NONE SO VILE

32: Death of Empire

Albedo, Rennaire, 1811.

Leon stood alone atop the barricades, the city of Albedo at his back. Thousands of Rennaire’s best soldiers surrounded his dais, and yet still he felt as if he were the only man on the planet. The wind tugged at his coat, the clear sky above them under threat by the distant cloud break. 

How much do I need? He wondered, surveying his men. Infantry stood closest, musket and riflemen braced with their weapons, eyes on the approaching enemy. A sea of blue and black uniforms, the purple unicorn of Rennaire’s coat billowing on the scattered standards, raised above the soldier’s heads. Artillery was braced on either side of the infantry’s great mass, Leon’s cavalry units beyond that. A wall of flesh and blood and powder. All this, and still I am alone. Perhaps I was always destined to be this way. This war, this empire, nothing more than a raging against the dark. 

The enemy army claimed the horizon as their own, a massive conglomerate that combined the best of all contributing nations. Danegard’s infantry, Gerlachia’s horses, Yaravania’s riflemen. A new coat of arms waving on a new flag. 

The New Coalition had come.

Leon let out his breath. He felt that he stood alone against an avalanche, pressing with all his might to keep the world from sliding back into the darkness he had tried to liberate it from. The coming days and weeks would be brutal, there was no doubt about it, but so too was there no other choice. Leon was the greatest soldier that had ever lived, and he had brought Rennaire to the light kicking and screaming. 

Where would this country be without me? Still grovelling in the dirt, begging a king that does not care for mercy. The enemy knew that. They wanted to subjugate Rennaire once more, and they knew the only thing standing between slavery and freedom was Leon. Once he fell, the rest of the country would follow suit. 

“How long do we have?” He called out, refusing to take his eyes off the approaching army. Nobody had expected their arrival so soon. In the preceding weeks Leon had tried everything he could to slow their advance through the Rennairan countryside, but to their credit, the enemy had been relentless.

Alabaster, please, hurry for once in your life, Leon thought. Without the Mahoraga, the Rennairan forces were utterly defenceless against the enemy Angels. It was all Leon could do to try and delay the full engagement of their soldiers for as long as possible while Alabaster worked his sorceries.

Thinking of the dragon was like prodding a fresh wound. Despite Alabaster’s claims to the contrary, Leon knew he’d lost him back at Zolfreun. For all his harshness and cynicism, Alabaster was sensitive at his heart, even soft. Years of protective calcifying had left him brittle, and it had taken Leon nearly a decade to undo that damage.

And then, when Alabaster finally had let his guard down, what had Leon done? Stabbed him right through the belly. If only he had listened to me, if only he hadn’t made me… Leon killed that thought in its infancy. Nobody had forced his paw. He had said those things and no one else, and eventually, he would make it right again. 

When this war ended, when the New Coalition was finally ripped to pieces and the old empires breathed their last breaths, they could both know peace. Leon could give Alabaster the time he deserved, and they could heal, and the dragon would finally understand that Leon had been right all along. 

“Excuse me, your majesty?” Leon blinked, shaking free of his thoughts. He glanced aside to see one of his general’s standing beside him, a singular telescope held in one paw. The badger cocked his head. “I believe you asked about the estimate to engagement?” 

“Y-yes…” Leon sniffed. He was exhausted, the weight of the entire country had fallen upon his shoulders and he was beginning to buckle. His eyes throbbed with fatigue, his fingers and toes tingling numbly with it. Behind the general he saw a kind of half-lidded halo, a secondary layer to the man swirling in the peripheral. His body desperately needed rest, but the war was here now.

I will rest when we’ve won.

“At their current pace, we expect to begin exchanging fire two hours past noon. How should we best proceed?” Leon scowled as the general and his subordinates leaned in with bated breath. 

“Are you all children?” He asked, suddenly furious with them. “Do you also need me to tell you to load your guns and shine your boots? Have you neglected to wipe your arses without my guidance? Present me with options, advice, and do not come to me expecting I will do your duty for you.” 

“I…” The general swallowed, recoiling. Leon almost wished he would bite back. Deuxmoise would have. Gaspar would have. Hell, even Jacques would have, in his own way. “Yes, of course, your majesty… I… I believe we should send in skirmishers in an attempt to scatter their forces.” 

Leon sighed. “Then you are an idiot. Go, and do not do that.” 

The badger scurried back into the crowd. There were thousands of them, lined up like a great wall to their home. 

War has come. I have brought it here, and only I can conquer it.

Before anyone else could make a suggestion, a great plume of light erupted from deep behind enemy lines. A white-hot spear shot up into the sky, rising like a great phoenix as it soared far higher than any cannon or catapult shot, curving towards Albedo in a long arc. Screams rose in the army, and Leon felt the collective weight of his army flinch together.

“HOLD YOURSELVES!” Leon bellowed, his criers hurrying to echo his command. He saw the fiery spear reach its zenith, holding in the sky amongst the clouds before it began to soar down towards them. Heat blossomed around it as the speed and heat devoured the atmosphere, a deep rumbling sounding in the air.

Leon felt, rather than saw, his soldiers fall to a crouch, raising their arms to cover their eyes. With the crush of men and buildings at their back, there was nowhere to run. The spear of light plummeted towards them, the sound of burning filling their ears. Cries of alarm rose, and some of the fringe ranks broke at the edge of the army, men scattering like ants beneath the impending missile. 

The spear met the ground half a mile from Leon’s front rank. The soldiers there dropped to their knees, shielding their faces as a massive wall of dust exploded forwards. Leon remained upright as the aftershock raced toward him, tiny pebbles zipping past his ears. He squinted as wind and dust washed over him with a deep boom.

As the impact settled, he saw a great scar remained in the ground where the spear had landed. No one had been seriously hurt, but the message was clear. 

Ears ringing, Leon brushed grime from his coat, blinking to clear his eyes. Around him, the army resolidified its ranks, each man undoubtedly shaken. 

Morale… the greatest of killing blows to any army.

“Your majesty, what should we do?” Asked the badger general. “What does that mean?” 

Leon rolled his eyes. “It means they want us to know they have Angels.” He turned away from the barricade, descending the steps and making for his horse. “I need to think. Come and get me when it’s noon.” 

The candles illuminating Alabaster’s lab flickered, the resonant echoes of his sangomic art suppressing their flames. Ancient mantras flowed in a vile tongue from his lips, the power of the old words lacing his runes across the Mahoraga together as he fought to bring it to life. The sense of darkness was palpable, the forbidden magic so heavily concentrated into his creation.

