Final part is up! It' a little shorter than the others, but that's because it's the end. Hope you don't mind the open ending; I tried to slip in some hints to later events in the series though. Have fun looking for them and as always: Enjoy reading!

Reviews are greatly appreciated! By the way: Nice Christmas holidays to everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Di-Gata Defenders or the characters, not even the story background, just the details. Sad, isn't it? ;-)


Dawn of Yan-Sumos Part III

One week after the battle of Yan-Sumos, city of Altamar:

The wizards and the defenders were still busy hiding away the separated parts of the Celestial Abyss, a truly magnificent weapon although flawed. It was worth keeping its existence in the back of his mind. One never knew when this knowledge would prove useful. There might be a day when the Celestial Abyss was needed again, and he abhorred relying on anyone but himself if it came to fight a war.

He watched the blue-clad people scurry around the city, for some reason not helping to rebuild it, but standing constantly in the way of those who did. Himself he had at least shown the respect to find a place away from the main work, on one of the higher terraces of a devastated temple. Now that he could do so without being frowned upon he enjoyed gazing down on the wizards. As smart as they always appeared to be, sometimes he doubted their intelligence, especially after the pitiful way he had watched them handle the battle. Without him and the Yintos army they would have lost pathetically, and all they had received for their troubles had been a trivial "Thank you".

That was the moment he remembered why he hated the wizards so much. The sooner they set out back to Yintos the better. After all, the capital still lay in ruins and lacked a leader. He intended to take control of this position promptly when he returned. Just as he had taken control of the army.

"Bathing in undeserved glory, Brackus?"

Growling he looked over his shoulder at Doku, the only hindrance left in his plan to gain the supreme rule of all of Yintos. He did not know yet how he would get rid of him eventually, but for now he did not need to fear him. It was an open secret that he would use the first chance he got to usurp him; however Doku could not afford to lose the fragile trust of the army. After the immense losses in the war, the men were yearning for a strong, stable leadership. Pulling of some sort of ruse at this point, in the middle of the rebuilding, did not demonstrate much wit. Something which suited Doku though, nevertheless he doubted anyone could be that dumb.

Finally he asked condescendingly: "What is it you want? I don't remember you pulling the trigger of the Celestial Abyss and saving us all."

Doku's weird blue eyes flashed angrily and he laughed: "Brackus, everyone could have done what you did. You just were in the right place at the right time. If it weren't for me and my plan you would have never seen the Celestial Abyss in the first place. It was my strategy that got us out of Yintos as leading warlords."

"You mean, me as the leading warlord. You're just another commander in my army, and the men will never regard you as anything else." Calmly he turned his gaze back to the town and the soldiers who had gathered on the former marketplace. The sudden disappearance of the whole royal family, Yintos' leading class, hit them hard, and with the traditional structure gone a change started to show in their attitude. At the moment they would follow anyone who proved to be best for Yintos and who was able to restore its lost pride. Yet Brackus' connection to the deceased royal family still ensured they turned to him instead of Doku. A thing the latter was unable to change.

Probably he was clenching his fists behind Brackus' back right now and muttering curses to himself, but he was invincible.

In the end he announced, filled with spite: "Fine then, keep going like that. Your own arrogance and self-absorption are going to break you neck one day. Do you think the wizards are unaware that you do not truly support their ideals? And how will you prove your worth on the long run? I gained a position I could only dream of before, but you brought your own doom by tagging along!"

At this he whirled around and stared Doku down. He loathed that wretched coward even more than the wizards, because he did only talk, but not act on his own. During the course of the battle of Yan-Sumos, Brackus had not missed how he had tried to get on wizard Nazmul's good side, and obviously it had worked. Yet without strong back-up he was completely unsuited to rule a province like Yintos, let alone something greater as he himself aspired to.

To approach him for "tagging along" was an insult he would as a result not simply take. He had not made the decision to betray Torash thoughtlessly. It had been a lot harder than Doku guessed, and the only reason he had agreed to his scheme had been the glorious prospect it offered him. As much as it hurt him to sacrifice his beloved, his desire to achieve more than simply being a Yintos warlord had exceeded all affection and emotion.

