In the other side of the plane, in the middle of the wilderness, life was different. The law of the strongest reigns supreme. Brutality, slaughter and feasting on the weak was common for the beasts dwelling in this non-hospitable land. In the farthest end of this region sat a solitary peak. No man ever placed his foot on this place since immemorial time. It would be unadvised to try, unless you were trying to throw away your life of course.

The king among beast "Rhargh" was sleeping peacefully on his throne. His dusty weapon, discarded somewhere in the room, it was not like he needed it. He was the kind of king that didn't even expect an attack in his sleep. Few being were able to threaten him and he would be able to smell them from miles away.

No, what woke him up was a chill, a chill that made his very own soul shake. His slit pupil lost focus. One moment he was in his heated seat and a split second later he was diving in cold water. He lived his whole life basking under that sun, he knew. The pressure disappeared, something happened ! He roared :

"Realder, Rurisk"

His kin appeared in front of him and bowed in a practiced manner while he was getting up from his seat and warming up his sore shoulder from the century old uncomfortable sleep position.

"Father" "Father"

"Stand up my sons. Did you feel it ?" Asked Rhargh while scanning the two prides of his life.

"He is dead !" Responded Rurisk hurriedly.

"Not necessarily..." Outbid his brother. "The pressure has not completely disappeared, it's just weaker. So faint we almost can't feel it anymore."

"Precisely, do the two of you know what it means ?"

"It's an opportunity." Responded Rurisk while clenching his claws.

"It's a disaster..." Whispered Realder.

"Once more, I agree with Realder."

Rurisk was already blazing with fury. His brother already shot him down twice in front of his father and the most troubling part was that his father sided with him.

The competition between the brothers was not unknown to Rhargh, but he hoped they would put it aside one day for the greater good. For now it was an unreachable goal it seems. How pointless...

"Why ?! Why do you always take his side ? If he is not on his throne, it's our chance to shine. If he lost his divinity we can seize it. If he disappeared, it could be a lucky chance for us. We can ransack his whole lair. The two of you knows, for how long has he taken all the marvellous shiny things for himself ? Letting us only the cheap and broken leftovers he did not care about."

"Silence ! I failed in my duty to teach you it seems. Our own blood already paid the price for mutiny. Your grand-father and great-grand-father paid a steep price for their insolence. My father doomed his family for selfish reasons and I won't allow it to happen again."

"What about our honor ? Would you rather live like a slave for the rest of your pitiful life ?" Rurisk retorted puerilely.

"What do you know about slavery, son ?" Rhargh countered. "Have you ever worked during your long life ? What have you accomplished ? Your longevity doesn't excuse your arrogance." A deep growl escaped his maw. "During their brief lives, humans are sometimes able to accomplish things you can't even fathom. They work together and leave their whole life of work to prosperity. That's what helped them move forward, step by step."

"Humans are insects !" Scornfully remarked Rurisk.

"Oh ?! Really ? Then what are you in front of the immortal ?" Asked Rhargh amused.

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"He... It's not the same, he is an exception, he is an anomaly !"

"An anomaly ?!" Roared his father "A puny human who overcame the limit of his race. Who followed the martial path to the peak and still carried on climbing on this desolate road, without anyone before him to pave his path on top of that? You are goddamn right my son, he is a freaking anomaly, the sole exception that only a few people alive can brag to have met."

Trying to regain his cool, Rhargh gathered a long and deep breath.

"This monster, because that's what he is, a pure monster. He gave us a helping hand when we were at our lowest, without expecting anything in return. And how did we thank him ? The way we are, beast style, we tried to rebel like the ungrateful bunch of mutts we were. It was sheer folly to confront a man who protected his plane alone since immemorial times. So tell me boy, tell me, will you confront him yourself ? You, small Rurisk ?" asked mockingly the ancient being.

"It's unjust ! Nobody knows if those stories are accurate, you know it well ! Today we experienced it, he fell. Something happened, he may only be a wounded soul who can't even pressure us anymore. We can win." Retorted the most rebellious son.

"If it's truly what you believe my son you are as stupid as my father was and I failed your mother. When the next moon comes up, what will we do without him ? We'll be slaughtered like cattle." Sneered Rhargh.

"We can be lucky !" Tried Rurisk

"No warrior put his life at risk with luck as his only wild card. Only fools..." Countered his father.

The verbal joust was becoming weaker and weaker but deep inside Rhargh knew that his son was already lost to greed. Every reason he could find would constitute a good reason. As a father and also as one of the last remnants of his race he couldn't agree with his son. But could he stop him ? Now yes, but not eternally. To really understand that they were not the apex predators on the food chain he needed to learn the hard way.

They have been pampered to much, It's my fault...

"I will prove you wrong. I will not spend my life as the bitch of someone else. I will live my life with honor !" Said Rurisk in a last statement.

"Then you will not live long, my son. Ask your dead grand-father if honor matters. Silence will be your only answer."

It was hard to say, but it was harsher to hear. Shocked, the two sons looked at their father.

Furious, Rurisk took flight and fled. He knew his coward of a father would never agree with him, talking was useless. He didn't reflect on the subsequent course of action, he didn't care, the most important thing was to advance ! Proud of himself he disappeared in the clouds.

Inside the lair, Rhargh was sighing before he looked at his second son.

"Realder"

"Yes, father ?" inquired the serious son.

"Find him, no matter the situation, no matter the scale of damage that happened, find him and support him. When the next blood moon appears we will need him in his peak state. If we fail in this duty we are all screwed !" Sighted the old king.

He seemed to have aged a lot during this sole conversation. It was only exacerbating the urgency of the situation. He slipped his hand under his doublet and pulled an old string. A shiny golden ring was dangling on the narrow rope. He snapped it and dropped it in the open hand of his son.

"This ring is his mark. He gave it to me when I sweared loyalty to him. Even if my words from back then didn't mean anything for him, they are heavy in my heart. Follow your intuition and your heart. You are fighting for the well being of everyone."

The weight of the ring felt off compared to the size. It seems to be as heavy as a mountain for Realder. Responsibility frequently gave this feeling. His knuckles cracked while clenching his paw. He looked at his father and asked :

"What are you gonna do about Rurisk, father ?" inquired Realder.

"The two of you are already a million year old, you are adults. You need to make your own decisions, even if you are mistaken. I am too old, way too old. I expected something to happen ultimately, but I selfishly hoped to be gone already." he wearily sighted before continuing.

"I lost a lot during the uprising, but I also gained the certainty that nothing happens by accident. Be proud of being a chess piece on the board, a lot don't have this chance, or responsibility."

"I will assist him father."

Rhargh suddenly placed his hand on the shoulder of his son and smiled lovingly.

"You got all the qualities of your mother, I'm ashamed. I was never meant to be a leader. I'm not even a passable father..."

"Why are you telling me all this ? I ..."

"Shhhh, all is fine. You have a duty my son, you will depart as soon as possible."

Realder knew that his father was not the type of entity who let his feeling rampant. There has never been an outpour of love in their family and maybe it was for the best that it didn't start now.

He turned and departed the palace. He only heard the sound of his father collapsing on his throne. He didn't double back.

He felt like he had the weight of the whole world on his shoulder and that he could crumble at any time but he pressed on. He had work to do.