“Is she alive?”

“She’s breathing, isn’t she?”

“Well, yeah but she looks dead…”

“Don’t say it like that! She’s going to live! She must after saving us like that!”

“But a shaper… Who could have thought…”

“And she’d looked just like a normal person…”

Silence then, and Shea relaxed. Screams, shouts had assaulted her upon regaining consciousness to the point of muffling her tired brain close to the point of taking another break. But she held onto the scattering thoughts and managed to rearrange them into a semblance of memory.

She had shaped with all she had to save herself and the others. It was important to find out whether they had survived but her muscles refused to follow her orders. They were so weak, it was impossible to move even a single one.

The Energy pond within her was desert dry. She looked over every corner but there was nothing left. No surprise that her mind blacked out, then. Even though, the Energy had no physical connection to the body, it was a constant stream. Invisible like air, but always there.

Mother had always told her to always keep at least a droplet left. She had followed without knowing why but now it made sense. It was the same as a drunk being depraved of his alcohol. Her whole body shut down in shock.

Would it return? She tried to recall whether mother had said anything in case it had happened. Conversations, silent moments together passed through her mind, but instead of information she remembered how much she missed her mother.

If she had been here, this wouldn’t have happened.

She curled into a ball, soundless tears running down her cheeks. This was so unfair. It hurt so much.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Were you hit?” a concerned voice asked over her shoulder in a rapid stream. She opened her eyes to see a face hovering over her. It took some time to place it as Alec’s.

He was staring at her as if he thought she was already dead. “I’m fine,” she mumbled but her voice was so low she couldn’t understand it herself. “I’m fine!” she tried harder and this time managed something close to a whisper.

“Do you need water? Something to eat? Is there anything you want?”

Sleep. But talking was too hard. She shook her head, or tried to before her eyes closed and she fell asleep again.

Next time her mind cleared, she felt like she’d gotten a new lease on life. There was still a splitting headache to contend with but it was nothing compared to being able to move. She flexed her fingers, moved her arms and pushed herself up. It was harder than expected and she had to lean against the wall at her side to sit up right but it was progress.

Yawning, she took a glance at her surroundings. She was in a makeshift tent with a wall to her left and a cloth fixed to a pole on her right. It blocked the sunlight, giving her a welcome shadow.

Had the soldiers arranged this for her?

It was hard to push herself up to stand but with the help of the wall possible. She took a couple tentative steps and went through the cloth outside. Sun glared in her eyes, forcing her to squint to see.

“Have you woken up?” Denni shouted out, running towards her from the ruins. She stopped in a halt right before Shea, chuckling in an embarrassed way. “Stupid question, I know. Better, how are you feeling? Do you need anything?”

“N-,” her voice cracked as she spoke up.

“Yes, water, got it!” Denni nodded, dashing back towards the ruins. There must have been packs left there for she returned with a water skin. “It’s not much but...”

Shea took it with gratitude and downed a couple of mouthfuls. The water wasn’t as clean as one shaped by Iago but refreshing nonetheless. “Thanks,” she murmured, looking over Denni’s shoulder. “Is Lyra all right?”

“Yeah, you saved us there big time! If not for you… I don’t want to think about that!” she answered with a violent shake of her head.

“It’s nothing…”

“No, it’s not! You’re a hero! Even your great friend didn’t come with us! It’s you who came and saved our lives!”

“Don’t say that, he’s… different. I’m nothing compared to him,” Shea said, pushing herself off the wall. It was hard standing but she was certain she could walk if she tried.

A mistake. Denni had to grab onto her to keep her from falling face first. “You shouldn’t be walking yet!”

“I-” she started but had nothing. It was probably a good idea to stay put, but she didn’t want to return inside the tent. “Can you help me to the rocks there, please?”

“Of course!”

They stumbled to the ruins with Denni doing most of the walking. The moment they reached the stones, Shea fell into a heap, breathing heavy. This was much harder than she had thought it would. Her body felt like it was made of glass, so weak and delicate.

