A.N: Sorry for such a late update, been busy with a lot of surgery stuff and I forgot

Since Rina's explanation of who he was, Isiah hadn't been allowed to leave Liman's stronghold without constant supervision, even though there were plenty of people who could cast an illusion on him like Rina did. According to the man, who Rina had introduced as Sir Cillian, her old teacher, it was far easier for him to stay hidden.

From the start, he hadn't liked Sir Cillian. The animalistic looks he'd given Rina set his teeth on edge, even though he hadn't been able to understand a word he'd said. According to Rina's quick translations, it had mostly been insults. Isiah didn't know the history between them aside from Sir Cillian being Rina's old teacher, but she didn't deserve disrespect, as a person or a Princess.

Sir Cillian didn't seem to care about that, from the looks of things. He mocked her, someone he was supposed to respect and work under, when she was one of the strongest people Isiah had ever met. Of course, he had tried to stand up for her and show the snobby knight that they were telling the truth.

As a result, he was stuck in the stronghold while Rina tried to convince Sir Cillian to let them have the boat they desperately needed. If only he knew the language, then he could help, but he doubted they would listen to him anyway. Because of his skin, they didn't trust him.

It was understandable, but he hated how limited his movement was. Without an escort, the only place he could go was the small room he had been shown to the night before. With one, and Rina wasn't allowed to escort him on her own, he was allowed in the dining hall, the garden, and the war room. All of them were places where not many people would see him, stopping the spread of rumours throughout the town.

Sitting in the neatly decorated room for hours on end left him agitated, but there wasn't anything he could do. Rina was elsewhere, in another room or talking with the many important people in the stronghold. Despite who he was, they didn't want him around. Rina had promised before they'd be separated to sleep that she would explain everything as well as she could.

And so he sat and he waited. The room was simple, a small bed, a window with a view of the angry ocean and a desk in a corner. Unlike the day before, the ocean was wild with a coming storm, the tall waves crashing against the abandoned beach at the edge of the town. The port was almost empty two, a few people tending to their boats before running from the waves.

There was no sign of the island they were supposed to be heading to, but the Lady of Liman had known what they were talking about when Rina had mentioned it, meaning they were in the right place. Not seeing it made his stomach clench anxiously and many times over the morning, he found himself trying to find it.

As a way to distract himself from everything that wasn't going on, he played with the stones. Lifting the bed and walking it around the room was easy. The fireplace across from where the bed was supposed to be was lit and extinguished again and again. Using both at the same time was still an impossible task, but he kept at it in order to stay distracted.

It had only been one night since they'd arrived in Liman but he was already anxious for Emrick's arrival. He and Rina had mentioned him during their explanation and Sir Cillian had said that they would keep an eye out for him, but Isiah was still worried about him. There was nothing to tell them that he was still alive, just hope.

He wanted to see him again as soon as possible. He missed him, even though they hadn't been together long. They'd barely been given a chance before everything happened at the Sanctum of Belganine, but if they survived fighting Harudan and Ishin then they would be able to have plenty of time together. That was if Emrick made it to Liman.

If he didn't, then everything was lost. Emrick had the fear stone and was the only one who could control it. Without it, they couldn't open the door. But Isiah didn't want to think about it. He had to hope that he was still alive and would make it back to them. In an attempt to push the thoughts away, he lit the fireplace again, allowing the flames to rise to the ceiling.

It didn't do much, but it was something. Using the flame stone was easy and it was strange to think that he had once been scared of it controlling him. Of course, he still didn't know why that had happened and would probably never find out, but the deaths it had caused hadn't been his fault. Mastering the flame stone meant that he would never accidentally hurt anyone again.

That included Harudan and Ishin. Finally, after weeks of travel, he and Rina had found a way to fix everything. All it relied on was him being ready to wield Teremtys' stone. Collapsing on the bed, he ran a hand through his hair as the flames died down. One more stone and everything would be over, but it all seemed far too simple. There had to be more to it, some catch that they didn't know about. He wouldn't have been given five stones if he didn't have to use all of them.

