A.N: I'm so sorry, I completely forgot to update last night! Been really busy lately

Ishin moved faster than anything Harudan had ever seen. He was like a flash of light illuminating a room, almost instantaneous. The more he saw of him, the more useful he became. And Harudan was helping him. It all seemed far too easy, but it was the truth and unless he made some grave mistakes, it would not come back to haunt him.

There hadn't been many people he'd needed to talk to about Ishin, just Fentir, who was too stunned to say anything. He sent a raven to General Juna, telling them that he was on his way with reinforcements. He wasn't going to send Ishin off on his own, not when he wasn't completely sure what he could do.

So he was going to leave Nerin under Fentir's care. There was always a chance that he would try to run away after Harudan's failed attempt to gain his trust again, and while it hurt, there were more important things to be done. Once the war was over, he could focus on his brother again and getting them to be a real family once more.

Nerin understood that someone needed to look after the country while he was gone, someone who was an Oshana. "I need you to do this for me," Harudan had said before he left, a hand on his brother's shoulder. His tricks and attempts might not have worked the way he had wanted them too, but there was enough trust within Nerin that telling him the right thing would get him to do everything he wanted.

"But I don't know how to do anything," Nerin had said. "You never taught me."

"Then now's the perfect time to learn. Fentir will teach you, he worked with father too," he'd replied, smiling. If Nerin ran, Fentir could look after things like he had when Harudan was in Huton, but he didn't want that to happen. He wanted his family to stay together, but there was always a chance they wouldn't.

The war had taken its toll on all of them. Nerin didn't know whether to trust him all because of the Princess. Because of her, his little brother was a murderer. He had lost the majority of his family, but in return, he would gain Minisia. It had to be a worthwhile sacrifice. He couldn't lose so much and have it be pointless. He would always have Jonin, but he wasn't blood family, he wasn't an Oshana.

"It will just be helping the people. Fentir will do most of the work when it comes to money and food. You'll just be a figurehead for them to talk to, do you understand?" he'd asked Nerin. Inside, he'd been growing agitated. He'd been desperate to get on the move towards Minisia after days of conversation with Ishin, but at every moment, something had stopped him.

Nerin had frowned at the floor. "I'll be a puppet king," he'd muttered.

"More like joint acting king with Fentir," he'd replied with a shrug. "It won't be for long, only until the end of the war, then I'll be back."

In the end, Nerin had agreed and a part of him had been surprised. He had thought there would be more argument, but maybe Nerin had given up. There wasn't anything he could say that would change his mind. Harudan was leaving for the front lines with Ishin and Nerin was staying behind to look after the country. He wasn't going to sit around while his armies were being slaughtered, especially not when he had a God in his company. There were assets he could use and he would use them.

The morning after his conversation with Nerin, he set off with Ishin. The God had easily agreed to take him to his armies, even though he wanted to face off against the Beast. Jonin would deal with him before he got a chance, so Ishin would never have to worry about it. He hadn't heard anything back from his captain and he wouldn't for some time, he imagined. Harudan didn't want to hear back from him until the Beast was dead.

With Ishin's help, winning the war would be far easier than he had ever expected. Ziya would be his in a single night. The second King Ouron saw the God, he would surrender and allow him to take over. It would be quick and easy and the thought alone brought a smile to his face.

The one downside to travelling with a God was that he wasn't at all discreet. He was a massive being of flame, brighter than anything Harudan had seen before, and there was no way they could travel without constantly being spotted, especially if Harudan wanted to keep up with him. There was no way he could if he walked at his side and the God had settled for carrying him on his shoulder.

He was twice the size of a normal Ishini, just big enough for Harudan to sit on his shoulder without the threat of falling off. It wasn't comfortable, especially when Ishin ran across the rolling hills, but it was the easiest way to travel if he wanted to reach the army as fast as possible. It didn't burn him either, even though he sat directly on the flames. It was as if they were just for show.

That was what he believed until they stopped for a few minutes during the night so that he could eat. Ishin roasted him a deer, cooking it perfectly while it was alive with just a touch of his hand. Somehow, Ishin was able to control what he used his power on, something Harudan was more than grateful for.

