"Hello everyone. Greetings, and Welcome to the Final, Climatic Chapter of The Tremors. As always, I would appreciate if, during this review you tell me of your overall thoughts for the writing, story, style and tone of this piece of fiction. I hope you have enjoyed it, and with the end of this story, so do the last vestiges of "Inspired work" vanish from the scene. In the Past, Flood was inspired by Fellowship of the Ring, and other Epic Fantasy Cliche's. Now, it had taken on a life and soul of its own, and one its way to becoming a great new piece.

Was the chapter cycling good, or would you prefer to read from the same characters viewpoint for longer than a chapter? Or less? It should get easier as the scattered members of the Pride become rejoined over the time.

Also, was the level of violence over the top? Hopefully it wasn't too gory, but was it jarring from the experience seeing this loved childhood characters fight and kill? I don't know. What did you think?

So again, and thoughts or feelings, let me know.

Also, another shout out to Chu10's excellent work on "Flood's" Cover. Tremors and Storm will be created soon, and Inferno and Apocalypse soon after that.

Anyway, Enjoy. Here is the Final chapter.

Cheers: Haradion"

Chapter 20: Thicker than Water

Darina and Karina. Jaguars – cubs, but fast and strong to boot. Weaker than lions, but generally stronger than panthers, leopards or wildcats.

Forn, Wilddog, walks with a limp, favoring his left side. Partially blind in one eye, but experienced.

Sebastian, wildcat.

Sash, and his two older siblings. Rei and Ras. All Panthers, and the first opponents Inti had fought in the arena. Rei was warming to him, but Sash was still frightened, and Ras always regarded Inti with an icy attitude.

Gharath. Rhino. Not a natural predator, and slow, and bulky. Impossible for him to avoid detection. But he was strong, powerful, and even the Shai'tan were wary of a sudden charge from him.

Inti ticked off those within the Tower in his head, noting their strengths, weaknesses and fighting styles. Something Koron had taught him on his first day had struck a chord with him, and the young cub had taken it too heart. He knew most animals by sight if not by name, and had grown accustomed to watching the fights, however brutal they were. By analyzing, watching, waiting and learning, he had been able to push the blood, butchery and violence out of his head. Sara had been unable to do the same, finding it difficult to endure watching the fights herself, but fortunately, between Koron and Inti, the two male cubs were usually able to arm her with some tidbit of information. Some useful, careless piece of trivia which might give her an advantage. It wasn't much. But it was an advantage Inti was loath to do without.

Except, each time he watched one of the combatants fight, he didn't just see the animal. Unlike Koron, he wasn't able to fully remove himself from the experience of watching other animals – often his own age, or in their adolescence, meat eater, and herbivore alike – fight and kill one another for the amusement of others. Each time one of the Shai'tan's fights took place, Inti thought of the frightened sibling, the desperate mother of each animal that fought. And try as he might, he found himself unable to bring himself to hate those he thought against.

Koron had no such qualms, and fought with vicious skill and a cunningness that bordered on the cruel. Koron had perturbed Inti on their first meeting, and had done little in the mean time to change that belief. The cub was withdrawn, cold, pessimistic, and cynical. Although Inti such behavior was born from desperation and an iron will,a less charitable person would have called such behavior wicked. But there was more than one side to the dark, bloodstricken, battered cub. Inti had seen Koron, in the dark of the night, once Sara had fallen asleep, and he himself felt the powerful allure of the night pulling on his eyelids.

Once staying awake became a trial to painful to endure, he had seen Koron in those moments, staring out into the broken, bloodstained, empty arena. And his eyes would take a haunted looked, as he stared at the bloodstained ground. It would be wrong to assume that Koron enjoyed the violence and fighting. It was just that he was better at hiding it.

"Were there any other lion here?" Sara asked suddenly. Koron's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I just wondered. As far as I can tell, we are the only lion cubs in the whole tower. Once upon a time, this place was Zira's fortress. There were plenty of lionesses, and in the years between Scar's reign and the Civil war, a few rouges passed through, so there were a few cubs… I just wondered if the Shai'tan had found any other lions?" Sara asked hesitantly. Inti shut his eyes for a moment.

"No." He said at last. "No Lion cubs." He said. Sara herd the omission however.

"What about other lions?" She asked cautiously. Koron glanced at her.

"I don't want to talk about it." He said. Sara's eyes softened.

"Koron…" She began, but Koron growled.