Resting, she caught her breath and enjoyed the sunlight. It was too hot to be comfortable but the light made her feel better. There was just something familiar and joyous about it, even as it burned her skin.

Soon she heard the clamour of feet and turned to see the other soldiers leaving the ruins. They carried large backpacks as they walked with wide smiles. Some waved at her, while others just went to the designed spot and put their findings down.

Alec was the first to jog towards her. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she answered, not daring to say she was fine again.

“Will you be able to walk back to the camp?”

The mere thought of it was preposterous. A single step minutes ago was more than she could manage. “I don’t think so,” she answered truthfully.

There was no anger or disappointment on Alec’s face. He nodded as if having expected that and then pointed at Denni, “You’ll help her. The rest, pick up the packs and let’s get moving. I want us back at the camp before nightfall.”

The trek through the ashen sand dunes took twice as long as last time. Soldiers heaved under their packs, sweating more water than they had drunk in a week. Their own supplies of it had run out, leaving them without a quick way to revive those that’d fainted.

It was painful for Shea to see people falling right before her under their weights when she walked without anything. Denni was by her side, helping her stay on her feet. This left her pack to be distributed between the rest of an already overburdened group.

Yet no one complained. They trudged forward, eyes set on returning home and that was that. Shea stayed quiet too, walking by itself requiring most of her concentration. Her muscles complained with each move, screaming that they were too weak to continue onward, it was time to rest.

But it was obvious there would be no standing back up once she did. As long as she was moving, there was progress. The moment her body relaxed, it wouldn’t be moved no matter what. She was certain of it.

“We’re almost there,” Denni whispered, and Shea raised her head to see the ruined city in the horizon. Evening sun outlined it in the hues of red and light pink giving it a feel of a mirage.

Crumbled buildings collected around towers as if asking them an eternal ‘why, why?’. But their prophets were broken themselves. Those towers had collapsed upon themselves or had their top floors slashed off. Not a single one stood tall and strong among the destruction.

Desert wind often raised the sand, fragmenting the view. Or threw it into the travellers’ eyes. The latter being much more common.

When they stumbled into the camp, no one came to welcome them. The soldiers struggled to a large building where they dropped the packs and fell on the floor themselves. It took time for them to start talking but once they did Shea found herself lulled by their excited tones.

“Hey! Shea? Shea?”

“What?” she asked, noticing Denni’s worried expression right next to her.

“It’s- I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last couple minutes! Are you okay?”

“Of course, just a bit tired.”

“Let’s go to the canteen then! It’s about time they served the food!”

The thought of eating half rotten food didn’t bring eagerness to her heart but she let herself get led to the place. It wasn’t like she had any better ideas where to go, canteen being the only place in the camp she knew.

On their way through the streets, the wind rose up and sky darkened. It took moments for the day to turn into night and large droplets of water start falling. They showered the dry land, collecting in small pools on the hard ground.

Denni didn’t hurry Shea forward when she stopped to watch the downpour. Rain soaked her in seconds but it was a welcome feeling. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw so much water. It must have been before the Scourge.

Ah, but it was refreshing. She raised her face to the sky and closed her eyes to the rain. The droplets hit her in a steady rhythm, washing the dust and sweat away. It was better than getting five hours of sleep, Shea was certain of it.

With each passing moment, she felt stronger.

“Take out the jugs!”

“And bowls!”

“Barrels, buckets, anything that can hold water! Hurry!” someone in the side street shouted and Shea turned to see five people diving into a large building. They reappeared in seconds with another ten people carrying whatever could hold the rainwater.

They then returned to the house and came out with more. And more.

It took them so many trips, she lost count of them. By the end the whole street was covered with vessels for holding water with no two alike. The people had gone so far as to building a carpet of glasses and cups for a few paces.

Once finished the people grouped up not far from Shea, talking in hushed tones. They were too quiet for her to hear and she wondered what they could be whispering about but couldn’t come up with anything.

“You lot!” Denni shouted out. “What’s up with the gathering?”

