Here's my new Di-Gata fic. It isn't that long, only three chapters, and it revolves around the first Ethos war we've seen a glimpse of in the episode "Back Track". However I focus more on the happenings before the final battle and what took place in Yintos.
As Lady K'Tahsh certainly needs more love (I still think her end in the season final was pathetic and wasted so much potential - it was simply too easy!) the first two chapters are written out of her p.o.v. About the third chapter: You'll see.
Updates will be every two days – hey, let me have a little fun with my cliff-hangers!
Enough talking, I hope you enjoy the story. Reviews are greatly appreciated, even if you think it's rubbish, tell me. I'm not insulted easily, and perhaps a flame will melt the damn snow outside! So, just leave me a line if you feel like it! I'd be happy!
Not to forget, our good old disclaimer: I own nothing, not Di-Gata Defenders, not the characters.
Dawn of Yan-Sumos Part I
"If we don't act fast and with determination, the enemy will lay siege to the temple and threaten the very heart of our knowledge and power. Altamar has already suffered major damage, we have hundreds of fugitives to take care of, but for some incomprehensible reason the Ethos refrained from finishing their business there and concentrate their attention on Yantos now. I am not sure how long we can hold them off all by ourselves. Several of the defenders are busy in Altamor, and our wizard powers do not suffice."
The wizard's voice sounded so desperate his strain was unmistakable, even through the interfering noises of the screen because of the bad connection to Yantos. To their astonishment the circle had sent them a rather young wizard as a messenger, and the man was quite nervous, wringing his hands restlessly. From time to time he brushed through his short, brown hair and the green eyes were darting from one council member to the other, only to seek warlord Cyla's face again. The conference with him had already taken a whole hour, and everyone felt the exertion.
However the only thing which had become clear by now was, that the war against the Ethos had made a turn for the worse. More so than they had ever imagined. A mistake they might pay dearly for if things did not change soon.
But no matter how urgent his words seemed, how heart-wrenching his begging sounded and not even the distraught look on his face could made them decide at once. Naturally it was essential to work quickly and not waste precious time, yet the thin line between quick and hasty was easily crossed, and a single rushed order could have devastating consequences for both them and the wizards. As it would affect the overall course the battles were about to take. It set the difference between victory and defeat, which in this case meant between the realm's ultimate destruction and the overcome of their greatest foe.
As a consequence everyone in the room had fallen silent. All participants of the war council were aware of how grave the situation actually was; nonetheless the wizard's report struck them to the core. The wizards of Yan were their allies and they had vowed to fight alongside each other whenever needed. Now was such a time, and they would have immediately assisted, had their own problems not been equally large.
Warlord Cyla's gaze shifted to the window and over the rooftops of the small houses of Yintos' capital. All responsibility rested on her shoulders, although she had the council to back her up. In the end she would always be the one who took the gratitude for their achievements, or the blame for a possible failure. Not that there would be people left to blame anyone. She simply could not afford any flaws in her strategy, and meanwhile she had to feel the pressure the alliance had laid on her frighteningly strong. So strong it already showed on her outside.
Before Cyla turned back to the wizard, she scanned the rest of the council members' expressions, and their eyes met. Torash knew what her mother was thinking and she nodded barely visible as a wordless agreement. Then she had a look at the others herself. All of them had an air of sincerity and determination around them, as they were ready for the inevitable battle. The only question left was where this battle would take place: In Yantos, or right here at their very doorstep.
Cyla's voice was diplomatic when she finally addressed the wizards' ambassador again: "We are well aware of how much is at stake, and we promise to send help as soon as possible. Unfortunately our own situation is not an easy one, either. As Yintos lies on the outskirts of the great war, our frontiers did not stop the Ethos from invading our land. And they do not show mercy towards our people. We cannot spare our complete army until we have secured our own homes. The council will continue the meeting to discuss and decide how many soldiers we can afford to send to your aid. I will let you know, the instant the decision is made."
