Chapter 19

Daria waited for them, leaning against a wall nearby with his arms crossed over his chest. He stood straight when the door opened and approached the group. His eyes were narrowed angrily as he walked right up to Shanniah. He towered over her, being much taller, and all around bigger than her. He looked down at her, "You lied."

Shanniah didn't shrink and met his gaze defiantly, "I did what I had to in order to protect my friend."

"You corrupted him in the first place," Daria snarled, "You know nothing of protecting others-"

"Daria," Lian's voice was firm and calm. He surprised even himself because he wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner and hide. He'd never seen his brother this angry.

Daria turned to him, "Mii'lian. Why didn't you go to the palace like you said you would? We put our trust in you and you betrayed it."

"I didn't come here on purpose," Lian snapped. He gripped Spell Breaker tightly in his right hand, "Leave them alone. They can't fight you."

"They're evil," Daria motioned around them, "This world has not seen the light of the sun for hundreds of thousands of years."

"Holy light he sounds almost insane," Lian muttered under his breath. He jumped and turned towards the sky when loud booming thunder echoed around them. A thousand curses ran through his head. Lightning was on it's way. He'd seen Daria do this before in training. "Get down!"

All of the kids crouched on the ground, their hands covering their heads.

Lian raced over them and barely managed to get in front of them in time to take the enormous lightning bolt headed their way. Spell Breaker absorbed the energy. The device started to vibrate at a high frequency.

Lian stumbled backwards. He glanced at the device in surprise. Not that he was mad. He just didn't know it could do that.

Daria's eyes widened in shock, "What did you do?!"

Lian shook his head, "I didn't do anything." He turned to his friends and the other kids and told them to go before he glared at Daria, "Since you don't seem to get it, let me spell it out in no uncertain terms. You. Aren't. Going. To. Touch. Them."

Daria tried to get past Lian in order to reach them but Lian refused to get out of his way. Daria shouted, "Get out of my way!"

"No!" Lian stood firm. He was woefully inexperienced in comparison to his brother. But he had other advantages.

"I knew I should've brought my bow," Daria muttered under his breath.

Lian was very glad his brother hadn't. There would've been nothing he could do at that point.

Daria pulled one of his swords out of it's sheath and pointed it at Lian, "Don't let them corrupt you, Lian."

"If defending children is your idea of corrupted then you're too late," Lian stated, "because I'm not moving."

Daria leaped forward with jarring speed.

Lian hopped backwards. Thanks to the boots he'd made earlier he managed to get out of Daria's way. Without them pushing him farther than he could normally go he would've been sliced in half. He stumbled but managed to find his footing. He ran from Daria in the opposite direction the other kids had gone. His brother followed him.

One thing Lian was good at was hiding. And he knew this part of the city well. He grinned, "Catch me if you can, Daria!" He leaped into the air and landed on a rooftop. He ran along the edge of it, scanning the ground beneath him.

Daria flew right over him and landed in front of him, both of his swords pointed at him, "You have no powers. What are you doing?"

Lian smirked, "I do have powers." He slid off the roof and landed on the ground, shouting over his shoulder, "I'm a mechanic!" Lian took a winding path through the streets of Ravnica, turning left or right on a whim.

Lian dropped off the walkway he was currently on, landing and rolling on the one beneath it. He ducked into a doorway and flattened himself into the door under the overhang.

Daria, naturally was flying. That gave him a view of everything. Hypothetically speaking. However the streets of Ravnica were tight and the route Lian took was completely random. Daria landed and looked around uncertainly. Lian was gone.

Lian slid silently out from under the overhang. He leaped back up to the walkway and retraced his steps. The speed boost the boots provided him with was exhilarating. He dropped down and skidded to a halt behind the group when he finally found them.

They all spun around.

Shanniah smiled in relief, "You're alright."

Lian nodded. He was out of breath and the last traces of his grin were still present on his face. He took a deep breath, "Let's keep going."

Shanniah nodded. She continued to lead the way.

Lian didn't notice but the younger kids especially were staring at him in awe now. Almost like they were just now beginning to believe that maybe he was a god.

"Father, I lost Lian," Daria admitted as he landed and jogged towards Seth'ius. He didn't spare a glance at the carnage that filled the mansion courtyard.

Mayu walked around the bodies littering the battlefield. She knelt down and closed the eyes of those that were staring blankly at the sky, "May The Dead Mother watch over you in your afterlife."

"Mayu!" Daria called to her. He walked over to her, "What are you doing? We need to find Lian, before this world corrupts him any further."

Mayu met his gaze calmly, "I am sending these people to The Dead Mother."

"Why?" Daria asked, "It's a waste-"

"No." Mayu shook her head, "It is not a waste of time." She was silent for a moment and then nodded, "Now that they have been saved from the corruption they were raised in, we have to send them away with our best wishes. So they make it safely to The Dead Mother's welcoming arms."

Understanding dawned on Daria. He nodded, "Very well. I will leave you to it."

Mayu nodded appreciatively.

"Father and I are going to find Lian," Daria said.

Mayu glanced at him, "Ask Father if he can wait one moment. I am almost done."

Daria nodded, "Of course." He walked back to Seth'ius, "Mayu would like a minute, Father. She is almost done."

Seth'ius growled, "Tell your sister to hurry up. We do not have time to spare, Daria'lis."

Daria nodded, "Yes, Father."

Mayu met him halfway to her, "I am done."

Daria looked relieved but his expression quickly cleared, "Good. We don't have time to spare."

Mayu nodded, "Let's go then."