Alabaster twisted his claws before himself, making the necessary sigils. Electricity crackled in the air, sparking off him as unwilling souls were dragged into the vessel. Pain lanced up Alabaster’s nerves, the other whipping and searing his insides numb. Never before had he channeled quite so much raw sorcery, never had he flown so close to the sun. 

If Fayez could see me now… he would weep, for how great and terrible my art has become. 

On the table, the Mahoraga’s body heaved, jaw clicking as desiccated muscle allowed bone to grind against bone. It surged, trying to awaken and obey Alabaster’s commands, and struggling. The evil script carved into the green scales flared a fleshy pink across its twisted body, its claws curling, steam hissing as organs boiled inside, pouring from the creature’s maw. Pressure built in Alabaster’s chest, fire, tension, an unwieldy knot of power and magic twisting immutably through his claws. 

“Remain… Remain,” Alabaster growled, panting as he fought to keep control of the other. Loose threads spilled from his grasp, invisible strands that burnt the scales on his wrists. Spittle flew from between his teeth, and with a final grunt of effort, Alabaster released the spell, sorcery dissipating across the room. 

“Fucking hells.” He turned, shoving over a small trolley and sending the ink pots and surgical tools scattering. Trying to grab hold of his focus, Alabaster whirled back to his project monster. “It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. Will. Alone.” Breathing heavily, he braced himself on the autopsy table, trying to regain his thoughts. 

“This is a waste of time and you know it.” Gabriel pushed off the back wall, shaking his head in disgust as he circled the table. “We’ve made our decision, Alabaster. Why are you still bothering with this creature?” 

“Right now, Leon stands at the front of his army. How do you propose we reach him?” Alabaster sniffed, straightening up. His tail coiled around his legs, muscles flexing and relaxing. “We cannot know how the next few days will play out. A confrontation may be unavoidable, and if the New Coalition army reaches the city limits, their Angels will be merciless. I won’t go without contingencies, Albedo needs a way to protect itself.”

“And if you would abandon this project, we could put all our efforts towards making sure that need never comes.” 

“Not yet, not until I’m certain.” 

Gabriel scoffed, pushing up close, his heavy veil fluttering with his movements. “Don’t tell me you are wicking out now, master. I never wanted this, but now that you’ve set it in motion we cannot back down. It must be done and you know it.” 

Alabaster closed his eyes. He hated this feeling within himself. He knew Gabriel was right, and still the inevitable horror of it loomed upon him. It was a heaviness in his heart, dragging him downwards. It could be their last moment together, and Leon would spend it hating him. 

But the empire was dying. Already Alabaster saw the signs – the hypocrisy, the chafing at the bits, not to mention the losses and pyrrhic victories of late. The people were once again becoming subjugated to the whims of a single individual, their knowledge was growing restricted, and their children were being sent off to die. As the enemy pushed harder on Rennaire, Leon had tightened his grip, and Alabaster could not see it ever being released.

It’s already over, Alabaster thought. This is only the death knell. What you feel, or believe in the end, won’t matter. All that mattered was finally, for the first time in his life, he would do what was right. 

Even if the very thought of it made him sick. 

“We have to be careful,” Alabaster said eventually, glancing up at the veiled badger. “If this is not done precisely, then the whole thing comes tumbling down all at once.”

“We need to act now. If we wait, the New Coalition will not accept–” 

“You cannot wear a crown if you are dead.” 

Gabriel seemed to soften, reaching a gloved paw up and gently laying it on Alabaster’s own. “I understand that this is hard for you. I know you still love him, despite… every reason that you shouldn’t, and I do not blame you for it. But you know this has to be done. There is no other way this country survives, and these people don’t deserve to be dragged down with his madness.”

Alabaster swallowed, tears threatening behind his eyes. “I thought I’d have more time. I thought…” He choked out a gasp. Nobody had expected the New Coalition so soon. Leon had sent out an army a week ago to slow them, but they must have been decimated, for no word was sent back.

What if I’m not ready to lose him? 

Even as Alabaster thought it, he realised what a childish sentiment it was. The truth was he had already lost Leon, and he knew that. The jaguar would not listen to reason. All he saw was glory, legacy, and a future empire. He had dismantled the highest echelons of government, and ruled unilaterally with no regard for others. He had become everything he hated.

A tyrant.

The worst part was that Alabaster had expected him to be evil. He had expected that Leon would do something so unbelievably terrible that there could be no denying it. But there was nothing so obvious, only a pattern of control and delusion. He hadn’t realised that real life would be so mundane in its failures.

“You don’t have to do this.” Gabriel’s voice was a whisper. They were speaking about treason of the highest degree, and even alone in the dungeon, it felt like a risk to voice their plans aloud. “Let me. All you need to do is get me close, Alabaster, and I can end this nightmare for everyone.”

“I… It should be me.” 

“It won’t matter, in the end. Let yourself look him in the eyes and remember everything good he has accomplished.”

Alabaster squeezed his eyes shut even as the tears came. He cried so easily now, it was humiliating. He tried to stop it, but the sob bubbled up through his gritted jaw. 

“I don’t want to lose him, I still… I still don’t want to lose him.” 

Gabriel said nothing, remaining like a statue as Alabaster quickly stifled his tears, wiping his face. Before he could speak on it again, a far-off impact shook the walls. Dust was unsettled from the ceiling beams, falling upon them, the muted sound of a great impact reverberating through bricks. 

“What was that?” Gabriel muttered. 

“Angels,” Alabaster replied, straightening his back. He looked down to the Mahoraga, his putrid magnum opus. “They’ve reached the city.” 

“Bring the people back, evacuate them to the rear of the city!” Leon shouted at a general – he didn’t even know the man’s name. “Citizens to the back, soldiers to the front!” Spears of light rained from the sky, blowing apart farms and buildings on the outskirts of Albedo. Dust filled the sky, the streets. Ordinary citizens fled towards the north-side of town, some cradling severed arms, bloodied faces, some being carted in wagons and on the backs of donkeys, their legs blown off and bodies mangled. 

Leon tugged at the reins of his horse, the large black stallion neighing wildly as he charged through the streets of central Albedo. It was a maze, filled with chaos and fear, smoke choking the light out from the alleys.

Finally breaking free of the denser urban sectors, Leon galloped through the streets with wanton abandon. It was dangerous, out this far on the edge of town an Angel’s spear could descend on him at any moment, but he’d spent too much time coordinating the second waves, he had to return to the front lines and get control of the situation.

