“Zen…what did you do?” asked Adeline as they flew back to Angla. “Why did that demon…?”

“I reminded him of his jailors,” said Zenithia. “Remember when I told you that in every reality, Earth seems to be the most important planet in the universe? Well, there are many different reasons why, and that demon, or whatever it called itself a long time ago, was the reason for this Earth’s creation.”

“You mean, you can tell the creation of our world?” asked Albert.

“Not exactly. I haven’t had a chance to witness it before I lost my connection to the Source,” said Zenithia. “But that demon’s reaction proved that whoever defeated and imprisoned it was comparable to a light dragon, probably a different extradimensional, cosmic being.”

“But it knew you’re powerless. Why did it fear you?”

“Those captors must’ve planted an idea that would subdue it,” said the light dragon. “Even a former extradimensional being like me can trigger it. But alas, despite my willingness to help, I cannot do more than that. I may still call myself a light dragon, but I am bound to this reality’s rules.”

“You can still help,” said Albert. “And there is no better time than now. Is it okay if I ask you to divert to Avicelis? I need to have a word with Anarim and summon an emergency council. Please.”

Without delay, Zenithia turned towards Avicelis. Azureath saw this and flew alongside Zenithia.

“What should I tell them?” asked the dragon.

“Wait for a call to mobilize,” said Albert. “This has now turn into a war on two fronts.”

The dragon nodded before she turned and returned to Angla while Albert, Adeline, and Zenithia pressed forward to Avicelis.

***

“A war on two fronts,” said Ifrit, upon hearing what Azureath said upon her return. “I never thought this would happen.”

“You’ll get used to it,” said Lilac with a sigh. “We haven’t had any concrete victory ever since the incursion started.”

“So, Arbal and Stadelitz doesn’t count?”

“If that’s the case, then Angla and parts of the Tragorian coast also doesn’t count,” said Hans. “Don’t sell yourself short. You did great back there, both of you.”

Ifrit wasn’t as sure as Lilac, however, which was noticed by Hans when he looked at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Is this ever going to end? This…whole mess. I’m tired of it.”

“We are all tired of it, Ifrit,” said Lilac. “But we can’t go back to the things it was. You just haven’t lived through the feeling of despair, of hopelessness, of being considered a freak of nature. Don’t tell me I’m not. You two didn’t live among terrified, close-minded people. They’re fine with hellhounds because you look like wolves or dogs, but who’d see me and think I’m normal?”

“Richie did,” quipped Hans. “He said you’re a night stalker?”

“Not a very endearing name, I tell you. Also, didn’t you say he came from another reality? I suppose my appearance is considered normal there, but this is not that world.” Lilac then sighed. “Living through all this, losing major cities, and fearing that the next day might be our last…makes you appreciate all the efforts you made, even if it’s just a little. Erben may be lost, but we gained back part of Tragoria. We can’t have everything.”

Hans smiled, elated that his sister became stronger. Ifrit also smiled, but also adding, “You Rezmirns are strong. I’m glad I’ve met you two.”

“Hey, we only have each other before she met you and I met Azureath,” said Hans. “And Ifrit? I heard you have a brother, isn’t that right?”

“Yeah. I didn’t meet him, though?”

“You didn’t? Even though you went to Arbal?” said Lilac.

“I didn’t see him. In fact, he didn’t even come to me. Is he avoiding me?”

Lilac wondered about it, too. So, she turned to Hans and said, “Can we go to Arbal? Hopefully, he’s still there.”

“Who? Nergora?” asked Ifrit. “Don’t bother. I know he has his own things to do.”

“No, I insist. You need this.”

“She’s right, little one,” said Azureath. “Family relations is hard to come by. You won’t understand how precious it is until it’s lost.”

Inspired by Azureath’s heartfelt and wise reasoning, Ifrit agreed. He along with the Rezmirn siblings then climbed onto her back, during which she promptly gained air.

Arbal wasn’t far from Erben, so the town knew what happened to the capital. The shock and grief turned to a sense of hope when Azureath arrived. To them, she had become a beacon of hope, helped by her azure-colored scales and a looking rather friendly for a dragon. Of course, this was helped by the fact that she saved the town from being overran. She was the greatest contributor and their savior, after all. While there were wariness and mixed reactions to her, it wasn’t as much as the elation.

