Chapter 12

Peace Will be Bloodshed

The talk doesn't go well.

It starts off as good as I imagine it probably could go, though.

Ky settles down next to Phoenix, who Grey says cooks one of the rabbits.

The brothers quickly polish off their own rabbits, while Grey and I eat ours slower.

"You want to join us?" Ky asks.

Tension falls over us like a choking blanket so fast that I find my breath catching in my throat. I freeze as I feel the weight of Phoenix's prickly gaze. Ky has a far more neutral expression, but I know he's awaiting our response just the same.

Ky curls his fluffy tail over his leg and shifts his weight so he's laying far more upright. When he runs his tongue over his lips and whiskers, I catch a glimpse of his sharp fangs. His teeth aren't as long as Phoenix's upper canines, but they'd still hurt.

"Yes," Grey says bluntly.

"Aww, that's sweet." Phoenix rolls his eyes. "You gonna claim that you can still make the cream puff fall with sweet talking him off the Amethyst Throne?"

"I never said that," Grey replies, voice level. "All I said was that I don't believe we have to kill to the extent you think we do to reach the same goal. We both want the King gone. That is why I believe we can team up. Isn't four stronger than two?"

Phoenix snorts, shaking his head and flicking an ear. He flashes his teeth in a sneer. "You gonna pretend the cream puff's followers still deserve the right to life like the rest of us do?"

Grey hesitates.

"Don't fucking tell me you think they should be allowed to live after all they've done?"

"The King is the one who ordered them," I say.

Phoenix pins me to the ground with a fiery glare. "They could have said no. None did. No one said no. They all have to go. Only when they're all gone and the cream puff has fallen and he has died beneath my claws and fangs can there be peace."

"You fight for peace by taking lives?" Grey asks softly.

"Change can't happen by nicely asking the cream puff to stop. Sometimes you have to become a monster. I will become the monster that haunts him until he begs for death. Peace can happen, but it's not gonna be laced in white and all pretty words and politely asking. Peace against the cream puff will be bloodshed."

"It doesn't have to be," Grey presses.

Phoenix hisses and rakes his claws through the soil. He grits his teeth and snarls deep in his throat. "How else will you get the cream puff off the Amethyst Throne? His Guard and Soldiers will shoot you the second you even think of walking to his castle. His Dragon will set you on fire before you could even hope to reach the Amethyst Throne. He himself will order your deaths, just like he's already done. And while the Judge and the Justice might lack any real power, they're the law of Ragdon and will never rule in your favor. So, please, Grey, tell me how you plan on fixing that without bloodshed."

Grey doesn't reply. He ticks his head to the side as he swallows, thinning his mouth into a white line and biting his lip. He squeezes his eyes shut and pulls on the fringes of his hair. Something pleading and pained crosses over his expression.

"We don't automatically have to kill," he whispers. "Self defense is one thing, but we don't have to kill them. Everyone's capable of change if they put in the work."

"What would happen," Ky muses, "if you were in a situation where there was someone who hated the cream puff and someone who followed him? They are both in trouble and if you do nothing, they will both certainly die. Who would you save?"

I know my own answer immediately. There's no question I'd save whoever hated the King. But Grey blanches as panic blooms in his silver eyes. He stutters on works, choking on non-answers, then hunches over with his arms bracketing around his head.

"I-I don't know," he bites out. "I can't just assign value to life. Everyone's a living being. Everyone has good inside them, even if it's somewhere deep, deep, deep down and accessing it means facing terrible crimes committed. I know I'd save whoever didn't follow the King. I cannot pretend otherwise, but people also deserve second chances. I couldn't just knowingly leave someone to die."

"Fucking hell," Phoenix grumbles. "This again?"

"What do you mean?" Grey asks.

The look in his eyes tells me he knows exactly what Phoenix is talking about but wants another moment to prepare himself.

Phoenix sighs, low and annoyed. "You know the cream puff sees no value in those who ain't like him, right?"

Grey inclines his head, a thoughtful, neutral expression on his face.

Phoenix continues: "You know he'll let you die just as soon as he can. You know he wants a world where everyone bows before him and takes him at his word and never commits the ultimate sin of questioning him.

"The cream puff will let anyone and everyone die if it means he hangs on to power that much longer.

