Harsh Leadership

Ingen raises a brow, "I see," he says. Silence stills the conversation until Ingen begins to look around with a wrinkled forehead, "Where is Mavyl?"

Kyro flinches. His eyes drift to his feet, and he shakes his head slowly, "Parasite," he says. A lie. But what is he meant to say? Even for collectors, taking one's own life is the most cowardly thing a Rajin man can do. That is what the Epoch's teach, anyway.

For the first time, the grin dissipates from Ingen's face. He squeezes his eyes shut, wrinkles forming on the sides of his face as his head drops with Kyro's. That lava river crackles, and a warm breeze waves over the men's skin, "I... I am sorry, Kyro. I know it is hard, but truthfully, we both knew this day would come," Ingen says, his voice quiet over the silence.

Kyro grimaces, chin still glued to his chest. Though it pains him to admit it, Ingen is right. Kyro never thought the boy would take his own life, but there were signs that Mavyl had lost the fire that once burned within him. The flame that carries all soldiers forward, a need for battle. If that flame disappears before the soldier has come to terms with his deeds, death is only a step away.

Cage frowns, looking between the two massive Rajin men. Another volcano explodes in the distance, throwing lava and smoke to the sky. He rubs his right shoulder as it begins to tingle slightly, as if it's calling, begging to be rejoined with the lost limb. However, Cage had searched that ravine before leaving, only finding critters and black rock.

Kyro finally lifts his head, jaw solid, "Where is Tien?" he asks, gazing up at Ingen.

Ingen meets his fellow Rajin's gaze, "Come. You look haggard, brother. I will feed you," Ingen says, turning towards the cave.

Kyro's jaw pulses, and he follows Ingen to the cave entrance. Over the last two years, Ingen has been given new partners, each dying soon after being paired with him. Tien was the latest, and even though Ingen has ignored his question, Kyro fells he already knows the answer.

Cage stands frozen, thoughts like tidal waves in his mind. Rising high, then crashing. Only for another to rise in its place. Were he and his brother like this? He does not remember. This Mavyl person must have been Kyro's Collector partner. And for him and Ingen to be this downtrodden about his death, Mavyl seems to have been important to them.

Cage knows the feeling, the grief that comes with the loss of a friend, or a family member. He had spent a thousand years with that feeling. The sorrow still lingers in the back of his mind, but thanks to the owner of the voice he had heard in the darkness, Cage is alive again. And if what the voice said is true, then so is his brother.

Cage rips his eyes from the rock below. He sees Kyro standing before the cave, gazing back at him with those grey eyes. He walks towards the Rajin man. Cage had gained a friend, and with it, the possibility of loss. The thought frightens him, but only for a moment as he remembers where he just came from. Cage is alive, and he may as well enjoy that fact for as long as he can.

"Lost again?" Kyro asks as Cage arrives before him.

Cage returns Kyro's gaze, the corner of his lips curling slightly, "Only for a moment."

---

The trio sits around a campfire, the only sounds being the chewing of slightly over-cooked critters. The walls of the cave rise high above them, shadows dancing on every inch like a living painting. The entrance had been low and narrow, causing Kyro to crouch as he entered, and Ingen to crawl. Then it abruptly opened to this makeshift home.

Cage sits with one knee raised to his chest, the other flat on the dusty black floor. He stares at the waving flames atop black shards. Bark from those ominous trees lining the lava river, apparently. The other two eat, their chewing and the crackle of the fire the only sounds. Wooden skewers lay beside the fire, shaved from the peg of a ladder Ingen had in his bag. A large grey bag that made Kyro's lost one seem like it belonged to a child.

"Why do you not eat? There is more than enough," Ingen looks at Cage from across the fire. He leans against the wall of the cave, sitting in a position similar to Cages. A massive hammer is there beside him. The silver forearm thick shaft is a bit longer than Kyro's blade. The rectangular head is the size of a small boulder, one that would still crush Cage with little effort. A single glyph is engraved on the side, different from the ones he had seen on Kyro's blade, but the same rough shape, as if the engraving was done in haste.

Cage meets the massive man's gaze, "I can't eat anymore," he says, "not right now at least,"

Ingen scoffs at that, and even Kyro reacts as if he had just confessed to murder, though for a different reason, "More? You haven't touched the food!" Ingen says. It seems to him that Cage is telling the truth, though it is hard to tell. Those black eyes are empty, devoid of emotions and thoughts. Not much unsettles Ingen, but it proves difficult not to glance at Cage every few seconds, even if the one-armed man does not seem like a threat.

