The silver stag lifted its head from the river bank, revealing the beautiful crown of antlers. It peered its bright golden eyes at Dolis, unmoved from its spot. Beneath the creature, the river rippled as a cool draft blew through the trees. Aside from its eerie sound and the rare sight of the creature, the forest around Dolis was quiet.
And yet, Dolis knew he wasn't alone.
"Thova," he said as her footsteps breached the tree line behind him. "What are you doing here?"
The goddess of healing smiled despite having Dolis' back turned to her. "A pleasure to see you, brother."
He turned to look at her, dressed in her usual white robe that billowed out at the bottom in a similar style that the gods on the council wore. He couldn't look her in the eyes, instead fixating his eyes on the ground beneath her. "You shouldn't be here; it's too dangerous."
She rolled her eyes. "I can manage on my own, Dolis. It is you I worry about."
"Don't be," he said, glancing back at the river bed where the stag had vanished; the river calmer than before. He blinked before turning back to her. "You're not alone."
It was a statement, one he had deduced from his first sight of the deer but had been foolish in thinking it was just coincidence.
Behind Thova appeared a few more deities. Dauna, the mother of all creatures, Aethis, the god of winds, and Marth, the god of the seas and rivers, stood behind her. The stag he had seen had been Dauna's patron animal, one of her first creatures of the forest. Thova hardly went anywhere without one of the three of them.
"If you're all here to tell me to leave the forest and return home, then you've wasted your time," he said slowly. "I was already about to leave."
"Don't," Dauna spoke first.
"That wasn't what we were here for," Thova said. "We were all worried about you."
Dolis resisted the urge to scoff. "You can't be serious."
"We are," Aethis said, his voice light.
Marth cleared his throat. "They're right, Dolis."
"You are destroying yourself," Thova said. "Now more than before. It's like the Great War again, and I will not let it happen again."
"You've never cared before," he said, reflecting on his memories of the war, albeit muddy from the effects of Dulo's blood. Even if they had cared about his mental state then, they were all the same, reaping the benefits of being on the godly council without sparing him or Xiros any sympathy. They had scorned him and his father for decades; why bother caring now?
"We admit that we have wronged you," Marth said somberly. "Including your father. We could not save you from Dulo's blood, but we will not let it happen again. The other gods on the council may disagree, but Estruela would be nothing without the two of you."
"Estruela will be nothing if I remain here in this forest. I'll only destroy everything else in my path."
"That is not true," Dauna said. "The forest needs you and your father to continue the cycle of life."
Dolis frowned. Dauna's logic was sound, and Marth, who had seemed indifferent to him and his father before, sounded like he cared for once. Even if they were Thova's closest friends, they had no reason to treat him kindly. "And if I destroy Terah's tree in the process? The beloved mortals that worship you in the process? What then?"
"We are resilient, Dolis," Thova said. "We wish you'd see that you can be too. You do not need to succumb to destruction. Wield it proudly, do not drown in it."
"The destruction is not a reflection of you; it's a reflection of the greedy gods and mortals that stray from morality," Dauna added.
"She is right, though I hate to agree," Marth said. "The others on the council have little regard for their followers, even encouraging them to hunt for Terah in futility."
"But this had been Daelia's idea," Dolis said.
"Yes, it may be, but the others have twisted it into a frenzy to gain immortality. Which you would know that is impossible to grant." Marth shook his head angrily. "They're leading the mortals to certain death, sparking violence and wars amongst their own kind. They will stop at nothing to gain Daelia's favor."
"Why risk losing their followers?"
"They have grown too comfortable on their thrones," Aethis spoke. "It appears the majority of the council have grown bored."
Complacency, Xiros had told Dolis, the word hanging on the tip of Dolis' tongue.
"Nothing excites the gods more than suffering," Marth added. "And yet they don't see how this affects us all. We all will suffer at this rate."
"It is affecting all of us," Dauna said. "Not just my creatures and the forests, but Marth's waterways. Aethis' realm has grown polluted over the course of a few nights with their endless fighting. Surely, you have felt the effects this whole thing has had."
"Soon, the waters will run red at this rate," Marth said solemnly. "The creatures of the lakes and rivers in the Estruelan forests are already in agony."
"I cannot save them all," Thova added. "Our powers are not enough to heal and ease Estruela."
Dolis' frown grew, sensing where their thoughts were headed. "And you think I can help you?"
"You can put a stop to this, Dolis." Marth crossed his arms. "So, yes. We need your help."
