Gods of Malcea ✔️

T W E L V E

"The fire which enlightens is the same fire which consumes."

-Xamdú

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The sun was setting. As it slid across the horizon, it lit the sky with such beautiful colors. Karos was quick to forget about the putrid stench of the creatures still lingering on him. Those things only ever existed in Olidus' old, fabled tales of the Gods and creatures that once roamed this land before them. However, they were much more real than he could have ever imagined them to be. He continued to sit his leg in the freezing snow being sure to not gain some kind of infection from those vile things. They tore at his side causing some scratches and bruising, but nothing he was not used to.

"Karos," Analia murmured as she came and sat by him.

"You look terrible."

"Thank you for noticing," Karos said cutting his eyes away from her. She was an impudent woman and it made no sense why he was friends with someone like her.

"You will never marry."

She laughed. 

"As you never will either. Tell me, what point is there to wed knowing that they do not want you for love, but the male children you can provide for them? They find love and lust within other men, very few want that with a woman. You know this, so do not try to spite me because of your misdirected anger."

"... Forgive me," Karos muttered.

"What are friendships to you, hm? Something to just throw away because things are not working to your favor?"

"Analia, believe me, I never meant to leave him. All he ever is is angry with me. It has been like that since the very beginning. Friendship is not what we have; it is simply needs and wants."

Karos rose muscling down the pain shooting through his body.

"Do not look so ill on him, Karos."

"He is a dragon. Did they not burn down your home, ravagee your land, kill your people, your parents?" He looked at Analia as her hands balled into fists.

"They made me what I am today."

"And are you proud of that?" She pursed her lips before looking away from him. "Are you proud of who and what you are today?"

Karos scoffed at her silence.

 "Do not tell me he is different because he is not."

He walked away from her wanting to be with his own thoughts. As his eyes took in the trees covered in layers of snow, as well as the ground, he could not help but think of summer and all its warmth and beauty. How the highlands would be filled with fields of tall grass and sunny skies This season was nothing but deadening, no matter how much he looked upon the stars and prayed to them for mercy.

Ylon was less than a sun away. He would be home soon.

Without noticing, he bumped into someone. By the heat radiating at the contact, he knew who it was in an instance. It was the first time, in days, where they were in the same space for Fariel's fear of Ake doing something out of character, but Karos was without worry. Ake could do what he will. After all, he was nothing more than a beast. Something he best learn to remember.

He pushed passed him, but not before Ake grabbed his arm and turned him around. The aura coming from Ake was registering anger, but his eyes said something quite like an apology of some sort. Karos would not have it.

"All you are is but a beast masquerading around in human skin. How long are you going to be at this perverse game of yours?" Karos snatched his arm back. His back hit a tree with Ake's arm at his throat easing more pressure on his hold until he was gasping for air.