Zane sat with his back against Lucera's. Alaina had sent beasts to kill them. No warning, no reasons, no negotiations… just ordered them to die. Half his guards had burst into the silver flames, then rifts opened up dropping them back in his personal chambers.
Rommel wiped the sweat from his head as he collapsed beside Lucera and Zane. Jantje had been replaced by one of the water creatures. Trying to attack Lucera when they were distracted with the battles. The water creature had burst into silver flames, then they saw Jantje fall in her own palace in front of her very alarmed parents.
Getting a quick head count, four soldiers, two mages, and only one Adarian priest remained.
Lucera closed her eyes, she only had one soldier, no mages, and two priests still here. When Jantje had tried to slip the dagger between her ribs she'd been too shocked to fight back. Thankfully… thankfully it hadn't really been her. Her hands were still trembling.
Zane swallowed down his comfort as Lucera started to cry. She was shaking like a leaf, not that he could blame her. Lord Mishi… if Young Song hadn't been protecting them, beast gods above… to be at Lord Mishi's mercy…
Tania stomped over to the Adarian's, "Why?! Why did Mishi come after us?! What is going on?!" She demanded lifting Zane by his collar. Shaking him, four of their men had been sent home. When the first one fell… it had been like seeing Row in the tunnels all over again.
Zane flinched, his throat had never felt so dry.
Rommel snatched prince Zane out of her reach, "We don't know any more than you do Princess." His heart was still beating like a drum.
Tania snarled, "It was your beasts that came after us! I demand answers General Grisvold. That was an act of war!"
Noella pulled her hair back as she stood by Tania's side. "On behalf of not only the Kake kingdom, but all four tiger nations, if Adar does not answer within the month, it will be war." She let her tiger eyes fall on the second prince.
Rommel held his tongue. Setting Prince Zane on his feet, he bowed as he took a step behind his highness.
Zane felt like a wounded seal being surrounded by sharks. He didn't have answers… "I will speak with his majesty immediately." He didn't know what to do… he needed to see if his parents were aware.
Rowena was standing behind Noella, for the first time glad to see the Smyrnaean Emperor stalking over. He was covered in the merman's blood, his eyes still reptilian. If Adar… no if Alaina was the one helping the Smyrnaeans with the sacrifices… then maybe they were allied.
Lucian towered over the Adarian prince. "Until Adar answers for this transgression, you are no longer welcome guests. Devlin, strip of them of anything with mana. Jaxon, mana sealing chains."
Jaxon gave his blade a quick wipe down. Before Devlin could open his mouth something made his head dip. Tensing up as he realized… Lord Reece was now sitting on his head.
Nix tilted his head, "They know not the answers, this not part of their scheme, panicked now, even their king." He opened a rift into the Adarian palace.
Zane felt his eyes watering as he saw his father and brother barking orders, mages checking over the returned men. "King Father, crown prince brother…" Zane called out as his throat tightened.
King Cecil stilled, looking past the ring of fire to see his bedraggled second son. Seeing the others he composed himself, "Second Prince Zane, General Grisvold. Report." He demanded seeing the others nations glaring at them.
Asturias also composed himself as he looked his brother over carefully. What the guards and mages had reported had been far from promising. Lord Mishi… had brought more than dozen beasts to kill them. Seeing his brother mostly okay, he turned his attention to the beast of flames. Nix. The fallen beast god, the mad Phoenix.
Nix resettled his wings, "Quick with your words, quick with wards, two beasts gods attacked, at least in this they were thwarted."
Lucera stood up on her shaky legs as Rommel gave a brief explanation.
Asturias met the phoenix's eyes, "Why did you… return them. Did you not swear to protect them?"
"I did protect them, now they are home, now if beasts eat them, does not break my oath." Nix trilled as Caius trotted over. Dragging the mutilated Mishi by his tail stump. His blood leaving a garish trail along the newly sprouted grass and flowers.
Caius grinned, changing back to her human form, "Aiya! Pretty Birdie! They look so shocked!!! You would think that barnacle bitch didn't tell them she sent a bunch of beasts to eat their kin!"
Nix hopped to stand on Caius's shoulders, her tails brushing against him, mingling with his own tail feathers.
King Cecil let his glaze flick over Lord Mishi, blinded, tail ripped off, limbs torn off, his spines broken. Then he returned his attention to Lord, or rather Lady Caius and the Phoenix of legend. "Lady Caius, you do not appear… upset."
Caius gave the king a bloody smile, "Aiya, I am delighted. I did not know vengeance for my offspring would be so sweet! Aiya, I must be glowing with satisfaction."
King Cecil didn't flinch from Caius's malicious smile, he could see a few of the other beasts being dismantled. "Adar did not participate, nor have any knowledge of Lord Mishi's actions."
