Vanishing Embers Chapter 91 - [Bonus chapter] Two Brothers

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Can you tell me a bedtime story?"

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A young woman smiled down at her son, a boy just a few years of age.

.

"Of course, Shaya." She cooed. "Which one?"

"Tell me the one about… Ifrit!"

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"Okay! Hm… where to start…" The mother mused. "Ifrit was… ifrit is the god of men."

The boy snickered. "Just boys? Do girls get their own god too?"

His mother smiled. "Oh, hush."

.

"Ifrit was the god of men. A long time ago, before even the mages-"

"Before the old gods?"

"No, dear."

"Oh."

"Let's see… before even the mages, mankind was lost. After the old gods went away, they had nobody to lead them anymore. So they were lost, and for years, they wandered the world, searching and searching! But no matter how hard they searched, they never found new gods. They started to get angry. They started to fight each other."

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"Oh no!" Shaya whimpered.

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"But then!" The mother cried excitedly, for dramatic effect. "Ifrit appeared! And with his guidance, men realized that they were brethren. Just like you and your brother. And they stopped fighting. Ifrit…"

.

"..."

"Good night, dear."

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"MOM!"

"Shh, shh!" THe woman hushed, breathing heavily, as she attempted to lower her voice into a soothing register, and quell the anguished expression on her face. "Everything's going to be okay! I'm here, your brother's here. Everything's going to be okay, it's going to be okay!"

.

"Let me go out there!" A second boy protested, just as ragged, panting just as heavily as his mother. "I'll get those bastards, I swear-"

"NO!" The woman screeched. "YOU WON'T-"

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The sound of flying projectiles whizzing through the air whistled through the broken ceiling boards, and the three cowered in fear, as the ground shook beneath them, the floorboards rattling. The mom instantly shut up, clamping her mouth shut, as if a single sound could spell their doom.

.

"Where's dad?" Shaya whimpered. "You said he would be back this time!"

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The mom's face sunk, no longer able to hide her worry and sadness. "H-he's…"

"FIRE!" The older brother yelled, pointing at the door frame, where licks of smoke began to creep into the room, followed soon after by flames.

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The young woman looked around frantically, looking aghast as the room beyond the doorframe was quickly filled with flames, burning down what little was left of their home.

"The window!" She gestured frantically for the elder brother to rush over, removing the meshed screen with a kick. "Quickly, quickly! Just like we practiced!"

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The elder brother leapt through the window, flailing and yelling as he fell the full story to the ground, landing on the ground in a heap. He coughed as the air was knocked out of his lungs, and groaned in pain. But despite the pain in his side, he quickly got up on his feet, holding his arms out in front of him.

.

"Come on, mom!" He cried. "I've got you! Jump!"

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On the second story, the young woman bit her lip, seeing the flames crawl towards her, and her child whimpering in her arms. A look of intense sadness washed over her face, but was quickly replaced with steely determination, as she clutched Shaya close to her chest.

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"It's just going to be a little bump, okay?" She whispered. "We're going to be fine! You're brother's strong, right!? He'll catch us. He'll catch us, and we'll be fine!"

"I'm scared, mom!" The little boy cried.

"Shh, shh." The mother hushed a second time. "You're my brave little boy. Don't be scared. Your brother's so strong, right?"

"Y-yeah…"

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Closing her eyes, the mother shrieked as she leapt through the window, flames grasping at the back of her dress as she clutched her boy to her chest, clutching him like her life depended on it.

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"OUGH!" The elder grunted, as he was knocked to the ground, not quite old, or strong enough to catch a fully grown woman, but he was able to cushion the blow enough for his mother to get up after a second and fuss over him.

