“ Don’t you dare die on me ”

The creature stood on all fours, its rotting body with the bones peeking out of its stripped fur. It reeked of graveyard soil and burning meat—something you'd rather not smell on any day. Jodeus couldn't believe what he was seeing. Despite the wrongness of it all, he still managed to make out the familiar posture of a wolf—there was no mistake, this was a Tanzanite Wolf Companion. Someone had dug it out of its grave and brought it back to life—if you can even call it that. Vapor spewed out of its body, and the fur shed itself on the ground, sizzling as it went.

He guarded with his hand. "There, there, now..." he trod lightly and backed away, feeling his own life in imminent danger. "I won't hurt you."

The wolf growled and gnashed its teeth, ready to pounce, but to his surprise, it hesitated and let out a crying howl. It dragged its head on the ground, digging its claws into the earth. It looked as though it didn't want to be there and was adamant in refusing orders. He felt sudden pity as it continued to bash its head and cry.

The feeling didn't last long, however, as the wolf went rigid. He took this chance to run as he felt more in danger than he was earlier. He could hear the telltale sounds of bones and meat crunching. He turned to look behind him just in time to see the poor thing explode, tainting the burnt surroundings with its rotten flesh.

The impact had sent him flying a few feet away, landing in a fountain full of water. Everything was suddenly probed in white, and all he could hear was a harsh ringing in his ear. His head also throbbed in pain, and his chest heaved as he fought to regain his breathing.

He couldn't even scream in horror at the blood and the meat that was scattered everywhere, which created a revolting smell in the air, it was that of a burning rotten corpse. All his instincts were begging him to escape fast and to find safety as soon as possible. So he tried to get himself together; he lifted his body, but his legs were unable to straighten themselves, and instead, he fell flat on the ground. He tried again, this time feeling the blood flowing back to his legs and arms.

A fire appeared behind the smoke, and before he could blink, he was thrown forcefully on the ground.

-

Blood gushed out of Jodeus's stomach. The wound burned and bled, leaving him writhing on the ground; it had pounced on his side and bit a chunk off of him. He screamed, the blood running down his hands as he held the wound. His stomach looked like a ripe fruit plowed open.

He took a long breath out before looking at the wolf, which he immediately regretted.

It no longer resembled what it once was—its body had transformed into a wild flaming beast that shed flames all around it, and all that remained were its disfigured bone structures. His loud cries turned into heaving whimpers. He felt his stomach being roasted as the large gaping wound continued to bleed.

His mind raced. "Make it stop! Make it stop!"

Then as the blood continued to flow out of him, soon his head felt light and his lips cold.

'I need to stop the bleeding…' his mind paused as he stared at the monstrosity in front of him, he thought back at all the companions and the feeling of pity worsened, despite what it did to him. But as his attention was brought back to his stomach. He couldn't think about anything but stopping the pain, unable to notice the open jaw that stood over him and was about to swallow him whole.

"JODEUS!" yelled a familiar voice, but he couldn't pinpoint where it came from.

Brytos came rushing in, his flaming wings surging through the beast's mouth to pierce through, destroying the bones after expanding his wings—large enough that they reached the skies; the bones flew everywhere, and the wolf's flames dissipated into nothing.

He turned to see Jodeus laying in his pool of blood, barely breathing and on the verge of death, his face pale and dirty, looking helpless. He crouched down and lifted his arms on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here," he said and carefully carried Jodeus in his arms, who couldn't bear to stay awake any longer.

"I'm losing so much," he croaked out. "...I don't think I can make it." he tried to breathe out properly but ended up in a coughing fit.

"Don't push yourself," He took in the paleness of his face, concerned. "I'll find help. Your parents, where are they?"

"Somewhere... here," he said, unsure.

Brytos looked around, but it seemed that most soldiers were already retreating with the survivors as the fire had gotten worse. His mother and father were no longer in sight.

