Whistle of Death

Tariq

TW // MENTIONS OF SUICIDE, PROCEED WITH CAUTION

—

"What motivates you to live? Why do you continue to struggle through the pain and torment I have caused you?" Tariq's voice came out as barely a whisper yet it echoed harshly down the stone walls. Nothing but a ragged breath escaped Makai as he did not think the question warranted an answer. He had nothing, not a single shred of reason to keep going.

He wondered himself why it was he was able to endure the agony that had been beset upon him. And then it came to him, the answer so simple yet so complex, his reason for living... Her.

After he had lost his love, he had spent all those years filled with violence and pain in a bid to find the man that had cost him his future and taken his beautiful wife from him. He knew Tariq would never understand this as he had long since stripped the boy of the ability to feel love, so he held his tongue.

Tariq scoffed at Makai's silence. It wasn't that he cared to hear his answer, more so that even now the bastard stayed silent when facing death. It was time for the Savage King's reign to end.

Tariq let out a smooth whistle from between his lips. One could say the note was beautiful as it flowed freely from his mouth. It was a serene sound, reminiscent of the morning birds and the crickets late at night. Makai could feel it reverberate through his chest and felt a sudden wave of calm wash over him, something only his mother's voice had been able to do.

It was a sound so full of life, yet it brought death upon those who heard it.

Makai could feel it now, that fleeting feeling of calmness morphed into dread. That elegant melody wrapped around his heart and squeezed tightly. Makai gasped for air, clawing at his chest as his lungs began to deflate and his heart stopped completely.

With a thud his body hit the floor and a cloud of dust was flung into the air, engulfing Tariq as he watched. Tariq smiled softly at Makai's crumpled form before turning and walking away. The Savage King would be left to rot deep in the halls of his own fortress.

--

The sun was beating down relentlessly as life on Thetis flourished. The years of war and conquests brought about by the man referred to only as the Savage King had ceased three years ago. The people of Thetis had worked tirelessly since to rebuild what was lost and start anew. What was once a charred wasteland had, over time, birthed rolling hills and fields of sweet-smelling wild flowers. The flora of Thetis, which had spent many summers hibernating, burst through the ground like a rabid dog on the hunt for fresh meat.

The sky, which once hung low with fog, had cleared into a beautiful array of blues and purples swirling together like an abstract piece of art. Many species of animals began to repopulate the thick vegetation without the fear of raging fires destroying their burrows. The Savage King's once imposing fortress laid abandoned in the mountains to the north and was rumored to be inhabited by the left-over scraps of his once massive army. Its stone walls had already begun to crumble down the sides of the mountains, occasionally blocking off trade routes between clans.

Humans took the heaviest blow after the wars. Food was scarce and it was not uncommon to see brawls in the streets over a single slice of bread. Water was the only constant anyone could rely on as it was in abundance on Thetis. Famine plagued the planet forcing many to try and survive on water alone. Nearly two thirds of the population died from starvation before the forests and fields became fruitful once more.