"Save it." He said. Sara sighed.

"When will you trust us?" She asked him. Koron gave a short laugh.

"It's not about trust. I just don't like to talk about it." When Sara remained silent, but didn't change the subject he sighed.

"Fine. There used to be other lionesses. I didn't come to the Outlands by myself okay? A few weeks before the ascension, I had a family. I was a small Pride. Just my father, my mother and my sister. When the Shai'tan came through the gateway, I was very small, but my Father was mesmerized by the phenonima. he thought it was a beautiful work of magic. When the Shai'tan came through, they had no intention of revealing themselves for the time being. They murdered him on the spot. Marsade took my sister, who was only just older than me. My mother and I ended up here, in the pits below Golgorath." He said, his voice shaking.

"Then, when we received news that pride Rock had fallen, that the King was dead and that the Shai'tan had conquered the Pridelands, the Tower swelled with new life. Snakes and jackals, Wilddogs, a few Hyenas and rouges. you know the types. Once the pits became fight-pits instead of just cells, they made my mother fight. I watched them break her, break her spirit, break her soul. She died in these pits, and when she wouldn't fight any more, Amun suggested that it was a waste of their time leaving her here. I got this when they came for her." He said, pointing to a scar on his lip below his jaw, and its twin just above his eye.

"The scum knocked me out, so I never saw them cut her throat. Took me weeks to get rid of the blood though." Koron finished. Sara and Inti stared at him. And for the briefest of flashes, Sara wondered what she would have done. If it was her brother who had been killed by Marsade, and her mother who Amun had killed. How would she have reacted? Would it have hardened her, as it had Koron? Making her like stone? Or would it have broken her? She honestly didn't know.

Sara opened her mouth to say something, to say something meaningful, or heartfelt, to try to make the pain Koron felt fade, but she could not formulate a sound before the door of their tiny cell was ripped open from behind, flooding the dimly lit hovel with light.

"You two. The males. Get out of there." A voice barked. It was unfamiliar, but its staccato rhythm and gravelly voice told them it belonged to a Wilddog. Inti turned to the sound.

"Is it that time of day already?" He asked brightly, and was rewarded by a scratch to the face for his troubles, prompting Sara to gasp in shock. Inti groaned.

"Wow. That's a new reaction. Touchy." he managed to say before a second paw scythed towards him, and he back out of the cave and shut up immediately. Koron followed eying their new captors cautiously.

"What happened to the usual fellow?" Koron asked, mimicking Inti's cheerful façade.

"Don't ask questions. Get out and move." The new Wilddog said. Koron shrugged, and the pair of male cubs were lead away towards the pit.

When they emerged, the surrounding enclaves, hovels, and hills were filled to the brim with screaming beasts. All kinds of carnivorous and unpleasant animals packed the pit's sides, a haunting cry on their lips, baying for blood and death. It unnerved Inti, and Koron's perpetual smirk faded in an instant. The shouting crowd was brought to a silence by the emergence of the Shai'tan at Rish'ut's perch. Mercifully, the Emperor was absent, no doubt visiting one of the other Shai'tan in their respective regions, which gave Inti small comfort. For some reason, though he had barley heard him speak, the burning, searing eyes of the Emperor gave him the creeps, and he always fought worse under the penetrating gaze. Instead, Rish'ut stood next to Mortread which surprised Inti. Apparently the Shai'tan had returned at long last, but there was no sign of Sekmet, the only Shai'tan with whom Inti had personal experience. Rish'ut's gaze born down at him, and though it was not in the least as frightening as Ben-Kai-Ra's, it was less than encouraging. The Shai'tan spoke, with a loud voice which boomed around the tower.

"Serpents… Wilddogs… Jackals, and Loyalists. There are some among you, who do not see the benefit of these trials. Who do not yet see the wisdom, in encouraging the lesser races to fight for survival… Such fools, do not see that in this big, wide, world, death is the only single absolute… And survival, the only goal." he said. The assembled animals listened patiently. A few were restless, anxious for their usual display of blood. Many had wagered the meat they had on the outcome of the fights, and were waiting to see if they could feed their families, or if they would go hungry another night. No one voiced a single thought, or raised a single objection.

"But to survive. There is always a cost. And that Cost is that death befalls someone else. It doesn't matter who. A friend. A Sibling. A Mate. A Rival. An Enemy. A Brother..." Rish'ut continued,and the tiger gave a slow wide grin.