He couldn't even use two of them still, but there wasn't time for them to wait for him to be ready. After watching both Rina and Emrick almost die at the Sanctum of Belganine, he was sure he was ready to try the fear stone again, but he still had to wait for his partner's return. That was only one stone. The healing stone was another mystery that he had no clue how to solve.

He sighed when someone knocked on the door and pulled himself from the bed. The door creaked open and Rina's dark face peered around the edge. "How are you feeling?" she asked, a frown pulling at her lips as she took in the mess he had made with the room.

"I want to get out of this room," he answered, wary of the guard that stood behind her.

"Well, Sir Cillian had called a war meeting and he wants us both there," she answered and smiled weakly at him. Nervousness stirred within him, but he ignored it as he left the room to walk next to the stoic guard. He'd never been in a war meeting before, had no idea what he was supposed to do there.

Rina didn't bother to fill him in as they walked down the stronghold's gaudy halls. There was too much going on, too many bright colours and decorations; he didn't like it one bit. It was the only thing he could concentrate on while the guard took them to the war room. For some reason, they weren't allowed to speak.

The war room was the one they had been led to the day before. The same small group of people stood around the map table, talking quietly amongst themselves when he and Rina walked in. They cut off mid-sentence to stare at them and Isiah squirmed under their heavy gazes.

Sir Cillian stepped forward, his face calm, but something awful in his eyes. "Thank you for joining us," he said, acting as if he respected both of them. Maybe after Isiah's show the day before, he was scared of him. "We thought it would be worthwhile for our Crown Princess to know what was going on and... Whatever you are."

Taking offence to the words would have been pointless, so he didn't. Cillian had deliberately spoken in his language so that he would understand, but Isiah didn't care. The man was childish and disrespectful and his words didn't matter. He needed to stay calm, he couldn't explode like he had the day before if he wanted the Askari to like him and see him as the peaceful person he was.

"Get started, Cillian," Rina said with a roll of her eyes.

Cillian's lips trembled in a sorry attempt at hiding a sneer as he stepped back towards the table. In the language of the Askari, he introduced the other people around the table and Rina translated for him. Most of them were Captains and Generals in the Askari army, while two at the end of the table were the Lady of Liman and her advisor.

While Rina translated, Isiah took the chance to survey the map. The crests of both nations covered the little statues that sat upon it. There were far more Ishini than Askari, but Isiah wasn't surprised. He'd known from the start that the Askari would lose the war without him. That was why he was there.

With Rina whispering translations in his ear, the meeting began. "Our spies have been monitoring the movements of the Ishini," Cillian said. "Those who haven't been caught and killed have reported something... strange."

"Strange how?" the Lady of Liman asked, a frown on her face.

"I don't know for certain. A man of flames, they've told me," the Warrior replied, running a hand over his short hair. Isiah's heart plummeted into his stomach and he blanched. "I don't know what it means, but they were terrified. Some said he was as tall as a building, others say he was no bigger than a man, but it wiped Gutaran off the map."

Rina made a noise in the back of her throat. "Like I said yesterday, Ishin has awoken. I do not doubt that the being you're speaking of is him," she said and crossed her arms over her chest.

Sir Cillian stared at him as if it were his fault the war was happening, but Isiah kept his face straight. No more letting his anger take advantage of him, he had to be calm and serious, despite the fear and anxiety flowing through him.

Ishin was already in Minisia. It hadn't even been that long since Askarune had warned them of him, a week at least. He couldn't have possibly made it to Minisia in that time, and yet, there was clear evidence of his arrival as Sir Cillian picked a few of the Askari statues from the table. They weren't far from Liman on the map, barely a hand's width east

"The army is heading here next," Sir Cillian said and when he didn't point at anything, Isiah realised that he meant Liman. "This is the last stronghold before Ziya, an important naval town. I think it's safe to assume that they will be here in less than a week."

A heavy silence came over the room once Rina finished translating, all its occupants staring at the floor with mixed expressions of sadness and terror. "What's the plan?" Rina asked and like a bubble popping, the thick air was gone.

