Seventy-seven

West Tilloch, is submerged in complete darkness. As soon as we touch the ground, everyone takes their position and began placing the plates as per our instructions. We've spent days mapping the boundary of the old ruins, and it has paid off.

We have a total of twenty-five plates and thirty decahedrons. Three of those will function as a core to connect everything, creating an impenetrable shield.

There is no room for error.

We move silently in the night, given that we are so far out from the ruins, we manage to stay undetected.

My brother in his hubris, didn't even bother sending out patrols to watch the ruins.

It could have been a coincidence that they were gathered here the same night that we were but I don't believe in coincidences. Not of this magnitude anyway.

When the first decahedron rises to the sky, I know that everything is ready.

Mason offers me his hand, and we both step out from beyond the boundary, where we've been hiding.

It is difficult to distinguish anything in the pitch darkness but I use the decahedron hovering in the sky as a guiding star.

When another one rises, and none makes an appearance, my determination and confidence slowly begins to wane.

Someone shouts in the distance, and I do my best trying to locate the sound. It's coming from the central part of the ruins.

They know we are here. The jig is up.

Just as the sound of footsteps pounding the ancient stone fills the air, so does the sky with Laira's ' babies'.

When the last one has reached its mark, the forcefield activates, dividing us from the rest of the world.

There are hundreds of them. More than I can count. I just wished it was daylight so I could see each and every one of them and greet them with respect.

I'm not my mother. Nor my father. I'm me.

And I'm not vengeful. I'm not hateful.

I want to live a full life, just like they do.

The bloodshed is unnecessary. All this subterfuge my brother is using to get his way is causing a lot of pointless pain and lives.

By the time they finish pouring out of the ruins, Mason and I are surrounded by Daiō, each unique in their own way. Everywhere I look, that is all I see.

But most of them are distracted by the forcefield they are trapped in.

Murmurs begin to rise from the crowd just as the crowd parts. After a good while of waiting my brother emerges from the crowd, wearing a skin-tight aquamarine suit. 

Not that much different than my own. Briefly, I wonder if T'aethi was onto something when she put this together. It makes me wonder how tightly interconnected the Daiō, the V'asay and humankind have become over the centuries

Slowly I tug my hand out Mason's fierce grip and roll the hilt of the blade in my hand to adjust my grip on it. The moment of truth is finally here, and all I feel is sorrow that it has come to this.

" Sister," My brother bellows," What brings to my doorstep?" He opens his arms wide to gesture towards the expansive abandoned city.

" Thought I'd pay you a visit. Get acquainted with each other. Perhaps, make dinner plans," Mason stiffens at my side when a few Daiōs break from the crowd and step forward.

" Excuse me! Excuse me," I recognise that voice coming from the crowd. Apple's head peeks from between someone's legs, looking around to see what's happening.

" Ahh," He says gleefully," Welcome, Mistress," He manages to push through the crowd and join the small circle in the middle.

" Apple," I nod in greeting.

" You don't belong here, Manani. Leave," My brother bellows, but Apple just smiles.

" As you already know, I do not take orders from you. My allegiance is to the mistress," I'm beginning to hate that word, but that's a problem for another day. Apple tips his chin up, in defiance.

My brother laughs," She will finish what that bitch started. She is the seed of evil," My brother points an accusatory finger in my direction," She sides with humans. Even her consort is human," My brother tacks on, and Mason is the one to step forward.

" I mean this as no offence to anyone, but I'm not human. Not entirely anyway," The earth beneath our feet begins to shake, ever so slightly. Tremors.

I look at Mason trying to understand how come he is not affected by this, then again he is a different creature altogether. 

Naturally, my brother scoffs.

" It's my right," He points at his chest, arrogantly, " She is a mut. A half-breed. She doesn't deserve the right to become Er'Shala. She is not fit to become the one to lead us into the next age. I, on the other hand, I'm a pure-blooded Daiō. The rightful chosen one to lead the Daiō into the next age," He bellows to make himself heard, and cheers erupt in the crowd. Clearly, he has made the most of his time operating from the shadows. Whereas, I only found out where exactly I fit in just a few months ago. Doesn't seem fair, but life isn't about fairness, it is about prevailing in spite of everything.