"Or even a cell-mate." He said, as Koron received a very strong chill down the edge of his spine.

"To demonstrate this valuable lesson… I give to you: Inti! And Koron! Two, noble, brave young lions… who have proved themselves to be the strongest, bravest fighters in these pits. For your education, and your entertainment… I am proud to offer you, this season's first DEATH MATCH.

This Fight shall be to the Death – the usual prize of food is suspended – the new Prize, it their life!"

At this, the crowd roared in excitement. The crowd had seen them fight separately, even occasionally as a duo, but never against one another. Inti began to feel sick in the stomach. And around the growd, scattered in little pockets, under heavy guard and surrounded by serpents and jackals, and in the case of one Rhino, flanked by a pair of scraggely looking rouge lions.

"Death match? Oh Kings…" Inti swore. Koron spat on the ground. Then he shouted in a voice that quieted even the roar of the animals.

"RISH'UT! COWARD! COWARD AND TYRANT!" He shouted, even as Rish'ut gave a slow chuckle. The cubs would pay a high price for their transgression. True, they had not yet begun to exercise rebellion or revolution, but they were planting the seeds, and with the Emperor semi-present, it would not do to have to put down such a futile attempt. Executions would be necessary, to set an example. Killing just one of them was a service. It was for this reason that other fighters were unusually present, albeit surrounded by the Shai'tan's loyalist of subjects. It was a flawless plan. One that would reinforce the Shai'tan's iron grip over Golgorath without resorting to messy unpleasantries, or undermining a year's worth of work. The current system worked. Why would he upset it. His only regret was the Ben-Kai-Ra had returned to the homeland, having jerked up one evening looking perturbed. Without an explanation he had immediately left for one of the few remaining open gates. With both the Shaman and the Emperor missing, and Sekmet dead (not that it was common knowledge) that left Rish'ut to enjoy a position of great power.

The cubs would never know how many lives they were saving by fighting own another. It was an honorable death, ironically. It gave Rish'ut pleasure, and his grin widened, showing many teeth.

Koron stared up at Rish'ut, defiant and hateful. Rish'ut only laughed.

"Coward? You are the One refusing to fight… But if your lives mean nothing to you and you need encouragement…" He began, signalling behind him…

"I have some for you." He said.

Slowly, Sara was lead to the front of the overlook where Rish'ut stood. She was shaking in fear, and Inti's stomach hit the floor when she appeared. From her perspective, the height was dizzying. Inti and Korron were a long way below them, and they both stared up at her.

"No!" Koron shouted in anger.

"SARA!" Inti screamed in fright. Rish'ut grinned. Everyone had a weakness.

"So my friends… I tell you all. One cub will die today… Either one male will slay the other… or else Sara will fall to her unfortunate death… It's a long way for a cub to fall…" He said, edging her closer. Sara was too frightened to even cry out.

Inti met Koron's eyes.

"I can't do this…" He said. Koron stared up at Sara.

"If one of us doesn't move… your sister is going to die…" He said.

"Five…"

"There has to be another way… just give me a minute…"

"Four…"

"There is no time for this…"

"Three…"

"I won't buy one life with another! I will fight for food, but not kill for it!"

"Two…"

"Then I will!"

Koron said. Then he attacked. Inti had seen Koron fight before, and he used the same precise movements he had before. Cutting with speed, strength and skill in equal measure. Inti scrambled back as Rish'ut laughed, halting his countdown. Sara screamed in terror, but Koron was focused only on Inti.

"If you won't fight me, then I will kill you… But for Spirits sake… don't make me a murderer. Fight back… Fight back!"

Koron begged. And so Inti did. When Koron next attacked him, Inti dived under his outstretched paw, and clawed at Koron's belly.

High above them, Rish'ut began to laugh.

"See! Look at them! They are all the same!" He gave a low chuckle that echoed around the arena.

It was a move intended to weaken rather than to kill, but Koron, guessing his intent rolled away at the last minute and Inti's claws closed on thin air. Koron gave a growl and bit down n Inti's side, drawing blood, but his aim was off and Inti was able to twist and strike Koron on his exposed side with claws sharpened less than an hour previously. Koron was fighting his hardest, but Inti was fighting to injure and defend, not to kill, and Koron already had an advantage. Inti had spent his cub-hood running. Koron had spent his fighting.

