The morning after the biggest and only battle Isiah had ever seen, he and Emrick stood on the outskirts of the remains of the camp, waiting for Rina to finish talking to her brother. Isiah wasn't paying any attention to them and Emrick wasn't bothering to translate, so instead, he surveyed his surroundings and the damage he had caused the day before.

As far as he was aware, he hadn't killed anyone, but there was a high chance he had hurt them. Many of the dead that the town had buried had been covered in minor burns. Those had been his fault, unavoidable, but still his fault. He'd had to convince himself as he fell asleep the night before that it had been necessary, that the army needed to go. And while that was the truth, it still hurt to think that most of what he saw was his fault.

When he'd gotten Ishin's stone, he'd made a promise to himself that he wouldn't hurt or kill again, but he had. And while he hadn't directly killed anyone, he was the reason a lot of them died. Maeve needed to be liberated, but so much for a peaceful way of doing it. He was supposed to set an example, but his example couldn't be violence.

It was too late to take it back, too late to prove that he was as peaceful as he wanted to believe. He ran a hand through his hair and let the tears in his eyes fall down his cheeks. He should have protested more, but he wanted to be able to free a town from Harudan's clutches, to prove that he was the saviour they were waiting for. If only it hadn't resulted in a massacre. When he thought about it, he couldn't think of a single peaceful way that would have worked, but violence shouldn't have been the only answer.

"Isiah?" Emrick said next to him, worry in his eyes. A warm hand pressed against his cheek and wiped away the tears. "I'm sorry."

He almost said that it wasn't his fault, but part of it was. He'd killed too, using the stone to do so. It had been awful to watch from his hiding place in the trees. Emrick hadn't gone too far from him in the battle, keeping his promise to look after them both, but it hadn't given Isiah the perfect view of the bloodshed he caused.

Then there'd been the stone and how he'd used it to kill people so painfully. That was the worst thing Isiah had seen since everything started, not the burnt bodies caused by him, but people being so terrified of what Emrick was showing them that their hearts failed them.

Of course, he said none of that to Emrick. How could he? He didn't know how to explain any of it. "I'll be alright," he said instead, unsure if it was the truth. Apparently, Emrick seemed to notice how unsure he was and pulled him in for a hug. Without the armour on, his body was warm and Isiah sunk into the soothing embrace.

Despite what he had seen during the battle, choosing to listen to Rina had been one of the best decisions he had made. His conversation with Emrick had been hard, he'd been convinced that he'd lost his chance and Emrick would reject him, but he'd been completely wrong. The other man wanted him just as much as he did.

He never should have rejected him in the first place, but it seemed like the only logical thing to do. When he was back at the Sanctum, relationships only seemed like they added stress, which was not something he needed, but Rina had been right. He wanted to be happy and Emrick made him happy, even if they hadn't known each other long.

"Talk to me if you need to," Emrick said into his shoulder. Whatever relationship they would have, it would be slow for a little while, but it would be good. His mistake hadn't cost him anything, for which he was grateful.

He gave a short hum in response. "I will," he said. Ahead of him, Rina gave Benj a tight hug, the taller boy letting out a loud laugh. It was strange, someone who was still a child working so hard to look after one town. Isiah didn't like him much, but he was an admirable boy and would grow into a great man.

He and Emrick were still wrapped in each other's arms when Rina walked over to them, a bag on her back. Prince Benj had given them plenty of supplies to replace what they had lost in Huton, food and clothing to keep them warm, even though they had the stone. In Isiah's bag were bedrolls and blankets for them all and Emrick had been given more medical supplies for the injuries they still had and the new ones they had been given.

There was a nasty cut on Emrick's cheek, one that had been treated, but would still scar. It could have been so much worse if Isiah hadn't done what he had during the battle. He'd almost been too distracted by the deaths to notice the man sneaking up ahead of him but the moment he had seen it, rage flooded his veins.

When he'd grabbed the man's wrist, he'd been ready to kill him, but seeing the terror in Emrick's eyes, the blood of those around them, he'd faltered and thrown the sword away instead of using it for murder. Rina had taken him out instead, much to his relief, and all three of them were alive and well.

The fact that for a split second, he'd been ready to kill for Emrick's sake, worried him to no end. All he wanted was for the three of them to be safe and for him to be happy with his life. But he didn't want to lose Emrick when he'd only just gotten him. In the middle of it all, that's what he thought would happen and panic took over his body. He was going to use the strength stone, but he had no idea how.

It's true power continued to elude him but at least it was his, unlike the fear stone. He would figure it out eventually, but he knew with absolute certainty that he didn't want the fear stone, not with what it could do. It was too powerful, too dangerous and Emrick was using it to unleash its true power.

Rina gave them a small smile when she met them and Isiah flushed. It had been what she was trying to convince him to do when they'd last spoken but he was still embarrassed. Emrick didn't seem to want to let go of him though, so he had to deal with his hot cheeks and the anxious butterflies fluttering in his stomach. At least Rina looked happy for them.

"Are we off?" she asked.

Emrick pulled away from him then and beamed at her. "Aye, still heading south?" he said and adjusted the bag on his back.

"For now," Rina replied. If something else came up, Isiah had no doubt that they would stop to deal with it too, even though they needed to get to the stones as fast as possible before Harudan took over Ziya. They were still walking behind the army when they needed to be ahead.

Isiah shook his head as they took the first few steps through the camp. "We have to get to the Sanctum. I need the next stone. Helping one or two places isn't going to help in the long run. If I don't get the other stones, this would have been pointless."

"I know," Rina said and sighed. "If it hadn't been Benj, we wouldn't have stayed."

