Chapter 25

"Stop holding back, Daria!" Seth'ius commanded.

Daria glanced at his father. He picked up his pace.

Kala barely managed to get out of the way of his oldest brother's attacks. He stumbled and fell backwards. He barely managed to get his arms in front of his face to block a downward swipe from Daria. He screamed in pain as Daria's sword cut down his arm. In half a second his arm was covered in blood. It flowed freely down his arm, running onto the ground and into his lap.

"That's good!" Seth'ius called.

Daria stepped back, "Are-Are you alright-"

"Daria," Seth'ius interrupted.

Daria turned and snapped to attention, "Yes Father?"

"You did well," Seth'ius nodded approvingly, "You can go."

Daria nodded, "Yes Father." He hovered for a moment and looked at Kala, "Ca-"

"Go," Seth'ius commanded firmly.

Daria nodded and lowered his gaze, "Yes Father." He turned on his heel and strode away.

Seth'ius knelt down in front of Kala and grabbed his arm.

Kala cried out in pain.

"Hm," Seth'ius scoffed, "I can see the bone." He dug his fingers into the wound. The metal of the gauntlet that covered the tips of his fingers dug into the boy's flesh.

Kala gasped. Tears ran down his face. His voice was high pitched with pain, "Ow! Father! Please stop!"

"This never would've happened if you had been able to get out of the way. Either you need to be faster or you need to find a work around," Seth'ius growled, "I won't always be available to call a fight to a close. And someone that isn't family will be ruthless. They will show you no mercy." Seth'ius pulled Kala to his feet by his injured arm, ignoring the high pitched scream of pain it elicited, "I expect you to be faster by your next training session. Go to your mother." He let go of Kala's arm and shoved him in the direction he needed to be going.

Kala stumbled and almost fell. He pulled his arm to his chest. It was starting to go numb. His head was beginning to spin.

Mayu jogged up to him as he walked around a corner, "Kala!" She didn't hesitate when she saw him. Instantly she put her arm around his shoulders to support him. She helped him to their mother.

Nissa studied his arm as the wound slowly closed, "I can close the wound but I can't fully repair a lot of the damage that has been done." She looked at Kala with sympathy, "You're going to have to learn to do things with your right hand. Daria severed tendons in that hit. You're left hand isn't ever going to be strong enough to do much of anything, Kala. I'm sorry."

Kala stared at her in horror and fear, "But Father said I needed to be faster before the next training session! I'm going to be in trouble if-"

Nissa put her hand on his cheek, "Kala, I'll deal with your father. For now, just focus on learning to work with your other hand."

Kala bit his tongue and nodded.

"I'll help you," Mayu offered instantly, "I'm right hand dominant."

Nissa nodded, "Get him to his room."

Mayu helped Kala to his feet, being careful of his left arm. An ugly scar stretched from between his pointer finger and thumb all the way down to his elbow. She kept her arm wrapped around his shoulder as she led him away.

Nissa's face hardened and she went searching for Seth'ius. She confronted him in the palace library, "Congratulations, Seth'ius. Kala can no longer use his left hand."

"He needed to learn," Seth'ius responded callously.

Nissa's eyes narrowed angrily, "You are not to train with him again until he learns to use his right hand."

"You don't give me orders, Elf."

Nissa met his gaze evenly, "I do now. You are not to train with him." She turned and stalked away.

Kala stood in front of his window, watching Kala train with Tasha in the courtyard. His glove and gauntlets sat on the windowsill in front of him. He ran his right hand absently over the scar. It was just as prominent as it had been one hundred thousand years ago.

He grimaced as he slowly clenched and unclenched his left hand. After two repeats of the motion he let it relax. He sighed in frustration, "One hundred thousand years and that's all I can do with it." He put his glove on but left his gauntlets where they were.

Lian lifted his head off of his desk when someone knocked on the door. He looked at the door in confusion. His twenty five days weren't up yet. "Yes?"

"Um..."

"Kala?" Lian whispered to himself. He walked up to the door and stood in front of it.

"I guess I...I just wanted to check in. Make sure you were doing okay, Mii'lian," Kala said, "We are family after all.

Lian nodded, "I'm fine, Kala. It's nothing I'm not used to."

"That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," Kala whispered, looking down at his arm. He cleared his throat, "Alright. Good." He turned and walked away. He had no intention of getting in trouble for interacting with Lian before his twenty five day isolation was up.

Lian stared at the door for a minute, "I guess. But you get used to the pain after a while." He knew Kala was gone. He'd heard him walk away. No point in getting in trouble after all. He glanced at his fox, "Kala would probably know better than anybody else, huh?"

The fox nodded.

Lian stared at it. He knelt down in front of it, "Loc is the one that talks to animals. And yet you keep nodding at me."

The fox barked at him, jumped up onto his bed, and curled up for a nap.

Lian stood and stared after it. He pouted and crossed his hands over his chest, "Oh fine. I see how it is."

The fox yawned.

Lian sighed, "Fine."

Halfway through his twenty five days he was starting to feel antsy. He paced around his room, tapping his legs. He'd left the clips out of his hair and it was sticking out in every direction. He ran his hands through his hair, shoving his bangs back away from his face. He really missed his hoodie, but it was gone.