Koron crashed into Inti sending the pair spinning along the arena floor. Inti let out a shout and clawed at Koron. Koron's eyes didn't betray the slightest hint of remorse as he blocked the paw, and forced it to the ground, stretching Inti's muscles painfully, but opening Inti's flank. Koron bit into the tender flesh, trying to get a grip on Inti's neck to strangle his friend. But Inti writhed, and managed to get both hind paws under Koron. With a grunt, he pushed upwards forcing Koron off him, and throwing him off. Koron shouted as he hit the ground hard, and Inti crawled to his feet, panting, and showing teeth. Koron stood up quickly, swaying slightly as he did so, but with an identical expression. Determination.

"Surely you can do better than that!" Rish'ut shouted down from on high. Almost nonchalantly, he pushed Sara further towards the edge. She thrashed, trying to find some purchase or grip on the dusty, decaying rock, but there was none. Koron and Inti both glanced up at once.

It was in that moment that both of them came to the decision. Whether they liked it or not, neither of them was willing to Sacrifice Sara. Which meant one of them was destined to die. And neither was willing to sacrifice his own life.

The thought had briefly crossed Inti's mind. The thought of offering himself to Koron, exposing his jugular vein and inviting the dark cub to cut his throat. It was what the Kings of the past would have done. What Danyal perhaps would have done. But it was something Inti couldn't do. He couldn't abandon his sister. He could not abandon the hope that somewhere out there, his family was searching for him, and above all, he would not, could not give into the lure of void.

Death frightened him. It was as simple as that. Their fight was without malice. Without hatred or anger. But also without mercy.

Not that Rish'ut would have been impressed with that solution. Noble self-sacrifice would have undermined his entire plan, and though there was no way for either of the cubs to know that, would have resulted in the execution of all three cubs.

The assembled animals howled in jubilation. Although some watched the spectacle with apathy, and some showed expressions of shock, clearly disquieted at the dubious practice of making mere children kill, they were the smallest of minority. The bloodlust had taken over the arena, sending the crazed packs of animals into a sadistic euphoria. Golgorath had never attracted the noblest of beasts, but even the Hyena Clans, The Outlanders or Serpent Tribes would have balked at the madness. Now though, the Shai'tan loyalists, striped hyenas, rouges, snakes and jackals all, inhaled the scent of death and destruction as if it were a drug. Stripped of their compassion, they were a frightening, bestial kind.

Almasi, Damu and Vitani kept to the edges of the Tower. A while before they had wondered what spectacle had blinded the assembled animals so much that few gave them a moment's notice. Not that they would have cared had they been spotted. Once inside the Tower, all assumed they had passed by the Vulture's that guarded the entrance.

"Now remember. Look, stalk, and smell only. We aren't here for a battle. We need to find the cubs, and get out whilst everyone is distracted. This could be our best opportunity." Vitani had said. But they had been unprepared for the dear scale of the madness that lurked within the Black Tower. Layer upon layer of cell next to cell spiraled down the base of tower, into the bowels of the earth. Vitani had extensively explored the under tunnels as a cub, and she saw that they had since been exposed. The Shai'tan had been digging, opening the base of tower, expanding their powerbase. The tower masked its true size. The Tower wasn't anywhere the size of Pride Rock, long since demolished, but it was still a tower of notable size, and its malicious peaks pierced the red sky of the outlands.

Almasi however, had fought her way to the front at the sound of a familiar cry.

"Inti!" She had gasped, and Vitani could only watch in horror as she pushed herself through the shoulders of over animals, craning for a view of the fight.

And then she saw it. She saw Inti fighting another lion cubs. And he was attacking, trading blow for blow, striking where it hurt the most. It was vicious, frightening.

Vitani felt cold, but Almasi felt sick in her stomach.

"My Son…" She whispered. "What have they done…" And then she saw her daughter being dangled over the pit by the monster Rish'ut, and understood. She was the prize for this fight.

The world was a mess, and Almasi wanted nothing more than to just disappear. To cease existing.

Vitani supported her from the side, and Damu on her left. Unable to do anything else, the three lionesses watched in horror.

Koron span, and sliced into Inti's forearms. Inti gave a scream of pain, but instead of shrinking back, pressed forward and slashed at Koron's face. The claws sheared through the weak skin over his jaw, and slit open fresh cuts to decorate the already scared face.

