SYMPHONIES

Lino and Hannah belted across the high-skies, now dulled in ashen-gray clouds and pelting, cold rain, stamping behind them two trails of fluttering light, etching out their trajectory. They moved as quickly as they could, dry anxiousness swelling in both their hearts, eyes perennially-glued to the distant ground down below.

They could visibly trace the movement of a ma.s.sive army as it constructed a ma.s.sive footpath across the plains, racing toward the City of Sun. Neither dared do a rough headcount, as they feared what they might find.

The rain's chilliness managed to calm Lino somewhat, causing his swell of emotions to soothe. It has been a long time since he felt the eroding trembles burn through him, though it was hardly the first. He never worried about losing the war itself -- be it when he was thrust into the battle with Primes, or when he finally left the realm and found the initial battlefront desecrated -- but causing irreparable damages to the spirit of the Empire.

Glancing to the side, he saw Hannah's worried expression, mirroring his. For her, perhaps, it might be even worse as, unlike him, she wholly thrust herself into the matters of the Empire, meeting and knowing thousands of souls personally, drawing lines of connection between all of them.

He tightened his grip on her hand, jolting her out of her deep thoughts and causing her to look to the side, at him. Amidst the stormy clouds and the dry, soot-doused rain, the green of her irises appeared to be s.h.i.+ning, like two brilliant gems cast into the pool of dull liquid. Not even the flashes of lightning could overcast the s.h.i.+ne of her eyes; if anything, it was made duller by comparison.

She smiled at him, the sort of a smile that, in his eyes, only she could pull off so effortlessly; the slight dimples tucked at the wide-ends of her lips, cheeks blooming slightly, eyes curling in crescent, brows arching up imperceptibly. Though the age may have added a few lines to her face, it only served to enunciate her beauty.

"--after all of this is over," he said, smiling back. "We really need to take a vacation."

"Haven't you been on a vacation for the past decade?" she flashed him a dubious look for a moment.

"No, no, I mean, both of us," he said. "And Aaria. We'll go someplace. Somewhere in the trees or the hills or the mountains, somewhere by the river. Every mornin', we'll make a grandiose tradition of fis.h.i.+n', and every night of drinkin'."

"You are awfully quick to abandon the post of your duties," she chuckled. "Though, I suppose, it doesn't sound half-bad. I do think Aaria, however, will take some issue with being taken away from all her friends."

"Bah, the years we have her for ourselves are short," Lino snorted. "By G.o.ds, I'll make use of every second, lest I regret it later."

"Aah, I always knew you were going to be a possessive one," Hannah sighed, shaking her head lightly. "I'm afraid I'll have to stand on the girl's side for this one."

"For this one?" it was Lino's turn to look at her dubiously. "I haven't seen you on my side since the birth of that little devil, Hannah."

"Because you were never right."

"I'm always right!"

"Ah, but of course. My apologies, Mr. Right."

"Scoff all you want," Lino cracked a smile. "But name a Mr. Righter for you than me."

"I could name a good dozen if you wouldn't run off to kill them." she fired back.

"Dozen? My, it sounds like I'm quite replaceable in the end. Oh, woe is me!"

"Ah, I wouldn't mourn if I were you; nary a single has an Empire to his name. A woman of my stature, naturally, has to have a high post to reflect her inner greatness!"

"Oh, I didn't know your love was tied to my crown more so than my heart," Lino plastered a hurt expression on his face. "How rueful."

"In equal realm," Hannah said, smiling. "Your love is tied to my holes and lumps; I'm the rueful one here, clearly."

"No, no, you're more than your mounds and crevices! There's also your curves, your flaps, your feet--"

"Eww, G.o.ddammit, do you have to ruin everything?" she rolled her eyes, sighing and shaking her head, the wet locks of her hair rocking back and forth over her forehead. "I honestly think you do it on purpose."

"No, no, I'm really just that disgusting," Lino grinned, chuckling afterward as it got better of him. "We're almost there." he added, glancing down toward the distant ground.

"Whatever we see," she said, tightening her grip. "You can't lose your s.h.i.+t. I don't have the strength to deal with that right now."