Torash had been an amazing woman, but she lacked the ambition he had, her sense of duty and responsibility was too strong. She did what was necessary to secure the higher goal, a goal that usually was Yintos, but never herself. With her on his side, he would have ruled securely, yet she would have never allowed him to pursue his own dreams. Because he knew he could not have everything he longed for.

He had set priorities, and now pushed the reflection of his betrayal and the memory of Torash's last fiery glare as far away from his thoughts as possible. In a place where he did not have to cope with them. He knew that all of it might come back one day to bite him, but it was best never to consider this options or carefully analyse his feelings. The deed could not be undone, and denying it had ever happened let him at least focus on the important things for now. Namely Doku.

"Do you think you will win any loyalties by cowering behind that wizard? I say it again: You're just a minor commander, and you will never become more than this", he told Doku who grinned still. Visibly Brackus' words did not touch him at all.

His response was also fitting his manners: "I may be nothing but a minor commander, but you, Brackus, are nothing at all. Not without Torash by your side. The Lady of Yintos made you everything you ever were, and without her power and wit you will turn Yintos into something it's not supposed to be. Without her guidance you'll shame her reminiscence, and it won't take forever until others will see that, too. I will become warlord, and the wizards will help me, while you're all on your own. I predict you, you'll fail."

Satisfied to have made his speech, in Brackus' eyes a senseless one, Doku turned and began to descend the stairwell towards the marketplace. After only a few steps however he stopped once again and looked back at him viciously: "Oh, I almost forgot! With the new empire you seek to build under your rule, you sure have a legacy already. Or didn't you thing about that tiny problem, either, when you got rid of Torash?"

He did not wait for an answer, which he did not expect anyway and for good reason, and continued his way downwards. Meanwhile Brackus watched him with an irritated glare. Undeniably he had a point there and his legacy was an issue he had no solution to yet. But he did not intend to need a legacy soon. There would time enough to find one, even without Torash.

Rather optimistic he assumed that the solution would eventually jump right into his face as the course of things went on. There was no obstacle he could not conquer, if necessary with brute force. His conscience would remain buried, and at the moment there was no one to really stand in his way apart from Doku and his pitiful wizard friends. He would find a way to deal with them. After all he was the one who had escaped the siege of Yintos and the hero of the battle of Yan-Sumos. And who would disrespect the only surviving Yintos hero?

#

It was a contemptible sight. First the temple burnt by the battle, then Altamar almost brought to the foundations. And who was standing in the centre of the destruction as the great victors? The wizards, defenders and worst of all two traitorous Yintos warlords, pretending to be the saviours of the realm.

A sigh escaped her lips while she stalked the streets of Altamar, taking a look at what her brethren had achieved. They were incredibly strong, but equally unworldly. It was not time for the Ethos' rule over RaDos yet and they had learnt that lesson the hard way. Lady K'Tahsh did not care. She had all time in the world to wait and watch – and act.

Unnaturally easily she climbed up on the highest house that was left to look towards the marketplace. Her sharp eyes could make out the little, running figures of the people she used to know so well, she used to think of as her allies, but who now deemed her destroyed "heroically defending the Sepulcur".

She groaned at the thought of Brackus' horrific story. What a theatrical idiocy, which they of course believed. Well, perhaps it was best this way. Torash was gone, maybe there was something left of her but the anger and hatred she felt. However she doubted that the person she once was would ever emerge back to the surface, as there was no one left who had known her well enough, and who cared.

Observing the busy figures in the distance she bind her long, now snow-white, hair back and lovingly caressed the edge of the with Ethos magic red-glowing blades. Down there were all these traitors and hypocrites who had sacrificed her for their own good. Now they even took everything that should have belonged to her, just to ruin it with their carelessness. They would pay for wrecking all she had fought for, above all her life, and for standing in the way of those she was part of now.

One after the other they would face the deadly, dark Lady. Wizards and defenders alike. With Brackus she would take her time. Vengeance was sweet, and his punishment should be appropriate and well-considered. Though her emotions were gone, she would have destroyed him too fast in her current fury. She would be patient, so that she would enjoy the moment when it finally came. He had not known any regrets, and she was sure she would not either.