“BROTHER.” Averan shook his head, “I know, I know.” Averan couldn’t stop his own tears, he laughed at how pathetic he was being.

“I know,” he whispered again.

“But we have to think. To move. Now cannot be it. It cannot be the end.”

Sandorn looked up at him. Averan recognised the face. But the eyes were not his Brother’s, his Brother's eyes never looked so dead.

“I’m sorry Averan. I’m sorry.” Sandorn bowed his head.

“Sorry?” Averan heard a clamoring beyond the door, the word ram reached his ears.

“For what?” Averan asked. “For keeping me alive all these years? We are together Brother. Always. Even now. If it’s the end it is the end. But we keep fighting.”

Sandorn breathed deeply and looked up at towards the sky. Averan watched him closely, there was little else he could do, every move felt like an ordeal after the effort he’d needed just to transform.

“I am tired Brother.” Sandorn said slowly.

“Me too Sandorn, me too.” Averan crawled over to where Sandorn sat still holding Liniseh in his arms.

“Shall we go to the throne Averan. That’d be a good ending wouldn’t it. Fenadorn would like that. So would Dad.”

“They would Sandorn, they really would.”

“Or…..” Sandorn looked at him intensely.

Averan saw his brother in the eyes looking back at him now.

“We could climb, to the dome and onto the roof.”

“The roof?”

“Yes. At the top. There is an opening." Sandorn smiled wiping away tears, "Large enough even for you. We could make it.”

"We could." Averan agreed, "And from there.”

“From there?” Sandorn shrugged, “From there, I do not know.”

Averan peered up, “It is high. Very high.”

“Race?” Sandorn smiled.

“You always win races,” Averan shook his head, smiling, “it would be nice to win one.”

“Perhaps you will win this one.”

“Perhaps I will.”

Sandorn got up slowly, gently he took Liniseh in his arms and carried her to a column. He lowered her with shaking legs. Averan looked away and got to his own feet. A loud thud sounded against the door behind him. Averan saw dust and splinters spraying from the impact. Not long now.

Sandorn came up beside him.

“Ready Brother?”

“Ready,” Averan answered.

It took them both a moment to ready themselves, beside him, Sandorn looked equally exhausted as Averan felt.

The door creaked as the sounds from outside grew ever louder.

His Chimera had been hurt far more than ever before. It was taking much longer to heal than he was used to.

Sandorn transformed first, looking at him gave Averan the inspiration he needed to force his own change once again. This time the thrill of the transformation was greatly tempered by the pain which met him. Even the Chimera could only heal so much, he still felt pain in the Beast's body.

Averan looked up, the dome's top seemed further away than it had before.

Sandorn moved ahead of him, he moved slowly at first but eventually built up momentum enough so that when he leaped he leaped far up onto one of the columns beneath the dome. Averan gritted his teeth and made his own dash for a column. Sandorn perched elegantly even now atop his. Averan had to claw his way up. But he managed.

Down below the door almost caved in with the latest blow. Sandorn didn’t look back down, instead nodding at him and pointing upwards.

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“Follow my path.”

Averan bobbed his head, Sandorn was always the better climber.

He leaped, smashing up into the beginning of the domed wall. His tail kept him balanced, his two sets of claws helped him steady himself. It might not have been so difficult were he at full strength. But he wasn’t, far from it.

He struggled, leaping from one spot to the next. Sandorn had pushed ahead and was almost at the opening right by the Dome’s top already. A circular space just barely large enough for them to enter. Clinging to its side Sandorn used his tail to casually smash in the glass. As the shards fell down below Averan heard the sounds of those gathered beneath them. Men and Chimeras both. He paused, out of breath. One more leap would get him to the top but he needed a moment. Just a moment to get his breath back.

“Averan, you can do it. One more, come on Brother, we will rest at the top. “

Averan nodded but still did not move. The gap seemed to be growing larger. Another moment, another moment and he’d make it.

