I had killed them, I had killed all that I could find. Despite that, I look down at Annairelya's dead face, knowing that I would never again be able to listen to her voice, look at her face, touch her. The last of my three children, the only children that dragonkin like me are allowed to bear. Having lost my two sons more than a hundred years prior had cracked my heart, but now, seeing girl, my poor girl, dead in my arms broke it into a thousand pieces.

“Oh poor girl! My little Anna, would that I had locked you in a cage, as I sometimes considered in the moments that I found myself most stricken by the loss of your two brothers. You often complained to me about how overprotective I was of you, and now look at you! Or perhaps it really was a mistake for all the good it did you. Maybe if I had let your beautiful wings take flight unfettered, you would not have died in such a way. What a tragedy it is! That you should have had most of your powers sealed by the child in your belly that would have been such a blessing to both of our lives! Woe is me! That I should now only be allowed to rot into eternity without descendants to watch over. I shall never again feel the warmth of holding a child of my blood in my hands. The Exalted, what good is this sobriquet to me now? What is to be exalted now? I am now a corpse, just like you, my dear daughter, except I walk and talk. How could this be allowed to happen?”

I then let out a wail with all of my force, enough that the weak walls of that damned church where my daughter had been senselessly murdered shook and cracked. Where I once had a heart, now a blaze raged.

“Hey...”

I looked up and saw perched on Virtue's altar a masked tengu. I delicately deposit my daughter's body on the ground, fully intending to murder the tengu as soon as I did that, but as I do that, I see the prostrated Minotaur near the entrance of the church. Still overtaken by grief, I decide to hurl words at the two of them instead of violence.

“Is it that funny to watch a poor woman grieving for the loss of her one and only, irreplaceable daughter?”

I was surprised by his answer, which ringed with sincerity. I had never seen a minotaur willingly touch his head on the ground like that.

“No. I'm certain that the pain my heart is nothing compared to yours, but I want you to believe me when I say that I grieve much for your daughter's death, just as I did with your two son's deaths. I beg that you forgive me for not being able to protect your last child, even though we were in the same city.”

My two sons? Why did he mention them? But then, I realized it. I recognized the minotaur that now prostrated himself in front of me. Bereul, a man who long ago I had forgiven, but apparently never forgave himself.

“Rise, Bereul, Grand Tactician. You need not burden yourself with my children's death, that burden is mine alone to bear.”

As Bereul rose into a kneel, a cough from behind me caught my attention. The tengu that had first caught my attention was sitting in the same place.

“You know. Time is running out like this, but really, you talked about never talking to her again, except that's not quite right. Honestly, her soul still has not passed on. I could let you talk to her one last time, except...”

I did not need to hear anymore. In probably the fastest movement I've ever performed in my entire life, I was right next to him, his neck firmly in my grasp. With hardly any effort, I could in a moment either crush his neck with my hand or slice it in many pieces with my talons. My voice was cold.

“I don't care what kind of magic or techniques you use to achieve this, state your price birdman. Just know that if you are lying to me, your life is forfeit.”

Incredibly, he did not crack under the pressure and even managed a weak chuckle before speaking. If he hadn't promised me the possibility of once again talking with my daughter, I would have killed him that same instant.

“I was just getting to that... Look, I will need to manipulate her soul, and really, if possible, I'd really love to keep her soul for research purposes.”

This did not even merit discussion. I almost killed him right there, but I felt like negotiating.

“Not a chance. Can't you make due with the souls of this trash? They should still be around since I killed them after they had killed my girl.”

The brave tengu shook his head.

“As you say, they are but trash, I have numerous souls of people from the same race as them. Their souls aren't particularly bright or noble either, and besides, I intended on collecting them either way. Don't you have something better to offer?”

I pondered for a moment. Considering the small conversation that we already had, I surmised that he would not be interested in any regular things. Riches probably meant nothing to him. He also probably thought nothing of having a dragonkin owe him any kind of favor. Offering him one of the sacred treasures of the dragonkin might be a good idea, but I thought of something better. If he liked souls...

“What if I offer you the souls of every single person in this city right now?”

Taking a life was nothing to me now. Finally, the tengu showed some surprise, as he hesitated for a moment before responding.

“Is he included?”

He pointed towards Bereul. As I was about to deny him, Bereul spoke up.