"Some things have changed," Ishin said in his thick accent as they travelled. Harudan had an arm tight around his thick neck to stop himself from falling with every jolt. "But most of it looks the same."

Harudan decided to humour him. "What's changed?" he asked.

"All of the buildings look different, the religion, the language," he answered in a booming voice. "You no longer worship me and my siblings and yet, here we are."

Harudan hummed in agreement. "I think it's safe to say that I no longer agree that the New Gods are the true Gods. I have sufficient proof," he said.

"I should think so," Ishin replied, a hint of jealousy in his voice. It was strange to talk to something like him in such a casual manner, as if he were a normal person, like Jonin or Nerin or anyone else in the palace. Instead, he was a God, but if it weren't for the way he looked, it wouldn't seem like it.

How the New Gods had come around in the first place, Harudan didn't know. Ishin had asked, but he'd been unable to answer. Ever since he was a child, he'd learned the ways of the New Gods, seen the proof of them in the sun and moon, but sitting on the shoulder of an Old God, he knew the things he'd been taught were false.

Was that why Nerin didn't pray? Because he knew the truth, knew that the Old Gods were the true Gods. Harudan wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to cope with it, but even while he travelled on Ishin's shoulder, it was easier not to focus on it. The war was far more important than any internal battle regarding religion. That could wait until after he won.

Obviously, the people would have to know. Ishin would be enough proof and he doubted the deity would allow him to pass him off as Sol. He'd have to tell them that the New Gods weren't real even if Ishin decided not to stick around after the war was over. He couldn't exactly hide the bright beacon that ran through the land faster than anyone could clearly see.

They were heading for the border and after that, they would go south towards General Juna's army. As far as he was aware, the other part of the army was having a much easier time of things and would get to Ziya as planned. If something changed, he would have no idea. All he could do was hope that nothing happened and get to Juna as fast as possible.

The fact that the Askari had been able to muster enough forces after the constant losses they suffered angered him. To beat Juna, the bulk of the forces must have been Warriors of Ziya, the only people trained enough to fight properly. Or it could have just been bad luck, bad terrain, any number of things that piled up on top of each until Juna was forced to retreat. It wouldn't happen again.

It took them a little over a day to reach the border, crossing over the same place Harudan had when he went to see Juna about the rebels what felt like months ago. The map in the rucksack on his back detailed the exact path Juna's army had taken. It wasn't the easiest way to reach them, but there was somewhere Harudan wanted to go before he reached the army. His little detour wouldn't take long if Ishin was to be believed, less than an hour.

"The people of this town scorned you?" Ishin asked as they crossed the border in the middle of the night.

Harudan shrugged. "I had taken it, kept the people alive and fed and safe. In return, they slaughtered my camp and my men," he explained. It was the truth, albeit a little exaggerated. Ishin seemed to believe him easily for a reason he couldn't understand, but he wasn't going to complain.

Seeing him climb out of the remains of the crystal had shocked him to his core, but once he'd recovered and Ishin had learned his language, everything had been surprisingly simple. Even though Nerin's tale from the book had concerned him, he and the God had the same things in mind. All he wanted was to make Minisia better under his rule, while Ishin wanted Vishera as a whole to thrive. Granted, Harudan had to do it through war but after a quick explanation of the last ten years, Ishin had been able to see that there wasn't much choice.

Ishin made a noise in the back of his throat, a sound so normal pulled Harudan back to the matter at hand. "If it is as you say, then the punishment you want is deserved," the God said. Harudan couldn't tell if he cared or not, but it didn't matter. He would do everything he wanted him to.

It took them only two days to reach the town of Maeve from the border and it was exactly as he pictured. Snow had covered most of the destruction, but scraps of charred wood and burnt tent fabric peeked out from the crisp white as a group of people walked through, picking up what they could see. The town itself appeared to be fine and it only served to anger Harudan further.