When the crowd quiets down, Apple clears his throat to get everyone's attention, my brother unsheats his blade, and lunges towards Apple " Traitor," He growls, just as the earth beneath our feet begins to rumble, and a rift appears between him and Apple.

That cheeky grin never fades away, and this time is directed at my brother. It is saying' in your face dumbass' or that is what I like to believe anyway.

Groaning, my brother steps back and waves the blade in the air but nothing happens. It appears to be a rehearsed move, a very specific one because it follows a certain pattern.

When nothing happens, he glares at the blade and his thunderous gaze finds me and sneers at me. It is so, so strange to look at him, as if I'm looking in the mirror, minus the shadow that dusts his jawline. We look the same. I wonder how they distinguish themselves from each other if we look so similar. I find it extremely bizarre, and creepy as fuck.

" What have you done?" He bellows and raises his blade once more and repeats the pattern. But fails once more to produce the desired effect.

Fuming, and gritting his teeth so hard that I can hear it from where I'm standing ten feet away from him " Bitch," He growls under his breath, and turns to the crowd.

" What can I say, I've learned from the very best," I say just as he raises his arms to do some more propaganda, villainizing me. Figures.

" You see," He bellows," This is how she chooses to claim her right by taking my powers away, so she could continue the work her mother started," Oh dear, god.

" it's your mother too," I say from the other side before he continues to slander me. I don't particularly mind but he is using the deeds of someone I've never met to perpetuate a lie. 

" Yes, but my father was a pure-blooded Daiō, a valiant man and a victim. My father gave his life to save mine. A hero. A martyr," Fair point, mine was an asshole of the finest stock, but it wasn't exactly my choice was it.

" What do you have to show for yourself? The spawn of a murderous bitch, and a depraved father. We protect and nurture our own, we do not spill our kin's blood," It is pointless to point out that the murderous bitch is also his mother. 

" Shut up," Mason bellows just as my brother opens his mouth to say something else that is most likely defamatory.

" Shay," My brother bellows in return.

" Running already?" I smirk up at him, and Mason chuckles at my side when Sahy fails to report for duty

" You see, she has already started. She has murdered our beloved Sarteri to get to me, to all of you," Well, I didn't think he would put it like that.

" Shay is safe," I shrug, " currently undisposed. I knew you'd try to run. After all, cowardice runs deep in our blood. I should know," Silence falls over the crowd as I close the distance between my brother and me, making sure to step over the rift in the ground.

" What are you so afraid of, big brother? Now, that I'm here," I smile at him, and he meets it with a savage scowl. He really hates me," Now, that the moment of truth is upon us," I pat him on the shoulder and he slaps my hand away as if I'm diseased, " It is time for you to get your hands dirty," I smirk, and he steps away, widening his stance, putting the sword-that looks so much like mine, but so different-, between us. His is completely black. From tip to hilt, with a pearlescent sheen to it. Black has never looked prettier.

Apple steps between us," We could resolve this in a civilised manner," He suggests looking at us, but we all know that my brother won't be satisfied until it's done. I'm running out of time. The decahedrons will only last for two hours, and after that, I'm on my own, and whatever tricks my brother has up his sleeve.

" Be gone, traitor," My brother sneers at Apple. Apple doesn't move, but instead, he grins cheekily at my brother, just to get on his nerves. And it works like a charm.

Bartholomew is vibrating with rage, I can feel it rolling off him in waves and I know that I will be the recipient of that wrath.

" Apple," I tip my head in Mason's direction who has made himself comfortable on a chair made of vines," Go to Mason," 

" Yes, mistress, " Apple bows, and I've had enough of so many formalities.

Smiling," It's you or me brother. Let's see how the dice rolls," I take a step back and mirror his stance.