The generals in charge of the infantry were glad to see him. The musket and rifle regiments had retreated behind the makeshift barricades, while the artillery units had been sent forward to return fire on the enemy lines. The cannon regiments did their best to pressure the oncoming enemy, but the true bulk of the New Coalition force had yet to reach the firing zone. 

“Their Angels grant them far superior range, your majesty!” A general shouted up at Leon, as he drew his horse to a stop. The jaguar dropped from the saddle, wiping grime from his brow. “We simply cannot achieve artillery parity at such a distance!”

“Send the infantry in,” he barked between cannon volleys, pointing around. “Pressure them further, they cannot reach the city.” He knew the order was a death sentence, but so was sitting and waiting.

Hurry, Alabaster, please.

“But, your majesty,” the general faltered, looking for help in his comrades. “I was under the impression you–”

“Changed my mind!” The Emperor cried. Cursing, he shoved the general aside, stepping up to the top of the barricades and pointing towards the front line. “AT THEM! DAMN YOU, AT THEM!” 

The cavalry was first out the gate, following the trumpet of a great horn, the heavy cuirassiers drawing their sabres and immediately kicking into a great storm. Plumes of dirt and stone kicked up behind them as they charged, swords raised, war cries on their lips. 

Only a little longer, we only need to hang on a little longer… Once he had the Mahoraga, victory would be assured. Leon could see it, the miniscule thread that passed through the storm. Victory would be his. He knew it as he knew his own name.

I do not need your God or your Angels. I possess an army made up of the greatest soldiers in the world. I am their Emperor, and I will be remembered as the greatest monarch to ever live.

“Sights!” Leon yelled, stretching out a paw as someone slapped a telescope into it. He put the ocular to his eyes, squinting at the enemy front lines. He saw soldiers of varying colours and creeds, flags waving, guns raised. It was almost funny, how Leon’s ultimate goal had been to fully unite Midland under the Grand Design, and here they all were – united as one against him.

A sour victory at best.

As he watched, however, three men and a woman stepped out from the front rank, all of them stripped to the waist. They were each a canine of differing species, seemingly unarmed, and each with a halo hovering over their head. 

No. Too late, Leon realised he had been goaded. He tried to cry out to belay his order, but the first charge had started, there was no stopping it.

A great brown wolf stepped forward and raised his paws, the ground before him shaking and jittering, rocks breaking up like blades, the soil slipping through as the earth split before him. The cavalry caught on too slow, and had barely started to slow themselves as the ground suddenly gave way beneath them. 

Leon lowered his telescope as nearly two thousand men and horses smashed themselves to pieces without even reaching the enemy. The mounts had their legs pulverised, the men piled into one another, and the ground devoured them all. Some managed to climb to their feet after being thrown free, but the female Angel was already on them. She whipped at the stragglers with great fiery lashes, the forked tongues on the end of her sorcerous whips splitting bodies apart and searing their innards like cooked meat. 

“God in his heaven…” Cried the general to Leon’s right, a wail of religious anguish and terror. “We have brought his eyes upon us, he sees us with all his venom and fury!” 

Leon whirled on the man. “Silence your peasant superstitions, man!”

The fox only shook his head, staring at the trio of Angels. “We deserve this… we have brought his wrath and focus upon us, his most hated of children!”

Leon knew how that kind of zealous fear spread, and he lunged at the man, seizing his uniform and shaking him. “There is no fucking One God here, man! This is a battlefield! If you need something to pray to, pray to me!” He declared, shoving the man back. “You are demoted. Tell your second he is the new general of your division.” 

The Emperor whirled back on his stage, staring down the enemy. They had stopped their march forward and waited in place, four Angels all stood before them, as if to challenge him. 

This puzzle is not unsolvable, Leon told himself. Panic threatened to claw at him, but he stomped it down. He wished Alabaster were by his side, the dragon would have been able to steady him. At least then he’d have someone with him that he actually knew. 

The pieces would fit, if only Leon could orientate them correctly.

“Fire at them! Fire!” He cried, raising a fist. At such a distance the shot would be ineffective, but he had to think. 

Scattered across Albedo, Leon wielded near ninety-thousand soldiers. Many were displaced within the city, helping to fortify and barricade, but they were there. Two days away, he had a force of eleven-thousand, and four days away was a force of fifteen thousand. Nearly a hundred and twenty-thousand men, if he could live long enough to bring them all together. 

And still not enough. 

The New Coalition army before them was just over a hundred thousand strong, as well as being augmented with Angels. Each one was said to be worth nearly ten-thousand men, and without the Ishim ritual or any other sorceries, that was how many lives Leon put it to cost to bring down one conventionally. Ten-thousand lives for one was a bad trade, but that wasn’t all that complicated his puzzle. Two horses pulling together were not twice as effective as one – they were closer to three times. Could the same happen here with the New Coalition Angels? A battle had never been fought with four Angels simultaneously, for in days past it would have been considered too heinous a crime, especially during a battle centred around a high-density city like Albedo. 

But I trod all over the good old days, didn’t I? Leon grinned, his teeth bloody from some tiny wound or another. I discarded the wartime agreement of gentlemen, and now they have done the same. I brought us down to the mud, so it’s in the mud I’ll fight. There was no doubt Rennaire would pay a terrible cost for this victory, but if… when Leon achieved it, it would be a victory so great they’d never need pay it again. 

I am so close to true greatness. Soon, I will know everything, I will have everything, and the world will have peace. 

The other big problem was reinforcements. Within ten days' march, the New Coalition had at least another forty-thousand men available. If the fighting continued longer than that, they could bring countless more. 

He turned back, staring at the buildings of Albedo, the choir of gunshots deafening at his back. This city is not built for sieges. It was a trade hub, it had grown organically over time and was nestled into the very heart of Rennaire – the fighting was never supposed to have come this far. 

What do I do? His heart pounded so hard in his chest Leon thought it might crack a rib. Perhaps the Angel’s sorcerous artillery had already done that for him. How do I win, how can I win? 

Was Alabaster right? 

Was it really impossible?

No. He smothered the thought as quickly as it came. Now was the worst possible moment to concede to doubt. Leon had always been sure of himself before, even when no one else was, and he had always come out on top. Rennaire needed his strength now more than ever, and he refused to allow himself to fall to weakness. The enemy could try to copy his new game, but Leon had written the rules.

He would be victorious. 