The blood had soaked through Jodeus's clothing terribly, and it didn't stop. It was a miracle that he was still in a state enough to even breathe. Brytos ran as fast as he could, unable to fly just yet. He ran through the plaza and made his way to find anyone who could help, feeling the sand of the hourglass dropping to its last speck. If only he hadn't used so much of his energy to kill a single enemy, but Jodeus was in danger and he let out more than he had anticipated.

-

Baco smirked as he watched the whole thing unfold in the tower. "Idiot, why would you use a huge amount of your blessings for a mere single shot?" he laughed. His pupils glowed a maroon color as he chanted under his breath. Then he paused, feeling his blessing pouring out of him. "I have no doubt that my plan will go smoothly as planned. You were never the brain in the family, dear brother."

-

The bones gathered in a spot, circling through the air as they desperately clung to one another. Slowly but surely, the wolf was back on its feet, mangled and falling apart.

The wolf—or what's left of it, pounced at them, faster than the eye could see, and before they knew it, it had caught up to them.

It bit into Brytos's left arm. Its fangs burrowed and melted into the skins on his flesh, but he didn't let go and continued to hold the searing beast from attacking Jodeus, deepening the bite. He gritted his teeth in pain and bore the gnashing of his bones against the sharpness of its fangs. He tried to overcome the wolf's flame with his own fire, which was still weak, but the wolf's flame persisted as if someone was constantly adding fuel to it.

I need to—he glanced at Jodeus, who was barely moving. I need to get him to safety. The target isn't me, it's him. And these flames just don't feel right.

As he forced himself to take more of the flames from the wolf, he felt himself getting sicker by the second, as if it were poison and didn't belong to his body.

'Just what have you been doing while I was away?' he thought.

Despite not feeling good, he continued to take more in. It left a horrible taste in his mouth, but he needed enough to replenish his fire. The wolf's bite was still seeping through his arm, getting deeper as it harshly continued to try piercing through him, just to get to Jodeus. If the bite deepened, even more, he'll have to sacrifice his arm as dog bone.

He grunted, and with his blessings nearly ready, he burst a massive gust of fire, strong enough to fling the wolf away. He hissed as the fangs pulled out of his arm. But the wolf had quickly gotten back on all fours, ready to pounce once again. His left arm throbbed, reminding him that he shouldn't just take him head-on. He needed a plan.

'But how?' He asked himself.

"The—lake," said Jodeus, as if reading his mind. Brytos looked at him as if he was a genius but then hesitated.

"I can't leave you. You can barely stand."

"We'll both die if you don't," he said. He took a deep breath, but the air was thick with smoke, making him cough violently, and to their horror, there was also blood. "I'm fine!" he exclaimed before Brytos could approach him.

He pointed at the wolf with his trembling bloody hands. "That wolf... had already served its time and battles. It should be in the other world, resting, not here."

They both glanced at the wolf, which ran through the burning debris in its way, its fire growing bigger by the second.

"So please, Brytos… save him first," he pleaded.

Brytos hesitated but then turned his back on Jodeus, facing the oncoming beast, the beating of its paws against the ground became increasingly louder as the distance between them lessened, seeing the monstrosity in its entirety. The flames around it grew bigger by the second.

How Jodeus could still feel pity for this thing, or how, in general, could he still remain kind to something that hurt him was unknown to him. He could never understand why.

And yet,

He smiled. "Fine," he said, "Just don't you dare die on me,"

Gathering his strength, he charged forward directly at the flaming beast. And as they collided, he seized the jaws with his bare hands as firmly as he could. The wolf fought fiercely and wildly, but his grip didn't falter. Feeling his own blessing ready to rise up, he spread his flaming wings in their fullest form.

Jodeus watched them through his waning vision as they head straight for the skies.

-

King Nerune and Queen Caera blended with the mass of people, helping to carry the wounded and providing enough clean water for the healers and the thirsty. The soldiers carried the survivors on a large cloth for each of them, going back and forth to gather more people in need of help.

They placed the refuge camp far enough from the burning village but not too far, as many couldn't last that long. The flames grew higher from a distance, worrying Nerune even more.

