Those Who Are Left

Winds were building on the battlefield. Something was shifting. Things felt wrong. No one spoke, so the only sounds audible on the arid plain were the cries of the wounded and dying. But there was one voice that was the only one Sayane was focused on.

“Azag…” Sayane cried as she reached out to her love.

Can-Mo’s tentacles were moving swiftly to undo the clothing latches on Azag’s tunic and undershirt. Blood was caking them to his body already, but Sayane needed to see the damage.

“Get a doctor! Now!” Attis commanded.

Muscles locked and strained as Azag fought to stop another bout of bloody vomiting. Tears were now flowing down Sayane’s face as a new kind of dread flooded her veins. Beyond dread, terror was building. Though it was something that seemed so impossible, Azag was dying right in front of her.

Can-mo undid the last latch, and Azag’s shirt fell away. As soon as the damage was visible, Sayane and Can-Mo both cried out. All Attis could do was whimper.

Even though his mutilated body was already scarred and lacerated with remnant remembrances of trauma, now it was lacerated and riddled with torn gaps. Most horrifically, the entire right side of his torso was covered in purple, and Sayane could easily see where a hole the size of her fist was gaping open, revealing sinew and muscle. Stol’s attacks had been more successful than they’d realized.

Sparks arced across Sayane’s hands.

“Stay still, baby. Stay still. I can fix you. I can heal you…” Sayane cried.

“Where is the doctor?!” Attis called.

“Oh, Gaia,” Anahita cried when she and Saxum could finally see.

Roars of agony built in Azag’s throat. Sayane’s hands were there, glowing as they trembled.

“Oh gods. Oh gods, no. Please no…” Sayane cried as the purple coated her hands.

“I can sing. I can fix you. I can fix you,” she pleaded.

More fury built in the wind. Cries rose. Agony spread like fire as more injured began to fade. The wonder of victory was fading, and the strain of existence was settling in. Sayane tried to hum, but her voice was too shaky. Erosc neared with somber eyes.

“His blood is dark. It’s very bad…” he said quietly.

“Erosc, what is your leadership’s decision? My children are gathering,” Xentros called from afar.

“No!” Sayane cried.

“None of this!”

Blood dripped from Azag’s mouth. It was taking too long. Slowly, all of them had to accept that there was no doctor near. Sayane was the only hope. Erosc softly touched her shoulder.

“Sayane, I’m sorry, but he is very far already. If…”

“NO!!” Sayane screamed.

Yet Erosc continued.

“If we lose one of the three leaders on the first day of our new world, your enemies will see you as vulnerable. You must consider that mercy today may not be the wisest course for long-term success. If we lose Azag, we will be facing a far greater challenge. And allowing thousands of Silence soldiers to survive may come to haunt you…”

His words weren’t taunting or cruel. Malice had faded from his voice in these past weeks. In that moment, he was offering honest, brutal counsel. Though it terrified her, Sayane knew he was speaking the truth. But none of that mattered. Only Azag did.

“We are NOT losing Azag today. Or any day!!” Sayane snarled in defiance as she pulled herself against her partner.

By now, he was crumpling forward, muttering to himself. Sayane barely had the strength to stand, much less sing. Gusts built, and more lamenting, agonized cries sounded out. Sayane closed her eyes and tried to calm her throat and diaphragm.

Then Azag’s hand was on her face.

“I love you. Always…” he whispered.

“No… say that. Please don’t say that,” Sayane cried.

But Azag was already removing his glove as his head dropped onto her shoulder. Fumbling fingers struggled with leather covers, and then his hand was exposed and rising towards Sayane.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I… I wanted to let you feel this. Just… in case…” he replied.

Unsteady fingertips met her cheek and neck, and an all-encompassing warmth drifted through her body. Even deeper it went until it pulled itself into her very being and awareness, causing her tears of grief to mix with this new invasive bliss.

“This… is… how you made… me feel…” he whispered.

“No… please, Azag, please don’t go,” she wept as the incandescent peace and gratitude raged against the despair within her.

His hand lowered, and he gagged once more.

“I’m going to fix you. I can… Just like your burns that night when the Underworld was destroyed,” Sayane whimpered as she began to hum.

The feeling was weak. Her throat was raw. Her strength was depleted. It had taken nearly all of her essence to free the Shard, and now she was spent.

The Shard.

That would help. Sayane’s head lifted to the heavens.

“Please! Shard! Instruments!! I need you!!!” Sayane cried out at the top of her lungs.

Pressure from Azag’s hand pulled her attention back to him.

“Look at me. Sayane, look… at… me…” he muttered.

Her hand found his.

“I wanted to look at you, one last time. Just… in case… You are the greatest thing that ever happened to this world. You saved everyone.”

Burning, raging tears stung across her eyes as she shook her head. His eyes were fading. Their once vibrant cyan glow was all but gone now, and his scarred, fanged mouth was slacked with weakness. Both mandibles tensed and released in a continuous loop as he struggled for air. Dust swirled around them, darkening the sky and clouding the land until all of the bodies around them were simply silhouettes of slight shape and sound.

“But what would that be if I can’t save you? There is no world for me without you…” Sayane pleaded.

“No! Do not think… like that… Do not fall to despair if you cannot save me… You… already… did…” he choked.

“NO!! NO!!” Sayane shouted.

Sparks turned to beams, and her hands glowed with power and fury. Though she did not notice, her eyes began to shine with electric, crackling purple.

From high above, the great Violated Shard lowered. Its glowing blue and white cut through the dust, casting beams of radiant ambience as it descended to Sayane. Voices gasped in wonder as the light filled the haze. Beside it, dozens of instruments appeared from the nothingness. More and more light shone out as hints of musical dreams whispered on the wailing winds.