"I'd only add to the number of deaths and devastation," Dolis said, looking between them incredulously. "I cannot help you. If it is suffering that will excite them; I'd be but a jester to them. What good does involving the god of destruction in this mess?"
"Ending this madness," Aethis said. "Ending this chaos as you had done once before."
Dolis frowned. He hadn't stopped Dulo, the primordial god of chaos. Not alone, and not completely. It had been years of effort and sacrifices from all the gods to stop him, and even now, he roamed the earth through Xiros' bloodlines.
"It is a big ask," Dolis worded carefully. "To ask someone like me. I cannot guarantee anything."
"We are aware," Marth said. "But if anyone can end this, it would be you."
"We will help you," Dauna said. "As best we can. My creatures will guide you."
Aethis nodded. "The skies will be in your favor."
"As will the waterways," Marth added hesitantly. "As best as I can allow them to. Though the mortals are impacting our control over our territories."
Dolis nodded in thanks, turning to Thova. "You trust in me?"
Thova smiled as if he had told a humorous joke. "I trust that you will do your best."
"And if my best is not good enough? If it's all for naught?"
"Then there was little we were meant to accomplish in ending the madness. The blame would fall on no one." Her words, which would have provided some comfort to a mere mortal, Dolis could feel the creeping blame spreading through his pores even before she had approached him.
Marth and Aethis turned to each other in a silent nod. "We must return to the council. While I cannot change their opinions, know we are on your side, Dolis."
They parted silently as Dauna bid Thova goodbye, following shortly after with her patron animal beside her, leaving Thova and Dolis alone.
"Thova, you cannot think this wise," Dolis said, glancing around to make sure the other gods had left them alone. "I cannot stop them. Unless you ask that I destroy them and leave Estruela mortal-less, I cannot control them."
She stared into his eyes for a moment. "This isn't just about stopping the mortal's madness or ending this crazy contest. I had asked them to confront you together, but it isn't just for the sake of mortals."
"But—"
"This is about you. Yes, the others see you as our only hope to end this, but as your sister—"
"Half-sister, Thova."
She rolled her eyes. "This is an opportunity you cannot pass up."
Dolis narrowed his eyes. "There is no opportunity."
"You heard Daelia that night. This is a monumental chance for you to prove your worth to the council. As much as you shouldn't have to, think about it; find lady Terah's tree, earn her favor and blessings, and a spot in the council at Daelia's side. No god or mortal can ever look at you with disdain ever again." Her eyes shined with hope and wonder as Dolis remembered their younger days. She had always been the positive one between them, and even now, he wondered where her lofty thoughts stemmed from.
"Terah is in that form as a result of Dulo's blood. There is no reason for me to go near it," Dolis leveled. "One sliver of animosity, and I could destroy her essence and everything her reach encompasses. Risking even a moment in her presence could result in something far worse than the war that took her."
Thova reached her hand up, placing it gently against his chest. Her hand was warm, as it always felt when they were younger before the war. He had missed how it felt, missed any form of physical connection to anyone besides Xiros. Even Xiros felt cold to the touch due to being so buried from civilization and amongst the dead. "You, of all people, could use Terah's gift. There is a pain that I cannot even mend, one that stems from even before the Great War, Dolis. Be kind to yourself; take this opportunity to be happy again."
Dolis glanced down at her hand, a fragile and dainty thing pressed against a wielder of Dulo's blood. Even this felt like a crime.
"Happy?" Incredulity lacing the word like a bitter tendril.
Thova let out a shaky breath. "It's been so long since I've seen you smile. So long that I cannot remember what it looks like. Not one of your forced smiles, either. A genuine one, Dolis. Truly, when have you truly allowed yourself some semblance of happiness?"
Dolis did not have an answer. The only happy memory he could muster was from before the war, possibly so far back that he and Thova had been young gods.
Thova answered for him. "It's been way too long."
"Think about it, Dolis. Please," Sadness laced her words as Dolis remained still. Silence filled the air between them, neither of them finding the courage to speak or move.
Dolis couldn't find it in him to promise her anything, replying with a curt nod before she stepped away. He watched her as she parted through the tree line, leaving him to consider her and the other god's words.
But it hadn't been their wishes, first father, or even her insistence that stuck with him. It had been Daelia's words from earlier, offering a curious flame that Dolis was intrinsically drawn to. He was a moth, desperate for a chance at warmth, even if it cost his downfall.
Was chasing after this chance, hunting for Terah's tree, as futile and foolish as the mortals and his brain told him? Would it be worth the risk of letting Estruela fall to ruin if he failed?
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