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"Aaron!" She cried, wincing as she moved a bit too much. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He wheezed, gasping as he tried to get up, but quickly falling right back to the ground. "I can- *cough* - I can- ugh…"

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"Just lay down…" The woman chided gently. "Just lay down and rest for a bit, okay? We're fine now. We're safe. Here, Shaya, help me with your brother, he needs-"

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As the mother fussed over the older brother, she tilted her head upwards in shock as a tall man, dressed in military robes, turned the corner of the burning building, spell ready in hand. The eldest quickly scrambled up to his knees, trying to push his mother to the side, but-

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"You idiot!" The mage's partner yelled, walking up to his comrade and taking a glance at the smoldering corpse. "Those were non-combatants!"

"I'd rather kill a non-combatant than die myself!" The first soldier shot back. "It's their fault for lurking around that corner!"

"Tch. Whatever. It's your demerit. Come on, we have to hold the front line."

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Shaya looked in shock at his mother's corpse, her chest still steaming where the lightning bolt has struck true, going through her chest and freezing her face in a look of surprise, lips parted with a cry of surrender still on her tongue.

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"Mommy?" He whispered.

"COME BACK HERE!" Aaron screamed, fists balled up in pure fury, roaring a cry of anger as he charged towards the soldiers. "I'LL KILL YOU! ILL KILL YOU ALL, I-"

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His charge didn't go very far, as the bruises in his sides, and the lack of air in his lungs sapped the strength out of his body. The boy fell to the ground face-first, face scrunched up as he attempted to hold back tears.

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But the scorched ground beneath him grew wet anyway.

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"What's the count this time?" An older man sighed, glancing wistfully at the destroyed buildings around him. "More or less than last time?"

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Another man with a clipboard strode up to him, in just as bad condition, and looking just as tried.

.

He sighed. "It was…"

"Actually, nevermind." The first man sighed. "I don't even want to know."

"It was Galyerri and Scania this time, Kalin." The clipboard man said.

"Does it even matter?"

"I suppose not."

.

"Ow!"

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Suddenly, both men turned towards the young cry of pain, expressions turning guilty as they saw two boys, sweat and dirt matting their arms and faces as they squatted over a pile of boards and nails.

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"No, Shaya." The older brother chided. "The hammer goes like this. See? You have to hold the nail this-"

"What's the point?!" Shaya cried, tears starting to well at the corner of his eyes. "Why are we even doing this, if we just have to do it over and over again!? WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS!?"

"Shaya-" Aaron attempted to reason poorly. "I…"

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A shadow loomed over the elder brother as Kalin and the clipboard walked over to them, a look of intense sympathy in their eyes.

"Hey kids." Kalin muttered. "I…"

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"Elder Kalin." Aaron gasped. "It's… um… great to see you."

"I'm so sorry." The elder said mournfully. "We couldn't get to your family in time."

.

"It's not your fault." Aaron protested. "You did… You did everything you could. It's our fault, for not being strong enough to-"

"You two should get some rest." Kalin said grimly. "Leave the rebuilding to the rest of us. I… I…" Kalin's words died in his mouth.

"I'm so sorry." He just ended up repeating.

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"Why is this happening?" Aaron asked in anguish. "Why do these people come here, and destroy our things?"

"It's… It's complicated." Kalin sighed. "Those people are soldiers, from… well, think of them like other villages, but much, much bigger. And those villages are fighting with each other, so they send their men to each other to fight. It just happens that our village is in the middle of all of them."

"But… but it's not fair!" Aaron cried, as his brother sniffled behind him. "Why us? Why do we have to live like this?"

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"It's just the way things are." Kalin said wistfully. "I guess you could say that we're unlucky."

.

"I wish I could do something for you boys. I can offer you two some extra food, if you want, or perhaps-"

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"Teach me to fight!" Aaron begged, standing up straight, and Kalin just gave the boy a wry, expectant smile, as if he had known what he was going to ask, and had prepared a response beforehand.

"We're just a small village." Kalin sighed. "I wish we could fight back. But we're no match for armies."

"Then teach me to… to be like you!" Aaron insisted. "A leader! So that one day… one day… I can… I can…"

.

