"In The End, Something Remained Within Us, And We’re Still Here

Ruined structures continued to crumble in the distance as The Silence’s capital city crumbled into itself. Airships fell through the sky, still ablaze from the eruption of the Violated Great Harmony Shard’s awakening. Thousands of combatants stood in wait as groans from injured comrades echoed. No one attacked the other. Blades lowered. Shields drooped in the grip of tired hands and paws. Nervous uncertainty hung heavy in the tumultuous air, but none seemed to mind.

Sayane inhaled.

It seemed as though all the world was waiting for her next movement or word, but in that instance, all she could do was breathe.

So she exhaled. Slow. Gentle. Measured.

Then she inhaled. Slow. Gentle. Measured.

The crowd had cheered for her encore proposition, but in truth, she was exhausted and slowly turning delirious as the shock of it all began to sink in. Still, a gentle smile pulled her lips up as she looked out to the sea of bodies before her. A gentle touch against her arm pulled her thoughts to clarity, and she looked up to see Azag stepping beside her.

Words failed to form, and all Sayane could do was raise her hand to meet his. When her touch found his palm, his fingers slowly closed over hers, and he lowered his head in the softest bow that only she could see.

“You did it. You two truly did it,” Anahita quietly said from behind them.

Sayane and Azag turned to their party. All of them were still there, bloodied, tattered, but alive. Except for Echo. Can-Mo was still clutching his lifeless body as though his own existence depended on it. When Sayane met her tailor’s gaze, his eyes instantly turned glassy.

“I knew one of us was going to cry!” Sayane sniffed as she dared to laugh.

“Happy tears. Happy tears. So… so very happy,” Can-Mo choked as a tentacle patted his trunked eyes.

Now it was Sayane’s turn. Familiar burning awareness filled her eyelids as another round of crying stirred from her chest.

These tears felt different. There was a lightness to them that had not been present for her in almost her entire time in Illarios. So she dared to allow herself to luxuriate in their sensation and the welcome comfort of Azag’s hand still holding hers. As the tears fell, joyous relief flooded her soul with absolute force, and she let out a sob of completion as she moved through the understanding that she was indeed still here.

It wasn’t just what she sang when she thought she would finally fade away. Standing there very much alive, the song now held even more weight for her. Her head tilted to the heavens, and she opened her eyes as her chest expanded to consume as much air as possible. High above them, the once muted sky was now pearlescent gold and blue, with streaks of pure harmony energy ebbing between clouds like waves.

Lowering her head, Sayane let out a laugh. It was soft at first, then built to a chuckle, then an outright laugh of wonder. Azag himself was soon laughing, and Sayane pulled him beside her as emotion overpowered her and she burst forth to her friends.

All of them let out cheers and cries as Sayane leapt into their bloody embrace. Azag limped behind them and enveloped them in his massive arms as Erosc, Can-Mo, Anahita, Saxum, and Attis all clung to one another. Echo’s body was already turning cold, but Sayane wanted to let him be a part of one last embrace as well, so she cradled his limp head in her hand as the tears built.

“You did it, child. You did it,” Attis whispered as his wet fur pressed against Sayane’s cheek.

“Sayane, I must tell you, your hands are glowing,” Saxum said in a matter-of-fact tone.

All of them laughed and leaned back to observe the small bits of light that were drifting from her fingers.

“I have no idea. Just put it on my tab,” Sayane laughed as she marveled at the phenomenon.

“I will add it to my record tome later,” Saxum chuckled.

Attis looked up to Azag, whose face was still uncovered. When their attention met, Azag flinched ever so slightly, as though finally remembering that his mutilated features were visible for all. A slight grunt escaped his lips, and his face turned to the side. Then Erosc’s hand was on his shoulder.

“No. My boy, you have nothing to be embarrassed by,” he growled in a sincere attempt at comfort.

Attis sniffed and nodded as Sayane turned to her love, who was still nervously staring at the ground.

“All these years, I wanted to know what the Rabal who saved me looked like. And now that I can see him fully, I wanted him to know, he is the greatest, most handsome young man I have ever known, and… and…” Attis stuttered as he wiped his eyes.

“And I am so proud of him,” he added.

Everyone turned to face Azag, who tried to speak but could only grunt a strained acknowledgment as he hunched forward in exhaustion.

Sayane once again noticed just how bloody he was. Half of his body seemed soaked in deep purplish-black. Only then did Sayane realize just how battered she was as well. Red streaks ran down her face and neck before pooling against her clothes. Her ribs were bruised. The point where Stol’s song-stealing tool had touched her chest was throbbing and raw. A previously unseen gash had left her shirt torn open across the side of her stomach, and now every breath pulled a fiery burning pain across her abdomen.