Lucian sneered, "Perhaps not, but you did assist Smyrnaean rebels. Your prince will be a prisoner until an accord is reached."
King Cecil's eyes flashed with anger, "Under the Truce agreement you yourself signed, beast attacks are not subject to the rule of any crown."
Lucian sneered, "Did We not just state he was a prisoner because you, King Cecil, and Crown Prince Asturias, were working with rebel forces?"
Nix gave a soft cough, "Prisoners are sad, prisoners are dreary, why not speak to understand, rather than make enemies?"
Caius's ears flattened, sniffing disdainfully at the Adarian prince, "Aiya, fyne, fyne, keep protecting them Pretty Birdie. But I'm just saying now, they follow that bitch. Eventually they'll turn on you."
Nix shook out his feathers, "The time is soon ending, truth soon forced into the light, under their palace, a goddess drowning in spite. In just a few months, maybe just a few weeks, a very upset goddess will soon be free."
Caius shuddered as her fur raised. "Aiya, what happens when she's free?"
Nix blinked, "First, she must eat."
Zane stilled at the innocent remark. Staring into Nix's guileless eyes, "What… will she eat?"
Nix tilted his head as he glanced around, "Are you not preparing? Did you not know? Sealed goddess, under the palace your kin call home?"
Terror spread throughout the clearing, and the Adarian palace. Asturias felt like he'd been submerged in ice water. A hungry beast goddess… "Why should we trust anything you say, Lord Nix. You are a fallen god. Mad if any of the legends are true."
Nix settled his feathers, he would have to groom himself soon. "Is there any reason to lie? What beast is not hungry when they do rise? She's been feeding off scraps for a thousand years, in just a few weeks, prepare if not in love at least in fear."
King Cecil felt Alaina's presence descend on them like a tidal wave. He was almost forced to his knees as droplets of water coalesced into her avatar.
Nix tilted his head, the poor princess did not even have a fifth of her usual power. "I see you are up, I see you angry, what did you expect from an attack so sloppy?"
Alaina glared at Caius, "Don't spread your lies and half truths here ingrate." Then she turned her glare on Nix, "You always have reasons to lie Nix. Don't pretend you're some benevolent beast in passing. You've slain more in one day than all the human wars combined."
Nix ruffled his feathers, "Benevolence is perspective, one on which we cannot coincide. I did not lie, the real question, on what will your grandmother dine?" Nix raised a brow, "Are your oathed not sacrifices, ones you have raised, to drain more than just mana, a chance I would not take."
Alaina curled her lip in a snarl. "Says the mad beast."
Nix shrugged, "Madness again, a perspective of you. Just because I claimed justice, for the one your mother slew?"
"There's a reason you're a fallen god Nix. Not even your brother could protect you!" Alaina snarled as the palace shook. She could not let their faith faulter. Not when they were so close to bringing her grandmother back. The strongest of the sea gods.
Nix was genuinely confused… Did Alaina believe her own lies? "I am not a god, never was, never to be. Of what do you speak, what madness did you or yours see?"
King Cecil watched the interplay… the mad beast. Nix, did not appear to be lying, or mad. Not to mention… Alaina was not as benevolent as all believed. He didn't believe any beast could be truly considered benevolent.
"Your actions of madness have plagued the world for centuries. Every time you appear, songs of death, destruction, creation of that monster who you've bonded to the wind god! You will not succeed!"
Nix blinked. Then blinked again. "I do not deny all the lives I have claimed, the destruction I've wrought, I won't shy away. Creation a byproduct of the games your god's played. But none are of madness, I consider more rage."
"You're just twisting our words! You went mad!"
Nix sighed at the circular argument, "I was upset, but not out of control. Not one innocent died, each dead played a role. Some were arbitrary, some were in the dark, while I showed no mercy, there was never a doubt."
"The infants? Those yet to be born? Were they not innocent? Did you not just set the isles on fire? Now none can even stand candle light." Alaina sneered.
"They all benefited, from pain of Beloved, no matter how ignorant, my fire was just. They tortured infants to gain her feathers, knew her heart soft, knew she could not bear to refuse. The blessings then shared with each breath their lungs drew. From the ignored beggars, cripples left in the streets, each visitor who landed, even the royals blessed by the sea. They all benefited as more than just Beloved's heart did bleed." Nix stated coolly.
"Justice punishes all, all who partook, that is why justice is blind, craved by only the pure of heart or fools." Nix let his gaze slide over all present. "Do be careful of the beast you trust, the one at your back, what we consider just, hard to argue semantic in straight fact."
Zane paled as he stared at Alaina, "When the goddess rises… what will you feed her?" For the first time he felt like the mark that proved he was blessed… was more a cattle brand.