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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"Dai had never fought like this before."
He'd been a part of countless battles across his many centuries of life. He'd fought as just one of many, led by the Dark Master and he'd fought in the seat of the Dark Master. He'd fought mortals - Lekki and Mutare - and he'd fought gods. Beyond that, he'd witnessed at least tenfold more battles than he'd fought. He'd been there - the day the Dark Master was defeated. He'd watched it play out from the position Honey was in now.
This was... completely different. Not because he was fighting a giant, or because his brother was only toying with him, holding back his full power as if he were afraid there would be a wound Dai couldn't heal from. It was because... well it was because Dai was fighting beside a god. Never in his thousands of years had he ever even dreamed that such an event could come to pass.
The Dark Master was quick, enviably so. He locked blades with Lukas, causing a burst of pure magic and blinding the three of them temporarily. Dai didn't need to see for his swords to meet their mark.
For an instant, Dai made contact. He was certain of it. He felt the weight of something on them before it vanished and Dai was sent tumbling forwards. Being so much smaller than his opponents had never done much for him in the past, besides causing them to underestimate him. But Dai was less than half the height of Lukas at this point and probably closer to a forth of the Dark Master's height.
It was... a bit humiliating.
One good thing that came with it, along with being overlooked and underestimated, Dai had perfect access to certain vulnerable points that couldn't be completely protected when they were at this size. Not to mention, Lukas was letting Dai climb up his body and jump freely, offering the Mutare a wide range of attacks.
Dai ducked between the Dark Master's legs, slicing at his ankles. He wanted to make the giant fall, giving Lukas the upper hand, but no sooner did the blade make contact than did the Dark Master just... disappear. Dai grit his teeth, spinning around before he was delivered a firm kick in the chest like he was some... annoying dog.
"You really are getting on my nerves, little brother," the Dark Master snarled, dodging Lukas's wild attempt with the Twin Blade of Sun.
Lukas's chest was heaving. He was so clearly worn, outmatched by the Dark Master so completely in every category. There was no possible way that they could win this - no matter how quickly Dai healed Lukas's injuries or how fiercely they fought against the Dark Master. They wouldn't win. They simply couldn't.
It was... hopeless.
Lukas lunged again. Dai's eyes widened as the Dark Master smirked. Lukas was too reckless, he left himself wide open. So the Dark Master speared him right through the gut. Dai darted forward. He was on Lukas so quickly that the moment his organs started to spill from his guts, Dai's frost was there righting them.
They stood together then, both panting. The chill in the air made all three of their breaths visible. Dai gritted his teeth. He should have been stronger right now. He was in his environment. This was when his magic was supposed to be at its peak, but all he was able to use it for was to cure the worst of Lukas's injuries.
"You have to know we can't win," Dai gasped out.
"Yeah," Lukas said.
"So?"
"We try."
Dai's jaw dropped as he tried to protest this obviously stupid strategy but Lukas was already charging back in. The frost was making him feel good, giving him the energy to continue moving even though he was past his limit. But it wasn't like Dai could just abandon him to die alone. They would fight to the last breath. Together.
The path Dai had chosen wasn't easy nor was it perfumed with roses, but it was his path and it didn't matter what terrain it was - thorns or velvet, his paws were so callused he couldn't feel the difference.
Dai run up Lukas's back, launching himself at the Dark Master. The Dark Master raised the Twin Blade of Moon over his head, shattering Dai's ice swords in an instant but also causing the ice to fall into his eyes. For a moment he was blind and Lukas got a hit in. The Dark Master grunted in pain, stumbling back.
It wasn't like it mattered, though. The Dark Master was a master of all forms of magic. His wound healed in a matter of heartbeats. His tunic was barely even stained, despite all of the little nicks and scrapes they should have been putting on him. The fabric was torn but the shadows seemed to be even mending that for him.
There was no way they'd win. It was impossible. Totally impossible. They were going to die. Lukas was going to die. Honey was going to die. He would die.
The Dark Master slashed. He seemed fed up at this point as well. Dai's blades couldn't stop the Twin Blade of Moon. It was impossible. If he hadn't given up on blocking and tried to retreat, Dai was certain that the blow would have taken his head clean from his shoulders. That wasn't something someone could survive. Not even someone like him.
Instead, the blade just carved a steep path through his chest, bursting his throat and utterly destroying his wind pipe. A fatal blow for a mortal, but for him... well it was just something that put him out of commission for a moment.
The frost covered his chest, spinning delicate webs made of flesh. Dai watched it work with sick fascination. His own blood was spilling out. It was most certainly going to stain. He had fallen with his back to the battle so he couldn't tell if either god had stopped for just a moment to glance at his limp positioning. Had either even cared whether or not he had died at this point or were they both so obsessed with winning this battle?
Winning wasn't possible for them. They should run. Dai had helped Lukas all he could but Honey was wrong. Together they weren't strong enough to win.
But alone...
The taste of victory. An old memory surfaced. It had been a day not unlike today that the battle between the Dark Master and the Lady of Light had come to its conclusion. Dai could remember it now. He could remember the way his brother had looked before his body had sort of crumbled away into the earth. He could remember how that looked so clearly it was as if he was reliving that exact moment.
Dai pushed himself up. There was one way to win. One way that brought even the most powerful beings to their knees. One way that had ended the era of Sun and Moon. One way that had bested even the Lady of Light.
He could still remember the way her face looked when he walked up to her. He was so small back then, even smaller than he was now. She thought him harmless. She should have remembered his mother's face. His face. She'd been there too. She'd been the one to run his mother through. It had been so easy.
Because the Dark Master wasn't the one who caused the Lady of Light to disappear all those years ago.
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