" Or your head," My brother grits his teeth. 

It's a tense moment. I should know I've experienced plenty of those. We are in a pinch, neither of us moves, we just stare at each other. My brother uses two modes of engaging. Physiological warfare, and subterfuge. He is a sneaky bastard, and now I understand where Micah has picked up his tricks. Probably, they were never his. All that has come to pass, has come to pass at my brother's hand.

We stare at each other, well, Bartholomew is glaring, I just observe his stance the way he leans on too much on his right leg, indicating that he favours that leg, because of an injury. I should know, Mason has done that for a while after he got injured. The angle of his body is unmistakable.

He has more bulk on me, strong legs, and a lean frame. He is built for speed, but so am I.

I slide my foot on the gravelled ground, and my brother follows that gesture with shrewd eyes. He might be glaring, but he is acutely aware of every muscle twitching, every breath I take, of every drop of sweat that beads on my brow.

We will be running out of everything before the power cells drain.

A drop of sweat trails down, on the side of my cheek and my brother traces the motion with his eyes.

It's a good thing I didn't eat anything before we left because my stomach is so knotted, I would have puked my guts out by now.

Releasing a silent breath, I adjust my grip on the hilt of the blade, trying to shake off the cramps in my fingers. I can hear Mason from where he sits, that I'm holding it too tightly, I need a more malleable hold, otherwise, I won't be able to swing the blade with the same fluidity.

For the first time since this ridiculous standoff began my brother shifts his right foot ever so slightly. It must be getting uncomfortable to stand in that position for so long. With my target in my line of sight, I charge, kicking up the gravel, and dust, I charge on the right side, knowing that his movements will be somewhat less precise, and clumsy when he tries to parry the attack.

Blade in hand, I hit his shoulder, just as he moves out of the way to evade the strike. I catch him at an awkward angle, landing more of a brushing strike rather than a full-impact one. He stumbles a few steps back and uses his sword to steady his feet. The injury is much worse than I thought, but he hides it well. Because there is a hobble in his gait when he walks.

In one swift move, he lifts his blade and strikes just as I turn around to face him once more. I drop to the ground, and the blade swings mere inches above my head, trimming the end of my braid. I watch it as it floats to the ground for a split second before lunging from my crouched position aiming for his feet. He jumps up, just as I'm about to reach him, and I slide on the ground to the feet of the Daiō gathered to witness our demise. We are the last ones.

My brother laughs, the moment he touches the ground, " That's where you belong," He bellows and the crowd cheers. Their bellows and whistles fill the air, charging the air around us even more so with ominous energy. It's incredibly hot in this bubble Laira has made. And I know it's because of all the bodies in there, and the lack of fresh air. 

I push myself off the ground with a laboured grunt and stand in front of my brother covered in a thin sheen of sweat and dust.

" Shut up," I grit through my teeth, but it is directed at my brother, mostly. My voice carries a strange dissonant tone to it, me that I've never heard coming out of my voice box.

The crowd quiets down, immediately.

That is all I have to say before I charge towards my brother, with the blade hanging on my side, when I'm a few steps away from him, I spear the blade into the ground and use it as a step to propel myself feet first into my brother's face.

He evades me but I scuff his cheek with my right foot, just as he moves away. So, close. Even when injured, he is quick on his feet. I know he is on the defensive because he only struck once.

I land just behind him, slightly to the side just as I catch sight of the blade coming at me at breakneck speed. The pearlescent sheen winks at me as it crests the air, and I can't help but be entranced by it.

Leaning back ever so slightly, I catch it as it passes in front of my face, the force of the speed nearly snapping my shoulder out of its socket.

Up close it's even more beautiful, mesmerising even. I catch sight of my brother launching himself for the blade jutting out of the ground, and that is enough to snap me out of my reverie.

In one swift move, he grabs the blade, pulls it out of the ground with a twisting move, and then lunges himself at me at incredible speed.

I catch the blade just above my head with my free hand, its serrated edge, slices through the glove, drawing blood. I hold fast despite the painful bite of the metal while my brother strains, pushing down on me with all his might.