Aaron's request this time brought a thoughtful look onto the village head's face. But after a while, Kalin just shook his head. "...Get some rest, boys." He said, turning his back.

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"...I'll see what I can do."

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And with that, Kalin left, looking down at his feet as he left the two boys, now orphans, to their own.

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"Did you hear that?" He panted, taking his brother's hands into his own. "Kalin's going to train me! He's going to train me, and- and one day, I'll fight them back! I'll fight the bad guys, and we won't have to rebuild anymore. We won't have to fight- we won't have to lose anyone anymore! Isn't that great, Shaya!?"

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The young boy sniffled, looking up at Aaron with hopeful eyes.

"Really?"

..

Aaron smiled. "Yeah, I promise. One day… I'll… no, we'll make a village- no, bigger than a city! As far as you can see! There won't be any fighting anymore. Everybody will be happy. We'll do it together."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

.

"...This is a request from Cony… ugh, he's asking for that godforsaken music permit again." Kalin sighed. "He can have it this once, but I swear…"

"Why give him the permit?" Aaron frowned. "I hate that stupid-... noise thing."

"Yeah, I do too."

.

"Then why?"

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Kalin smiled and ruffled the teenager's hair, giving the boy a thoughtful, passionate look.

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"Let's say… let's say that you don't like somebody. Let's say Cony pulls out his trumpet, and blares that stupid thing out in the town square. What's stopping us from marching up to him and taking it from him?"

Aarom frowned. "That's stealing."

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"And why is stealing wrong?"

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The young boy furrowed his brows, getting a feeling of knowing that the answer that immediately jumped to him wasn't quite exactly right. Kalin wanted him to think a little deeper about it, and he did, but still, he was unable to come up with anything profound.

"It's… the rules." He struggled out.

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"Exactly!" Kalin said enthusiastically, his eyes lighting up. "The rules. Do you know how humans survive, Aaron?"

.

The aforementioned boy scratched his head, scrunching up his face in confusion. "...I don't get it."

"That's okay." Kalin laughed. "As humans, we aren't mighty like dragons, or cunning like the fey, or anything else. But what we do have, are rules."

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"Rules make us stronger?" Aaron asked, confused.

"Rules allow us to live together." Kalin explained. "Without rules, I could beat up Cony if I didn't like him. But then we wouldn't have the grain from his farm, or his work when we need to build more houses."

"And living together… makes us stronger?" Aaron frowned.

.

"Yes." The aging man smiled, ruffling Aaron's hair. "Think about it. You couldn't build a house by yourself."

"No."

"I couldn't build a house by myself. Or, at least, it would take me a really long time. But after just a month, look at it!" Kalin motioned out the window, where the village had been restored. "We were able to rebuild a whole town! Isn't that amazing!?"

"Yeah…"

"It's because-"

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Suddenly, the door to Kalin's study was wrenched open, and a tall, lanky man stood in the doorframe, wearing a grim expression on his face.

"Kalin." The man addressed with a nod. "It's…"

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Kalin swore under his breath. "Dammit, not again."

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Kalin rushed out of the door, and Aaron followed, along with the tall man, sprinting towards the outskirts of the village. Turning a corner, the village elder was met with the sight of a knight on a horse, covered head to toe with ornate manasteel and cloth insignias. Kalin stiffened on sight, pure disdain and hatred filling his heart, although he forced a friendly expression onto his face, welcoming the knight with open arms, catching a glimpse of the large troop of soldiers behind him, faces bloody and tired.

.

"...Ehh…" Kalin forced out. "Hello, good sir, I am.."

"We require temporary occupation of this bastion." The mounted soldier said, interrupting Kalin in a rush. "We can offer our manpower or labor, if you wish, as well as protection."

.

Kalin resisted the urge to respond bitterly, and inquire about what danger, instead shaking his head politely.

"I'm sorry, but our village is no bastion. There is an abandoned fort to the west, if your soldiers require refuge, but unfortunately, I cannot offer this."

"I can offer gold." The soldier said stiffly.