"To hold out as long as we can. We need to take out as much of the army as possible if we want to give Ziya a chance at winning," he answered. They had no hope of winning the coming battle, none whatsoever and the awful, heavy feeling swarming Isiah only grew worse. "But that's not the only issue."

"What else is there?" Rina asked, stepping away from him to come closer to the table. Those around shared wary glances with each other, as if they were irritated that their Princess knew nothing of the war. But that wasn't her fault, she had been trying to save them.

Sir Cillian pointed at the northern part of the map. "There is no longer any hindrance for the other half of Brenmar's army. They will reach Ziya soon," he explained, exhaustion in his voice. "The plan is an obvious one now, but not one we can stop. They have successfully flanked up from both sides. Not even a battle here would stop them. Unless..."

"Unless what?" the Lady of Liman demanded. Her eyes were wide with panic and her words were desperate. "What do you have planned, Cillian?"

Then the ageing Warrior's eyes landed on Isiah and a smirk spread across his face. "We have this so-called Beast," he said and Isiah blanched again. "Why don't we use him?"

"Use him for what?" Rina asked angrily. They made it sound like he wasn't a real person, just a tool to use for whatever they wanted.

"You said yesterday that he was supposed to defeat our enemies. This is the perfect chance," Cillian answered, raising an eyebrow at her.

Immediately, Isiah shook his head. "I don't kill. I am a follower of the Old Gods, that's not how we do things," he said, pursing his lips.

It was as if he had offended them. The second Rina translated what he said for those who didn't speak his language, chaos ensued. They yelled at him, offence and fear in their narrowed eyes, but Rina couldn't translate fast enough for him to understand exactly why they were upset.

Cillian held up a hand and the voices ceased, but the glares didn't. "How do you expect to win this war if you will not kill?" he asked, contempt in the entirety of his face. "With peace? Talking? King Harudan doesn't want peace, boy, he wants to kill us all."

"We have a plan," Rina answered for him, shuffling so that she was slightly in front of him. "That's why we need a boat. Isiah needs the last stone so that he can defeat Ishin in whatever way he feels necessary. We will help you as best we can, but Isiah does not hurt or kill."

There was no way they could argue with it. No matter what they said, Isiah wasn't going to change his ways. It was how he'd grown up, what he believed in and that would never change. Even so, Cillian glared at him. "Then he's useless," he said and the thoughts running through Isiah's mind silenced in an instant.

Useless. Was that all he had been from the start? He hadn't really done anything. Maeve had been a morning of violence, he hadn't been able to help the dying woman in the forest. He'd abandoned Nerin and caused the death of the Sanctum of Ishin. He didn't want to think it was the truth but-

"Shut your mouth," Rina snapped, reaching behind her to grab his hand. "Isiah is going to be the one to save this realm. He is not useless. Keep speaking like that and we won't help you. I could heal all your injured, but only if you treat us with the respect we deserve."

Cillian looked almost sick, but he nodded. "So be it. We will need all the help we can get. Do what you must when your friend arrives and we will give you a boat," he said, even though it looked like it was the last thing he wanted to say.

"Thank you," he said as genuinely as he could.

"Shall we continue?" Cillian asked, a hint of a sneer on his face. Rina gestured for him to do so and the conversation turned back to preparations for the coming battle.

While they spoke, Rina continued her translations, but Isiah drifted off. He took in as much as he needed to, but all he could focus on was the constant mention of Ishin. It was far too soon, but he would be facing him within the week. He wasn't ready, didn't even know how to use all of his stones, but there wasn't a way to delay it. Within a few days, he would be facing the God he had been named for, the one who had created him and he would be expected to fight him.

For the first time since he got the flame stone, he was expected to actually do something as the Beast. He wasn't ready and a part of him begged to run, but he couldn't. He was scared, but he wasn't a coward. All he could do was prepare as best he could and when the time came, help out everyone who came into his path.

One day, he would defeat Ishin and Harudan, but without the last stone, there was no way he could. Until Emrick came, they would have to hold them off, then he could become what he was born to be. He would become the Beast that was Promised.