"He wants you dead, Grey. If you don't know that after the mockery of a trial you got with those two old gargoyles, I don't know what will get it through your head. The cream puff ain't never gonna see the value of life beyond himself. That's why I'm never gonna see the value in his life. He doesn't deserve the right to life if he will let the rest of us die. He wants to eradicate us; he wants us gone, Grey. Why do you still claim he deserves life when he will oh, so willingly make us perish? Why do you claim he deserves life when he will order his followers to kill those who do not side with him? Why do you think you ducked your head for so long? Why do you think you made yourself small, kept as small a target as you could on your back?

"Why do you think you are so afraid that you will refuse at any cost to stand before him and the Amethyst Throne?"

Grey doesn't respond. He runs a hand through his hair as Ky and Phoenix pin him with their gazes.

I shift on the ground, pulling my knees to my chest. I reach out and press a hand to Grey's shoulder, and he leans into the touch. His silver eyes speak of how torn he is, the anxiety curling within him.

I see both sides, but I don't know where I fall. I don't wish death on anyone and everyone who has ever even thought of siding with the King. I know there's a level of safety that comes with it, protections for pledging loyalty to the King. And yet I also do not not wish death upon them.

It wasn't that I liked the thought of taking a life, but Phoenix had a point— Lucius's claim is permanent. No one escapes their touch and their claim as they bring the next being to death.

The King dead means he's not coming back.

But... I'd give damn near anything to have the King gone. If I had a shot at him, I'd take it. I wouldn't take pleasure in it, but I'd take his life if it meant Ragdon could finally be free. If it meant everyone could finally breathe and relax. If it meant everyone could try to make a world that's better for everyone, not just the King. Ragdon can improve, but not with the King still on the Amethyst Throne.

Ky turns to me, brown eyes depthless and simultaneously ancient and young.

"You killed today," he says. It's a statement, not a question.

I nod. "I did."

He studies me for a moment, and I hold his gaze, resisting the urge to squirm. His eyes flicker between mine. He looks so young with his long fur, thick and fluffy, and his oversized ears. But he also looks so old with his endless eyes. Several long moments tick by at a snail's pace, until Ky finally breaks away, seemingly having found whatever he was looking for.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"Let's go find Arcane," he says. "Let's head to the summit of Ragdon Volcano."

"Why?" Phoenix grumbles.

"Because he's still alive and if anyone knows something about the pewter pendant and the malachite medallion, it's Arcane," Ky says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Arcane isn't alive," Phoenix groans in what sounds like an old debate.

Ky scrunches up his face and shakes his head. "No one has found his body, and there's no new Midnight Wolf. He's alive."

"Midnight Wolf?" I ask as Grey opens his mouth, and the expression on his face tells me he has the exact same question.

"You don't know?" Ky lifts his head and stands up straight.

"No. No lessons ever covered it."

"Of course the cream puff did," Phoenix mutters.

Ky hums. "Well, then. Condensing a lot into a brief explanation. The Midnight Wolf is a creature with extreme power. Think somewhere on the same level as the cream puff and the Amethyst Throne-level power. Arcane is the current Midnight Wolf, since there's only ever one at a time. Anyway, Arcane disappeared about sixty years ago. There was another powerful creature, although not as powerful as the Midnight Wolf, named Freedom, and he killed her by accident. Arcane banished himself, and he hasn't been seen since. Many think he's dead, but I know he's alive."

"How do you know he's not dead?" I ask. "Sixty years is plenty of time for a person to die. Many in the Sea don't live anywhere near that long."

Phoenix snorts. "Arcane ain't a human. He's a wolf. He disappeared long before Ky or I was born, but supposedly he was massive and was covered in stars and galaxies. Looked like the cosmos. But as Ky would tell you, he's immortal. Can't die until he blinks and sheds the Midnight Tear. Immortality will do that, except that he's too big for someone to not have found him so he must've died at some point. Arcane is gone, and we just haven't found the new Midnight Wolf yet."

"Don't you think someone would have seen the new Midnight Wolf? All that power would leave a big impact on the world," Ky replies. "Arcane is alive."

"Do you know where he went when he left after killing Freedom?" Grey asks. He moves so his legs are crossed in front of him and his elbows rest on his knees.

