Statue walks deeper into the cave. The flames in his eyes light up his path like car headlights. Chips from the cracks on his armor fall to the ground and turn to dust. The crack where Pie slammed into him grows ever so slightly with every step. The Beast's breathing becomes shallow as he continues his search.

The cave circles around, and he finds himself back in the dimly lit cavern where drops of water fall from stalactites into the pond. He watches the ripples spread. A memory surfaces from the ripples.

His first memory is when the flames were first ignited in his eyes. He sees the ground covered in white sand and feels it for the first time. His first sound was the water gushing from the mouths of the sharks. Then he sees a sight that changes everyone. He sees the one who made him. He sees his father for the first time.

Void towers in front of him. Statue's infant body curls up at the sight. Void's white flames stare through the small pup. Statue looks around to find that he is not alone. He sees two other pups, one on either side of him. The larger one, he will learn, is Bark, and the thin, small one is Toothpick. None of them were born with the masks they have on. Instead, they have very simple ones. Their only distinguishing features are their sizes and fur colors.

This is the first time he has seen his brothers. Void bends down and slowly moves his hand closer to Statue. Statue flinches when the tips of Void's finger touch his mask. "No, don't be afraid," Void says. "I won't hurt any of you." Statue's legs shake as he moves closer.

Void scratches Statue's head, while the other two watch hesitantly. It's comforting—not too rough but not light either. "I made you three. I brought life into you all. With my own hands and the sand you stand on."

The comforting feeling fades as Statue senses a presence. Behind all three, overshadowing them, is a massive snake-bodied creature with a shark's head. It stares at them. Bark growls at it as Toothpick runs behind him, quivering. Statue stares into the Beast's eyes with no fear. He's curious as to why there is no flame, just empty space.

"I see you noticed." Void pets his head. "He won't harm any of you. He is just a puppet I control. He and many others were practice, many failed attempts to bring life. I was missing something, and then I figured it out." Void turns Statue's head to face him; each of their flames stares into the other's. "Inside all you three is a piece me."

Void stands back up and looks at all three. Statue hears the sound of wood cracking as Void's fingers grip his chest. "Sadly, you three are incomplete, and it's all my fault. I am not whole myself. I am sorry I passed my flaws on to you three."

The pups walk up to him, and each cuddles his legs.

"I promise I will make myself whole, and then I will make you all whole, too."

The memories of them playing together fill Statue's mind. The days when they would follow Void around his island. How he and his brothers competed and hunted the sharks that slithered around and saw who could bring the biggest back to Void. The nights when they all lay on him as they slept.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Time passed, and they grew with one another. In mere months they were completely grown, and Void stood in front of them with three individually carved masks for them. He placed them on their heads as he spoke. "I was alone for almost my whole life. I grew tired of the solitude, so I started to make creatures to fill the emptiness. It was never enough. Then I made you three—my three sons. You made the past months fly by, and I was no longer alone. You may not know, but you all have done so much for me."

Their flames burned brightly when he spoke.

"Now is the time I make good on my word. I will be whole, and then so will you three. I need a favor, though."

In all the time they had spent together, with all the kind words, Void had never said he loved them. Statue knew that he and his brothers didn't need to hear it. They saw him as their father. They would risk their lives for him without a word and take one if asked. The fact that Void had created them didn't make him a father in their eyes. It was the time they spent together, the care he gave them.

So with his favor came two gifts. The first, an opportunity to leave the cave and see what was above. Second, an army to command. According to their father, these Beasts weren't like him or his brothers. These were puppets meant for his three boys, to help them in any way possible. They were given a simple task: watch Arena and wait for the arrival of Lahar, while he stayed below and waited for their eventual arrival.

They whined and pulled on his robe for him to join them up top. Void stood his ground as he spoke to them. "I will wait here so I can gain my life and then, in turn, give you your own."

They left for the surface with their puppets behind them. They walked out and basked in a new world. Light shone from above. The light was warmer and brighter than the crystals in the cave. The crunch of the thin green blades of grass sounded different from when they walked on sand. New smells filled their noses. He looked at his brothers and knew what they were thinking. Joy.

They walked forward, and more of his kind walked out the entrance with them. Then they started watching from afar, careful not to be noticed. They would see Arena in his greenhouse or the wisps play on the beach.

Then came the day of Lahar's arrival. They stared at the massive tree and admired the colors of the leaves. Then the tree shone a blinding light. Then, in the shade of the tree, Lahar lay in her bed. They watched how she and Arena met. Then how they eventually made it to their home. Then how they all walked out and trapped their father down below.

His two brothers almost charged in at that moment, but their father said to watch them, not to interfere. Once they were gone, Statue walked up to the stone with his brothers. He feared he had lost his father and home forever. They walked up to the sealed entranceway and laid their bodies down. To their joy, they could still hear their father's words. "My sons."

This was that start of Statue's hatred for Lahar and Arena. First they took their father from them. Then they did something unforgivable. Such a vile move that if Statue thinks of it, he almost vomits with rage. A moment that affected him more than any spell or blow could. The moment when he saw his brother's body fall in front of Arena. His heart broke when Bark fell.

His brothers followed the same path he did—for their father, whom they would live and die for, though Statue feels his brother is the lucky one. He doesn't have to keep moving forward with the pain of losing his brother. It's like walking with one leg less.

Statue comes back to the present. His hooves start to scrape the ground as he growls to himself. He will help his father in his plans—not just for himself but to honor the brother who gave his life and to protect the one who still stands.

He cools down and collects himself. He remembers the task at hand. He is hunting, and riling himself up won't help. He smells something. It's hard to pinpoint the smell. The scent of the flowers and water dilute it. Then he realizes, but it's too late. A blast like a cannon hits the side where the crack is.