“Erosc? We are gathered! Your orders!” Xentros called.

Unseen voices screamed out in the nothingness.

Erosc paused.

Attis inhaled.

Azag choked.

Sayane closed her eyes and stood with a shout of adrenaline.

“I ORDER YOU ALL TO LIVE!!!! ALL OF YOU!!!!!” she shouted in a thundering voice that echoed across the realm.

Flashes of purple snapped from the Shard and onto Sayane. Notes of haunting piano pings drifted from the haze.

Sayane kissed Azag’s head.

“I can heal you. I can heal all of you, I promise. Please, stay with me,” she pleaded.

“If… anyone could… It’s you,” Azag sighed with the tone of a smile.

Attis looked to Can-Mo and his tentacles.

“Can-Mo. I need you to stop the bleeding,” Attis said.

Can-Mo nodded in understanding as several tentacles raised.

“I can shorten them and have them expand to the proper size. But, Azag, it will be excruciating," Can-Mo said.

Azag merely shook his head.

“I’ve probably… felt.. Worse…” he sighed.

His hand clasped hers one final time. Can-Mo approached and lowered his tentacles to the wounds, then pressed in.

Azag’s scream was worse than Sayane was expecting, and it caused more winds to rise, but these were painted purple. Cries turned to roars, but Azag endured. Sayane’s hands settled on his back, and she finally found her voice.

A hum rose.

“OOOOOOOOHHHHH. Ooooooooohhhhhh ohhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhh OOOOOOHHHH!” she sang.

Distant strings and angelic cries rose to meet her call. Glowing gentleness flowed down her arms and into Azag’s back.

“OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH oooooohhh ohhhh,”

More light went into his body, and the tremors calmed.

“OOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” Sayane cried out as more unseen voices rose to harmonize with her.

The Violated Shard returned her tone with its own harmonizing hum, and a single beam of light bent out from its body and settled on Azag.

Then Sayane turned from him and slapped her face with a shout as she forced herself to move. Ground-shaking thuds from pulsing drums rose to meet her every step. Erosc rose to follow her as she rushed forward into the crowd, down to Xentros.

“Sayane! Wait!” Erosc called, but Sayane didn’t listen.

She jumped down from the ledge and was immediately face-to-face with the titan. Even compared to Azag, he was enormous. Yet she wasn’t afraid.

Growls and stomps of approval sounded out with the drums.

“The hume is brave!” A voice snarled.

Sayane didn’t know if it was a Silence soldier or a Revolution fighter.

“Sayane! The Unafraid!” another shouted.

More pounds and drums shook the ground.

“I order all of you. ALL OF YOU! To live!!” she commanded.

More growls and snarls of challenging approval sounded out.

Attis’s silhouette appeared behind her, eyes glowing.

“SAYANE HAS SPOKEN! LIVE! LIVE AND ENDURE WITH US! SUFFER! SMILE!! GROW!! SURVIVE!!! ENDURE AND DARE TO SEE A BETTER WORLD!! DEATH IS RELEASE, AND IT IS DENIED TO YOU! THAT IS THE WORD OF YOUR SONGSTRESS AND YOUR GUARDIAN!!”

Voices shouted. Shields slammed soil. Metal clanked as paws and fists slammed into plates. Xentros looked down, eyes still unreadable.

“You are brave to approach me unguarded, little one,” he said.

“I am brave. And powerful. And I am tired of everyone hurting. I have something to say to your imperial citizens. Bring me that device you just spoke into. Saxum!”

“Yes?” Saxum called.

“Voice Carriers!!” Sayane cried.

Beams of purple swirled around her, out into the crowd. One arc stayed connected to Azag. The small creature returned, holding the tablets. Xentros nodded, as though sensing what Sayane was about to do. Saxum thundered to them as well, carrying the glowing blue crystal Voice Carriers. Tremors of terror and nerves shook Sayane’s weakened body, but she knew she had to act.

The Silence was more than this army. Millions of citizens lived across the land. Hate had been carved into their minds from the very beginning. Brutality was all they were taught. Echo had told them that propaganda and brainwashing had left many unable to know the truth. But there were hints of hope. Echo himself was proof. So were the homeless they’d met in that alley. And the hundreds who had already fled to Azag’s escape vessels. Some were irredeemable, but many were not. Some were simply wounded.

Just like those lying before her in agony.

Just like Azag.

Sayane was done with wounds.

She was done with the violence and the hurting.

It was time to heal.

Saxum activated the Voice Carriers as the Silence scribe activated the tablets. Cataclysmic sounds of suffering filled the air, but all Sayane could do was breathe. Her hands raised, and she closed her eyes.

She hoped it would work. Back when The Underworld was attacked, her scream had banished the smoke and ash. This would be much harder, but she had to try. Her power had already grown significantly, just from the Shards being freed and The Dissonance being banished. Energy sparked from her eyes and hands as her throat glowed with faint eminence.

“BE STILL!!!” she commanded.

The Violated Shard let out an earth-shaking hum of recognition, and a muted concussion of white burst out, sending light hurling across the land. All around them, the winds calmed. Howls faded, and the dust began to slow. Bodies became visible. Clarity and calmness returned, and Sayane could finally see the world around her once more. Hundreds of bodies lay at her feet.

Hums of static sounded from the tablets, and Sayane knew they were ready. She stepped to the tablet and Saxum followed.

As terrifying and confusing as it was, Sayane knew what she had to do. It was time to sing for healing. But even more than that, it was time to sing for The Silence. And most of all, it was time to sing to save Azag.