Ishin put him down and shrunk until he was only a few inches taller than him. They stood on the crest of a hill, looking down at the busy town. If anyone had noticed them, they didn't show it, continuing to walk their streets as if there wasn't a war on. A flash of armour caught his eye and he hissed. A Warrior of Ziya, but no sign of the Beast or Princess Sharina. They would be long gone with Jonin on their tail, heading for the Sanctum of Askarune.

"You were telling the truth," Ishin said but he didn't sound surprised. If anything, he sounded nonchalant.

"Of course," Harudan answered.

An Askari woman walked out in a courtyard where a well stood, a wooden bucket in her hands. Neither of them bothered to hide for they would soon be seen anyway. It took her a moment to notice them, but when she did, she screamed and dropped her bucket into the well.

"Will you sit on my shoulder?" Ishin asked as the woman ran, screaming about a monster as she went. "You wanted this. You should see it properly."

If he had been anyone else, the lesson Ishin was trying to teach him might have sunk in, but no lessons from a hypocritical God would do anything for him. Ishin grew once more until he was three times the size of a house, looming over everything. More screams rang out through the town and he caught another bright flash of armour in the sun. The God crouched, extending a hand for him to walk on.

With a lock of Ishin's fiery hand in hand, he sat comfortably on his shoulder. The people below him looked like ants scampering from the boots of a man and he smirked at the sight. They'd never escape if Ishin's word was anything to go by. He hadn't seen the extent of his powers and Maeve was partially a reason to get him to show off. He needed to know exactly what he was working with so that he could find the right way to use him when they reached Juna and Ziya.

He let out a loud gasp when it started, staring in shock and awe. All Ishin needed to do was hold out a hand and click his fingers. In an instant, the nearest building was ablaze, the orange flames roaring and spewing black smoke high into the sky. It spread faster than any fire Harudan had ever seen, jumping from one building to the next as if it had a mind of its own. It raced across the ground, melting the snow without losing any momentum and filled the air until the courtyard with the well was nothing but fire.

The ants below him screamed and ran with no real destination in mind, desperate to escape the quickly spreading flames. They wouldn't make it though, not with how ferocious Ishin's attack was. The smoke was too thick. If they escaped the flames, they would suffocate. When Harudan had suggested it, he'd made sure to be perfectly clear that he didn't want any survivors.

At one point, Maeve had been a good handhold in Minisia, but if they weren't going to work with him then they deserved exactly what they were getting. The supply line could be fixed easily, it was just a trading town. Minisia would suffer for a while because of it, but it was nothing he couldn't handle once he became King of Vishera.

As he watched silently on Ishin's shoulder, the screams began to die down. The flames had spread until the whole town was one roaring beacon, a God standing on the hill above it and a King on his shoulder. Harudan couldn't see a thing through all the smoke, but the lack of screams told him more than enough.

It was so quick, quicker than he had expected it to be. He thought it would take a long time for the people to fall silent, but it had only taken a few minutes. They were weak, the Askari and he sneered down at the flames.

"Are you satisfied?" Ishin asked, turning his head to look down at him.

The flames crackled loudly as one of the houses caved in, sending sparks and smoke towards the sky. "Quite," Harudan said. He knew what Ishin could do and exactly how it could be used in the war. He could destroy whole armies and if necessary, lay siege to Ziya and win.

"We had best be on our way," Ishin replied and took the first few steps towards the burning town.

Harudan held a sleeve over his mouth as they walked through the town. Ishin didn't care where he walked, stepping on the remains of buildings, the wood crunching beneath his massive feet. None of the fire touched Harudan on his place on the God's shoulder, but the smoke still choked him. It was obvious that this was a part of the lesson he didn't want to learn.

He coughed and tried to find anything of the town through the smoke, but it was far too thick for him to see through. It was all his doing and the swirling feeling of pride landed in his stomach. He leaned back, pressing into Ishin's neck. Even though it hurt to breathe, just staring at the smoke made him feel good.

Once they were free of the town, he took a deep breath, sighing at the fresh air that filled his lungs. He turned as Ishin shrunk again to a size far more manageable for their travels, and watched Maeve burn and crumble. He didn't turn around again until it disappeared into the horizon, a halo of orange and a cloud of smoke the only signal that the town had ever existed.