[Prequel] Beloved Archons' Family

Wind is Gone

The grief of losing Baal never really went away, even all these thousands of years later. Ventus and Ying became reclusive, they didn't want to deal with anyone and handle their grief by themselves which was fine in Krei's opinion because he was just...so tired.

He was so damn tired and even though he was prepared - he was ready for it damn it! - it still hurt. It hurt so much that he still cried nightly in his room in the palace, though he's taken to sleeping in Baal's room some nights. It hurt so bad...

Krei had last seen Baal all those years ago when they had been passing by. Baal had promised to see him at the next Lantern Festival and they could have a drinking contest - something Baal had grown fond of and Krei curls into a tighter ball, clutching the large body pillow to his chest, arms and legs wrapped tightly around it. It still smelled like the Lord of Storms and Krei just cried harder, his chest so tight and small he was choking on nothing trying to breathe.

It was too much for him. It was way too much and he knew it was only going to get worse. His visions told him so, he knew Baal's death had been long since coming.

When the sun was high in the sky and coming in through the tightly closed curtains does Krei come out of the bedroom to go do his duties. He hated it.

Not for the first time in just how many weeks the god of fire wished that the next day would never come. Because it meant he would get closer and closer to the end - the war. The destruction. Death and sorrow.

Even the visions of those winged men couldn't cheer him up anymore and only brought more pain. It was like a curse for the original gods - including Morax, especially the Geo Archon [God Above All] - to love so deeply that nothing else mattered but what they loved. It went both ways though...to love so much your very being was tied to that of which you pour your whole attention into, to love so deeply you can think of nothing else, to love so painfully you can't move on if you lose what you love. To love is to experience such dark sorrow. Such dark hatred and pain.

A pain that felt like thousands of needles constantly poking straight into your heart, to feel like you are decaying from the inside out, the grinding of bones even in peak condition. Like nails are being scratched along your eyes and brain...

That's the kind of pain the original gods feel.

Hatred and sorrow are all encompassing. Just like loving, it is such a deep thing it is madness inducing. Where it feels like you can't stop screaming, where you hate so deeply it eats away at literally everything else you have. It ruins you, like poison, like an addicting drug that just loops in on itself. More sorrow, more pain which causes you to relive your sorrow which makes you hurt.

It truly was such a cruel thing to be subjected to. Yet most would claim that the happiness, the pure joy was enough. Most would claim that loving so deeply, to be so devoted was worth it all.

Krei wanted to laugh in their faces, "Ha! Is THIS what you want?! To feel nothing but hate?!"

He would never do that though, otherwise he truly would go mad...

The god of fire's heart clenched and with a burst of fire he decided to go to Barbatos, a sudden need to just be near a sibling consuming him.

A choked scream tore itself from his throat and he immediately ran to his youngest brother and caught the wind god in his arms and held him tightly as the other crumpled limply with shallow breaths. "BARBATOS!" Krei screamed as he brushed blood caked bangs out of a ashen face. Up close the skin looked taut, the cheekbones more prominent like a gaunt older mans' face and it looked so wrong! It wasn't right on this youthful gods' face. 

"K...Kre...i...."

"Shh, don't-don't talk. Big brother is here. I got you." Krei was wide eyed with horror and fear, his heart felt like it was tearing itself apart and his throat felt so raw and tight. "Bro...ther. I'm...sorry..." Barbatos whispered, ignoring the order to not speak.

Krei let out a sob as he slowly sinks to his knees, cradling Barbatos oh so gently and lovingly and the younger god smiled weakly. 

"Y....you're...showing emo...tions..." Barbatos lifts a hand and places it on Krei's cheek and the fire god whimpers, tears running down flushed cheeks and sky eyes puffy and red from so much crying. "You're my brother. I love you." Krei whispered leaning forward and resting his forehead against the dying gods'. 

The words he spoke made the dark haired god smile, even while dying he looked happy hearing Krei say these words he hadn't spoken in so, so long and Krei hated himself for it. For the fact he said it so little.

"Don't go...don't leave me too." Krei whimpered, choked. It sounded so watery and Barbatos smiles weakly. "I lo...ve y-you...too..."

The hand started to slip and Krei let out a gasp and quickly grabs it, keeping the broken and bloodied hand on his cheek. "B-Barbatos! Don't leave me!"

Those eyes however...

The life was drained yet he kept a smile as he goes completely limp.

Krei curls around his brother, sobs wracking his body as he held the body tightly. He rocked back and forth slowly, whole body shaking as his soul fractured, chipping further and further and if someone could look at it it would be reminisce of a vase so broken it looked nothing like its original self and pieces missing.

The god of the inferno buries his face into Barbatos' neck continuing to cry. "I'm s-so sorry...I'm so sorry baby brother..."