Then the Alumnus came up to him, his robe bloodied and charred from tending to the survivors. Despite using up his magic to its extent, there were still many—both children and adults alike—who still required immediate assistance, and as good as he may be, he's afraid it may not be enough, especially with the lack of trained healers in the field.

"My King, we are desperate for more herbs and medicines," he said, concerned. "I'm afraid my blessing will not be sufficient to fully heal every survivor, including our soldiers. We must head back to the castle, where there is enough food and water for everyone."

"Yes, of course. Have Natiya escort you. We still don't know who is causing all of this. Be on your guard."

The Alumnus nodded, and a bird-like flame shot up into the sky from the burning village. He paid it no mind and instead approached Natiya, who was distracted by the sky, just like the rest of them.

"Have your soldiers transport the survivors to the castle. I'll meet you there," he said. Natiya turned to look at him, saluting, and left to comply with the order. He looked back at the flaming bird, frowning.

King Nerune's attention was also at the sky, having his fears of a foreign attack confirmed. How did everything come to this? Close to Jodeus's ceremony nonetheless, he stopped short, feeling his heart drop.

"Caera!" he called out. "Have you seen Jodie?"

They both looked around for their son in the crowd. His distinct blue locks were nowhere to be seen.

"Have you seen Jodie? Anyone?" she asked the soldiers, who only shook their heads. No one knew where he was or where he was last seen. They both shared a panicked look.

Then a guard spoke, "He ran into the village, Your Majesties, I don't think he has returned yet."

They both looked at each other and to the fire, which was inching closer to the forest. Then he took a deep breath.

"I can't return to the castle...not yet," said Nerune. "I'll look for him in the village,"

Caera shook her head and held his hand. "No, I'll look for him."

He stared at her incredulously but before he could protest, she placed a finger on his mouth, silencing him. "I'll come back just in time before you put out the fire."

"But what if—"

"Neru, the people need you. Your people need you," she exclaimed, almost desperately. "Besides, I've always been the faster of the two of us. The wind is on my side."

Nerune knew she was right, she was faster than the both of them. Then he looked back at the forest and at the scorching village. There ain't much time left. He glanced behind him; his soldiers were aligned and ready for his orders. The rest were following Natiya, they were far in the distance now, escorting the survivors.

And with one last look at Caera, he sighed, finally reaching a decision. "Come back to me with our son."

She nodded reassuringly but didn't respond. With her blessing, she dashed to the village, sliding down the hills and freezing the grassy slope into a smooth ice path towards the burning village.

Nerune had a nagging feeling he couldn't shake off, watching her slide away into danger. There was a voice in the back of his head, telling him that he shouldn't have let her go, but his attention was drawn back to the people and all he could do was wait for what would come next.

-

Baco towered over Jodeus. He was frowning at the man in pain in front of him, 'Brytos left me for this?' he thought.

"Weak," he said out loud, genuinely disappointed. "Aren't you the next in line for the throne, Young King?"

Jodeus didn't respond, nor did he realize anyone was speaking to him. His body remained cold and light, as the blood didn't stop flowing out of him. Just sleep, he thought, everything will be over soon.

"I can just wait until you're an empty sack of nothing…" Then he paused, digging the sole of his boots against his stomach, watching the blood pour out like wine. He continued, "And then, just like that stupid dead hound, I'd bring you back to life. But I can't yet do it on a human... so, along with my father, you'll be my practice dummy!"

"But you disgust me," He kicked his stomach, and Jodeus groaned in pain, unable to fight back. "What does Brytos see in you anywa—"

Before he could complete his words, a cold, needle-like sharpness pierced his left eye. He screamed in pain as he covered the blood gushing out of his eye. He clenched his teeth and glared at the figure across him. Despite the scorching hotness around them, there was a wintery breeze from where he stood.

"Step away from him or I will take another eye out,"

Caera stood firm, in battle stance. The ice needles floated around her in a circle, each of them sharp enough to pierce through him completely.

His frown turned into laughter as he clutched his bleeding eye. "Your Highness," he bowed, mockingly. "Enjoyed my gift to the Tanzanites?"

"It was you?" she asked, although, she already guessed. "The one who did all this."

