In a world divided into three races since ancient times, there have been three kingdoms. The first kingdom is the kingdom of the gods and sits in the heavens ruling above the other two. The second is called Amaryllis and filled with the prosperous...
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"Honey couldn't keep up."
"Dai!" Honey wailed. They'd made it through the village and silence and were headed up the mountain, but there was no path and Honey was still a Lekki. She couldn't keep up with Dai, especially when he was like this. From up here, Honey could see the bright bursts of magic. They were more controlled than when Dai and Lukas fought but still... impossibly damaging. Honey could smell the stench of burnt cloth and flesh from here.
Dai's tail thrashed. "Hurry up!"
"I can't!" Honey said. Her knees felt weak and her stomach was probably filled with the ashes of the village considering how nauseous she felt. "I can't make the jump!"
Dai glared. He was in a foul mood so he didn't make any cracks at Honey's height or weight. He just jumped across and then scooped her up in his arms, carrying her as if she weighed less than a feather to him. He jumped across the gap but he didn't put Honey down when they got to the other side. He just... kept running, holding Honey tightly to his chest, cloak fluttering behind them.
The cloak still had the tear in it from when Lukas stabbed Dai through. It had the little tear from when they visited the battlefield together. It still smelled faintly of the perfumes from the vagabonds. The cloak that Dai had worn through their entire journey together. The cloak that had been through so much with them.
How was it possible that the owner of that cloak was related to such a monstrous man?
"Dai," Honey said, her voice impossibly low. "Was that man... was the Dark Master telling the truth?" She wasn't even sure if Dai heard her. She tried again louder. "He was lying, right? He had to be, right?" Dai didn't respond again. Honey felt tears bite at her eyes. "Dai!" she said, as loud as she could. "Dai please!"
Dai's ear flicked. "He's only... he's only my half brother," he finally said. His pace didn't falter in the slightest. "He's only my half brother."
"Oh," Honey said.
Because... what else was she supposed to say? What was any person supposed to say when they realized that the person they'd been traveling with for months and months was actually- he was actually-
What was Dai?
Honey halted at the question, looking up at the Mutare. He was... a Mutare. There was nothing even remotely divine about him. He was bound by the familiar curse. That wasn't something- that couldn't be something a god could do to- do to another- Honey couldn't finish the thought. Because... it simply wasn't feasible. It couldn't be.
Dai couldn't be a god. There were only twelve of them. Balance and her eleven children. One was fallen and one was lost to time but there were still only twelve gods. Honey knew all of their names and could recite the most common tales for each but... there was no Golden Eyed god. There was no Mutare god. There was no... ice god.
"Is the Balance Goddess-"
"No," Dai said. It was curt and cold and completely disgusted. "My mother was a Mutare and just as mortal as they come. You have her locket after all."