Nevertheless, they came back to Arbal for a more personal reason. After they landed and all three riders climbed off Azureath’s back, Lilac soon found Nergora and Sovarn sitting near a ruined building, apparently taking a rest. She then turned to Ifrit, who seemed indifferent.

“Go on,” said Lilac. “Talk to him. It’s not that hard.”

Ifrit was still reluctant, but Lilac was insistent, so he relented and slowly walked towards Nergora and Sovarn, thinking of what to talk about. They were brothers, but from different mothers. They both had demonic powers, but they reacted to their powers differently. On top of that, their elements were opposites.

“They do look different, aren’t they?” commented Hans.

“Quite so,” said Lilac.

Ifrit approached Nergora slowly, which looked like he was lurking around the ice hellhound, giving the impression of him stalking the white-furred hellhound. Fortunately, his brother started the conversation.

“(You could get decked for acting suspiciously, you know),” said Nergora as he turned to face Ifrit. “(But for you, I’ll make an exception. Hello, Ifrit. It has been a while).”

“(Hi, uh…Nergora, right?)” said Ifrit, still a bit reluctant to start talking with his half-brother.

“(That is indeed my name. So. How have you been?)”

“(To be honest with you…slightly miserable. And conflicted).”

“(I can understand. For someone who has been declared dead for three years, it can be very overwhelming to see how things have rapidly changed),” said Nergora. “(Come on. Let’s sit and talk. It makes you more comfortable, no?)”

Ifrit sheepishly agreed. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. Maybe it was because he never knew he had a brother before? Unlike Lilac with Hans and Anubis with Wepwawet, he had no brother to expect, nor did he expect the circumstances to be very complicated. Not only that, but they also looked so different from each other it was hard to believe that Nergora was his half-brother.

Yet, Ifrit sat beside the ice hellhound. After a moment of silent, Nergora said, “(You’re not sure if you should be a part of this, aren’t you?)”

Ifrit nodded.

“(Aren’t you doing this for Lilac? Isn’t she your soulmate?)”

“(She grew and become more independent than last I saw her),” said Ifrit. “(In fact, I started to think that maybe…maybe we’re no longer as close as we were before. We are no longer connected to each other. Reaffirming that connection might be difficult with everyone’s so focused on the war. Also…I’m worried. After seeing her so transformed, I’m worried that I’ll end up changing her so much she lost her identity. I don’t want that. I didn’t mean to do that).”

“(I guess we both took a different path when it comes to love),” said Nergora as his expression saddened. “(I knew the risks involved before I even pursue love. I almost wanted to risk it, but then somewhere along the way, I backed off. I thought her life would be destroyed if she ever got involved with a demon. The thing is, Ifrit, I don’t know if her reaction would be like Lilac’s. What did she do when she realized what happened?)”

“(Asking for answers, of course),” said Ifrit. “(But she eventually accepted it. She had always wanted to stay in one form, you know).”

“(I did what I thought was right. The fact is, even if it’s hard, I won’t regret my decision).”

“(Have you ever met her again? Did she ever survive?)”

“(Sovarn made me do it, but I agreed with him. I’d never be able to live through with it if she died because I wasn’t there to help. I took her and her family to Isola for her protection).”

“(When this is all over, maybe you should see her again).”

Nergora shook his head. “(She’s better off with someone less complicated).”

“(Complicated, huh?)” Ifrit leaned back on the bench. “(I bet it’s less complicated than our family. I’m the impossible child who shouldn’t be born. Infernals can’t conceive, right?)”

“(Both of us are. Well, except ice demons can have demonspawns. We were conceived because of his blind pursuit for power. I would feel bad for our supposed mother if she wasn’t as ruthless as he was).”

They both sighed.

“(We got one fucked up family history, aren’t we?)” remarked Ifrit.

“(It could be worse),” said Nergora. “(But I’m glad we can start helping each other out. So, Ifrit, how’s your impression on the surface world so far?)”