"Gold is of no use to us." Kalin said back.

"My soldiers are tired, and injured." The knight said. "Please, we only need a few days of rest. Be reasonable. Our offer-"

.

"You are offering to bring your war here!" Kalin blurted out in rage. "Be reasonable!? Your battles have torn our village apart, over and over again! Leave! Take your war somewhere else!"

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The mounted knight was shocked into silence by Kalin's outburst, although his expression was unreadable behind his thick metal helmet. After a short pause, the knight dismounted his horse, facing Kalin, Aaron glared at the knight, and all the men grew tense as the soldier put a hand on the hilt of his blade.

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"Aaron?" A familiar voice called out. "What's going on?"

"Shaya!" The teenager whispered frantically, rushing over to his brother. "Go away! This is dangerous! We have to…"

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Ignoring the two brothers, the knight spoke, in a low tone.

"I am trying to be polite. My soldiers are being chased by a force much larger than ours. I wish not to do this, but given the choice between your little village, and the count's army…"

"You're a bastard." Kalin spat.

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"I'm just trying to do what's good for my men."

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Kalin balled up his fists, despair entering his expression as he ran through the options, but eventually, he just sighed in frustration.

.

"Fine." He whispered.

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"Good." The soldier nodded, pleased. But despite so, he kept his hand on the hilt of his blade. "However, for this disrespect you showed me… I will have your head."

"WHAT!?" Aaron exclaimed, "WHY!?"

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"I will not tolerate disrespect." The knight said coldly. "Especially not in front of my men. It's nothing personal."

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The soldier drew his sword, and what happened next came as nothing but a blur of shouting and hurried motion. Aaron attempted to dive in front of Kalin, closing his eyes as shouts erupted from around him. He steeled himself for the cut, but…

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Nothing.

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When he opened his eyes, the knight was fallen over, and standing in front of the body was Kalin and his assistant, hands outstretched and still smoldering with arcane energies.

.

"Oh no." He whispered.

"You should have just let me die." Kalin sighed.

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Instantly, the crowd of soldiers roared in rage, swords drawn, and spells channeling. Aaron could only stare in horror as they rushed towards him, a mass of arrows and spells all rushing towards him.

.

"Run, Shaya!" He shouted frantically.

"NO!"

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Aaron's eyes bulged out of his sockets as a massive beam of light came from behind him, the primal elements screaming in protest as their chaotic energies were forced into controlled form. The wind and sky seemed to stop at the rush of pure power - and for a split second, Aaron's vision went white, not out of the intensity of light, but at the sheer volume, the spell encompassing what seemed to be an entire building.

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When it was done, the soldiers were all gone.

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Along with a large chunk of the fences and barbed wire that encompassed the village's outskirts.

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Slowly, the three men turned around, to see Shaya, eyes wide with panic, chest heaving with panicked breathing.

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For a long time, there was nothing but the sound of breathing.

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"Shaya, did you do that?" Kalin asked slowly.

"I…" The small boy trembled, looking down at his hands. "Did I… was that… bad?"

"Shaya, that was amazing!" Aaron exclaimed. "How'd you do that!?"

"I… I don't know." The boy whimpered. "Aaron, am I in trouble?"

.

"That's yet to be seen." Kalin mumbled, staring off into the distance. "But…"

"Kid must be blessed by god." Kalin's assistant marveled, staring agape at the destruction. "I've never seen anything like that! Maybe not even Alrak-"

"Hush!" Kalin urged. "This is… his gifts are something to be discussed at another time."

.

The years passed, and under the tutelage of Kalin, and the other elders of the village, the two boys grew into maturity. Aaron, under strict guidance of Kalin, grew into a bright young man, and slowly, Shaya learned to use his gifts. With the boy's incredible powers, many in the small village sought to control him, but through all, he stayed loyal, to his dream, and that promise…

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"I don't know if this is a good idea." Aaron mumbled, crouching down in the small alleyway. "What if they don't believe it?"