Koron grunted and responded in kind, but Inti was already dancing away. Koron might be the stronger fighter, but Inti was the faster and he used that to his advantage. Koron, knowing this, sought only to tire out his opponent. then, when Inti was weak and helpless, he would finish it. It was the kinder way. The Alternative was to score a fatal wound on his chest or face, which would be guaranteed to be excruciating.

It was beginning to pay off. Inti looked less certain, and was panting harder. Sara eyed them both with equal desperation, not wanting either to be hurt and flinching at both fighters' strikes. Rish'ut gave another laugh, which sent chills up and down her spine, ricocheting of every vertebra.

"How does it feel to know they are fighting over you? That they are each prepared to kill the other to save your life? And their own of course – that's the main thing. Neither of them really care about you, they just want to survive another day… and remove another piece of competition…"

Rish'ut spat at him. Rish'ut responded with a smirk and unsheathed a claw. Razor sharp and serrated, and he ran it over her fur, making her skin crawl.

"That was a mistake." And then he drove the point into her flesh, slowly and deliberately. The blood welled up, spilling over and she gasped as the icy cold pain washed over her. Rish'ut stopped. He wasn't trying to torture her… but he was not fond of spittle in his fur – though Sekmet frequently complained of his hygiene, he had some standards. However, he was distracted from that particular tendency, but a cry from the audience. Inti had finally faltered and Koron dealt him a blow that almost shattered ribs. Inti collapsed to the ground in pain and the crowd cheered. Koron stepped forward to finish the job.

"I am sorry… I truly am…" Koron whispered as he drew his claws to an even greater length. Inti gave a small nod, looking resigned as the crowd held its breath.

Koron's paw descended over his throat…

Inti rolled under, crashing into Koron, who balancing on three legs, stumbled and fell. Inti pounced, landing on his former friend's belly, pinning him to the crowd. The crowd erupted in cheers, and Koron was dumbstruck.

"You weren't tiring… you were waiting for me to lower my guard, to go for the kill… you only made it look as though you were exhausted…" Koron gave a smile. "Well played Inti…" He said.

"I concede…" Koron said as Inti's claws dug into him. Blood ran freely across the bright sand, now black with a sickening crimson hue. A hush, a stillness descended over the arena despite the barbarity. Rish'ut gave a smile. Then he slashed his own paw downwards onto Sara. Below him, Koron and Inti's faces betrayed hints of alarm, but it was without cause. His paw struck her behind the skull and sent her into unconsciousness, but thankfully, not into the next life. At his command, three Wilddogs moved forward and dragged Sara from Rish'ut parapet, back to her cell now the fight was over. She left a small trail of blood from where he had pierced her as she did so, but other than that she seemed unharmed.

Rish'ut stepped to edge of the parapet and the hush became a silence as the Shai'tan eyed the roaring, frenzied crowd.

"Well fought…" He congratulated them both.

"Subjects, I give you Inti! 'The greatest Fighter in Golgorath'. Now. Finish it." He ordered.

Koron closed his eyes, and Inti inhaled. The sickly blood-filled air caused him to gag, rather than calm him.

"Do it… End it… Make the fights stop…" Koron whispered to him, silently begging his former cellmate to cut his throat there and then. End the cycle of torment and death. Koron always knew that one day, he would lose in the arena, and though he had no way of knowing it would be to Inti, it came as a relief rather than a struggle. It was a stunning transformation for a lion cub that had not long ago professed a desire to fight to the bitter end. But now as it came, he stared into the face of his killer without terror. Inti on the other hand, was shaking.

Kill him! The roar of the arena seemed to say. Inti's stomach heaved as he took in the scene, and unbeknownst to him, his mother turned away, unwilling to see her son commit a murder.

The crowd waited with abated breath.

Inti raised a clawed paw to end Koron's life. He raised it high into the air, tears falling from his face as he did so, not wanting to look at his adversary, but unable to tear his gaze away from his friend. The blow would have killed him, in that moment.

But it never fell.

Instead, Inti stopped shaking, and then he slowly stepped off Koron, who gazed up at him in shock.

The crowd was stunned. Captivated by this action.

Then, Koron turned his back on the Shai'tan, and began to walk out of the arena, where the snakes guarded the entrances, dripping in blood and sweat, his flame colored mane pressed flat against his skull. He met their lidless gaze without flinching, even as they hissed.