“Your majesty?” Asked an orange fox, the general he’d just apparently promoted. The man was painfully young. “What should we do?” 

“I…” Leon hesitated, too many options floating before him. Pull back into the city for defence? It could have worked, if not for the artillery Angel. Then charge forwards? The whips and broken earth were too treacherous. 

They’ve trapped me. They stood there, waiting for him. And they know it. 

“My Emperor, please,” the fox begged. He was so young. Too young to be a general. “Please tell us what we should do!” 

Leon blew air from his cheeks, suddenly feeling faint. 

“I…” 

Before he could finish the thought, a deep cry rose up from his own ranks. Frowning, Leon stepped forward, raising up his telescope once more. He saw his men parting like the sea before a prophet, some of them scrambling back in terror, many making signs of the One God before their chest, heedless of Rennaire’s laws. 

“What in the name of all that is natural is that thing?” A nearby horse lieutenant cried, the rising shouts of others joining him.

“Where did it come from?” 

“Who could have done this?”

“Evil, look upon it, and see evil!”

“The Mahoraga,” Leon whispered, blinking in disbelief. “He did it.”

Could it possibly be enough? 

Shaking, Leon raised the telescope to his eye, heart aching as he realised who had served as the core vessel for Alabaster’s creation. 

He blinked away tears. “Oh, no… my friend. Forgive us.” 

Alabaster’s necromancy had transformed Gaspar into the grotesque. Once a proud, muscular crocodile, he had become something that triggered an ancient, primordial part of Leon’s mind. Something inside the jaguar saw that creature and screamed this is wrong.

His upper body was swollen and stitched together, runes carved over every inch of his hide, glowing and shifting as if something foul writhed beneath his scales. Leutgard’s golden arms had been sewn to his back, reaching around his shoulders, fingers flexing eagerly. His eyes were the dead white of a corpse, his maw mangled and scarred, teeth sticking out in places they should not. Musculature from both Leutgard and the other remaining Angels Alabaster had in his possession had been stitched over Gaspar’s body, augmenting his bones and joints to keep him upright.

And then, the final piece – hovering over his old friend’s half-exposed skull, were two intertwined halos, looped together like the link in a chain. One was the black burning disc of Leutgard, the other Lazare Toussaint’s golden ring. Unity in heresy.

Leon fell to his knees, losing sight of the Mahoraga. To see Gaspar die and come back as a corpse had been anguish. It had felt wrong to rob his friend of true peace, but then when Alabaster offered, Leon had not been able to let the soldier go. He loved the man.

But this… to see him so utterly desecrated… he knew it was wrong. 

Leon realised he had been surrounded by soldiers. They grabbed at him, trying to right him again.

“The Emperor has gone down!” 

“Protect the Emperor!” 

“Move, move! To his majesty’s side!” 

Leon pushed up, shoving them away with a snarl. “I am fine, get back. I… I wanted this. I told him to create this, I told him to let nothing stand in his way.” 

Leon looked around. 

I did this. 

“I did this,” he whispered, his sorrow eclipsing into numbness. “And I can fix it too. I can fix everything.” 

The Mahoraga-Gaspar paused as he passed through the front of Leon’s ranks. It stood there for a moment, as if appraising the enemy Angels that awaited it, less than two miles in the distance. Four to one. Arching his spine, the Mahoraga raised his head and let out a deep, chthonic wail. Soldiers covered their ears, and Leon felt his eyes shake in their sockets from the weight of it. It was like nothing he had ever heard, the call of the abyss, a declaration of wrath.

It did not wait for any command. The abomination suddenly charged forward with the speed of a bull, barrelling towards the four Angels. They braced themselves, and even as Leon watched the ground began to split and break apart near the Mahoraga’s feet. The creature simply leapt aside, flying higher than the head of any man as he bounded out of danger. 

“ARTILLERY! SUPPORT!” Leon screamed, raising an arm. Cannon began to fire towards the enemy, the beast still chasing the Angels down. 

The female raised her paw, a great whip of burning fire extending out from her paw. She slashed it towards the Mahoraga, who caught the end of it on his forearm. His scales did not burn or separate, and he lunged toward them, yanking the whip like it were a leash on a dog. The fox flew towards him, and as Gaspar caught her each of his four arms ripped her to pieces.

Both armies saw it happen, and Leon grinned as he felt the shift of morale tip in their direction. 

He did it, he fucking did it. Alabaster, my love… you may have yet won us this war. 

One of the Angels retreated, raising his arms and hurling a spear of light towards the Mahoraga. It shattered on the creature’s hide, which roared in reply, dashing towards its opponent. 

On and on the Angels continued to trade blows, three of them versus Alabaster’s one monstrosity. Leon felt the thrill of the hunt engage him, blood pumping, tail coiling behind him. How could he have doubted himself? This was his war, the war to end all wars, his true legacy.

His army continued to press forward, artillery and rifle-fire pressuring the enemy, bullets and shot flying between both forces. Blood poured heavily enough that one could taste it in the air, mixing with the ash and fear already there. Leon himself had little control over the combat, units operated almost independently on instinct, all of them caught up in the brutal melee, avoiding the battling Angles as the fighting spilled out around them in a wide circle. 

Leon cheered as a second Angel was slaughtered, Leutgard’s ice-spikes splitting open its head as the Gaspar-creature roared with frenzy, stomping the dog’s face down deeper.

“Your majesty! Your majesty!” 

Leon blinked, realising that someone had been tugging on his coat. He glanced back, and now that he tried to focus, found that his ears were ringing painfully loud. The orange fox he had promoted earlier stared at him with wide, green eyes. 

“Brave faces!” Leon cried, barely able to hear himself. “We do not need to win now, general!” He pointed towards the horizon, where the sun was already beginning to set. “Night comes soon, and we will have pushed them back!” He licked his lips, thrilled at the prospect. Victory was so close. 

If the Mahoraga could kill the enemy Angels, it would go a long way to nullifying the New Coalition’s advantage. The southern half of the city was nearly devoid of citizens, and then Leon could draw the enemy in, trapping them in the streets like fish in a barrel. 

I have Prince Jules and the loyalists to thank for teaching me the danger of urban combat. If he pulled them in enough, he could even sink the ground and drop the enemy into the Undercity, as he’d done once before. It was all starting to take shape in his mind, he only had to– 

“YOUR MAJESTY!” The orange fox screamed it, suddenly seizing hold of Leon. He pointed out away from the enemy, away from the city. “A second army approaches from the east, the scouts are reporting they wave the Losaile flag!”