One of the women took a step out from the crowd. She was like any villager Shea had seen if not for her expression. Her eyes were wider than normal, face pale but cheeks blushed with excitement and a tittering smile on her lips. She was grasping her hands near her chest as they shook somewhat.

“Do you maybe know where her companion is?” she asked in a twitter.

“Iago? What do you want from him?”

“We want to thank him!” a man from the crowd shouted out with a similar expression on his face. They had all moved closer as the woman spoke, encircling the speakers.

“What for?” Shea asked without comprehension. If it was for food, they should have done that yesterday. Everyone was there back then, Iago included.

“For the rain, of course! Can’t you see it, he must have sent it!” the woman shouted out, her hands raising to encompass the surrounding weather.

Denni waved her hand before her face, frowning. “Mala, are you certain you’re feeling okay? You’re talking nonsense!”

The woman pushed her hand off with a huff. “How can you not understand? He’s a godsend saviour!” she said with anger quickly giving back away to excitement. “He changes rot into real food, and the same day so much needed rain starts falling! There’s no doubt he’s favoured by the Lady! He must be her messenger!”

“You’ve gone mad!” Denni whispered with a tremble to her voice, looking over the people surrounding them. “Each and every one of you…”

“It can’t be just a coincidence!” the man refuted, shaking his head wildly.

“So, do you know where he is?” the woman asked again. “We really want to meet him!” Upon noticing Shea’s shake of the head, her brow furrowed, mouth opening in a sudden ‘o’. “He can’t have returned to the Lady after giving us those gifts, can he?”

“I don’t think so…” Shea murmured, hardly able to follow the direction the conversation had moved into.

Iago a messenger of the Lady? It was preposterous enough for her to start chuckling. He was good, great even but not a holy man. A single conversation would be enough for anyone to understand that. There was too much bitterness in his words, too much disbelief in human nature.

But she had to admit he had a large heart. Whatever he said, he had helped her, these people. He had even fed a starving leech. It was a huge mistake, one that still woke feelings of rage within her but she couldn’t fault him for helping. That had been her mistake too, for not telling him about the leech she saw.

For some reason she had thought she could protect him from it. If only she had told Iago, explained to him the dangers of leeches instead of caring about worrying him, all of it might have ended differently. The leech would be dead and maybe its kind would have become extinct.

“What are you laughing at?” the woman asked her with a glare. “Are you making fun of us?”

“Of course not! It’s...”

“Leave her be,” Denni said, stopping her search for a good explanation. “We have no idea where your Lady’s hero is, go and look yourselves. Away from us!”

The crowd didn’t look satisfied but after Denni put her hand on the sword, they dispersed quickly. No one seemed to want to face her. It made Shea realise something. She turned to her companion with a start, “They’re all scared of you!”

Denni answered with a blinding smile. “We’re the militia here! If we decide someone is breaking the law, we have every right to think of any punishment we see fit! Isn’t that exciting? I signed up the moment I heard about it!”

“Signed up?”

“Yeah! I was working to become a seamstress before the disaster but now everything is different! Commander was looking for people to uphold the law within the camp and I volunteered with the others. None of us have been soldiers before, all what we know was taught by the Commander!” After saying that she hesitated for a moment. “Or well, by the leader. Commander rarely talks to us, and when he does, it’s short angry commands. Leader has to translate them into something the rest of us can understand.”

“Was he from military?”

Denni bit her lip, one eye closed. “I... don’t think so. He never really talks about it but, I think, he was from a poor family so not allowed to join. There’s just that lack of pride... Sense of superiority? I don’t know! He just doesn’t feel like a noble! But enough about him, let’s get moving to the canteen or there will be nothing left for us!”

It was as good a suggestion as any so Shea nodded and followed after. Her legs moved with a little more strength in their step but it was nothing compared to her normal health. Every other moment she had to lean on Denni to not to fall.

The feeling of such powerlessness was frustrating beyond words. She had never felt so weak and useless in her life. Even walking was a challenge!