I bring my blade up and shove it under his chin, pressing the tip of the blade just enough to leave an indentation on his skin. He kicks me in the stomach, and we both stumble backwards, the blade tears through the flesh, and blood gushes out, staining the pebbles with crimson red hues.

Clenching my bloodied hand into a fist, we lunge at each other at the same time, our war cries fill the air, bouncing off the shield, amplifying them.

We collide, at full force, and sparks fly around at the force of the blow. The sound of metal scraping against metal is jarring to my ears, but I put all my weight behind the blade, and push back. My brother slides over the gravel backwards, just as he pushes back, yanking the blade back to his side, twisting and charging anew. Bending backwards I evade the blow, the blade swipes millimetres over my face, and my brother does a complete circle returning to strike again just as I straighten myself. This time I lift my blade to parry the blow from the side, the loud clunk of metal on metal, rings in my ear with a jarring screech.

Pushing away his blade I twist on the heels of my feet to hit him from the other side. It's a matter of seconds, and as expected he parries the blow, with excellent swiftness. It's not surprising, and I just can't help but admire his prowess.

The metal vibrates in my hand, as I pull away, and my brother lunges anew this time, sweeping low with his blade. I'm a second too slow, the tip of the blade snags on the armour suit, cutting through it like a knife through butter. I wince at the scrape that it leaves behind on my skin, but it could have been worse.

We are growing tired. The air feels thick and harder to breathe. Too many bodies under the dome, we will soon run out of air.

Panting, my brother gives me a savage smirk as his gaze falls on my leg. Blood slowly trickles out of the scrape, but it's not enough to have a lasting effect.

He throws the blade from one hand to another, preparing for another strike. It comes at lightning speed, and I'm too slow to parry it or avoid him. We both crash onto the ground, the blades clattering on the gravel, with a few sharp clicks, as my brother pins on the ground. One knee to the stomach, another one resting on my thigh, his weight cutting the already thin air supply. When he drops his elbow on my throat, he pulls a small dagger out of his sleeve and places its tip at my jugular. One that I have seen before, in Micah's hands.

My movements are restricted but nothing I can manage. He smirks at mine as if he is already seeing himself victorious.

" It has been fun sister. Sad to see you go," He digs the tip of the blade deeper into my skin, a drop of blood slides down my neck, and from my peripheral vision I see Mason and Apple stand up.

I kick my heel, and when a pang of sharp pain pierces on the side of my neck, more blood gushes out, and I know my brother is making good use of the sword to drain every drop of blood out of me, before taking my power. 

I push on his chest and punch him in the side. I know it's weak, but so am I, and my blows lack the usual force. He grunts but doesn't budge. I grapple, around in the gravel, and my hands touch something smooth, with sharp edges. The blade that I keep concealed in the heel of my boot must've slipped out when I kicked my heel.

I grab it, right when my brother pushes the blade deeper into my skin. He plans to make this slow, and agonisingly painful.

With my last remaining strength, I fist the blade, its sharp edges, digging into my flesh, blood dribbles down my hand, as I take my last and final swing. It's him or me.

The blade pierces the side of his temple, and he freezes for a second, his grip on me loosens just a touch, just enough for me to wiggle from under him and swing my foot hard enough to drive the blade all the way through. His body stills in that position, one knee on the ground and the other digging into my side, his elbow resting slightly on my chest. Everything goes dead silent. I can see the light fading from his eyes, as his body leans onto the side and falls next to me. I have no interest in his power, so I just watch him fade away. The sound of footsteps pounding the ground catches my attention and I see Mason run towards me, while Apple appears in front of me.

" You have to strip his powers," He says as he points at my brother's dying body.

" No," I say firmly and touch the blade sticking out of my neck.

A decahedron falls at my feet, and I feel the fresh air rushing in, bringing with it a fresh breeze. Right before I begin to sway, and fall next to my brother unconscious from blood loss and lack of oxygen.