“Averan look at me. You can do it, Brother. You can do it. I will be here. You’ll make it.”

Averan looked up but Sandorn’s eyes were staring worrying down at those beneath them.

Perhaps they are going to give chase.

Averan readied himself.

“That’s it Brother, come on, just one more leap Averan. One more.”

Averan was about to leap when he heard the clang of a weapon being drawn and released. He didn’t have time to look, he was only focused on making the leap.

“AVERAN.”

Averan looked up in horror to see Sandorn jumping towards him. He thought for a confusing moment Sandorn was going to crash into him. But he steered himself just below.

Averan finally looked down. Just in time to see the four bolts. All four of which had been travelling straight towards his back. None of them would have missed, he made for an easy target. But they did miss him.

Sandorn’s body was slammed upwards by the force of the four ballistae. He bounced off of Averan’s own body before he skidded and slided off the wall. Averan watched it all in horror.

Sandorn desperately clawed and dug his tail into the domed wall. Blood came sputtering out of his mouth with the effort of hanging on. Only when he was right at the very edge did he manage to dig his tail in far enough to offer himself some support. With bloodied paws he clutched onto the last slight ledge remaining on the wall.

Averan was about try and move back down towards him. He saw already that more Ballistae were being readied down at the floor beneath them.

“No.” Sandorn’s voice came weakly towards him.

“No Averan, don’t Brother.” Sandorn breathed in deeply shaking his head. Averan heard a faint laugh.

“Should have just died on the throne. Would have…..been a better ending. Still…..I always win races.”

Sandorn looked down for a moment before exhaling and looking back at Averan.

“The Twins Aureate….me and you Brother. Me and you. Me…. and you…. Averan.”

He let go.

Averan screamed but heard no sound come from his lips.

Sandorn fell, with eyes closed and arms outstretched. He fell.

Averan didn’t move, no tears came, no words cried out. He just stared. stared as his brother fell almost motionless. Averan saw him transform back into his human form as he went. His face, looked so young, so fragile.

And yet, no. Averan must have been mistaken, for when Sandorn landed a flurry of cries and a cloud of dust and bodies scattered into the air. Sandorn had planned to the last. His body crushed the four Ballistae before they could be moved away from his place of landing. Averan laughed, his eyes went blurry as the tears began to fall. Even in his death, Sandorn planned ahead.

Sandorn had been his protector, his guide, his one constant. The only person who could care for him. Now he was dead. And Averan alone.

He never had a father, a home, or grandparents. His Mother was unable to truly look after him. He only ever had Sandorn. Always Sandorn. With him he always had hope, always had a path to get out of their sorrow, their hardship. He always put the brunt of the stress on himself. By the time they weren’t kids anymore Sandorn was so used to taking responsibility he didn’t even realise he did it. He always put me first. And I failed him. I’m sorry Brother. I’m sorry.

A tear fell down his cheek and fell like rain down, down to where Sandorn’s body lay. Averan half laughed half cried.

His head hurt, his heart hurt, everything hurt.

Still he could not take his eyes from his Brother so far below him.

Averan released control. Completely. He made no attempt to hold it back. He did not care any longer.

He let go.

Only the Beast remained. His vision blurred then, though from tears or lack of control, he did not know. His body began to move again. Strength returned, strength he did not know he had. I don’t, Averan realised, it is not my strength anymore.

He had never felt so powerful yet so helpless. His chimera seemed to move faster as it descended round and round the dome. Vaguely Averan could make out the group of men and Chimeras down below. Waiting, waiting for him.

Averan felt as if he was watching as the Beast leaped. He crashed down onto the largest Chimera waiting. Then he was amongst them. All of them. Averan’s vision blurred again, more than before now. He was being pushed further and further down as the Beast took over. It did not matter now. He did not fight it, did not have the energy to, nor did he want to.

The last thing he saw was Sandorn. Sandorn in the human form, not broken. Not bloodied. Just him as he always was. His older Brother.

Sandorn.