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"How could they not?" Shaya scoffed, fidgeting with the tassels on his white robes. "The proof is here."

"It just doesn't seem right."

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Shaya crouched down and put a hand on his brother's arm, bright eyes shining with confidence and hope.

"Remember that day?" He whispered excitedly.

"When you got your powers?"

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"It was right after we made that promise." Shaya affirmed. "When we started our dream! The gods gave me this power to make that dream come true!"

Aaron tilted his head back. "...The gods, huh?"

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"To stop the fighting." The now-young adult said firmly. "To create a new world. For us."

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Aaron nodded. "Of course."

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Shaya smiled at his brother, and suddenly, he began to emit a bright glow, as he let his powers rush free, rushing through the air and lighting up the dark alleyway. His body began to lift into the air, and soon, people began to gasp and chatter, pointing at the ball of light floating into the air.

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Eventually,Shaya overlooked the entire city, the hundreds of buildings laid out before him like tiny little ants. He must have been miles in the air, but he felt nothing but excitement, sensation rushing through his limbs like adrenaline.

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"Beautiful." He whispered, before he looked at the city once more, power flowing through his voice.

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"PEOPLE OF SCANIA" He shouted, his voice carried all the way the the ground. Where his brother was. "I COME AS A MESSENGER OF GOD!"

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On the ground, Aaron heard people gasp. He clenched a fist over his heart, praying for his brother's success.

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"YOU ARE TO STOP THE FIGHTING!" Shaya yelled. "THERE ARE TO BE NO MORE WARS. NO MORE KILLING! THIS IS THE DECREE OF THE GODS!"

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Shays's words spread across the city like a shockwave, hair swept aside by the pure pressure. Aaron bit his lip, seeing the people around his look amongst each other, confused. Had his brother only made a fool of himself?

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"A messenger of god?" Someone whispered. "I…"

"Never seen something like this before…" Someone mumbled.

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Aaron sprang out of the alleyway, prostrating himself on the ground.

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"A messenger from the gods!" He cried. "We should - the will of the gods is absolute! We should bow down! He promises to stop all wars!"

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Aaron could feel people staring. Sweat dripped down his neck. But soon, a elderly looking woman sank down to her knees, clasping her hands together in fealty.

.

"If this messenger could save my son… my poor boy…" She trembled. "If he could stop the war,, then I will… I will pledge my fealty!"

"I will too!"

"Me too!"

"Praise the gods!"

"I will…"

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As the people around him began to kneel down, some even prostrating themselves, Aaron could only let out a tense breath of relief. He saw the hope in their eyes, the longing - these were people…

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These were people that shared his dream. He smiled up at Shaya, and although he was probably nothing but a speck, but somehow, he felt that Shaya could see.

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And soon enough, the ball of light began to descend towards the ground, towards him - people gasped, making a clear landing zone for the divine messenger.

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Being so close, people began to feel the pressure. The almost crushing pressure - just from being next to the man, if their beliefs had not been concrete before, it was now.

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Shays's boots touched the ground, silks flowing ethereally around him like ribbons of sunlight - if Aaron hadn't helped him tailor the clothes, he would have also assumed that the man in front of him was from the heavens.

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But he wasn't. He was his brother. And Aaron felt a bit of pride swell in his chest at the thought.

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"W…what should we call you?" Someone whispered, barely daring to look on Shaya's form.

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"I'm nothing but a messenger." Shaya whispered. "Raise your head. You need not call me anything."

"T-thank you for your generosity!"

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"W-why are you here?" Someone asked.

"How are you going to bring peace?"

"Can you really save all of us!?"

"Who are you!?"

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Shaya help up a hand, and the questions stopped, silence spreading across the small square that he had landed in. People began to rush in from all over the city, and seeing the divine being, and their peers kneeling around them, they felt the need to kneel as well.

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"To stop the fighting, we must spread the message." Shaya said softly. "And to start…"

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Shaya's gaze wandered over to a massive tower in the distance. A building he and Aaron had scouted beforehand, discovering that it was the quarters of the king.

