Abel's Tale

XVI. Pale Beauty

Malachi watched as Thanatos's head rolled down the steps to the throne. As his body went limp and fell. He sheathed his bloodied sword and turned around to face his newfound allies, it broke his heart knowing this was only temporary.

Abel, his brother, his only family, smiled at him.

Elise limped over to Abel, the two embraced each other as if they hadn't seen one another in years. A lover's embrace, how he longed for that right now.

And Isaiah, the old man who showed him what he could be, who showed him that it was possible to resist such a being. That it was possible to ascend beyond what you were made for, that it was possible to survive.

He rushed to Ophelia, who was just gaining consciousness, and helped her up. She removed her helmet and looked him dead in the eye. "Is it over? Did we win?"

"It's over. It's finally over."

She smiled. "Good."

He averted his eyes toward the throne. He knew these people needed a leader, especially now. They needed something to explain all that transpired here. He heard what they whispered in the shadows, when they thought nobody could hear. They hated him, too. He would not be missed. These people needed something new, something brighter, something better.

"Brother?" Abel asked, "What are you doing?"

He looked at him, at the hurt in his eyes. It had only now occurred to him he had taken steps toward the throne. He looked at his fragmented reflection in the pieces of the shattered helmet. "This is what I was born to do,"

He turned to face Abel, reaching out his hand.

"Abel, I want you to join me. Look around you, this world is in chaos. Without a ruler, without me, they'll slaughter each other. They need order, they need to know that their society won't collapse because of what has transpired here."

"And what do you suggest that order looks like?"

Malachi hesitated for a moment. He knew what this meant.

"The time for thrones is over," Abel said, "We defeated evil. For what? For the apprentice to take the mantle? What will you do with this newfound power?"

"I will bring peace, and justice to my people. I will bring security, and I will rule with honor, Abel. I'm not Thanatos! I can be better than him, I can be so much more."

"You declared me and my people as traitors! For refusing to bow to an unjust ruler. You'd take the very throne he sat on?"

Ophelia rubbed Malachi's arm. She whispered: "It's time, Malachi."

"These people must meet their new emperor," Malachi said, "Brother, please, I don't want to lose you, too,"

Abel winced.

"I need you."

War raged on Abel's face. After some time, finally, he spoke. "What kind of ruler will you be, Malachi?"

Malachi looked at the throne. He saw so many possibilities, but alas, none of them inspired him. He only ever knew the cruel, merciless fist of Thanatos. He taught him everything he knows, everything he loves and hates. He looked back at Abel.

"I think it's best if you leave. Ophelia and a platoon of our knights will escort you and your friends back to your ship. I promise you my protection, but it does not reach endlessly. I will not be here to save you in the wild. I'm sorry, brother."

A tear fell down Abel's face, his lip quivered. "I thought you'd be better, Malachi. I thought this was our moment of triumph, of finally coming together."

"What happened today was real, brother. I will never forget it. Please, leave me. This is the only way."

"There's always another way."

"Not for me,"

Abel turned his back to him. He made a move forward, Elise beside him. They held hands. Malachi motioned for Ophelia to follow, she put her helmet on and did as commanded.

"I love you."

Abel and Elise disappeared behind the steps. Somehow he knew this wasn't the last he'd see him, he just didn't know what the next time would look like. In battle and war, or in peace and forgiveness. Taking one more look at the shattered helmet at his feet, he sat on the throne.

Abel walked past all the confused faces as the Invicta drew near. Malachi's final words stung, striking him to the core. He loved him, too, but at that moment, he was so disappointed, so frustrated, he couldn't manage to say it back. He wished he did.

Isaiah and Elise walked behind Abel, and the rest of the crew behind them. Ophelia stopped Abel several steps from the ship.

"All of you may enter the ship, Abel, stay behind, you will be the last one to go onboard."

Abel looked at them all. "Do not worry, my friends."

One by one they all went onboard, Elise behind all of them, making sure they all got on safe. She spared Abel a glance and a quick smile before walking the plank onto the Invicta.

"It was an honor fighting alongside you, Abel. Maybe in another life you'd have been our leader, maybe things would have been different. I want you to know this, Malachi does not want war, but will wage it if you bring it," Ophelia said, "There will always be a place for you in our kingdom, should you want it. Now leave, it's time for the world to meet her new emperor."

Abel simply nodded at her and entered the ship's hull. His crew pulled the plank up behind him, and met Isaiah at the mast. He smiled at him.

"I'm so proud of you, Abel. You've come so far, and grown so much."

"I only wanted to save you, I didn't know I'd be tangled up in this mess."

"And you're doing so well. These people look up to you, you know. They depend on you, you inspire them. You saved them. They'll follow you to the ends of the Earth," Isaiah said, "You asked your brother what kind of ruler he will be. But, I think, the more important question is, what kind of leader will you be?"

"I'm a father to them, as you were to me. I'll protect them with my life, and they'll know our cause is true, that it's just. That we are just. Too long have I sat idly by while this world crumbled around us, too long I hid away. We're rebels now."

Isaiah looked toward Elise. So did Abel. She looked so far away, and he sensed sadness in her. Isaiah put his hand on Abel's shoulder. "She needs you, Abel."

He met Elise at the captain's wheel. "What is it, my love?"

"Those things he said, I wanted him to be different, too. We fought so hard, and journeyed so far, and now we're here, leaving him. We practically gave him the throne! I only hope he'll be a kind ruler."

"I don't know what he'll be."

Elise tightened her grip on Abel's hand, pulling him in for an embrace. Abel held her, smiling for the first time in a very long time. He pulled away and saw a twinkle in her eye, and his lips met hers. A kiss to drown away all the worry.

She brushed the long hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear. He did the same to her.

"I love you, my Elise."

"I love you, too, my Abel."

The crew dropped the sails as the wind picked up. Isaiah smiled at them from afar.

"What do we do now?" Elise asked.

Abel looked toward the sunset, at the beautiful orange and red sky. At the endless ocean. At the woman in his arms. "We set sail."