And somewhere deep within, a small voice was whispering that this was her new life. She had broken something inside her that couldn’t be repaired, destroying her health for all years to come. From now on, she would become a burden to these people. No one would want to share their hard won goods but will have to because of Iago.

If he still stuck with her… Would he? How far did his kindness go? No, that was a pointless question. He hadn’t left her before and it wouldn’t happen this time either. There was too much goodwill in his heart, no matter what he said to present a different image.

Thinking that, she knew who he reminded her of - a hedgehog! All those spikes and warnings to hide the sweet and easily hurt soul within.

By the time they neared the canteen, Alec caught up with them. Denni told him all about the crazy folk they’ve met and he agreed with her assessment that they had gone mad.

“Have you seen the shaper?” the huge man that had quarrelled with Iago in the morning asked with a frown as they approached the entrance.

“Not you too…” Denni begged.

The big man shot her a look and addressed Alec. “He had promised to shape food but it’s dinner time and no one has seen him.”

“He must have returned to the Lady!” the woman from before shouted out, joining their small group at the entrance of the canteen. It was starting to attract the attention of the people inside and some wandered closer to hear what the conversation was about.

“It must be true!” another man from the woman’s party added in a loud voice and the other followers echoed, “It must, it must!”

“What are they about?” the big man asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.

Alec could only shake his head. Instead of him, Denni picked up the question. “They believe he’s been sent by the Lady! And after bringing the rain returned to her side! It’s a t-”

“Enough!” the man roared. “Everyone, go look for the shaper! He can’t have left the camp yet!”

His voice was so loud, the whole canteen heard the order. Some grumbled at it but stood up and went out. None had started their meal and were still waiting to see whether real food might be an option once more.

When they scattered, Denni led Shea inside. Two huge oak tables took up most of the room and they sat down by the right wall. It was too far to lean against so Shea crumbled on the table before her.

Waiting for her breath to even out, she inspected the wood under her fingers. It was thick lined with scar marks criss-crossing them. There were hundreds of small ones and one huge, wider than her pointing finger. She brushed over its sides, wondering who had put the mismatching light piece of wood to fill it in.

As she raised her head, she saw many other different pieces stuck within the table. They hid the wounds in it, allowing a pretence of wellness. It was perfect as long as no one paid attention to the discolourations.

What a sad thing.

Scorpius had the same thought as he watched the girl collapsed over the table. Listening in on the soldiers near the storage room, he’d heard of what had happened. After rushing to check the truth of it, he was met with harsh reality.

Something had went horribly wrong with the shaping the girl had done. If it had been simple exhaustion like the soldiers thought, she would have recovered by now. Instead, here she was, struggling to breathe after being close to carried here by the other woman.

This was an unexpected strike of luck for him so he pondered why did it leave him feeling so hollow.

It was just wrong somehow. The girl hadn’t truly done anything to him. Her actions were aggressive but so futile, it was hard to hate her for it. Especially since the man that had saved him showed her as nothing but an innocent child, someone that hadn’t seen what the real world was like. How could he wish bad for such a person?

“Do you think they’ll find him?” the woman by Shea’s side asked with a bored expression. She was toying with the helmet held in her hand; throwing it up, rolling on the table.

The girl took a long time to answer, blinking a number of times as if waking from a dream. “He’s not one to leave without saying goodbye. I’m certain he’s somewhere in the city, maybe touring his old home…”

That was the cue for Scorpius to leave. He was certain Iago would want to be awake to witness everything that was happening in the camp. It might become troublesome for him if it escalated without him having a hand to point it in the right direction.

Detaching himself from the ceiling, Scorpius flew towards the tower. It was evening now and few rose their heads to check the sky. They were too busy shouting and searching through each building that could be entered.

He reached the room without incident and shifted into his human form. The moment he made a step, Iago woke up to look at him. Upon recognition, he let his head fall back and covered his eyes with his hand. “Why are you back? I barely managed to fall asleep.”

“The whole city is looking for you.”