"... yea, you do," he said after a short pause, his smile mellowing. "You always do. But, don't worry, I won't."

The two were startled by a sudden, distant cry, one that was accompanied by a blinding burst of light that shot out like a pillar into the sky, burning away at the overcoming clouds, bringing the faintly-beaming sun rays in. They were still too far to clearly hear the voice, with it being distorted somewhat, causing them to speed up and almost immediately appear in the skies above the City of Sun.

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The city itself, much to their relief, still stood, tall and defiant as it always seemed to be. Though, as though there was an untraceable line cutting through the landscape, they could vividly see two canvases beneath them; one still resplendent, and the other, scorched in a h.e.l.lish inferno beyond match.

Frowning, the two sought with their eyes the source of the blinding light and immediately saw it, cradled inside a ma.s.sive crater still alight, clad in a brilliant armor of sorts. The burst seemed to have interrupted the battle, as both sides stood some ways from each other, staring cautiously at one another. A perfect sort of a stalemate existed, the soil waiting with bated breath for the first to break the tranquility. Yet, n.o.body did.

"--who would have taught Ally would arrive before us?" Hannah mused aloud.

"Remember that her dear wife was in danger," Lino shrugged. "I imagine we could practically trace back her journey from her to back home through the rips in s.p.a.cetime."

"Aah," Hannah sighed in lament. "I remember the days you sought me with such urgency. Now, it's all, 'hey wife, grab me a beer', 'hey woman, I know you're headed into a dangerous situation, but could you fix me dinner first' and 'hey woman' while tapping the bedsheet next to you. What happened Lyonel? Oh, dear G.o.ds, what happened?"

"... we clearly have completely different understandings of our lovely marriage," Lino fired back, smiling. "Though, in your case, it seems you don't see it as lovely no more."

"What's lovely about being taken for granted? I decry such behavior!"

"Aye, aye, you decry plenty," Lino chuckled at her exaggerated expression. "Come on, let's go help them. We've long days ahead of us; let's not extend them any further."

Whilst Lino descended directly toward the heart of the battle, speeding as a burst of light, Hannah lagged behind and instead went toward the heart of their own army, toward the stunned Generals and Commanders still engaged with the burst of light that had long since vanished.

The eight or so men failed to even notice her as she appeared next to them, instead tracing their eyelines toward the high-skies where, among the damp, ashen clouds of the distant horizons, a gaping hole of light existed.

"She packs a lot in that seemingly fragile body of hers, doesn't she?" her voice woke the men and women from their stupors, startling them into cowering before realizing who she was.

"ah! Y-your Majesty!!" recovering haphazardly, the eight quickly formed a crescent line on the floor as they knelt respectfully, shaking visibly in their boots.

"Arise," Hannah said simply, the playful countenance she displayed only in front of Lino having long since vanished, replaced by distanced demeanor. The eight obeyed, slowly shooting up to their feet; none were a part of the older generation, but instead were largely young and inexperienced leaders thrust into an unfavorable position by the virtue of where they were. Not unlike her not too long ago. "You can relax," she added. "The battle's over."

"Y-your Majesty?"

"Start sending requests for Cleverboys and Clevergirls," she said. "And drag all the cleaners over here and toward the Mountain Pa.s.s. There's a lot we need to go through in the following few days. Also, contact the Council and have them start preparing for the Ma.s.s Pyre that will be held in the month's time. Erect another stele in the District of Heroes, and have carvers pour their blood into it."

**

Lino looked straight ahead, standing amidst the foes who dared not take a step forward; no, not even dared, they were physically unable to move. His mere presence was enough to staple the entire army to the ground. On the other side, clout in thick s.h.i.+mmers of Qi, he recognized a few familiar faces -- Six, Seven and Eight, among others. The three had rather decrepit expressions, having immediately realized what his being here meant for the overall destination of the battle. They had lost, and nothing could change that anymore.

None tried to run, for better or worse, seemingly willing themselves over to his judgment, and the judgment of those that they'd be trialed under. Their fates sealed, they dispersed the Qi from their bodies and sat down on the ravaged ground, cross-legged, closing their eyes. Days ahead, they knew... would be eerily tragic.