She nodded respectfully and the wizard swallowed, but the mask upon his face did not slip. On the contrary, he looked even more composed.
"I will deliver your words to the circle and to Alnar himself. We're waiting for your final decision", he answered, his voice suddenly strapped of all emotions. With a slight bow he thanked them for their time before breaking the connection. The big screen in the conference chamber went dark and slowly, one after the other, the commanders' voices rose. First they were only whispering with their neighbours, then they grew louder and louder.
The warlord's brows furrowed at this lack of restraint and Torash waited patiently for her outburst. The two women and her father next to her were the only ones who had remained silent even after the transmission had ended. Nevertheless she shot an angry and scolding glance in Brackus' and Doku's direction. As two of the higher ranked commanders of the army she had expected them to show more self-control, yet they were bickering as noisily as everyone else.
"Silence!", Cyla finally demanded in her strong voice. She might be a woman, but her confident appearance and her stern and strong character made her as respectful as every man in this chamber. And a lot of people in Yintos insisted that Torash had inherited her hot-tempered nature, and she guessed they were right to a certain extent. When it came to duty she did not tolerate misbehaviour, and she could stand her ground against anyone.
The warlord's command instantly made everyone in the chamber turn and they fell silent, but some of the participants still were a little distracted after the day's discussions. Those had already consumed the whole morning, until the wizards' message had interrupted them. Altogether this meant they all had been working for more than five hours straight without the glimpse of a break.
Cyla probably would have ignored it, had Torash's father not whispered something seemingly urgent into her ear. At that she hesitated a second to squint at her subordinates, and with a hardly audible sigh she announced: "We will have a short break. I ask you to meet back here in exactly half an hour to continue. By then I expect everyone to have made up his or her mind about the current issues. Apart from that you are free to do as you like. Those who are not back in time will be ignored for the decision and assigned their tasks subsequently."
Simultaneous nodding answered her; especially the last threat ensured their accuracy. Nobody wished to get his task chosen for him without participating in the decision, as Cyla was known to assign those, in her opinion irresponsible members, to the most uncomfortable tasks.
Torash took the chance to straighten her stiff back and legs, before she got to her feet to get some fresh air. A whole afternoon of dry military strategies was waiting for her. This was possibly the last time for hours she could get outside.
With usually light steps she crossed the hall and slipped through the metal door which led out onto the balcony of the residence. Soft, cool wind was blowing across town and her brown hair waved lightly in the breeze. She walked over to the edge and looked down on the town which stretched out in front of her eyes. Once again she stretched her limbs. Although she did not mind the long conferences, as she knew how important they were, she preferred active work a lot more.
The capital of Yintos lay on a small hill on the otherwise flat, stony plains of the province, and the atmosphere down in the streets was calm, yet the city was deserted, even on a beautiful day like this. Most citizens did not dare come out any longer, and unfortunately they had all reason to be afraid and careful. Still it was a shame because this might well be the last day to enjoy regarding the wave of destruction which might sweep over them soon.
To describe the province as a pretty place required a lot of idealizing affection, but this had been the home of her and her family for ages, and she loved the unyielding and hard land with all her heart. The thought, that right at this moment those disgusting, insubstantial wraiths were stalking her beloved homeland made her blood heat up and her heart go cold.
"Is there a reason you ran off so quickly?", a familiar voice behind her asked.
She did not even bother to turn around, while a tiny smile moved her lips: "I needed to get away from you squabbling children. Looks like you'll catch up wherever I go though."
His heavy steps pounded on the tiles of the balcony and not for the first time she wondered why most men were incapable to move swift and lightly at the same time. She had always known women were the better assassins.
In the end, Brackus leaned on the balcony's edge next to her and followed her gaze with his own. Despite the serious situation he was relaxed on the outside, and she could not recall a single day he and Doku had not disagreed on something. Comfortably she leaned against his shoulder and said: "The war won't take much time until it's here. The wizards don't understand this. It's unreasonable to expect us to leave Yintos without defences, simply to rush to their assistance."