“Is it evening already?”

“That, and one group has claimed that you’re the Lady’s hand.”

Iago chuckled dryly, letting the hand fall from his face. “The desperation in this place, it’s real. I’d probably could get a cult going if I felt like it.”

“Don’t you?” Scorpius asked from his place by the window. He hadn’t moved since appearing, uncertain what to do in this empty room.

“It’s too much trouble, and I’d prefer if you stepped away from there. It would be troublesome if someone saw your from below.”

After saying that, Iago stood up and with a yawn straightened his clothes. It was a pointless task but he tried. The failure didn’t seem to faze him and he walked to the window. Shouts of “Mister Shaper, Mister Shaper!” reached their ear from a childish voice below.

“I’m here,” Iago shouted back, leaning over the windowsill. “You can tell everyone I’ll be coming in a moment, okay?”

There was a surprised squeal from below and then eager affirmation. The kid soon ran off and Iago moved towards the stairs leading down. “You’re planning to stay?”

“I’ll follow after if that’s all right,” Scorpius answered.

“If you wish,” Iago said, already jumping off the first couple broken steps. Then he hesitated, turning to look back and ask, “Anything important happen?”

Scorpius sifted through his memories. He had left some time ago, listening to the camp people, soldiers and then seeing the girl. Out of those only the last one had any real significance. “Shea got hurt in their attempt to enter a mansion outside the city.”

“Hurt? Wha- Wait, never mind. I’ll learn about it when I meet her. She’s at the canteen, right?” After receiving the confirmation he turned to walk again, but before leaving he added, “If you find something you like, bring it to the room. I’d want you to be as comfortable as you can with this kind of an arrangement, having to sneak and hide all the time.”

It was an unexpected offer and Scorpius missed the opportunity to reply or thank the shaper. When he worked out his answer, Iago was already out in the street, walking with a light step but without any hurry. Deciding to give his gratitude at a later day, Scorpius shifted into a bat and flew out.

He knew the destination, so he simply went straight to the canteen. It was easy to enter through a crack in the ceiling and hide in the shadow of a crevice. The place gave him enough cover to be indistinguishable as long as he didn’t move.

Scrambling in place a bit more, he found a more comfortable position and then looked downward. He could see the majority of the canteen and most importantly the entrance. People were collecting there, whispering among themselves.

A child among them was talking the loudest, trying to prove he wasn’t lying but few believed him. They said it was just another of his tactics to be the centre of attention while getting in everyone’s way. Scorpius felt for the kid but he was in no position to aid.

If he showed up to defend the kid down there...

It was better not to entertain the thought or else he might end up making the same mistake twice. So, he ignored the commotion and listened for the steps outside. With his superior hearing, it was simple to recognise Iago’s step. He was but two turns away, moving at a comfortable pace and whistling to himself.

Nothing happened until he approached, and then whole hell broke loose. People shouted over each other, pushing to be the first to see him. Yet the moment his gaze settled on them, the crowd shushed as if someone had shouted an order.

But no one did. Iago just walked forward, people parting before him like he was some king returning.

He went through the entrance, his eyes quickly finding Shea. The girl was sprawled on the table, asleep. Iago close to ran towards her, his expression changing from indifference to fear in a blink. Upon reaching her, he shook her shoulder with more force than was necessary.

It took her a while to open her eyes and understand what was going on. Noticing Iago by her side, she smiled at him. “You didn’t leave...”

The words took him off-guard judging by the quick take back but he ignored it. “What happened?” he asked in an ice cold voice.

“She-” the woman by Shea’s side started but Iago glared at her and she shut her mouth in an instant. It was obvious her input wasn’t welcome.

“Nothing much,” the girl dismissed it with a smile that turned in a wince as she tried to push herself off the table. She tried to play it off as nothing but no one was fooled.

“What did you do?” Iago asked in a grave voice, saying each word as if they were dagger stabs; slow and deadly.