But the last Shard was free.

The Silence was collapsing.

It had all been worth it.

Sayane’s head moved to rest on Azag’s chest as she continued to simply breathe. Doing so caused a dampness of purple to stain her cheek. It seemed he was bleeding everywhere. Pressing her head against his ribs allowed her to feel just how frail and trembling his breathing was.

“Azag?” Sayane whispered.

Behind them, the crowd murmured and began to move before Azag could respond. At first, Sayane assumed it was the whole of them becoming curious if she’d actually sing again. But then Erosc let out a throaty growl from deep in his chest. His hair bristled as he stepped away from the friendly embrace and put himself between the friend group and the crowd.

“Er-osc?…” Attis started before falling silent.

Sayane turned and saw the reason for Erosc’s shift. A massive Silencer was approaching them. He was almost as tall as Azag but was broader than Erosc, seemingly made of nothing but mass, hide, and muscle. Everything fell silent as it approached, save for the faint echoes of metal clanking along its shoulders and arms as its armor shifted with each step.

“Xentros,” Erosc growled.

Members of both armies parted without speaking as the colossal being made its way towards the friends. Suddenly, everything felt different. Sayane’s smile faded as hints of dread snuck into her spirit.

“Get behind me,” Azag choked in a barely audible voice.

Something about his voice concerned Sayane. Beyond the Silencer's approach, when Azag spoke, he sounded truly pained. For someone who existed in suffering, to sound like that was very troubling.

“Azag, darling?” Sayane asked.

He shook his head as he pulled his arm and hand tightly into his torso and kept his eyes forward.

The Silencer named Xentros was close now. His walk never increased in speed as he moved forward. Each step maintained its heavy, intentional thudding. More grunts and cries of pain began to sound around them. Azag coughed and quietly gagged. Sayane’s joy was fading fast.

Erosc’s weathered hand settled on his battle mace. It crackled then hummed to life with murderous arcs of energy dancing along its massive head as several other Revolution soldiers activated their weapons as well.

“Xentros! That is far enough!” Erosc bellowed.

To Sayane’s surprise, the Silencer stopped and nodded.

“It is good to see you, Erosc,” Xentros said in a heavy, patient voice.

“I looked for you on the field,” Erosc replied with a blank glare.

“I was defending the base of the city supports,” Xentros said as he looked to Azag.

“You sent your armies across the land, making us spread ourselves thin instead of holding one grand battle?” he asked as his eyes scanned the realm.

“Distractions,” was all Azag could mutter.

“Very good. Smart. …You are the one who killed Stol and the other judges?” he asked without inflecting his tone in any manner.

Azag nodded.

Xentros dipped his head slightly. Another, much smaller figure appeared from him. It was bookish, with heavy robes and a minimalist mask covering its face. In its hands were two tablets.

“Do you have scribes here?” Xentros asked.

“Y-yes. I am,” Saxum replied as he stepped forward.

Xentros eyed Saxum and Azag once more before finally looking to Sayane.

“The rumors were true all along. I didn’t dare believe them,” Xentros said.

His expression was impossible to discern. All Sayane could do was nod as Azag had.

“It is an honor to be in the presence of something long lost. Especially one as powerful as you, Songstress. You are mightier than any weapon I have ever seen.”

Then Xentros surprised them all. With a labored, slow breath, he placed one hand on his knee then knelt before them. The small creature knelt beside him and then activated the tablets, which began to glow. A pulsing arc of light rose from the surface of the tablet, and Xentros’s heavy breathing began to echo from within the light. When Xentro’s body settled, his massive hand reached up and removed the metal and crystal sigils from his shoulder.

“Behold the word of light from your empire. I speak to all citizens,” he began.

As he spoke, his words drifted from the light once more. Sayane wondered if this was something similar, albeit more advanced, to her Voice Carrier shards.

Azag’s breathing began to shift into light, short gasps.

Xentros continued.

“May you take note, scribes of both sides. Here on the seventh sun of Lico’s Embrace, I, Xentros, commander of the Blood Children of the Empire, surrender.”

A collective gasp escaped from the lips of Sayane and dozens of others. Azag’s hand tightened on Sayane’s as he let out a grunt of relief. Xentros paused, then continued.

“The Heavensguard Fleet is destroyed. The Eternal City is gone. With the authority I hold in the absence of living judges or superior officers, I acknowledge that Azag The Guardian, Erosc The Undying, and Sayane The Songstress, along with The Revolution of the Oppressed, have defeated us. This fight is over.”