"Yes, any problem with that?"

The needle-like ice morphed into sharp daggers; "No," she said. "Knowing that now, I won't feel too bad about what I'm about to do. "

The daggers whirred, not wasting a second to stab him, but Baco avoided them just in time, refusing to let go of his guard once again. To his surprise, the pack of daggers exploded into a blockade of snow, completely blocking his view that was already jeopardized with only one eye.

She took this opportunity to cover Jodeus in a small igloo, lifting him to rest by her side. She would prefer to flee as there wasn't much time left, but right now, she didn't know what was going to happen if she let him escape.

Regardless of his blindness, he launched fiery arrows in every direction.

But she created a thick wall of hardened ice, successfully blocking the arrows of fire. Wasting no second, she transformed the front of the wall into crystallized spikes and discharged hundreds of them in one go.

Baco ran at the wall of a burning house, using it as leverage to jump over the hardened ice. He conjured up a long flaming lasso, whipping it as hard as he could.

She then conjured up a shield, only for it to quickly melt in a slice. And with what's left of the melted ice, she turned it into tiny needles and threw them directly at him. Avoiding it in mid-air, he used his flames to flip on his back and land on the roof of the house. He gritted his teeth. She's fast.

He didn't have time to regain his composure as he was faced once again with a wall of spiked ice, this time stabbing his shoulder as he couldn't step away in time. Using this chance, she made another wall of ice explode into a thick barrage of mist that blanketed the entire area, knocking him off the roof by surprise and to the ground.

She looked down at Jodeus and was soon frightened for him, as she saw his state from a closer look.

"Alright Jodie," she froze the large gaping wound, completely closing it. "We have to go now, okay?" she said, despite knowing he couldn't hear her.

Jodeus had lost so much blood, if she didn't get help soon, she could only assume the worst. 'No, I can't let that happen, we'll go back to Nerune, safe and sound.' she thought.

Baco's voice rumbled somewhere beyond the mist. "I'M NOT LETTING YOU OR THAT BOY LIVE!" He then chanted under his breath, his remaining eye glowing in rage, coughing up blood as he did so.

Soon enough, the flames around them gathered and formed into three large humanoid creatures. "KILL THEM!"

Caera's eyes widened as the three charged through the mist, knowing where they were. 'Animation spell?!' she thought, not quite believing what she was seeing. "To use such an advanced curse… Impressive but how far can he handle it?'

Baco coughed into his already bloody hands, his lips had turned into a white sheet and his skin heated into a blaze. Even when he was a Carnelian, it still burned, and the pain was becoming a lot more unbearable. He clutched his bleeding eye and melted the skin closed. The bleeding had stopped for now.

The humanoid creatures took large steps, leaving behind charred footprints as they raced forward. Wasting no time, she created the same ice blockade, but they were quickly able to burst through. She dodged an upcoming fist and sprayed a mountain of snow on them, hoping to extinguish them dead. However, much to her surprise, it melted almost immediately. She tried once again, and this time, it was a boulder of hardened ice dropping on top of them along with a wall of mist. She stepped back and felt her knees drop, feeling the exhaustion.

"I haven't used this much blessing for a while, looks like my age is getting to me, Neru," she breathed out before pointing her finger to the sky and shot up a flower-shaped snowflake.

-

Brytos noticed the wolf's flame dimming as the air around them thinned. He had soared both of them higher and he felt his own flames waning as well.

The wolf continued to fight, biting and clawing as much as it could, unbothered by its thinning body.

He wondered how Baco was able to learn such an advanced curse. Just what had they done to him while he had been away?

'Although we were never close, you were the only one in the family who I didn't mind being with' he thought, feeling guilty. 'But, I'm sorry, this has to end.'

Seeing the lake through the clouds, he loosened his grip and threw the wolf down with force. Its flames flickered wildly in every direction as it fought against the winds. He stood there in midair, watching the labor of his brother continuously fall towards its death.

'Family I had willingly abandoned.'

'I have a different family now,' he thought as he held the fountain pen in his pocket. 'While I'm still a secret waiting to be revealed, I would never leave this one.'