One of his advisors heard the news, and immediately fell back, just sitting on the edge of the barricade, staring straight down. Another shook his head, mumbling. They began to panic.

“Say it isn’t so, say it, admit it, you’re lying!” 

“A pincer. Here, now.”

“Do they have Angels?” 

“We’re dead. We’re all dead, we just don’t know it.”

“No!” Leon insisted, raising a paw to halt the naysaying advisors. “Not another word. We… we won’t. We…” He glanced around. Chaos surrounded him. Death. “I will not let them win,” he snarled. “I will not.” 

“Then what do we do, my Emperor?” 

Leon shoved past the orange fox, making for his horse. 

“Y-your majesty? Where are you going?” The general had to repeat himself three times before Leon was able to catch his words, the musket-fire and Angelic echoes were deafening. 

“I need to see the whole battlefield!” Leon screamed into his ear. “I must see it all! Press on with this front, general, I will send word!” 

“Are you abandoning us?!” Like a child, the fox reached up, seizing hold of Leon’s leg, his mouth falling open. 

They are my children, Leon thought. Each and every one. And it is for their sake that I cannot kneel. He was furious at the enemy, angrier than ever before, and he grabbed hold of that sensation and clung to it for dear life. So close, he had been so fucking close to the end and now they wanted to spoil it. To take what was rightfully his.

This is my Empire. You cannot have it. I would burn it all down before I consider returning it to the paws of tyrants.

He reached down, grasping the fox’s wrist and squeezing as hard as he could. “General, listen to me! I. Will. Never. Abandon. You!” The fox nodded sharply, actually sniffling. “But I have to see it all! Hold fast, man, I will send reinforcements as they come!” 

And with that, Leon spurred his horse and galloped deeper back into the city. 

Alabaster stood in the lobby of the royal palace. Soldiers swarmed around him, dragging their comrades back and forth on stretchers, hauling supplies, stacking up bags of sand to use as barricades. It was chaos, with no clear chain of command, every man simply finding a task that needed doing and trying his best to do it.

As the Emperor’s mystic and only remaining high-level advisor, Alabaster supposed he was the second most senior man in the nation after Leon himself. Certainly nobody would deny his orders, if he gave them. He knew he should try to take control of the lobby, organise the effort somehow, if only he could think straight. Bringing the Mahoraga-Gaspar to life had taken everything, and his body felt utterly drained of willpower.

Outside, the gardens were bathed in warm yellow light as the sun set on Albedo. In the distance, the muted sounds of cannon, musketry, and Angelic sorcery were unrelenting. It was a constant dull booming, often accompanied by the rumbling aftershocks as buildings collapsed. For now, the New Coalition contained their artillery to the outskirts of the city. The damage was extensive, but recoverable. 

Soon they’ll move closer. Alabaster knew the streets of Albedo. The city would become a deathtrap as buildings and statues came falling down, a tomb to bury the citizens, far worse than even the bloodiest days of the revolution had been. He turned in place, watching battle-shocked soldiers sipping gingerly at water, or eating hardtack with blank expressions. What have you brought to us, Leon? We are not built to withstand a siege. 

Word had just reached the palace that a second army had appeared to the east, their flags flying King Deuxmoise’s colours. As powerful as the Mahoraga-Gaspar was, it could not be everywhere at once.

Alabaster tried to rub his eyes clear, blinking in a vain attempt to ward of the tiredness. He knew he had a responsibility to help the people of Albedo, but it felt like he hadn’t rested for years. The other had ripped everything from him, at least for the moment. Even now, he could feel the terrible creature tethered to him, raging as it battled Angels, blowing through entire squads of enemy soldiers. Alabaster could have been more directly involved, but he could barely be bothered anymore. 

A stir echoed through the palace lobby as Leon burst through the front doors, still astride his horse, hooves clicking loudly on the marble floor. Alabaster found a sudden rage flash through him at the sight of the jaguar. Why had he allowed it to get this bad? Why hadn’t he seen this was coming? 

He really is lost, Alabaster realised, sobering with a striking suddenness. Leon could not see what was right before his eyes, and he would not listen when anyone told him that it was over. Somewhere deep, Alabaster had believed that Leon would eventually come to his senses. That he would see the enemy approaching his home and finally understand that it just couldn’t be done. Now, watching him enter the palace on horseback, Alabaster realised how naive that had been. Leon would never see sense. 

And suddenly, everything became clear.

Advisors, generals, and administrative clerks rushed to the Emperor’s side, all talking over one another in their effort to be heard. The Emperor made short work of them, pointing and gesturing furiously, barking out orders. Finally he pushed through the gaggle, shaking his head. 

“I need to see it all,” he declared, snapping his fingers at an assistant. “Germaine, hear their needs and triage demand, send the most pressing to meet me on the roof. The rest can fend for themselves.” 

Alabaster watched Leon as he climbed the palace stairs. Looking over his shoulder, the dragon saw Gabriel leaning up against the wall. The boy’s veil hid nothing – he had watched Leon’s moves like a hawk, a dagger balanced between his two gloved paws. 

That creeping dread smothered Alabaster’s heart. It was a heavy pit in his chest, a shadow slowly devouring him. Leon was a tyrant. Despite everything in his life, Alabaster was determined to do the right thing.

He gave Gabriel a nod, and the two pushed out, following up after Leon. The palace staff knew Alabaster and moved aside for him, but he still had to step over wounded soldiers and stacked weapons as he went. The palace was being fortified, everyone expected the fighting to end here. 

It can’t be allowed to get this far, Alabaster thought, glancing back into the lobby as they left it. The toll of such a reality would be staggeringly high. As if we haven’t lost enough. Every minute hesitated is another life wasted. 

“Now or never,” he whispered to himself. 

As he turned down towards the makeshift ladders that led to the palace roof, Alabaster flinched as Cosette suddenly appeared before him. Émeric was buried in her skirts, peering around his mother fretfully, the glow from his halo illuminating the folds of her clothing. 

“Alabaster,” she gasped, practically seizing him. She wore a ruffled dress, and judging by the smears of dirt and blood, Alabaster guessed she had been helping tend to the wounded. “Where’s Leon? What is happening?”

“There’s…” Alabaster was about to say ‘another army’, but he glanced down at Émeric, shaking behind his mother. “There’s more trouble.” 

The jaguar’s expression told him she already knew. “Why isn’t he at the front?”

“I…” He swallowed. Leon was her brother, and suddenly Alabaster’s betrayal felt even deeper. “I don’t know.”