The girl shrivelled under his intense glare, whispering her answer. “I used up all I had, to the last bit.” And then she burst into tears, large drops trailing a path down her face. “I-I don’t think I’ll be able to shape again! It’s like… like something broke inside of me!” she wailed, her voice breaking as tears dropped into her lap.

Iago’s lips thinned into a line, eyes filling with ire but his voice lost it’s fury and was calm when he spoke up. “That was foolish of you. What were you thinking using up everything?”

“Don’t shout at her!” the soldier woman complained in a shaky voice. “She did it to save us!”

Scorpius was amazed she even dared to speak up with the way everyone feared Iago, and he looked scary now. There was something especially terrifying about his controlled rage. It felt like they were in the eye of the storm, safe for now but once the calm ended…

Away from the commotion like he was, Scorpius still felt the waves of anger reaching up to him. Iago wasn’t an imposing man, his build wasn’t close to making anyone fearful, but the look he levelled on Shea. Most people, him included, would rather face a wild bear than this man.

And his expression was only getting worse.

“Not shout? It’s a miracle she’s not dead yet!”

“Dead?” the woman squeaked out wide-eyed.

Iago took a deep calming breath, his expression relaxing somewhat. “It’s too late for that now. Forget it.” He then turned to face the stricken girl who’d turned paper white at his words. “Since you’ve lived, there’s a chance for you to recover but you need to start quick. Enough time has been wasted.”

“What do I do?” she asked, wiping the tear from her face and doing her best to stop the new ones from coming.

“Do you remember how you were taught shaping? The making of the pond within you?”

“You don’t use it...”

“That’s not the point! Do you, or do you not?”

She shook her head. “It’s been so long ago…” The moment she said that, fresh tears left her eyes and her mouth twisted in a silent cry. “I”m gonna stay a cripple, aren’t I?”

“No, you’re not,” Iago said taking her hand in his and going on his knee. “Now listen to me, okay?” She nodded quickly, eyes glued to his and he continued. “What you need to do is find a calm place and reach for the Energy currents. They will evade you or lash out but don’t let that stop you. Reach for them and hold until you feel a drop fall into the now empty pond. Then release them the same instant. If you hold onto the wild currents for too long, your body will get damaged even more than it already is.”

“What… what if… if they don’t want to stay?”

“They will!” Iago answered without a flicker of hesitation.

His swift reply encouraged the girl and she straightened her visage. Tear streaks lined her face but she forced a calm expression on her face. Taking a calming breath she was about to ask when the soldier woman jumped from her place. She put Shea’s arm over her shoulder and helped her stand up. “I’ll make sure no one interrupts her,” she said and was off with her charge.

No one moved until the echo of their steps had faded in the distance.

Iago was the first to stand up and move towards the back of the room where old food was arranged. Most of it was rotten beyond recognition with only couple items retaining their original shape. The shaper didn’t comment on it and just put his hand on the first item. Its form blurred and then became a healthy red of an apple.

Others went soon after, returning to their original shape under the seeking gazes of the audience. They watched in awe tainted by witnessing the prior scene. Few managed to express joy, although, all followed Iago’s progress with shining eyes. It was clear they hadn’t seen such a feast in a long time, maybe even never before.

The shaper moved through the line, changing everything and resting his hand on the last time. It shifted and the work was done. The counter was lined with meat fresh from the killing, just picked vegetables and fruits taken moments before. All of them released a tantalising smell that beckoned Scorpius to come down.

He resisted the temptation, wondering where he was planning to get his meals. There was no need to eat every day for him but he still needed to get some food. Would Iago bring him some or would that look suspicious? He would probably have to ask about that since stealing was going to be even worse. And he would be gone for days if he was tasked with finding his own sustenance.

While he thought that Iago took a couple apples from the pile and left the canteen. A number of people dashed towards the counter but most sat in their place, eyes focused on the leaving man. He walked at a leisurely pace, taking a bite from one of the apples he’d taken.

Nothing else interesting was going to happen here so Scorpius crawled out of his hiding place and flew outside. The shaper noticed him still a distance away, waving him to stay out of sight.

