180 Too Close to Family

Kas marched towards an open field with his family. As he walked, he tried his best to deafen out the frantic crying coming from his daughter.

Yamera, Kas' wife, carried her in her arms. Trying to comfort the little one the best he could. A task that proved to be futile, only making everything worse for them.

"I flagged down a rider to call over one of our few elites," Kas' voice was heavy with the rasp. "She is coming to this field. Be ready to board on her Sky Beast the second she lands. Do not look back, okay?"

Upon hearing the phrase, 'do not look back,' his daughter cried even louder. Utter fear for her father engulfed her mind. Bringing forth tragic fantasies to break her young mind.

"It's okay, baby Yanas. Daddy is going to be okay. Just - just trust him, we will be together in the future," Yamera whispered to her daughter.

Kas felt his arms weigh his body down, a bitter guilt. "Yanas, do you want to climb into my arms?"

Through swelled cheeks, Yanas agreed. Opening her arms for her father to pick her up. While in his tight grasp, she inherited something powerful: the love of a parent.

She continued to cry as the thought clouded her mind. Never being able to see her father again. Leaving this kind of lifestyle behind for an uncertain one.

While the two exchanged their affection, an explosion rocked the family. They struggled to remain standing from the blast. Dirt and grass obscured everyone's vision, increasing their heart beats dramatically.

After everything was settled down, Ether stood across from Kas. Tellendor's tip dug straight into the ground, gently baking the world around it.

Yanas screamed, erupting warm tears out of her eyes that fell on Kas' skin. In response, Kas held her tighter. Hoping his warmth would overthrow the discomforting heat around them.

When Kas expected Ether to attack, he stood there. Waiting for something. Eyes narrowed behind his helmet.

"You seriously are that bloodthirsty, huh?" Kas commented. "So desperate that you want to kill me before my own daughter?"

Ether shook his head. "I wasn't like you who endangered my son and partner. When they are safe from us, we can start this."

Kas looked down at his daughter, who encased him in a tight squeeze. Hoping to never let go of her father.

"Yanas, go to your mother. Please," Kas ordered.

Yamera got closer to pick up her daughter. Despite it being harmless, Kas felt like he was being tortured as she struggled to hold onto him.

"I love you, Yanas. You are my last child, and my most loved. Go, be stronger than your sister. I will meet you again in Yarno's border," Kas struggled to speak.

Once Yamera and Yanas retreated, Kas was left alone across Ether. Who glared at him with fiery passion in his eyes. The flames ignited his heart in a decimating inferno designed to support his Will.

There alone against his prisoner, Kas remembered the time Decka told him he was growing overconfident. And he brushed it off, claiming it wouldn't happen. Except it did.

With a gust of radiant wind, Ether charged through him. Causing massive solar explosions in its wake. Once on the other side, Ether drove both hands into Kas' back, lifting him up over his head.

"RA - ARGH!" Kas grunted, trying to hold back the pain.

As he fell back to the ground, Ether struck his side using Tellendor. It dug right into his stomach, however it barely damaged anything. Through thick skin and a hardy soul, Kas endured.

Kas grabbed Tellendor by the blade, then pulled it out of his armor. Ether watched with a keen eye right on his exposed face, only to receive a powerful kick to the torso.

Legs and arms felt the impact as his entire core went numb from the pain, dazing Ether in an instant. Allowing Kas to drive his forearm through his chin.

Sending the Zesher upwards, where he took flight. Ether growled, trying to express his pain in a different way.

Molten chains erupted out of the fiery wings attached to his back, raining down on Kas. Making him feel the intense heat as it poured onto him like rain.

"HA - AH!" Kas screamed. "Come down here and fight, monster!"

Understanding it was a trick, Ether wanted to overwhelm him in that moment. He hovered over Kas, building up an intense sum of heat on his wings before crashing down onto him.

Yanas saw the impact. The bright orange ball that consumed them both in that same moment. She screamed her commander's name, hoping to hear a response back.