When he was done speaking, his grip tightened, and the sigils snapped into pieces within his hand.

“The Sun has set on our empire. Now come the days of the songstress and the guardian. May your historians and scribes name them accordingly.”

All through the crowd, the soldiers of The Silence followed their leader and removed their crests from their armor. One by one, they crushed them in their hands and then lowered their heads. Revolution fighters watched in awe as the weapons of their previous enemies faded to quiet metal. Energy tapered and died. Simple swords clanked as they dropped to the ground.

It truly felt over. Complete. Sayane knew there were still outliers and other Silencers left to deal with, but the army and fleet of airships were gone. Dread subsided briefly, and hope dared to return.

Xentros grunted as he forced himself to stand.

Azag’s legs trembled, and Sayane noticed he was swaying.

“Azag, darling. You’re hurt… I need to heal you. Or we need to get you to doctors,” Sayane said.

“I’m okay. Just… winded…” he whispered.

His hand never left his side.

Sayane wanted to say more, but Xentros continued.

“We will gather our wounded and await you, Erosc the Undying and Azag the Guardian. One of you needs to be present for The Extinguishing.”

His wording and tone frightened Sayane. Erosc’s stoic reaction only made it worse.

“Ex-extinguishing?” Azag muttered.

Erosc sighed in resignation as he awaited Xentros’s response, but Sayane sensed he knew what this meant.

“The empire does not allow defeat. My children will all take their lives in unison, as an offering to your cause. It is the recognition that we shall not be your adversary anymore. Then I will sever my tongue and become your prisoner, forced to live out my days in absolute silence and shame.”

His words were so straightforward that it almost seemed improbable. But his tone was stern. Sayane knew enough about The Silence to believe that they would hold expectations this brutal. Still, the prospect of knowing that thousands were about to execute themselves felt wrong. Enough blood had been spilt. Sayane didn’t want to anoint this new world in crimson when it was only just beginning.

“Even your wounded?” Sayane asked in shock.

“All,” was all that Xentros replied.

“Except for me. If the rumors about you are true, I don’t think I have to explain this- but for us, death is viewed as the escape and release. To live on is the burden…” he added.

“But… still…” Sayane tried to gather her words, but Erosc was already stepping forward.

“Forgive me, Sayane. But it is correct. Allowing enemies to live allows them to fester. Ten thousand pardoned souls could easily become ten thousand future enemies,” Erosc murmured.

Azag’s hand slipped from Sayane’s side, and he let out a legitimate grunt of pain. Heartbeats struck Sayane’s chest like drums. Everything was changing too quickly. It was feeling too much. A snarl rose from Azag’s lips as he forced his voice to full level.

“Stop this!” he growled in full power.

Everyone stopped to face him. Sayane saw him grimace in slight anguish as he looked at her and bowed slightly.

“Sayane the Songstress does not want this. Nor do I, Azag the Guardian. Enough of this senseless violence!”

“It is the way it must be,” Xentros challenged.

Erosc nodded.

“You are defeated! You do not get to… to… decide how it must be!” Azag snarled.

Murmurs of fascination drifted through the crowd. Several beat their chest in challenging approval. Some whispered concern.

Relief flooded Sayane. At least Azag was with her in not wanting any more death. Attis cleared his throat and stepped forward.

“Azag the Guardian has spoken! Heed his words! Your soldiers are not to extinguish themselves!” he boomed out.

“Attis. Azag. Sayane. You may be making a mistake…” Erosc cautioned.

“Gather your soldiers and wounded!” Sayane commanded.

Azag flinched yet continued.

“Your empire may have commanded you to- to- to take your lives… but… I… We… are… not… not… not… them…” Azag sputtered, then collapsed to the ground in a heavy heap.

“Azag!” Sayane shouted as she rushed to catch him, but she was too late.

He struck the ground with a heavy, limp thud. As soon as he fell, his hand left his side, and a pool of dark liquid began to pour from his side.

“Oh, Gaia. Azag?!” Attis muttered.

“Azag!!” Sayane cried as she reached him.

He coughed. It built into a gag. Wrenching snarls built in his chest, and seizing spasms caused his back to arch. Just as Sayane went to speak, he lurched and vomited darkening liquid onto the ground.

“Oh, no. Oh, sounds, no…” Attis whimpered.

“What’s wrong?! What’s wrong with him?!” Sayane pleaded.

“He’s… dying…” Can-Mo whispered.