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"Follow me." he commanded.

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"WHO IS THIS!?" The king roared, Shaya glaring down at the slightly chubby man in front of him, dressed lavishly in fine silks. He looked at the man with contempt, noting the ragged clothes of his citizens.

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"I bear the will of god." He said dangerously. "You are to call all your forces back, and surrender control of Scania, in the name of peace."

"Oh!?" The king spat arrogantly. "You claim to be a messenger from god? Where is your proof!?"

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Shaya narrowed his eyes, holding out an outstretched palm.

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There was a flash of light, and suddenly, they were standing in an open room, with no walls, and no ceiling. The king's eyes bulged out of their sockets.

.

"I…" He stammered, mouth dry. "I cannot pull my soldiers back."

"Why not, dammit!?" Someone shouted. "Greedy asshole!"

"Yeah! We should let him hang!"

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Shaya help up a hand, and the shouting stopped.

.

"Why not." He said, a bit of loathing creeping into his voice.

"My people need food!" The king argued. "And for food, we need land!"

"And for land, you'd sacrifice the lives of your own!?" Shaya asked, voice growing bitter. "For land, you'll destroy the lives of innocents!?"

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"I only do what is good for my kingdom!" The king protested. "It is not my intention to fight, but given the choice between the lives of others, and-"

"SHUT UP!" Shaya spat, fury leaking out of his frame like flames. Aaron opened his mouth in protest, about to call his brother's name, but quickly shut up.

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"YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE A KING!" Shaya shouted, jabbing a fist into the fearful king's chest. "YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LEAD! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!"

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"Shaya. No!" Aaron shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the sounds of cheers around him, the villagers shouting at jeering. A blast of magic swept the king off his feet, and his body was launched off the tower, the man screaming as the ground rushed towards him.

.

And then the screaming stopped. But the cheers didn't.

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"Look at it, brother." Shaya gasped. "It's beautiful."

"It is." Aaron marveled. "So many people. So many buildings."

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Aaron stared down at the massive structures before him, the sunrise appearing just beyond the tall walls of the city. Their city. Built from the combined labor of all the surrounding cities, the people relocated to a new location. A grand city, on a hill. Overlooking everything around it.

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"I can barely believe it."

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"Our dream…" Aaron breathed out.

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"I did all of the work." Shaya smirked.

"Whaaaat?" Aaron laughed, pushing his brother. "You wouldn't have even known where to start, if I didn't help you out!"

"Hey, I would have figured it out eventually."

"No, you wouldn't have."

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It was Shaya's turn to poke his brother.

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"It's just the start, you know." Shaya muttered.

"Really? You want more?" Aaron raised an eyebrow. "This is… almost everybody. For miles around."

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"There's still more fighting." Shaya insisted. "Over the sunrise. Past the sunset. It's everywhere."

"You're getting ahead of yourself." Aaron reasoned. "We already have an entire kingdom to figure out how to run!"

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Shaya grumbled in disappointment.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" He mumbled. "Ugh,"

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"What should we do?" Aaron asked.

"What do you mean?" Shaya pursed his lips. "There's nothing to be done. At least for a while."

"No, I mean…" Aaron hesitated. "How will the kingdom be governed?"

.

Shaya narrowed his eyes.

"By us." He said. "This is our dream. What are you suggesting?"

.

"Shaya, this isn't a village. We can't force our will on all these people. They don't know us."

"They know me." Shaya said arrogantly.

.

"They do, but…" Aaron sighed. "Remember that king? The first?"

"The fat one?"

.

"Yeah."

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Shaya gazed at his brother for a short while, waiting for him to elaborate, but frowned after… well, he didn't.

"...What about him."

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"Shaya…" Aaron sighed. "He was a bad leader."

"Yeah."

"His actions caused a lot of suffering." Aaron continued hesitantly.

.

