You hardly make me more optimistic about this, you know.
---
"Bahris." - Airus finally said, turning around to look at his warriors - "He came... He will understand, I am sure..."
Airus was not sure of it. He was not sure of how to explain... what happened here. How would Bahris take... this?!
For behind his warriors, were teh smoldering ruins of the
hanakad. The corpses of friends and foes - many of whom were their FRIENDS, their compatriots if nothing else, just as well! - were being prepared for cremation. Amongst them there were also corpses of innocent bystanders.
And amongst those bystanders was...
---
"No." - said Bahris, quietly, when he realized that the horrible has happened. He wanted to cry, he wanted to shout in despair... but he knew that he would not do it, for something within him just didn't let him. - "Not that."
Why?! Why does it have to happen? Why are the Gods so cruel? This was a very cruel test, and not just of him! If they wanted to punish him, why coul they not just kill him and leave his people alone?!
Bahris suppressed his emotions, and motioned for his bodyguards to dismount as they neared the ruins. He needed to talk this over with Airus.
Swordlord Airus was pale, scared... and disgusted, disgusted with himself, Bahris felt. Airus thought himself responsible...
BUT THIS WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY! Bahris wanted to shout that, but he could not. Some things are best unsaid.
"Swordlord Airus." - he said, simply.
Airus sighed.
"Speak."
"
Vodad Bahris, I take the responsibility for all this. If you say that I must die..."
"No!" - Bahris said angrily - "There must be no more deaths! I want you to explain to me what has happened here, in detail, and sincerely."
Airus was trembling with shame from inside, Bahris felt it. And Bahris understood him, ofcourse. He thought himself guilty, guilty...
"Leave us alone." - said Bahris to the others - "Now, tell me everything, Airus. From the beginning. And do not hide any details, how ever disgusting they might be."
---
It started with the whispers. Rumors passed all over the hanakad
, and by the evening all the city has heard "the truth". "The truth" that Bahris intended to make himself a gladad
, to disperse the elders, to rule tyrannicaly with his new Tajra wife over all the Yatery and in fact all the sely. Most people rejected this outright. But one of them, called Arhus, suggested that they go and ask the elders as to what do they know of Bahris' plans.
Grudgingly, to prove him wrong, the people agreed. They gathered in an impressive mob, marched to the elder hut and sent Arhus and the sceptical Orpas to ask the elders.
Scared, the elders didn't keep the secret - they revealed that Bahris intended to become a wergladad
and to unite all the sely
under his rule. Orpas wanted to ask more about the details, but Arhus shouted to the people "it is true!" and Orpas could not deny it. Arhus quickly convinced the mob that Bahris conspired against them...
---
They were walking through the serene forest, where the smoke still coming from the
hanakad could scarcely be felt.
Bahris closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he opened them again and urged Airus to go on. But first, he wanted to know if Airus knew anything about this "Arhus"...
"Nobody of us remembers him from before." - said Airus. Bahris nodded. He didn't recall any "Arhus" neither.
"Damn that old sneak Rehtus..." - cursed Bahris - "He probably sent him in here, to turn my people against me."
"He succeeded." - said Airus bitterly.
"No, there still are survivors... right?"
"We helped most loyalists out, they should be at the Tajra
hanakad. Only one man out of five rebelled, I believe." - Airus wondered again whether to tell Bahris of the death of... He shrugged it off. Not yet.
"Good. I knew I could trust you. Continue."
---
They attacked the elders. Some loyalists fought them off, and helped elders flee; but some elders turned against us. Arhus' cronies begun attacking us while we were resting; I came back from a hunt and was told of this by Marhus. You know, the old potter... He said he remembered you as a child.
I ordered a call to arms, and my warriors quickly secured all gates; Arhus was caged inside the hanakad
and we begun evacuating loyalists. Houses of your... friends were attacked, Arhus ordered executions of prisoners...
We decided to take him out, and attacked the elder hut from where he commanded. We surrounded it, and Erlis volunteered to lead the charge...
Then it started. Erlis was ambushed and killed; I led the second charge and we nearly caught Arhus, but he slit his own throat. It was then that I noticed the fires... Arhus' cronies, he somehow got them to burn down the hanakad
... Others immediately surrendered, but a few of them then attacked us again, and threw torches everywhere... They killed many good men.
---
Airus stopped, trembling.
"They too were Rehtus' spies." - said Bahris and looked at Airus, noticing his condition - "It is okay for you to cry - this is a horrible tragedy."
A single tear, as if on cue, roled down Airus' nose. He removed it, blushing.
"Continue."
"What more is there to say?" - asked Airus, with a voice still somehow shaking - "We sent the prisoners to Tajra
hanakad, under guard, for you to trial them later. The dead will soon be cremated."
"No, you forgot to say about something... forgot on purpose. I am sure you did. Do not be afraid."
"It is your mother, Bahris..." - begun Airus, his voice somehow recovering.
To be continued.