They proceeded to start talking about each other’s favorite surface world food, with Ifrit liking a slab of steak and Nergora liking something sweet, like a candy. Nergora’s cold surface seemed to thaw as he started talking with Ifrit, whose cheery attitude hid the fact that his half-Infernal blood indicated violent tendencies, one that he managed to barely conquer, but was far from being able to properly utilize it.

As they talked, Sovarn, Nergora’s friend, noticed the two hellhounds talking lively and smiled to himself, knowing that Nergora’s sulking attitude was because he could not find someone to relate to or to have long term relationship with, as the ice hellhound believed that he would only make things worse for whoever he was in love with. Even then, after seeing what Lilac had been through, Sovarn was also glad that Nergora was not too hasty. He could end up with a similar accident, and his romantic interest might not accept it as lightly as Lilac did.

The two hellhound brothers talked for a while, but after they were out of a topic to talk about, they turned to serious matters, especially the next plan after the fall of Erben.

“(I never thought our victory would be so short-lived),” said Nergora. “(Somehow, we exchanged two towns with a capital city. We were completely blindsided by that attack).”

“(I guess by this point, all we can do is wait for the Council to come up with a plan).” Ifrit let out an exasperated sigh. “(I hate playing on the defensive. We did that and look where it got us. I prefer if we just take the fight back to them, in Tragoria).”

“(Don’t act too hasty, Ifrit. There is no guarantee that we can succeed on that front).”

“(So, we just ignore Tragoria and focus on Erben?)”

“(I say we wait. There is no point rushing to a fight if you don’t have a plan. It might work, but in our case, that can get us all killed. Erben’s fall is one of those randomness that we never expected. Or maybe the signs were already there, and we completely missed it).”

“(Still, sitting around waiting is just so frustrating).”

“(How about if you start thinking about training yourself? You barely knew how to use your demonic powers, so if you feel like doing something, maybe you can start learning how to wield your hellfire more effectively).”

Ifrit, remembering that he barely survived an attack from the leopard demon, while also barely able to fight against Azgal before he was saved by Wepwawet’s intervention, could see some merit in his brother’s suggestion.

“(Yeah, I…I guess I haven’t had the luxury of knowing who I am earlier in life),” said Ifrit. “(When did you find out about your own heritage?)”

“(Quite a while ago. My cryomancy did not manifest until I reached puberty).”

“(That early? I barely even know that I’m a half-demon, not to mention an Infernal. I don’t know if I can do it in such a short time).”

“(There is no better time than now),” said Nergora with a smile. He then stood up and said, “(I can help you make sense of your power. Hellfire, demonic ice…it’s not that different if you know how it feels).”

“(Should I? Our elements are opposites of each other. I might end up endangering you).”

“(I think I might endanger you. There are many ways to deal with fire as hot as hellfire. In fact, this is also a good chance for me to learn how to deal with demonic ice).”

Ifrit wondered about it, too. Could Nergora be the weakness that all Infernals strived to avoid? Like Ifrit, his existence was apparently impossible, considering that he had never heard about hell being cold. He was aware of the term ‘hell freezes over’, but a frozen hell was something he never thought possible.

Then again, maybe there was a reason why they were opposites. It might have something to do with his father wanting to use Nergora as a leverage in case he couldn’t control his Infernal child. At this point, Ifrit wouldn’t put it past his father for doing that, though he was long gone, and the fact happened.

Knowing that they might make a good team, after all, Ifrit let out a toothy grin, showing his sharp rows of teeth, then shook his brother’s hand.

“(You got a deal, Nergora),” said Ifrit. “(While we’re at it, maybe we can start learning as we go, like a hands-on experience. You know what I mean, don’t you?)”

“(You mean going into Tragoria and let hell breaks loose? Before that, maybe we should learn the basics. Then, when we got the go, we’ll do it. How’s that?)”

Ifrit contemplated for a moment, then said, “(Yeah. That works for me).”

As the two hellhound brothers talked, Hans and Lilac were at the side looking at the two being friendly with each other. They were glad things worked out between them. Azureath also watched as the two walked away, still talking.

“Ice and fire, working together as one,” remarked Azureath. “Quite an interesting pair, indeed.”

“You can say that again,” said Hans. “So, what now?”

“Let’s wait for Albert,” said Lilac. “Until then…we better take some well-earned rest.”