"What are you trying to say?" Shaya frowned. "That he had good intentions? So what!? He killed so many people! HE KILLED OUR PARENTS!"

"I'm not trying to say that he was a good person." Aaron sighed. "I'm just saying… There have to be rules. On them, yes, but especially on us. Even Kalin had to make concessions that he didn't want. In order to make people happy."

"So what?" Shaya scoffed. "They will be happy in peace!"

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"People won't be happy under tyranny."

"I'm not a tyrant!" Shaya argued.

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"No, you aren't." Aaron smiled.

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Shaya just looked at his brother with a frustrated expression, before it quickly gave way to despair, and then acceptance.

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"Okay, brother." He mumbled. "You know best. I trust you. But…"

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"If anything goes wrong, we can still be here. Correct them." Aaron reassured. "They worship you."

"They got the story wrong." Shaya mumbled, resting his chin in his palms. "Supposed to be a messenger from god."

"You gotta work with what you get." Aaron shrugged. "Have you picked a name yet?"

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"A name?" Shaya asked. "Why?"

"They want a name to cry out to the skies." Aaron smirked. "To pray to."

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"...You know that story that mom used to tell us?"

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"It's been a long time, brother."

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Ifrit looked up from his hunched over position with a murderous look, venom in his eyes. A look that softened slightly at the sight of his brother, but not entirely.

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"Hello, Aaron." He mumbled. "Or should I call you Judge Bariss instead?"

"It was for mom." Bariss said quietly.

"Why are you here?" Ifrit whispered. "After all these years?"

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"My little brother is hurt." Bariss reasoned, a softness in his voice. "I didn't even…"

"It was that girl." Ifrit spat. "THAT DAMN GIRL! SHE, AND THAT DAMNED ADVENTURER TOO-"

"Why are you doing this?" Bariss asked desperately. "It's destroying you. Your obsession with Raxas and that girl-"

.

"He's destroying the capital!" Ifrit cried. "Our city! With his damn war! When Tsuki demanded the lives of all those corrupt nobles, we finally had a chance! A chance to get rid of the filth! But then that DAMN-"

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Ifrit struggled for words, too furious to find a word for it.

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"RRRRGGHHH!!"

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"...And the girl?"

"I offered to help her. She could have… Look at how powerful she is now. She could have… she could have helped us. But instead - instead she decides to help that bastard. Refuses my gifts. Do you know how fucking… the fucking gall? For god to offer you a gift, and then to REFUSE!?"

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"You can't control people, Shaya." Bariss said hesitantly. "Don't you remember-"

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"Don't you remember our dream?!" Shaya cried desperately, grabbing onto Aaron's jacket with his only arm. "Don't you remember your promise!? LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING!"

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Bariss's mouth grew dry.

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"We're in war again!" Shaya cried. "Our people are dying! Your 'government' is made up of liars, thieves, and murderers! Our dream, Aaron! Look what… Look what's happened to it!"

.

"..."

"...I'm sorry, Shaya." Aaron croaked. "M… maybe… maybe… maybe our dreams… I was foolish for promising-"

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"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!" Shaya screamed, slamming his fist into the side of his brother's face. "YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED!"

.

Aaron reeled from the impact, coughing as he was sent across the room. For a moment, a flash of grief and regret appeared on Shaya's face, but it was quickly replaced by a manic desperation.

.

"If you can't… Big brother… I'll make sure our dream… I'll bring peace. I will, dammit. I will."

.

"Shaya…" Aaron coughed out.

"Big brother…" Ifrit breathed out. "I… I have these powers for a reason. Every… every prayer gives me strength. If not to do this, then what for?"

"Please…"

.

Ifrit growled, stepping out of the alleyway.

.

"They will feel the wrath of god."

Chapter 91: [Bonus chapter] Two Brothers

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Lithkren

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Chapter 91: [Bonus chapter] Two Brothers

CREATORS' THOUGHTS Lithkren

Gifts

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CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Lithkren