"He went to the top of Ragdon Volcano," Ky says. "It was the furthest he could get, and Freedom died on the slopes overlooking the Sea so he's stayed close to her. They knew each other before she died and were friends. That's why we're headed there now."

"We should head down toward the Sea first though," Phoenix says. "The closest slope is a pain in the ass to go up. Easier further South."

"Very well." Ky shakes loose dust off his fur.

I stand up and help Grey to his feet. I brush dirt from my clothes and stretch out my back. The pewter pendant sits warm against my chest, a comforting weight.

xxxx

A part of me resists against the idea of walking back toward the Sea.

Grey and I had fought so hard to get away from the Sea that I'm somewhat reluctant to return, even though I know we're only going in the direction of the Sea to walk up Ragdon Volcano. When Grey had asked about not heading up the closest point, Ky had explained that he and Phoenix had searched Ragdon Volcano several times in their adventures across Ragdon and that the particular slope closest to us was difficult to climb. Given the potential dangers that would arise, especially once we left the last of the tree cover and were exposed, taking the easier route would be a benefit for easier navigation.

I'd agreed, though, as had Grey.

Ky leads the way, tail swishing behind him as he pads through the forest. Phoenix lags off to the side, ears drawn back. He looks around every so often. Grey and I walk side by side, and I find myself holding onto the pewter pendant as some sort of proof that it's still there and I'm ok.

A squirrel darts away when a branch cracks under my foot, and it rustles through the undergrowth and loose leaf litter. Sunlight breaks through the canopy in soft shafts of light that set the forest aglow.

However, soon enough, the tree branches open up into open skies and grasses that sway at mid shin-height. A few shorter trees sprout from the earth with wide, gnarled branches. Clouds float by overhead, puffy and white.

"We should be careful," Grey murmurs, staring up at the sky.

"We should," Ky replies, "but I don't think the cream puff has materialized the ability for engineering. The only thing of his that can fly is his Dragon, which is very dangerous, of course, but I don't believe it would leave the cream puff's side without good reason. We should keep an eye out for enemies on foot, though, but I can't smell any right now."

Phoenix stops mid-step and hesitates, holding a forepaw up as he looks off to the side and scents the air. He draws his ears back and wrinkles his muzzle, revealing more of his curved upper canines.

"Hang on. There's something off about this tree." Phoenix breaks off from our group and stalks across the grasses, head low and steps measured as he slinks toward the tree.

Ky raises his head and pricks his ears, swiveling them around as he tastes the air. I watch on as well, although the tree looks like a tree. It's got textured brown bark covering the trunk, spindly branches that stick out at every angle like broken fingers, and leaves that sway in the light wind. Nothing about it sets off any alarm bells.

Except that the Erebus Tree looked normal, too. Look where that got you, my mind reminds me, pulling up memories of seeing Grey at the foot of the Amethyst Throne, the constricting arms of Scorn as he held me back, the half circle of Guard and Soldiers who cornered us in front of the glass window until I jumped through it because it was the only way Grey and I might manage to escape alive.

Phoenix approaches the tree and circles it several times, carefully looking it over in its entirety. He squints at it, distrusting and cautious. Except that when he moves closer, the air around him shifts and ripples, reflecting the light like sparkling glass in a cloud of bright colors.

In a split second, Phoenix is gone.

Ky screams and sprints forward, while I gasp and take a step back, bumping into Grey, who catches me.

"PHOENIX!" Ky yowls, voice several octaves too high and breaking over his brother's name in panic. He circles the tree and searches for any sign of the black cat.

I freeze, hands curling into fists. I whirl around, scanning for any Guard and Soldiers. Perhaps a General who has magic that might be able to make someone disappear, but I see no one. We're alone in the shadow of Ragdon Volcano, with one of us missing.

Ky paces, ears pinned to the sides of his skull and eyes wide. His sides shake with uneven breaths, and he cranes his neck to repeatedly run his face over the faded red bandana around his shoulders until he returns to his search.

"Phoenix," Ky pleads. "Phoenix, please. Please, Phoenix. Come back. Come back, I need you. I need you, Phoenix. Please, you promised." Ky's voice cracks. "You promised."