Cosette pushed a little closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Is he going to surrender?” 

“Cosette…” Alabaster sighed, glancing aside. Through the window he saw Albedo, half of it on fire, smoke filling the air as the light bled away. It was almost worse than the revolution. “I don’t know.” 

“Is there anything you do know?” She snapped, pulling herself back. Alabaster knew she was thinking about what the New Coalition would do once they took the city. Leon would be gone, and she would never see Émeric again. 

“I’m scared, Baster…” Émeric mumbled, shrinking back. He shook his head, too frightened to say more.

“Me too, Émeric.” Alabaster paused. “Cosette, look. I’m going to see him now. After, I’ll come back, and find a way to get you and Émeric out of the city. The north seems to be clear. If we get to a port, you can take a ship to Koringrad. It’s a long journey, but they’re still neutral. You’ll be safe. Both of you.” 

“They have the Church in Koringrad too, Alabaster,” Cosette said. She was defeated, tears running down her face. “You think I haven’t thought of that? Our only chance would be the colonies, and… I don’t know. It just…” she hesitated, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. “Doesn’t seem realistic.” 

“We can find a way, go east from Urdo and–”

She cut him off with a shake of her head. “No. I’m sorry. The Imperators would never rest until they had him. This is our home, and I won’t submit us to a life of fleeing. When they come for us, I won’t be powerless.” She turned over one paw, and Alabaster’s mouth ran dry as she showed him a vial of pale green liquid. He didn’t need to ask what it was. 

“Swear to me,” he growled, seizing her wrist and squeezing it hard. “That you will only consider that as an absolute last resort. The Imperators should be breaking down your door before you use it. Swear to me, I mean it, Cosette, not a moment sooner.” He couldn’t lose Émeric too, not after everything else.

Are you really going to do this?

She ripped free of his claw. “I’m not some hysterical woman, Alabaster, I have sense. But so too do I have eyes.” She reached around, gently cupping Émeric’s head and pressing it to her side. “I know what’s coming. I’ll do what’s right, the only choice we have left.” 

“I’m going to talk to him,” he said lamely. The hope pushed in his heart despite his sense, a denial of the darkness closing in. “Leon might yet see reason. This could end without any more pain.”

“Maybe,” Cosette replied, a sudden sob cracking her hardy veneer. “But I know my brother, God in his Heaven, I know Leon too well.”

Alabaster found he had no argument for that. Instead he nodded, squeezing her paw once more.“Be safe,” he bid her, pushing past and making for the ladder. 

As he took to the first rung, Alabaster paused, twisting around to face Gabriel. “Swear to me, boy, that when you wear that crown Cosette and her son will be safe. Swear you’ll make it a condition of the Rennairan surrender.” 

“I can try, but–”

“No, no try,” Alabaster cut him off sharply. “The only way this happens is if I know they’ll be alright. The boy deserves to grow up, he’s been through enough.”

Gabriel’s face was unreadable beneath his veil, but he finally nodded his agreement. “You know he won’t listen to you, right?”

“I can only try.”

“And when he doesn’t?” 

Alabaster left the question unanswered, heaving himself up and climbing to the roof. 

The war sounded much closer outside. The sun had almost dropped below the horizon, darkness sweeping across the land. Smoke plumes rose in the distance, and although the New Coalition had begun to halt their advance for the night, there were still the odd sounds of musket and rifle volleys cracking in the distance. 

Leon stood at the very edge of the palace roof, one foot braced on the lip, a telescope to his eye as he surveyed the forces surrounding his city. The wind whipped at him, tugging his coattails and ruffling his fur. Alabaster couldn’t deny it, despite everything that had come between them, he still loved the man.

He was handsome, a born leader, charismatic, and – when he remembered to be – kind at heart. 

The world needed a man like you to change, Alabaster thought. I just wish it had left a little bit behind for us to keep.

Out there in the fields, the Mahoraga stalked for signs of Angels. It was difficult to control a creature with so much latent rage, and it had been given only one goal – kill Angels. Alabaster found he hated the beast. He wished he had never given life to something so awful. An entire life spent defiling dead things, and now he was sick of it all. What kind of man could he have been had things been different? A healer? A leader of men? What could Leon have been, without the oppression of the aristocracy? He was brilliant, headstrong, and visionary. What kind of man could he have been without war? 

It all felt so unfair. The world had taken both him and Leon, and it had beaten them and scarred them and made them into things they never should have been. A life of cruelty and subjugation had moulded Alabaster into a necromancer. He’d become cruel to protect himself from the sharpness of his world. 

None of us want to be here, Alabaster thought, watching the dark masses of the enemy armies in the distance. But the world, destiny, whatever you want to call it… it has brought us all here, heedless of our childish mortal desires. The New Coalition knew they could win, but they didn’t want to fight. They knew the cost was almost too high, and the only thing compelling them was the danger they saw posed in Leon. Alabaster watched the jaguar’s back, and inside, he wept at his own silent betrayal.

Because he saw it too. 

Gabriel stood to his left, his dagger hidden up his sleeve, focus locked onto Leon’s back. The enemy does not want this fight. If we can offer them an alternative, a return to monarchy… this can be the beginning of a greater shift. Rennaire as it currently was, would fall. Maybe, if Leon would just listen, it could at least fall with grace.

Gabriel would take the crown as a constitutional monarch. He would rule at the behest of the people, acting more as a figurehead than dictator. 

It’s the only way. Alabaster knew it, but he still hated it. Please hear me. 

“Monsieur Rafiq, welcome,” said an otter Lieutenant, saluting as Alabaster approached Leon’s gaggle of assistants. 

“What’s your role here, Lieutenant?” 

The otter nodded determinedly, gesturing to roughly a dozen scouts waiting a few paces behind him. “We are the Emperor’s runners, we deliver his messages as he coordinates the defence effort!” Pride, intermixed with fear bled through the otter’s words. 

“Good,” Alabaster said. He leaned it, reaching a paw up to clasp the otter’s jaw. He firm as he whispered an incantation, and before the man could react the hypnosis snagged his mind, dragging him into Alabaster’s control. “I’m sorry. You need to go. Take all of the men on this rooftop and move them away. Make up an excuse. Make it believable and fast.” 

He released the otter, who nodded promptly, turning to bark his orders and bustle his men out. 

