Dealing With Consequences

Chapter 14

"This is no time for your games, brother. She is dying," T'ranthiom warned again. His muscles ached for action now as Theo stood with a spark of amusement in his eye. T'ranthiom knew if the battle started, there would be no end until one of them was dead. There was no mother to save him this time, but he couldn't back down with Theo. He needed to save her.

T'ranthiom tried hard not to crush the fragile root in his hand as Theo made the ultimate insulting gesture in the Naih culture. It was her only chance of survival now. He didn't realize his bodies own motions until he had latched onto Theo's shoulders. The root dug into his thigh. At least, he knew better to contain that. His brother grabbed at his arms to get him off to no avail. The rage boiled inside T'ranthiom at his brother's childishness when she was going to die. He could save her if he would just grow up. Grow up already Theo! T'ranthiom let out a strangled yell as he slowly made progress in ripping Theo's shoulder blade from his body.

The crunching beneath T'ranthiom's fingertips made his muscles strive harder to succeed in their goal. Only when Theo let out a cold and piercing scream, did his muscle's spasm cool off. He glanced down at the lifeless limb in his hand with a shudder. Not tolerating the sight any longer, T'ranthiom threw Theo's arm off to the side like worthless garbage. It was a message T'ranthiom wanted Theo to understand. No more games.

Theo screamed out in pain backing away from his brother as he held his shoulder with his only arm. The dust kicked up underneath him causing him to stumble in typical prey fashion. His body lurched over as he retreated. The ear piercing screams shaped into malicious chuckles as he watched his brother slowly start to present his Spirit. He stood up straighter allowing T'ranthiom a more accurate cut and held his one arm out to the side looking up at the sky.

His body was now covered in a red glowing outline similar to the design of a plaid shirt. Theo would be chopped into thousands of small pieces with just the flick of T'ranthiom's wrist and he stood there as if it didn't bother him.

"Go ahead, it won't kill me," he laughed in amusement.

"It will keep you detained while I find Amara," T'ranthiom countered and Theo's smirk faltered. 

"You won't find her," Theo prodded. "She's gone."

"What," T'ranthiom pulled his arm back causing the red to vanish from Theo's chest in shock. Theo went to cross his arms only to frown at the reminder that one didn't exist anymore. "She's dead?"

A pain started in his chest and grew to his extremities. He couldn't breathe and he fell onto one knee as he glanced down at the root. He had failed her and it felt like it was killing him. It was such a strange feeling in his body and he cursed the day he ever ran into that girl. He slipped the root from his pocket and crushed the small object into a fine dust. A tear mixed with it into the soil at his feet. He wasn't fast enough.

"It's alright brother," Theo whispered into his ear as he patted T'ranthiom's shoulder.  T'ranthiom didn't even bother looking up at Theo before bringing his foot out and forcing Theo to the ground in one swift sweep. The cracking of his head against the ground caused the whole forest to stir and animals to shy away from their quarrel. Theo lay back onto the ground feeling the coldness of the Earth on his back.

"It's not like you could kill me anyway," Theo scoffed as T'ranthiom lingered over his body exuding his Spirit again. It encased T'ranthiom's body causing him to have strange red glow. This was new to him. It was a new burning rage that caused his Spirit to push harder into strange new territories. Perhaps it was getting stronger. 

"You are right, brother. I can't," he started. Theo shifted backwards into the dirt as T'ranthiom's cold glossy eyes pierced his own. "But I can make you wish you were dead."