Abalyes Voltaris

The End of the Great War

My sword clashed against another Voltaris'. I was in a battle, without Gallaniara because of the Song's toll on my health. Achillean in the distance was fighting three Voltaris at once. He had been leading the armies of Ardonia for a couple months now and the Nether was about to retreat. I blocked a blow from the Voltaris and then swung at their legs, cutting them. The Voltaris fell back, injured, but at least I didn't have to kill them. I left them there and focused on pushing the last of the Nether forces that hadn't retreated back into the portal with another group of soldiers. They noticed me and then focused again on their small battle. I swung my sword at a wither skeleton that decided it was a brilliant idea to charge at me. Its black bones littered the ground. A Human ran up to me.
"Ky' Achillean is going to face the Deathsinger alone! Someone who's skilled has to help him!" He said frantically. I looked at him, horrified.
"I'll go," I said. I heard someone run up behind me. They grabbed my shoulders and turned me around roughly. It was Thalleous.
"No, you are not going," he said, looking into my eyes.
"But I have to."
"You'll get yourself killed!"
"But Achillean's going to die!"
"You haven't made a point, you are staying." Thalleous looked at me sternly. 
"Please, let me go."
"No." I felt like I was going to break down. Not over being prevented to go, but the fact that Achillean was going to die. I at least thought he was going to die. I eventually gave in and hugged Thalleous and cried into his shoulder. He returned the hug. "He'll be back, you count on it." I let go of Thalleous and sniffled. I nodded sadly. I returned to fighting the Voltaris that were still fighting.

We had pushed back the Voltaris to Mt Velgrin and were waiting at the camp they used for the Great War, on the results of Achillean and Ingressus' final battle. The group that went to search returned after dusk. I immediately stood up when they came in.
"We found their Songs, but their weapons are missing, as well as their bodies," one of the group's members, a young Mendoris, said. The news hit me like someone threw a boulder at me. I suddenly felt dizzy and someone caught me and sat me back down. If I pass out, my Song that was hiding the true colours of my markings would be revealed. I focused on the ground. Everyone in the room was silent.
"You are all dismissed," a Nestoris leader almost whispered. I headed out of the camp towards my camp.
"I'm coming too," I heard Thalleous say. I grunted in acknowledgment and kept walking.

I had deactivated my Song before Thalleous and I arrived at my camp. Gallaniara was tending to a small fire.
"You're back. What's wrong?" She asked.
"Achillean is dead. His Songs were found, but his body and weapon weren't. Goes the same for Ingressus," I said. I sat on a log and looked at the ground. Gallaniara sat next to me and Thalleous sitting next to her. She put an arm around my shoulder and I rested my head on her shoulder. We sat like that for a while and I eventually fell asleep.

I woke up early the next morning on the log I had been sitting on. Gallaniara and Thalleous were nowhere to be seen. I sat up and started drawing in the dirt with a stick. I didn't make breakfast because I wasn't hungry. I heard footsteps come up behind me and I looked up to see Thalleous there. But something was off. He looked like Thalleous, but something was different.
"Uh, you're not going to attack me?" Who I thought was Thalleous said. His voice sounded different. I looked at him confused. "I'll take that as a no?"
"Oh, sorry. No, I'm not going to attack you. Who are you?" I asked him.
"I'm Galleous. My brother, Thalleous, asked me to meet him here this morning. Do you know where he is?" I shook my head.
"No, but I can help you find him." We walked into the forrest that surrounded my camp and began our search. "There's meant to be another with me, but she's also disappeared. Might of gone off with Thalleous." We walked around the forrest and eventually found them.
"My whole fortune on whoever guesses what they were doing correctly." They were both under the shade of a tree, laying in a position that had Thalleous hugging Gallaniara close to him. They were both asleep.
"I don't think we want to know."
"My curiosity will get the better of me, sooner or later."
"Same."
"I'm heading back to camp."
"With you all the way." We quickened our pace on the way back to camp.
"So, why did Thalleous want to meet you?"
"I'm guessing to meet you and that other girl. I haven't got your name."
"Oh, my name's Abalyes and that other girl is Gallaniara. As you can tell, we are both Voltaris." We walked the rest of the way in silence.
"I better wait for Thalleous."
"Okay."

We waited almost an hour before Gallaniara and Thalleous returned.
"Thalleous, what did you and Gallaniara get up to?" Galleous teasingly asked. "If I can guess correctly, I get to choose the enchantment on your sword."
"No, my sword is my sword only," Thalleous said.
"I insist."
"No."
"Fine. How about I get to tease you instead?" Thalleous rolled his eyes.
"Fine. What were we doing?" Galleous smiled broadly.
"You know I know what you were doing." Thalleous and Gallaniara stiffened. I joined in with Galleous' smile.