But she didn't. The only thing she saw was two figures rising up, one towering the other. Before the smaller figure erupted out of the ground, then unleashed a volley of explosions across Kas' body.

Before Yamera could hold her daughter back, Yanas fights out of her mother's arms. She dashed through the field, trying her best to reach her father.

Kas struggles through the ash, trying to get his eyes on Ether again. Only to receive a kick straight on his crown. Sending him to his knees.

Ether landed before him, getting ready to strike again. Then Yanas jumped in between, taking the powerful strike to the chest. Through the sounds of gentle burns, the two heard the sounds of bones being broken.

Both Kas and Ether looked down in shock to see a seriously injured Yanas falling into her father's arms. She struggled to stand from the attack, collapsing to the ground.

"NO! YANAS!" Kas screamed.

Ether bit his bottom lip, narrowing his eyes. Before Kas could react, Ether picked Yanas up and held her tight in his arms. As Kas overprotective instincts kicked up, Ether engulfed Yanas in bright flames.

"Put my daughter down, you heartless savage!" Kas demanded.

And to his surprise, Ether did. Except Yanas was fully healed now. Her bones were no longer broken and the rest of her body worked just fine. But the trauma still lingered.

She looked up to see the one who healed her. Through her fear, she saw the face of a brutally beaten child behind that mask. One that helped her.

Kas continued to loom over his daughter like a sentinel, protecting her from the threat. Only to realize she was protecting him. Her arms were wide open to keep Ether back.

"Yanas, eh? You're a sweet little one, run back to your overseer. I don't want to accidentally hurt you again," Ether's motherly tone filled her ears.

In a brief moment of vulnerability, she slowly lowered her arms. Before they shot back up again, she was firm on her decision to stand by Kas' side.

"Leave my commander alone! He didn't do anything wrong to you. Let him be!" her squeaky voice ordered.

Ether glanced down at Kas, wondering if he would come clean. And he did. By picking her up and putting her on his shoulders.

"Baby Yanas, I am not a good guy. Not like I portrayed myself to be in your eyes. I'm sorry, my little one. But it's the truth," he confessed.

Yamera ran up to pick up their daughter. Her arms fastened around her like a snake, before running away from the conflict.

During that moment, Ether charged at full speeds. Trying to pierce Kas' back with Tellendor before he could notice what was happening. Only to get caught by the skull.

Kas tightened his grip around it, making sure to add as much pressure as possible. Ether tried to fight back. Unleashing explosions and causing powerful heatwaves. But it all failed.

The more Ether tried to resist, the harder Kas tightened his hand. Until slight cracks rung in Ether's ears, bringing his attention to the harsh reality.

Tellendor hummed. "With that interaction, I am not sure if you willingly let out that little one inside you. Were you Shora or Ether?"

Ether ignored the question. His gritted his teeth, trying to endure the punishment until he couldn't anymore. That's when his skull cave into the tension.

Brains and shards of bone decorated Kas' hand. He brushed off the dead Zesher, hoping that put him down for good.

That's when a Sky Beast landed beside them. It was the elite with her Storm Chaser beneath her. Both seemed as confident as ever, despite their dire situation.

"Hop on! We've got no time to lose out here. At least our bases are safe, for now," she spoke quickly.

Yamera climbed on the beast's back. Bringing a panicking Yanas over her shoulders. As they got situated, Yamera turned to face Kas. Who was coldly staring up at them.

"Kas, it isn't too late to leave with us. There's space for you here - we can escape together. You don't need to remain on this sinking ship," Yamera desperately called out to Kas.

In response, he glanced over his shoulder towards the war room. "Alise is still back there. Despite our differences in the past, I cannot and will not leave her here."

The elite patted the Sky Beast's head. "You sure, sir? I mean, I can always come back for her late. What matters is if you and your family is safe."

Kas turned around. "I'll make my way to Yuh-Atron on foot. But for now, I must get Alise. We are not leaving her behind."