck her, his massive hand knocking her down. Diablos was beside her instantly. He checked to see she was unharmed, then stared bile at his son.
"Leave." Diablos said acidly, then stroked Solaris' face.
Shame crept onto Ibalize's face. "Come, brother," he said, "We have eternity to break them." He left.
Yaros hesitated. He looked down with pity at his parents for a moment, then turned and followed after his brother.