Kveykva

A/N: This story talks about the Greats, who make appearances in my other story, Tourna Shadow. This might also be written for the Spring Writing Contest, though I'm not entirely sure yet.

C/N: This chapter is still being edited and is unfinished. Check back later for a finished copy.

The End
It’s over…

We lost…

So much blood…I cannot tend to them in time…no, no please not him, please…

It is done…though I do not feel peaceful…

They washed over him. They spoke of loss, and blood, and injuries, and they were so full of grief and anger that it was almost as if they were raw grief, and raw anger. He clenched his fists and bowed his head. Another hour of this, and he would surely go insane.

Enough! he roared at them from within, and successfully managed to silence most of them, the faintest ones. But the stronger ones, the ones who were most grieved, did not leave. Instead they keened stronger than ever.

He put his head in his hands—couldn’t take it anymore, no, more of this and he would lose it, but he couldn’t because he never lost it, it was not in his place to lose it, look it’s the lights now, or is it the darkness, can’t tell…

'''Gosentio, Gosentio, Gosentio. Come back…come back…COME BACK!'''

The last few words were thrown with such force that he jolted to awareness. Not again. He’d been lost in their feelings yet again. Another second and he would have been lost forever. At least now they were expelled from his mind.

“Ah, good. Was it bad this time?”

Gosentio glanced at the speaker. “Yes. It was worse than last time. The aftermath is always bad. I cannot take more of this.”

“Some sacrifices have to be made…” the speaker murmured.

“Is that really how you feel about this? This—to call it a war would be an understatement. We cannot sit here much longer. We must do something.”

“Do what?” Camulos said calmly. “The war is over. You just have to live through the aftermath.”

“Says the one who enjoys war so much,” Gosentio said bitterly. But he knew Camulos was right. “Still, I cannot bear this much longer.”

Camulos stood and twisted his mouth in a bitter smile. “Come then. We will have to make a journey, you and I.”

~wolflowolf~

There was nothing left. It was all empty, gone, destroyed—there was only dust. Gosentio and Camulos gazed around at the scene.

“Where are they all?” Camulos murmured. “Can you—“

“No,” Gosentio said firmly. “I will not feel for them. It is hard enough to expel them.”

Camulos drew his brows together. “Very well.” They walked on in silence.

Help...no...my family...

Fresh sorrow plunged into Gosentio like a bucket of ice-cold water, and he cried out in shock. "I feel someone," he said in reply to Camulos' unanswered question. "And...there are more..."

It was a living nightmare, as voice after voice, emotion after emotion, battered his mind. Gosentio sunk to the ground, unable to bear any more. He was distantly aware of Camulos standing nearby, unsure whether to help him or not, but then all he knew was a storm of grief, sorrow, anger and death, always death, death death death death—

Come back! he heard Camulos roar, but unlike last time, he could not.

No.

No.

No.

And—

Forbidden
Enough.

His staff slams into the ground, sending miniature storms of anger everywhere. Pieces of chaos scatter. Fog rolls over everything, blinding his vision. Cries of desperation are heard--he can't tell where.

He does it again. The butt of the staff strikes the filthy ground.

Again. Again. Again.

'''Enough. Enough. Enough.'''

An unseen force throws its weight onto him. His grip on the staff falters. He tumbles to the ground, trying to grab a hold of something.

Ignisare! The words, thrown at him with such force, brings him to a halt. He stops. Stumbles a bit. His vision clears.

"Gapaye." He stands and glares at his attacker. "What are you doing?"

Gapaye glares right back. "Too stop you from--oh, it's too late. You've already killed everyone. Never mind, then."

Ignisare gapes, unable to say anything. Gapaye sighs. "If it makes you feel better, Gosentio's unconscious. From the war," he clarifies. "I think all the sadness dragged him under."

"Wait." Ignisare freezes. "Say that again..."

"I think all the sadness dragged him under," Gapaye repeats. "Why?"

"You just let him stay under?"

"Of course not." He's offended. "Speirin's trying to heal him."

"But...all those emotions. If he gets lost in those too long, he'll..." Ignisare can't finish the sentence.

"You think we don't know that?" Gapaye scoffs. "If Speirin can't heal him, no one will. Don't worry."

He's not so sure about that logic, but he lets it slide.

"Now, what are we going to do about..."

"About what?" says Ignisare, harsher than he intends. "There's nothing left, remember? I killed them all."

Gapaye swallows, starts to speak, and swallows again. "Well," he replies faintly. "At least...at least the war is over."

Ignisare turns on his heel and leaves. Gapaye doesn't follow.

~wolflowolf~

"I killed them all," he says. There is utter silence. Everyone is staring at him. No one has any kind of emotion on their face. "I just...lost control. And now they're dead."

Finally, someone speaks. "Everyone," says Mastre. "You're sure everyone is dead?"

"Absolutely everyone," a hoarse voice says. Gosentio appears from a house, walking down the hill to join the crowd.

Mastre's face is full of shock. "You should be resting."

"I feel better by the second. They're all dead, like Ignisare said. The voices are all gone."

"Well," says Camulos thoughtfully, "that's one good development."

"Okay, so what do you suppose we do about this lack of people? We had billions of humans, animals...all this life. And now it's gone. Thanks to someone." Mastre suddenly frowns. "How did you do it anyway? That's...powerful. Very powerful. I'm surprised you didn't pass out from the effort."

Ignisare shrugs. "I'm not sure. I just remembered being angry, and...." He pauses. "My staff! Where's my staff?"

"You used your staff?" says Mastre, in the manner of someone saying, "You ate a spider?"

Ignisare glares at Gapaye, who shrugs. "Don't look at me. I tackled you. You dropped it."