Mara - The Lady Grief (Completed)

45 Flesh is Flesh

2650 B.C.E., City of Tmari-on-the-Euphrates

Winter, Month of Shabatu, One Year and Eleven Months after Mara's Rebirth

Thelios

My brother's flight is interrupted by the horde of damned souls that still have wings. There are only a few of them, but with his fiendish son in his arms, he can't fight them off.

I can hear the child screaming in his arms, his terrible cries making me wince even down here on the ground. I don't know what happened to that child, but whatever it is, that thing isn't normal.

Thane lands only a few steps from me as we race into the graveyard at the temple of Death. I bump his shoulder, internally smirking at the growl he sends my way. We scramble, together, toward the warriors battling against the remains of the Love's army.

Roaring, we both rip through the first line of attackers. Past my Recondites, past his fully-shifted demon warriors, we crash into the enemy.

I see Hanish fighting three of the undead. Laughing, I thrust my claws through the chest of the Forgotten closest to me. It crunches through bone and flesh, protruding through the other side. The undead continues to gnash its teeth and swipe its claws, despite what should be a fatal wound. I yank my hand back out, catching the spikes on my knuckles on it's ribcage. I pull the rib out of its chest. It screams, faltering, finally falling to its knees.

"Hanish," I grin at the Recondite.

"Captain?" he asks in wary disbelief.

I keep going, not pausing in the dismantling of Love's army. It's a fast succession of death and mayhem to the temple doors, my brother's warriors make quick work of the Forgotten army alongside my Recondites. War has emptied into Death and the army that has been laying siege in this city is breaking on our swords and claws.

Battle is a different type of fight than I am used to. Instead of avoiding one monster's teeth and claws, tail and horns, I am avoiding the blades of the undead every which way I turn.

But, Love's army of Forgotten is like one giant beast, and my body falls into the rhythm of death-bringing even if my mind is still playing catch-up.

The ground is muddy from blood and gore before long. The white stones of the broken cairns are speckled red and pink. Warriors from both sides are caught in the death throes, their screams of fury and agony mixing into a terrible cacophony.

Glee fills my heart. This is my purpose.

I see the flutter of black wings in the corner of my eyes. Turning my head just a fraction, I see gargoyles, Momo and Mishu, flying into the temple.

They wouldn't leave unless it was to go to Mara.

Dread fills me. Is my Sprite in the shattered temple of Death? It is unsafe in their without this battle taking place. The very structure of the buildings is ripped apart. Now? Now, it's a death trap.

I spin and start fighting my way toward the temple. Before I've taken down even one more enemy, my brother is at my side, fighting as well.

We hate each other, but in this moment, we will fight the common enemy together. Because behind those walls is Mara.

A partially-shifted demon leaps at us from the ruins of the mourning garden basilica. Thane lets him leap over his head. I take the impact, holding the Tasuri upright with my claws in his throat as my brother rips off his head. It's perfect synchronization.