"All deaths used to be the same to me," he whispered to himself. "I hope you get to rest in peace."

He looked over at the burning village and felt his heart ache, wondering if he was at fault for taking his brother lightly. 'I'll find you, Baco. And you will burn at my hands.' He turned from where he came from and flew down quickly, worried about leaving Jodeus.

From below him, the deformed wolf continued to fall, and as it came within an inch of the surface water, it exploded into a myriad of enchantments. From afar, Baco grinned as he felt the curse trigger into effect. I've made my decision, dear brother and you will suffer as a result.

It surged into the sky and coursed through his entire body, forming itself into a blazing chain before he could even defend himself from the attack. He screamed in the unforeseen torment before his consciousness collapsed, and his body descended lifelessly from the sky, his wings flickering into nothing.

Back somewhere in the middle of the village, the boulder of ice gradually melted. Vapor came out as it came in contact with their flaming feet, but the humanoid creatures continued to try and melt through. She noticed the flames beneath them sizzling as they melted more of the boulder. Using this to her advantage, she froze the ground into slippery ice, allowing her more time to escape.

'Damn it, I'm tired,' she thought.

Caera snatched her son's arm and flung him over her back, racing as fast as her entire body could. Despite the weariness and load on her shoulders, she rushed through the scorching buildings and rubble, determined to bring both of them to safety.

The journey back seemed longer and exhausting, and with a flaming assailant just trailing behind her, she wasn't sure if they would make it out alive. She mentally shook her head to push away the thoughts. 'We will get back to him,'

"M-mom…" whispered Jodeus on her back, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Despite her breath heaving and rasping, she tried to speak to him reassuringly, "I'm here, Jodie,"

She jumped over the burning wreckage and saw the hill on the horizon where the survivors were being treated. She smiled as it closer. "We'll get back to your father soon, alright?"

Then fiery arrow flew from behind them, cutting off her way. She noticed it nearly too late and rolled to the side, landing harshly on the ground. She dashed over to Jodeus, who lay still on the pavement, unbothered by the stinging sensation on her left cheek. She took hold of his wrist and checked his pulse. She let out a relieved sigh before turning to confront Baco, who stood atop a structure, peering down at them as if they were nothing more than ants.

"You can just leave him, you know?" he said, silent anger boiling inside him. "He's dead weight, and I might just spare you if you do."

"I don't understand your purpose. What would you gain from doing all this? From hurting my son?"

"And you? What will you gain by protecting him? Just get another child; it shouldn't be that difficult…unless you Tanzanites have a different way of reproduction."

"Is that the way they raise you Carnelians? Every child is dispensable. Get another to replace the failure," she asked, although not expecting an answer."It's been years since I've heard news from the other kingdoms, but from what I can see, the way they handle their people is just as bad as it is now. Is Emperor Igneous still beheading his own spawns?"

Baco paused, contemplating. Then he smiled wickedly. "He's dead. I killed him and took his place,"

"You?" she asked, finding it unbelievable, but if he was telling the truth then they're in much bigger trouble than she thought. She drew herself closer to Jodeus. "If that's the case, then what's your business here? You and your people are free, are you not?"

"You had someone I needed, but that's no longer the case," he said, "The rightful ruler of the Carnelians was hiding under your wing."

"There's no such person, you must have the wrong country."

"You don't know?" he asked and darted his eyes to Jodeus's unconscious frame, which was hidden behind her, protectively.

She gritted her teeth. "How would I know?"

"I see," he simply said, not saying more.

To her confusion, he also did nothing, as though he was deep in thought. But this didn't last long as the three humanoid beings emerged from the wreckage. He grinned, summoning hundreds of fire arrows.

Caera summoned the last of her strength, prepared to protect Jodeus at all costs. The fiery arrows rained on them and the humanoid creatures charged from their side. It seemed there was no way out.

Then the earth underneath them trembled fiercely, forcing them off balance. A looming shadow fell over the burning town, and soon,

a tremendous wave swept the burning embers away.