Breathing slowly, Alabaster turned, giving a small nod to Gabriel as he approached Leon on his podium. The Emperor surveyed his burning kingdom, straightening up as he sensed the dragon approaching. He lowered the telescope, turning back to regard Alabaster. In the dusken light he looked hard, like his face was all edges.

“Hello, my love,” he said wearily, the green of his eyes catching the last of the sunlight. “It’s all going wrong.” 

Alabaster couldn’t help it, he smiled. “I know. Fuck, Leon, what the hell happened here?” 

The jaguar shrugged, descending from his podium. He took Alabaster’s claws in his paws, holding them between the two and squeezing. “I don’t know. They finally got their act together, finally managed to out-manoeuvre me. It’s close. A bit of luck on our side could have changed everything.” Hope blossomed in Alabaster’s chest. Perhaps Leon could see the futility of things. Perhaps there was a chance he could be made to see reason.

“I love you so much,” he whispered, tears welling.

Leon smiled. “And I love you too. This isn’t the time for it, but I have never deserved you. I hated you from the first moment I met you, and since then nothing I accomplished could have been done without you. Alone, King Phillipe would have beaten me to death in his bedroom. Alone, Jules and Lazare would have overpowered me and restored the monarchy. Joachim and the Speaker, the Imperators, the wars, the Tanner, Émeric, Deuxmoise, Leutgard… all of these struggles I have fought through. I could not have done any without you by my side, Alabaster. Even beyond that, I could not have held up the weight of this empire without you reinforcing my soul. I am so sorry for how I have treated you.” 

Tears ran down the dragon’s cheeks. He moved forwards, embracing the jaguar, their paws wrapping around one another. “It’s alright. Leon… it’s all over now. I know you meant well. You are the only person that has ever truly known me and seen me for more than my scales, or my birth caste, or my necromancy. You looked past that, and you nursed me up from the bruised little boy I was when we first met. Now I know I can feel, I can allow myself to feel again. The owners took that from me, and no one else could have given it back.” It was terrifying to be so open, but the words poured out of Alabaster with no hope of stopping. He had to make sure Leon knew. He had to make sure the jaguar realised what he had done, and that he was truly listening to him. 

It wasn’t all bad. 

Leon inhaled, wiping at his own wet eyes. He shook himself, chuckling as he pulled back. “Look at us, two old women getting misty-eyed over our past.” Alabaster laughed dryly, and the jaguar stepped back. “The enemy is fiercer than I dared imagine.” He paused, looking out. “Do you think I’ve made my place in history? Did I live up to Kazmar’s expectations? To yours?” 

“You exceeded them.” Out the corner of Alabaster’s eyes, he saw Gabriel inching closer. If Leon was aware of the badger’s presence, he did nothing to show it. 

Wait, please, Alabaster begged silently, inwardly tensing. Just give me one more moment with him. Just one more. He’ll listen. I can make him hear me. Don’t take him yet.

“I’m not afraid to die, you know,” Leon said, staring back into the city. “Death is… nothing. But to have lived defeated and inglorious, that would have been to die every day. Glory… to Rennaire, to my name, and my legacy. To us.” 

“Glory is fleeting, Leon,” Alabaster said, stepping closer. Leon would hear him. He was going to listen. He knows it’s over.

“But obscurity is forever.” The Emperor smirked, and Alabaster felt his newfound hope suddenly stumble. “In the morning we will hit them hard. A concentrated strike with the Mahoraga as the tip of the spear. They’ll expect us to cower and reinforce, they won’t be ready for us to fight. We’ll push them back, back as far as the sea.”

Alabaster’s hope died like a snuffed candle. “You… you don’t think that’s truly possible, do you Leon?” 

“Of course it is. We’ve come so far, what other choice is there? They’ve thrown everything they can at us, my love. You see that, don’t you? They’ve nothing left now, only corpses I haven’t made yet.”

“Why?” Alabaster exclaimed, pleading with him. “Why can’t you just fucking stop? After everything you’ve accomplished you’re going to condemn me, your sister, your nephew, and all of Rennaire’s sons to death for what? For glory?” Gabriel inched closer still, his dagger held loose in one paw. 

“Why would I stop now?” Leon asked, staring off into the distance, not seeing the sights before him. “The greatest man to ever live, an Emperor left fighting to the bitter end.” 

“This is the bitter end, Leon!” Alabaster snarled. “It’s all over. Look, really, turn and fucking look at the gardens of your own palace!” He surged forwards, leaning over the edge and pointing down. Rows upon rows of wounded civilians were huddled over the once-manicured gardens, cowering under old rags, sleeping in dried fountains and shredded flowerbeds. There were limping children, dead mothers, missing fathers. “If you do not stop then that will be your legacy! Another arrogant madman who brought his nation to ruin and left nothing behind!”

Behind them, Alabaster felt Gabriel moving like a shadow. 

“Please,” Alabaster begged him, glancing back, the words choking him. He knew it wouldn’t happen, but still he prayed that Leon would just listen to him. “Please, I have tried to tell you this in every way I know how. You cannot win, Leon. Please, surrender. Give up your crown, step down, and let this nightmare finally end.” 

“I…” The jaguar hesitated, frowning. “I don’t know that I can.” 

“If you love me,” Alabaster said, scooping his paws back up and squeezing. “You will. You told me once that you’d give it up for me. And if you won’t do it for me, then do it for this country. Because it’s the right thing to do. Do it for Cosette, and Gaspar, and Jacques, and everyone else we lost.” His heart ached. “Don’t make me do this, I don’t want to lose you like this.” 

“Like this?” Leon asked, cocking his head. Something clicked, only slightly too late. 

Gabriel lunged forward, dagger arcing through the air. He aimed it for Leon’s back, but the jaguar turned with sudden alacrity and the blade slipped past, instead stabbing into the fatty flesh at his gut. Blood bubbled up and Leon snarled, grabbing hold of Gabriel’s wrist. 

“No!” Alabaster cried. 

The badger raised a small crossbow and Leon batted it aside, the bolt flying harmlessly into the night. Leon hissed, smashing his head forward and butting Gabriel in the dead middle of his veil. The badger stumbled back, coughing blood onto the fabric. 

Leon tugged the blade free of his side, staring back wide-eyed at Alabaster. He gestured wildly with it. “This is how you’d have us end?” Tears flowed from his swollen red eyes now, soaking clear trails through the filthy fur of his face. “You’d stab me in the back? The one man I trusted completely? How could you?” 

“Leon,” Gabriel growled.

“It doesn’t have to end like this,” Alabaster insisted. 