“I know what you’re going to ask anyway,” he said with a sigh. “I told you I won’t help her yet I still did. But there was no choice. No matter how threatened I feel by her presence, I don’t wish for her death, and there’s nothing else awaiting a shaper that has lost his powers.”

How so? Scorpius tried to piece what he knew about the shapers but he’d never heard about them losing their powers. As far as he knew, that was impossible as of itself. It was a talent you were born with.

But Shea hadn’t been pretending. The girl was truly terrified of never being able to use her powers again. Not only that, but his saviour was talking about death as if it was inevitable.

A sound of footsteps warned Scorpius of an approaching human. Second later he recognised the leader of the soldiers as he closed in on Iago. “Who are you talking to?” he asked with a look around but not noticing anyone nearby.

“No one,” Iago answered, continuing his walk towards the tower.

“Do you always to talk yourself when you’re alone?” he muttered, catching up to walk alongside Iago. “I came here to say sorry, it wasn’t supposed to happen that way…”

Iago didn’t spare him a glance. “Keep your excuses to yourself, or tell them to the person that would care for them. If she survives.”

“Survives? Didn’t you say it would work?”

“I lied. If it was anyone else, they’d be dead already. With her talent, she might make it through, but… The chance of that is the same as you stumbling upon a clear water well outside the city.”

The leader sucked in a breath, his step faltering. “You mean… It’s possible… It is possible that we killed her?”

There was no answer from Iago and they walked in silence, their footsteps the only noise in the night. All the people from this side of the camp were in the canteen while the rest were settled far away from here, the noble houses.

“It’s all my fault… If only they had listened to me… But they just had to go in alone, not hearing a word I said…” the leader murmured, raising his hands to clutch at his head. “It all happened because of me!”

Iago finally turned to face him with a raised brow. “Your own soldiers don’t listen to you? No wonder something like this happened.”

“I- They-”

“Don’t. I’ve heard enough excuses for one day already,” Iago shot him down, stopping in his tracks. “Rather I’d want you to listen to me. Can you do it?”

“Yeah,” the leader answered with a frown.

That fact didn’t seem to matter to the shaper. He levelled a stare at the leader, his expression losing the dry amusement from before. “Whether she lives or dies, I want you to understand that we’re just humans like you. We have powers, yes, but we’re like children playing with fire, using the powers we don’t comprehend. Any day we might burn ourselves, and the whole house down.”

“But that makes no sense! You carry the powers of the goddess herself, shaping the world to your image!” the leader shouted out Scorpius’ thoughts.

There was little known about shapers’ true nature but one thing was for certain - no one could control them. They changed the world as they saw fit, caring for no one’s say in it.

Different species of animals and plants were introduced because of them. Materials became common or rare depending on their whim. Architecture in the largest cities was changed yearly to fit the new style that shapers had come up with.

Worst of all, they ruled over any life forms. No one could fight them. They could kill an army without losing their breath. How could anyone face that?

Hearing that creatures like these were anything weak was a laughing matter. Scorpius had doubts they could even be called humans. Sure, they had the same form, but so had his kind. You couldn’t tell the two apart if not for the need to drink blood, ability to change shape and improved senses.

“No… Well, maybe,” Iago said with a bitter laugh. His eyes moved sideways as if looking for things that weren’t there. “We are powerful but this new world, it’s the end for us. Without help, we’ll go extinct in a heartbeat. It’s just so easy to try harder, reach for more and end up using up everything.” He returned his eyes to the leader with a sharp glare. “It’s a death sentence for us, you know? Maybe she was lucky enough to survive this time, but it won’t happen again. Next time trying to save you will end up costing a life.”

“What do you expect from me, saying all that?”

Iago gave him a half smile. “Treat the shapers as any other survivors under your protection. Don’t expect miracles from us and maybe, just maybe, we all might make it through this alive.”

***

Author's Note:

Thanks for the replies everyone and hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Comments, suggestions and reviews are very welcome!