Lian sighed and flopped onto his bed, "I'm going to go crazy. I gotta get out of this room somehow."

The fox looked at the window. It yawned and curled up on his pillow.

Lian looked from it to the window and back again. He rolled his eyes, "There are bars on my window, Buddy."

The fox studied him for a moment. It got to it's feet and walked into his closet.

Lian watched it in confusion as it pulled his backpack out of his closet. It fished through the backpack and pulled out a very old book. Lian's eyes widened and he rushed over.

The fox stepped aside and looked up at him expectantly.

Lian shook his head, "Are you crazy? The only thing that would get through those bars is an explosive spell. I'd blow a hole in the wall. And I'd be dead before I left the courtyard."

The fox scowled at him but it's face quickly cleared. It barked in a manner that sounded like fine and went back to his pillow.

Lian watched it stroll casually past him. He blinked a couple times. He sat down next to it, "Are you really a fox?" He leaned forward and studied it.

It studied him for a moment.

Lian started to sulk. He was finally going crazy. Why wouldn't the fox be a normal old fox?

"No."

Lian jumped and shrieked. He sat up quickly and watched it through wide surprised eyes.

"I am not really a fox."

He stared at it, "I-What-How-What is going on?" His eyes narrowed, "I'm going insane aren't I? The isolation is finally getting to me. After four hundred and eighty thousand years."

The fox watched him in amusement, "My name is Vadanya. You'll likely recognize me as the Old Goddess of War."

Lian's eyes widened, "W-War?"

Vadanya nodded, "Yes. I am the Oracle's sister." She stretched and trotted over to him, "I was banished like the rest of our family. However, a friend found a convenient loophole that allows me to be here as long as I remain in an animal form."

Lian blinked slowly, "So…?"

Vadanya sat down next to him and looked up at him, "I am simply here to protect you. However, once the seals break I will need to return to my sister."

"You've done a wonderful job so far," Lian muttered.

"As I recall you've held me back," Vadanya pointed out calmly.

"Why keep it a secret?" Lian asked accusingly, "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Vadanya met his gaze, "Because if Seth'ius found out I am here then both of us would be dead in a heartbeat. Only your brother knows."

"Loc?" Lian asked.

Vadanya nodded, "I swore him to secrecy. I told him that if he kept my secret I would tell him all I knew."

"Did you?" Lian asked.

Vadanya nodded again.

"Can you tell me?" Lian asked.

Vadanya studied him for a moment, "Personally I know only a little about what happened. I know that my brother was called away from Ravnica by Seth'ius-"

"Your brother?" Lian repeated in confusion.

Vadanya nodded, "The Guildpact."

Lian stared at her, "He's your brother?!"

Vadanya sighed, "Yes."

Lian paused, "Sorry. Go ahead and continue."

"My brother was called away by Seth'ius. I haven't seen him since then. But he asked that we stay on Ravnica. To look after it if he didn't return. The others went to find him and I didn't seem them after that. Seth'ius attempted to kidnap the Oracle and I beat him into a stale mate. Despite that, I am not strong enough to defeat him. The Oracle agreed to lead him down the right path as long as he left our family untouched. He turned us all into deities and banished us from this world."

"So...which friend found the loop hole?" Lian asked.

"Ral Zarek," Vadanya answered simply.

"Ral?!" Lian squeaked in surprise.

Vadanya nodded, "Yes."

Lian ran his hands through his hair, "How?"

Vadanya watched Lian with her head tilted to the side, "You'd be amazed what determination can do, Lian. It took him all the time you were alone before we met to find it."

"But that's a few thousand years?" Lian's mind was blown.

Vadanya nodded, "Yes. Yes it is."

Lian looked at Vadanya, "So...why are you protecting me?"

"You're the wild card," Vadanya shrugged.

"Wild card?" Lian repeated.

Vadanya nodded again. She sighed, "Yes. The wild card. You could swing either way, as long as you survive long enough."

"My life is really in that much danger?" Lian asked fearfully.

"Lucy told you," Vadanya explained, "You remind Seth'ius too much of Jace. He couldn't kill Jace and keep the multiverse intact. He can kill you and little damage would be done in the long term."

"What am I supposed to do?"

Vadanya shrugged, "You can do whatever you want. It's not my job to tell you what to do. I'm simply here to protect you, whatever choice you make."

"Why are you guys so unhelpful?!" Lian demanded.

Vadanya touched his arm with her nose, "Lian." She pulled away and looked up at him, "We aren't going to tell you what to believe. We would never try to control you. You've spent your whole life being controlled. Told what to do. Told what to believe. You've never had a choice."

Lian stared at her, his anger subsiding. He was confused. He didn't know what to believe. He didn't know what to do. Truthfully he wanted them to tell him. Tell him which side he was supposed to be on. Tell him what he had to do so he could just get it over with.

"Whatever choice you make, I will protect you," Vadanya promised.

"Even if I make the wrong choice?" Lian asked nervously.

Vadanya nodded, "Even if you make the wrong choice."