Gabriel did not wait. He lunged again, a fresh knife in each paw, slashing wildly at Leon as the jaguar danced backwards. Tired and exhausted, the Emperor was still a phenomenal fighter, and he avoided the wild slashes with grace. 

I’ve been here before, Alabaster realised. He reached down, drawing his kriss blade from the sheath at his hip and moving towards the men.

Leon got hold of both Gabriel’s wrists, raising them up. He was a larger man than the young badger, and far more experienced.

“This is my empire! My legacy!” Leon cried. “You can’t take it!” 

“You are nothing but a tyrant!” 

Alabaster approached Leon’s back, hefting his blade. 

“I’ll show you a tyrant!” Leon snarled, heaving himself forward, throwing his weight into Gabriel and sending them both toppling over. The badger went down hard, the jaguar atop him. Gabriel tried to cut up towards Leon’s face but the jaguar caught his paw, breaking it with a twist and sending the dagger scattering off beside them. 

“Alabaster, help!” Gabriel choked, as Leon punched him in the head once, twice, three times. Blood spread over his veil, the jaguar roaring with fury.

Just like the first time, Alabaster thought. He’d seen King Phillipe doing the same to Leon.  You knew then that he had to be stopped. He knew it now. 

With Gabriel dazed, Leon reached down to draw a small knife from the badger’s belt, raising it up high.

Alabaster sucked in a breath.

It has to be done. 

Leon flinched as Alabaster seized his wrist, holding him firm. The jaguar looked back, eyes wild with fury. 

“Let go of me,” Leon hissed. “You don’t love me. You never did.” 

“Stop,” Alabaster said. He had the kriss poised, ready to drive it into Leon’s side. He knew he could do it, the Emperor would not be able to stop him. 

“He’s an assassin, a traitor!” 

“So were you.” 

“Do it,” Gabriel croaked, coughing. “He’s… he’s insane, Alabaster, s-stop him, now, while you still can!”

“Nothing can stop me now,” Leon insisted, his arm still raised. His eyes darted to Alabaster’s face, then to the kriss blade, then down to Gabriel. 

“Look at yourself, Leon.”

“I…” 

“It’s time to stop. To surrender, and end this war.” 

“No… I …” 

Alabaster swallowed, tightening the grip on his dagger. “I love you. Listen to me. Stop.”

Leon broke. The sob racked through his body and in Alabaster’s claw, his arm shook fiercely. “I can’t. There’s nobody else left.” 

Sucking in a deep breath, Alabaster released his arm. 

“What are you doing!?” Gabriel cried, cowering back. “Don’t give up now. Not when we’re so close!” 

Alabaster knelt, reaching forward and raising Gabriel’s veil. 

Leon gasped as he took in the badger’s bloodied face. He was missing most of the fur across him, old leper scars mottling his cheeks, brow, and snout. Still, it was undeniable who was staring back up at him. 

“Gabriel,” Leon whispered. “You were alive, all this time…” 

Alabaster waited, eyes darting between the badger and Leon. The jaguar still held his knife, though his arm was beginning to sag. Slowly, Alabaster reached over and took the blade from Leon’s paw. 

“Give him the empire,” he said. “The New Coalition will accept him as a monarch, and Gabriel will give the nation’s power back to the people. Isn’t that what you wanted, Leon? Not glory, or legacy, but to help the people?”

“I… I’m not sure I remember.” 

Behind them, the city burned, wind pulling at them. Gabriel breathed heavily beneath them. 

Alabaster embraced the jaguar, pressing his forehead to Leon’s face and inhaling deep. “You can do it. You can abdicate. Step down, come with me, and let’s leave this hell behind us.” 

He tensed. “I can still win.” 

Alabaster shook his head. “No, Leon, you can’t win. But you can still lose more.” 

“I’m so sorry.” Leon broke all over again, he collapsed into Alabaster’s embrace. Always the strong one, utterly shattered, he fell apart. Gabriel crawled back, climbing to his feet as Leon sobbed helplessly. 

“What happens now?” Gabriel asked, watching the two of them. Alabaster knew that the badger would prefer Leon died as they planned, but he also knew he could do what was right, and not have to lose the man he loved. 

For all his faults. 

“Go,” Alabaster said. “Find the executive command, and find runners to get word to the New Coalition. Tell them the war is over. He’ll surrender.”

A moment passed, and Gabriel did not move. “Are you sure?” 

Alabaster considered. “I’m sure.” The badger nodded, and left.

For what felt like hours, Alabaster and Leon stayed there, on their knees, the jaguar just sobbing endlessly into the dragon’s chest. He mumbled incoherently, the full tide of everything he’d been holding back finally broken. Alabaster just sat, stroking the soft fur on the back of his head and holding him.

Eventually, Leon managed to control himself, pulling back and wiping at his eyes. He looked back into the city as if seeing it with new eyes.  

“What have I done? Alabaster, I… I fear I lost myself. Even now, I can still feel it.” 

“I know,” Alabaster breathed. There was no point denying it. “Power makes monsters out of men. Remember what I told you; all systems of power are inherently corrupt. No one can escape that, not even you.” 

Leon wrapped his arms around his knees. “Do you think it’s possible to change this world? Or are we doomed to live in an endless cycle of tyranny and violence?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“That’s all I wanted,” Leon said. “I just wanted to find a way it could end. To break this chain. But Gabriel was right, God in his Heaven, I’m a madman.” 

“Nothing is so absolute.” Alabaster reached across, taking Leon’s chin and pulling him in so their eyes met. “You did good as well. Laws that protected people, a better education system, the removal of the aristocracy. You told me, back in Zolfreun, that I am not my past. That my actions now are what define me. Did you mean it?” 

“I did.” 

“Then the same is true for you. You can’t escape the responsibility of what you’ve done, but you can leave the shame of it behind. Eventually.”

Leon choked out a laugh. “I wish that was true.” 

“I used to believe that I was evil,” Alabaster said. “The world had been so cruel to me from the moment I was born that I… thought I deserved it. I wrapped myself in hate, and thought I was making the hard choices, doing what others were too weak to. But cruelty is easy, it requires no effort, it’s our base nature. You showed me that I can be more than that, that I could rise above that terrible past.” He leaned in, kissing Leon gently, pulling back. “Now it’s my turn to do the same to you.” 

“You’re all I have left.” 

“You and I…” Alabaster shrugged. “We’re the same. We’re not like other people. All we have is each other. Now…” 

He leaned in, kissing Leon again. 

“And forever.”