And then someone began to cheer. Inter-spaced between the regular crowd were pockets of fighters – still prisoners, but made to watch what Rish'ut had planned to be a lesson. Instead it showed them the last thing RIsh'ut needed them to see. They cheered and they shouted

Other animals looked around in surprise, too stunned by the noise to think of anything else. But the cheers did not come from the crowd of Jackals and Wilddogs, from the serpents or rouges. It came from the edges of the pit, where, in crevices and through gaps in rock walls, flanked by Wilddogs and other guards, the other fighters raised their voices, regardless of repercussion. They called and chanted and bellowed to the highest heavens..

Darina and Karina, the Jaguars, Forn the rebel Wilddog, Sebastian and Sash, and his two older siblings Rei and Ras. Gharath. And others. Others whom Inti had yet to exchange the simplest of words with and others who had been vehemently opposed to communicating with Inti, or Koron. Others whom the day before had cared only for themselves and for their own needs. They cheered as the rest of the crowd, and the animals and servants of the Shai'tan watched in stunned horror.

One person was not impressed.

Rish'ut was shaking with Rage. Humiliated, and now without his leverage over Inti, he watched the cub walk away, seeming without fear. How dare he… He had been suckered in by the fight just as the pathetic licentious rabble below had, and been fooled into forgetting the real stakes – the reason for putting Inti in the pit in the first place. And now the damage was done. Even if Inti died right now, the rest of the fighters would know that he had defied Shai'tan, placing his friends above his fear, or at least that was how it appeared.

It would be pointless to hurt him now.

Not that it would stop him. They had rejected his message, and it was time for a sharper, more brutal one.

"SHARAK! HARRIN! Kill them! Kill them! Kill one in every five! Decimate them!" And with that he ordered the death of one fifth of the Gladiators.

The whole arena fell about in panic as he turned and sliced the head of the nearest Wilddog clean off its shoulders in a rare expression of wrath.

That was a mistake. Rish'uts ordered, barked in anger a followed with the summarily execution of one o fhis own follows sent a ripple of fear through the crowd – both fighter and onlooker alike. As the Wilddogs fell upon the fighters, something in the crowd snapped.

Fearing they were next, they ran and scattered as they became caught in between the infighting as prisoners marked for death refused to take their lot lying down.

Guards jumped down upon fleeing fighters. Some ran back to their cells – others made a mad dash for the entrance of the tower only to be slaughtered by serpent. Others simply shrank back in the pit, only to be cornered a cut down. At least a fifth were. The rest were dragged, kicking, and screaming in terror back to their holes. In the ruckus, the degenerate population of Wilddogs not participating in the massacre was in just as much danger. The Wilddogs entered a berserker rage that

Animals ran, Wilddogs fell upon them, other fighting others as others fought their way out. The result was a bloodbath. Eight or nine fighters lay dead or dying in the dust, before some resemblance of order was finally restored. Another half-dozen had been killed either by mistaken guards or in the deadly crush which followed and at least five-dozen were injured, predator and prey alike.

Rish'ut watched the madness, but his blood ran cold.

At last however, order was restored and the crowd departe

d – if not slowly, but quietly, without anymore death. The murder of the slaves stopped as well, which was a blessed relief to the ones who had remained in the pit, unable to escape.

Rish'ut gave a sigh of relief. It had taken far more murders than he had anticipated, but at last, his control over the tower was as absolute as when he had first taken it the day the old kingdom fell. Then, taking no time to savour that feeling, turned his attention to the last matter at hand.

Koron and Inti were both pinned down by respective Wilddogs, and Rish'ut was an order away from decapitating both of them there and then. Spirits knew they were worth the trouble, practically starting a riot themselves. But now that order was restored there seemed little point in adding two more bodies to the pile of corpses that would need to be dragged from the after all the fighting and blood of the day, he gave a weary sigh.

"Through that one back in its cell…" He muttered to Koron, as he was dragged away. he took a moment to glare at Inti, and was about to order his execution.

"No… Wait." He said, seething with an anger as hot as molten lead.

"Put him with the Oracle. I will deal with him later… He can join her in her suffering."

AN:

Umm… Oh dear! What a horrible note to end the story on! Inti avoids killing his friend, the in the ensuring chaos, there was a slaughter! And unbeknownst to him his mother and friends are in the crowd! The slaughter will shown from their perspective in the opening scenes on the next book – which is why it seems so chaotic and frantic here. I hope you like that decision – it felt a little bareboned, but it was meant to reflect the fact that no one had a clue as to what was going on in any detail.

Enjoy! Please leave a review before going onto the Epilouge.