“Is this where we part?” asked Xemir.
“After the Battle of Chilsor Plains, I don’t think we have any other option.”
Xyheia placed her belongings on the cart. Her twin brother, a god she spent numerous centuries watching over the continent of Ittoroth with, stood under the arch that marked the entrance to their home. As much as she didn’t want to leave the home she grew up in, Xyheia knew there was no other choice. Their argument wasn’t a simple sibling quarrel where both sides could forgive each other the following day. Theirs was one where a line they should have avoided at all cost was crossed and there was no turning back. As the loser in the battle, she had lost her right to remain and might as well gracefully accept the terms.
“I know you are grieving but-”
“I don’t think you understand grief,” said Xyheia with venom in her words.
The statement made Xemir back away for a moment. The god looked hurt from the comment.
“I did nothing wrong,” he said with conviction in his voice. “If we have to make a difficult choice, I made the one that will minimize our losses.”
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“Minimize our losses?” The goddess gestured to the pond showing the aftermath of the battle. “Tell me how many lives were lost there.”
Xyheia held back her tears to the best of her abilities. She lost so many of her mortal friends that day and, despite her powers, she couldn’t bring them back. One might consider the battle a Pyrrhic Victory at best for the humans. However, the battle’s outcome decided on the future of Ittoroth and, more importantly, the future of the nonhuman races. She understood the reasoning of her brother but, at the same time, she disagreed with him. They had a plan in place and his decision of abandoning it midway would only cost them more. Without another word, the goddess mounted her Pegasus.
“Please move aside.”
Xyheia waited patiently for her brother to reluctantly move aside. They exchanged their farewell under the arch and she never looked back since. In part, she didn’t want to show Xemir the tears running down her face. The last time she cried this much was when her parents moved on to a new realm. Now, she said goodbye to another close family member.
You are not alone. You still have all your friends who look to you for guidance.
The goddess wiped away her tears and petted her Pegasus on the neck. Her companion was right to remind her of her duties. The battle might have been lost but she still had many friends and followers awaiting her orders. Like her, they need to leave the continent in search of a new home. Like her, they had to start anew with an uncertain future awaiting them.