"Ingen," Kyro calls, sitting near the entrance with his legs crossed.

"Hmm?" Ingen hums in response, looking at Kyro. He meets solid grey eyes and immediately knows what the man is thinking. Spend long enough in a person's company, and you can tell what goes on in their head. The eyes always tell, even if the tongue does not. Ingen smiles, massive purple hand tossing a skewer into the flames, "Tien is dead," he says, words sturdy, "By my hand."

The campfire pops, and that skewer is engulfed by the flames, dissolving as if it had never been there. Kyro stares with that solid look, tossing his own skewer into the flames, "I thought so," he says, "Have you forgotten what I said to you when all of this began?"

Ingen scoffs at the words, waving a dismissive hand through the air. The flames flinch at the movement, "I have not forgotten," he says, "Tien seemed to think that he was safe since we found ourselves in the same position. He taunted me about you over and over. I can only tolerate so much."

"I am aware," Kyro says, eyeing the violet-faced Rajin, "You are brash in your ways, Ingen. You always have been. But, I can not excuse murdering your own people over words."

Ingen clenches his jaw, eyes rising again, "But they are wrong! What you did was against the law, but it does not make you weak! Any Rajin claiming they are fine watching their own family die is a coward! They are the ones that are weak!" Ingen yells.

Ingen slams a fist into the rock, leaving cracks like black lightning on the cave floor. The Rajin men hold their gazes, and Ingen clicks his tongue, "Am I wrong?" he asks, voice subdued.

Kyro shakes his head, "No, you are not. Though you place the blame on the wrong people," he says, "You said it yourself; no Rajin would watch their brothers, their own sons die on the battlefield. But you know why men follow the word of the Epochs. You act as if we are not in their grasp as well."

Ingen scoffs, "What are we meant to do then?" he asks.

Kyro stares at Ingen, shaking his head. What are they meant to do? Both of them have followed the Epochs their entire lives, oblivious to the terrible result of their laws until recently. Kyro and Ingen could take the Epochs if they were alone, but alas, they are not. The entire Rajin army is under their thumb.

Cage sits quietly to the side, listening, "Who are the Epochs?" He asks.

Kyro glances at Cage, only just now remembering the man is present. He sighs, seeming to search for the right words, "You remember the Records I told you of? The ones written by Gira," he asks his own question.

Cage nods, "Of course."

Kyro sighs, readying himself for a long story, "When Tiren was still in the early stages of his journey, searching for allies, only Gira traveled with him. Word had spread thanks to Gira that Tiren was to be the savior of the Praesi as he traveled from planet to planet. The Epochs caught wind of this, and hoping they could contribute to his journey, they raised a Rajin boy from birth. The Epochs trained him with harsh methods, bringing him close to death multiple times. Years later, the boy became a man, and Tiren arrived just as the Epochs knew he would."

"The man's name was Betor, and he was the strongest warrior Raj had ever seen. The Epochs offered Betor to the supposed savior, and Tiren accepted. He thanked the Epochs and gifted them with long life and incredible powers. Ever since then, the Epochs have ruled over Raj, and no Rajin, man nor woman has ever defied them," Kyro tells the story over the campfire, voice firm.

Cage nods, glancing at Ingen. The massive man fiddles with a rock, his head sagging, "Have they ever fought in a war?" he asks, eyes drifting back to Kyro.

Kyro shakes his head, "No."

Cage raises a brow, holding back the chuckle knocking at his lips, "So the Rajin army follows people who have never seen war," he says, "Isn't that a little... backward?"

Kyro scoffs, "Yes, it does appear that way," he curses himself inside his head. Kyro always knew something was off with... well, everything. He has never been able to put it into words, but Cage is doing so easily, and he's only just been exposed to this universe, let alone Raj, "But there is a reason men follow them. When you create one of the strongest warriors to ever exist, the validity of your teachings becomes undeniable. The Rajin Army has only lost one battle since the Epochs took over. We... They are strong because of those lessons."

"And in that battle, nearly everyone died. Brothers, sons... Fathers," Ingen finally raises his head, scowling, "We win battles because no one wants the other outcome. They may act as if they are ready to die in battle, weapon in hand, but I have never seen a dying man smile, Rajin or not."

'We'. Kyro sighs. He is not the only one looked down upon by his people. Ingen bashes his own people, and the same is done to him. Perhaps that is why he still places himself in the same realm as them.