"Your father certainly doesn't think so", he commented in his normal, matter-of-fact voice, his sharp eyes resting on the town. Meanwhile she observed him thoroughly. She knew that he did not support the wizards above the ordinary alliance, but he seemed unusually thoughtful today. Instantly she wondered what his opinion of the subject was, and what side he would take when it came to a decision. Given that she was not a fool, she knew not to assume he would take her side just for their love's sake. Neither of them was so shallow.
After a second of awkward silence she began quietly: "Of course, my father wants to set out towards Yantos rather yesterday than today, but he knows his place and his responsibilities. We're Yintos, and this land is what counts the most. I don't blame him for wishing to assist his former companions, yet he's not a defender any longer. He ceased to be when he joined the army – you can only be one kind of fighter, but never both at the same time."
Brackus smiled at these words. It was the smile she adored so much. It did not happen very often that either of them showed their feelings so openly, especially not while they were with the army. Only on their own did it happen occasionally. Eventually he remarked dryly: "You're talking as though you despised the wizards and the defenders!"
"No, you must have me mixed up with yourself."
He winced almost invisibly. Someone who knew him less well would not have noticed it, but Torash did. She always knew when she hit a certain spot he did not enjoy talking about. His attitude towards the defenders was one of them.
Casually she continued: "I do not despise them. They're not that bad. It's just that their ways are so different from ours that we'll never truly understand one another."
"They're weak, and I'm not surprised that they can't handle a war", Brackus said honestly and she crossed her arms.
"That's your way to put it."
"And just because you don't say it out loud, it doesn't mean you don't think so, too."
She looked at him with big, doubtful eyes: "Are you hinting I'd have the same opinion as you? Don't be ridiculous!" Laughing a little she elbowed him friendly. In comparison to him she had never allowed herself to think about their allies this way. After all she was to be Yintos warlord one day when her mother finally resigned, and the province needed a diplomatic leader if they did not want to slowly cast themselves in isolation due to their location on the margins of the inhabitable realm. Consequently her own view was not asked for, as long as she did what was best for her people. And over time she had come to the conclusion that what she thought did not concern most people anyway. Her believes were a personal thing she did not share with many others, let alone strangers. So she would not judge the wizards and the rest of their organisation unless they failed their duties, and she had never heard of that. Decency was a lesson Brackus had not yet learned, and she doubted he ever would.
Just then she saw that he had turned his face away from her after her last words had fallen. "Don't tell me you're sulking!"
"Now you're being ridiculous."
"That's good, because there's a serious battle ahead and we'll need you." She knew how much he loved to be told he was important, and as the first trace of self-satisfaction started to manifest in his expression she slapped him in the back of his head. Genuinely surprised he turned to her: "What was that for?"
"Daydreaming. We'll need everyone we can muster, but you have to be prepared. There's going to be enough time to bathe in glory after we're done – after we've won, to be exact." She spoke in the authoritarian manner she continuously used when giving orders or making announcements. The skilled commander, which Brackus undeniably was, understood the meaning of this change at once.
His smile faded to be replaced by an insensitive, professional mask. Yet his voice still bore emotion: "You know I'll be ready when it's time. You can always count on me, Torash. I would never betray you."
She had started to leave the balcony already, but now she hesitated and looked back at him over her shoulder with tender eyes. This promise meant more to her that he realized. Her love gave her the strength to be more than the assassin she had been taught to be, and at times she was incredibly thankful for his affection. A faint smile played across her lips: "I know, Brackus."
Suddenly a deafening bang not far away startled them and she whirled around to glimpse at the town. One of the houses near the residence stood in flames, and she could easily make out floating, black-purple shapes. "Ethos", she hissed with clenched teeth. Right at this moment the alarum bells sounded clear and strong through the building.
Brackus had also looked up and she saw him automatically reaching for his stones inside his uniform's pocket. "Looks like the conference will be cancelled for today."
She nodded and strode to the door. There was only one thing to do: Get her weapons and get rid of the unwelcome guests.