"I understand," he said but did he really mean it? He didn't have siblings or parents or any real family. His religion had been his family, the Mother his mother, but they were all dead. If he ever had the chance to go back and save them all, he would.

Emrick grabbed his hand and smiled at him. Rina let out an exaggerated sigh but when he looked back at her, she was smiling too. it was strange that they could smile in the face of what they had done. Everywhere he looked, Isiah felt sick to his stomach. It was awful, the burnt tents and the flattened grass where the bodies had been. He regretted every moment of it, but Maeve was safe and the army had considerably less forces. It was a good thing, surely, but he still felt terrible.

"Oh!" Rina said, pulling him from his thoughts. At first, it looked like something was wrong, but there was a relaxed expression on her face. "Benj said that he sent a raven to Ziya last night to let my father know of what's happened. I think my family thought I was dead."

"So they know we're coming? He explained the whole Beast thing?" Emrick asked. His hand was sweaty and a little uncomfortable, but Isiah didn't mind.

Next to them, Rina shrugged. "No idea. I suppose they know we're on our way, but Benj still seemed a little sceptical about you two, even after what you did," she explained. "If they know we're coming, I guess that will have to do. My father will trust me, I'm sure."

"He'd better," Emrick said as he kicked a fallen tent out of the way. "I don't want to go all this way for him not to listen to us."

"I'll help either way," Isiah told them. He had to, it was his duty as the Beast, as a person, to save all he could. He wouldn't leave them to suffer at the hands of Harudan or whatever lay in store for them next.

Emrick squeezed his hand a little tighter, but neither he or Rina said anything. As they walked, Isiah's curled fingers brushed against the stone in Emrick's pocket. There was so much about Askarune's stone that they didn't know, and the God hadn't been willing to tell them anything. His own experience with the stone had been an awful accident, but it had only made him terrified, it hadn't made him want to die.

He let out a loud sigh and both of his companions looked at him. They were happy, smiling, but his stomach ached with anxiety. "Are you alright, Isiah?" Rina asked, her lips pursed in concern.

"Not really," he said with a shake of his head. "The stone- Askarune's stone... How did you do what you did, Emrick? It was... It was horrifying."

Emrick was silent for a long moment, staring off into the distance, where the sun was slowly rising. "I didn't mean to do it," he whispered, his voice filled with pain and regret. "It whispers to me, you know? What their fears are, I just target them, but I went too deep. It's getting to the stage where I can see their worst fears and still pay attention to what's going on around me, to an extent.

"I didn't have my sword on me so I just used it. All I wanted was for them to run off or something, give me enough time to find a sword, but they did that instead. You didn't see it for what it was really like, Isiah, I was in their heads."

It had been awful enough watching it, but to actually see what it was that killed the soldiers, Isiah couldn't have imagined it. To think that Emrick had done that of his own accord, it made him feel guilty. The stones had a habit of taking control of those who wielded them, like the flame stone at the Sanctum of Ishin or the strength one only a day beforehand. He couldn't blame Emrick for that.

Instead, he ran his thumb against the back of Emrick's hand. "I'm sorry," he said and ran his other hand through his hair. "The stones, they're not good for peace."

"I don't want to use mine for peace. I know you do, but I don't," Emrick replied and sighed when Isiah frowned down at him. Somewhere nearby, Rina listened in, but she didn't say a word. "The armies, the monarchies, both of them, made my life a living nightmare. And not just me, but all the people on the border towns. I know I fought with one side, but if I'm given the chance to abolish either side or both sides, I will, before they decide to abolish me and all of the innocent people in the border towns.

"Anyone who fights and kills for reasons they don't fully understand, like those in the army, are stupid and bloodthirsty and need to be gotten rid of before they cause any lasting damage. As for the monarchies, well they run the whole thing, don't they? They stay in their castles with their parties and their rich friends, acting as if nothing is wrong." Emrick sighed again, running a hand down his face.

Isiah walked with his mouth agape, trying to make sense of Emrick's ramblings. "How long have you felt like this?" he eventually asked, meeting Rina's shocked and worried gaze.

"About ten years." So when everything started, the beginnings of Brenmar and Minisia's cold war.

Rina made a noise in the back of her throat. "But I'm part of a monarchy, so was Nerin," she said, sounding offended.

"And, hopefully, the two of you can see the faults in your Kings and how they treat their people. Where was the backup for Maeve, an important trading town? Why attack innocent border towns when there is no war, no reason to? Why force your own people to suffer for nothing?" Emrick asked, rage filling his voice. "My life until Turian found me was a constant battle to stay out of the way of pointless raids, ones ordered by your father and by Nerin's."

Rina stared down at the ground and Isiah frowned, his eyes widening. She had never realised what both Kings had done to Vishera, never even thought about it. Granted, Isiah hadn't given it much thought either, not when he'd been safe in the Sanctum, but he didn't have the same connection to it that she did.

However, she said nothing. They were far past the camp and Maeve, back in the snowy fields. "I'm sorry," Emrick said, his hand still tight in Isiah's. "To both of you, but that is what I believe and it's not going to change. I know you want to be peaceful, Isiah, and I will support you with that, but my opinions won't change."

"I don't expect them to," Isiah said. They were completely different people with completely different opinions on how things should be handled. He may not like it, but Emrick knew that and he still wouldn't change. It was the same with Rina and he had to accept it, like they accepted him.

He startled slightly when Emrick pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was unexpected but sweet and he gave him a little smile. Rina stalked ahead of them, her face hidden by her white hair. "Rina," he said and bit down on his lip. "Are you alright?"

Rina turned, her hands in the pockets of her trousers. The light of the rising sun glistened off her face, highlighting the tears that ran down her cheeks. "I'm alright," she said and smiled at them as a tear ran over her lip. "I think... I've opened my eyes for the first time."