Early the next day, Kas stormed into the staging room. Ether rested with his head down, mentally defeated. His hair nearly touched his lap, covering the badly damaged torso.
"Are you still alive?" Kas asked, worried.
"M - my death..." Ether struggled to respond.
Relief washed over the leader. He was glad Ether was still alive, however that masked his intensions. Beneath the joy he felt, Kas knew this was it.
The one he confessed to would soon return to nothingness, leaving a war behind as their legacy. But many inspired and powerful warriors to fill his shoes.
One by one, Kas freed Ether's restraints. Giving just a little more freedom to the half dead Zesher. Metal clicked as their grip loosened.
"You have fought with great unease. It's evident your mettle is better than most. So many of my warriors have fallen beneath your boots. Now it's your turn," Kas shared the news.
A small amount of happiness washed over Ether's chest. Hidden away by the submissive look on his face.
Kas gently picked his prisoner up, then took them out to the hallway. As he stepped, Ether recounted the memories he and his siblings shared as they stumbled through this very same corridor.
He remembered Jakery nervously stepping beside him, and Demon counting his seconds without a care of who listened. Yet he was silent. Unsure of what the outcome would be.
And unknowing of the journey they were about to embark on. These versions of themselves felt distant, yet so close. As if it was yesterday when their sunset occurred.
Orange sun rays disturbed his frail eyes. Nearly blinding him instantly. However, he still had some strength left inside. Some amounts of his full power crept back to him during his recovery.
Several warriors formed a circle around a shovel that was sticking out from under the sand. Their weapons carelessly hung from their frames as they watched on.
Kas tossed Ether beside the shovel. The deeply injured Zesher landed on his stomach, causing it to erupt aflame. At least it felt like it. The warm sand ignited a touch deep inside his gut.
As if the scorching torch pressed itself onto his skin once again, but this time not as bad. Ether screamed in agony, hoping it would end soon. And it did.
The second he recovered enough to quiet down, one of the warriors pointed down at the shovel. Their tight gauntlets made a perfectly fit figure as it instructed.
"Pick it up, and start digging. This is your grave, and we will watch. So begin to dig before we beat you with the very same shovel," the warrior ordered.
Without a second thought, Ether began to desperately dig. Regardless of not being fed any kind of food or given any form of drinks for several days, he was still very active.
It impressed the warriors, even Kas. How such a seemingly small and submissive Variant could be such a powerhouse. Powerful enough to continue strong when his body has worn out.
Ether's feet sunk into the sand as the shovel began to dig deeper. Essentially bringing him deeper with it. The mounds of sand piling up on the outside increased in height.
"Do you remember your rampage through the Imbushko-Yarno border?" One warrior asked. "My wife and son died trying to defend from your animals. I lost it all just because of your revenge fantasy."
Hearing the results of his vendetta against Kas, Alise, and Dire felt like a huge hit to the groin. Especially as a father. He wouldn't want this to be how his family ended.
Yet he was the indirect cause of their deaths. His treachery, fury, plotting, war-fighting, and carelessness brought so many families to ruins just because he wanted to get revenge.
The shovel spoke to him. Saying he was no hero, this was reality. Heroes didn't exist. All that exist in their stead were lesser evils. Everyone was heartless in someone else's eyes.
Even if that someone else did not want to say it. Tears started building up in Ether's eyes, making it difficult for him to deal with the sand.
"How about your Legion reclaiming Digon?" Another warrior asked. "My sister and last parent. Gone. For what? Because you wanted to help cults instead of aiding against what was wrong in this region."
With that, tears finally flowed out of his eyes. He silently wept, being masked by the flying sand that covered his area. It felt unreal just how much damage he had caused.
That siege was directed to make his partner happy. A gift to show his affection, for not just Pearl, but to all other Thawed in the Legion. Just to show them he remembered them. Even if it didn't appear that way.
Sand mounds nearly surrounded the weeping Zesher. But he was not deep enough. So far, the grave was up to his knees. Not satisfying everyone else.
Like a good little animal, Ether continued to follow orders. He felt the sand burn his naked skin, secretly torturing him in his final living seconds.
"Crying? You are crying?!? Suck it up. Do you know how much I cried when I found out my very own family escaped the region? I bet you had something to do with it, hmm?" Another warrior spoke out.
Memories of several warriors begging for their lives flooded his mind. He remembered them wanting to escape. Wishing to live down the memory of their allies being ambushed by several packs.
So he gave them mercy. Allowing the survivors to return home one last time. Gathering their family members before leaving the region forever. Where their tales would never have a solid conclusion.
Ether struggled to untie the knot that formed in his throat. Despite seeing himself as a hardened fighter, this was too much for him. He killed with what he believed to be reason in his mind.
Light Legion was full of backstabbers, he thought. It was right to take them down, and offer the innocent a chance of freedom within their walls if not away from the region overall.
Careless of the odds of families selecting few members before leaving behind others that deeply cared about them. The mystery and desire to discover where they were and how they were doing was great.
But not everyone was capable of hunting them down. Only highly trained Ferals, which were far and few between. The fates of their families were up for debate.
"You probably don't remember this. But how about that first defense your Legion failed? My at the time partner and I fought. Only for me to see him get butchered by that Distorted of yours," another warrior said, pained.
Kas closed his eyes, trying not to see Ether's progression. Deep down, he truly saw a shard of himself in his opponent. Even if that same opponent has taken down his mightiest.
Mercy, he believed it was. But not enough mercy to pardon Ether's life. It had to be taken, silenced forever, so no one else would endure what his people had.
When he reopened his eyes, Kas saw how deep Ether was. By now, the grave was up to his neck. Which satisfied those around him.
They ordered the Zesher to stop, throw the shovel out, then get on his knees. This he did with great obedience. By now, Ether understood what would be his death.
So he didn't fight it. He instead embraced it. As his minutes ticked down to seconds, he got comfortable to ensure his death would be as soothing as he could make it.
After some time, the warriors began to fill the hole in. Shovel full by shovel full, the sand coated his folded legs. Hiding them beneath golden particles designed to keep competitors safe.
Eventually, the sand was up to his stomach. Ether felt the warmth reigniting his badly injured areas. Then the tears silently dropping like rain drops right on the sand.
He was going to miss Jakery, Demon, Pearl, Orako. The soothing Valentine and the loving Oria. The supportive Kellenas and the energetic Risk. Even the prideful Hizentre to his innocent daughter.
So many stories came to their ends because of him. And this one would be his. As more sand piled up on top of him, he could feel it become difficult to breathe. It was true pain.
It was now up to his neck. The pact sand crushed throat enough to make him feel uncomfortable. It was the death grip he was expecting to find in a rope ready to suddenly tug his neck back.
With the final shovel fulls, the world faded to black. Air was needed to continue functioning. Forcing Ether to breathe in the sand. It traveled through his body, reaching his lungs.
Each particle scratched his insides as they followed the usual path of oxygen. Eventually, he began to feel happy. This was it, his end was here. Now, he could rest forever.