Grey picks his way over to Ky, lifting his legs high in the shin-length grasses, and I follow him. All three of us give space at the spot Phoenix had vanished from, but we all examine it closely. Ky continues looking for any sign of his brother, and I crouch by his side in a vain attempt to comfort him.

The space Phoenix disappeared into is hardly visible, and I don't believe anyone would notice it if they weren't looking for it. All that's there is a slight shifting of the light that warps the image seen through it. If Phoenix hadn't gone missing with it, I'd think it looked pretty, if I'd even noticed it in the first place.

However, a few moments later, the spot starts to twist, and the shimmering colors turn angry, sharp and angular beams of light.

Grey retreats several paces, as does Ky. I walk backward, shoulders tensed for what might happen.

"That was absolutely stupid," Phoenix snarls, appearing just as quickly as he disappeared. His tail flicks high over his back and his fur stands on end. He trots away from the tree with his muzzle wrinkled.

"Phoenix," Ky breathes, bunting his head into his brother's neck.

Phoenix runs his jaw over Ky's ear, then they press their cheeks together. I look away when I feel like I'm interrupting something intimate and give Grey a hug that he returns. I wrap my arms tight around my brother, like it were the last hug I'd ever give him, trying to ease my own fears over seeing him so close to death at the foot of the Amethyst Throne, the panic I felt seeing so many arrows sticking out of him.

Grey's right here. He's alive. You both made it out of the King's castle. He's healed from his injuries. The malachite medallion healed him. He's alive.

"I'm here, Ky," Phoenix whispers, voice far softer and more gentle than I thought he could speak. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'd never leave you. I'll always come back, just like before. I promise."

"I know, I know. Me too." Ky nuzzles into Phoenix's shoulder, and the black cat closes his eyes and pushes in further.

Grey's arms are warm around me, a comforting embrace. I feel him tremble, and I run a hand up and down his back.

"So what happened?" Ky asks.

"Some dumb fucker put a stupid fucking portal in the worst fucking spot on this entire fucking island," Phoenix spits, curling his lip.

Grey and I break away to listen.

"Tell me about it," Ky replies, "but with less swearing this time."

Phoenix snorts and feigns irritation, but he has a faint smile tugging at his mouth. "There's a portal there at the base of the tree." Phoenix juts his chin at a vague point we had looked at before he returned.

Ky pulls back and stands up straight, and something flashes across his eyes as his ears prick. "What did the inside of the portal look like?"

"It looked like a unicorn vomited. It was all rainbow."

"Rainbow," Ky breathes.

"Does rainbow mean something to you?" I ask.

Ky nods. "Yeah, actually. A rainbow portal means someone made it and it's one-way."

"Phoenix came back."

"Sorry, it's one-way for whoever made the portal and went through initially. But a rainbow portal also means the cream puff didn't make it. Someone else had to."

"Could Arcane have done that?" Grey asks. "Maybe no one has found him because he's hiding there."

Ky tilts his head to the side. "It's possible. I don't know how he would have done it, but there's plenty I do not know about Midnight Wolves."

"We're going back there, aren't we?" Phoenix sighs.

Ky nods. "Indeed we are, so cheer up, will ya?"

We do enter the portal Phoenix found.

The black cat grumbles and complains about our plan and how stupid it is, but once Ky leaps through the portal, he shuts his jaws and follows close behind.

I slide through after Grey, and several things become clear almost immediately.

One: Phoenix wasn't lying about the rainbow. Everything is bright colors that swirl together in ever-changing patterns and designs, just like a kaleidoscope. They're mesmerizing, and I could spent forever entranced by them. Even the floor that's a shiny white reflects the twisting colors. Through the kaleidoscope of rainbow, I can see a green field, and we all draw closer, then step through into the grass. Sunlight warms my skin. It all feels so peaceful, a sliver of paradise on Ragdon where things feel like they're truly ok.

Two: There's two creatures living in the portal. One is a small cat, about a third of the size of Ky and far leaner, with a mane of brown hair tied back at their neck and little blue wings too small for flight. They're high up in an oak tree, nearly out of sight. The other is a blue unicorn filled out with corded muscle, limbs that could end someone without trying, and a sharp pink horn that makes me gulp just looking at it.

And, finally, three: The unicorn is currently charging at us, ears pinned, eyes flashing, and massive hooves pounding on the lush green grass.

Fuck.