“Please, don't! While I am incompetent and powerless compared you, Exalted, I still wish to achieve something with my worthless life. Please, accept me as a loyal servant, whatever you wish I will do. If you only allow me to fetch the pair of axes left by my brother which only become sharper as they cut through my enemies, I will murder every single person in this city at under your command.”

His eyes didn't look like those of someone begging for his life. No, they looked like those of someone who was eager to serve. Those were good eyes, the eyes of someone who I could likely use in my vengeance against the world.

“Sorry, birdman. His is the only other soul out of bounds.”

I wondered if he was smiling behind that strange owl-like mask.

“That's unfortunate. He has quite the beautiful soul in my estimation. I suppose an entire city's worth of souls is a pretty good bargain, there should be a few high-quality ones among such a big number... Still, a dragonkin's soul is such a rare thing that it really pains me to let go of the possibility...” I slightly tighten my grip around his throat. “Of course, if you are willing to just let me take your soul if you do so happen to die before me...”

I could not care less about my own soul.

“Deal. Now, remember that if you are lying to me I will kill you on the spot.”

I release my grip on him to allow him to do whatever he needed to, but I still kept myself tense.

“Wow, you really are good at motivating people, aren't you?”

I keep my fury in check and do not attack him.

“Spare me your mocking, birdman. Do whatever it is that you need to do to bring her soul forth and I will reward you with the most glorious funeral pyre you have ever seen in your entire life.”

He bowed to me.

“Now that looks like something to look forward to.”

He jumped down on the pile of corpses, then walked to where I had left Annairelya's body. I felt uncomfortable letting him approach her, but as long as he kept his end of the bargain, I would accept it. He knelt at her side and whispered something, then touched her chest with a finger. When he raised his finger a strange blue mist flowed out her body, expanding, until it took her form.

“Annairelya!”

I can hardly control my emotions as I hurry to her side. Without really thinking, I raise a hand to touch her cheek, but all I touch is the mist.

“Mother?”

I don't care if I am being tricked or not, hearing her voice call me mother again is worth the world to me.

“Yes! It's me, your mother Aurelya!”

I cannot manage any more words. They get stuck in my throat as I stare at her unblemished face, so unlike the corpse that was on the floor, full of cuts and bruises. She shows me a bitter smile.

“Mother, why are you crying so much? Oh, right, it's because I'm dead, isn't it... I'm sorry mother. I couldn't even give you a grandchild before leaving this world.”

My knees give out under me. I fall on them as I sob and try to talk to the soul of my daughter.

“Don't say that... please! You have... Nothing to apologize... for. If anyone has to apologize... It's the unfair world... That took you from me.”

As I struggle to speak through my sobs, I can see Bereul approaching, as if he wishes to speak. I nod at him, giving him permission to speak.

“I need to apologize. I managed to protect no one. I wasn't able to save your brothers, your partner breathed his last in front of me and I wasn't even there to witness your end.”

My daughter's soul turn to him, showing a slightly different smile, still biter, but full of kindness.

“Bereul. If anyone has to apologize, it should be me. I never did thank you for what you did for my brothers after all. I was too shy, unfortunately. Don't worry, you do not owe any duty or obligation to us. Also, so he has already departed has he... That is a kind of weird feeling... I'm sad that he did have to die as well, but I guess I will be happy to see him on the other side.”

So her partner was already dead... That explained many things, including why Bereul was here. Still, I had to say something to her. I searched furiously in my heart for words, but I managed only one, pathetic question.

“My little Anna, was I a good mother to you?”

This time, her smile was not bitter at all.

“Of course! Ah, I think it's time.”

Then she vanished, without a single trace, as if that strange mist had never been there at all.

“And that's all. I'm sorry, but now that she has passed on, not even my abilities can reach her.”

It didn't matter, I had all that I needed. I knew now, without any uncertainty, of the unfairness of my daughter's death, as well as the unfairness of the world for taking her from me.

“Thank you. It seems you have upheld your end of the bargain. Now, I will fulfill mine.”

Hearing me, the tengu froze after making a few gestures and whispering something. Although no mist came from the corpses that I had piled up, I felt that something did happen.

“Huh, so you are. Is it really alright for you to kill an entire city just for a few words of farewell?”

It seems he was surprised. I would have felt insulted, but perhaps, he may have struck similar bargains in the past, only to be denied payment afterwards.

“Whatever some fools might say, dragonkin do not go back on their word. I am no exception.” As I roar and fill myself with fury and activate the countless blessings carved on my body, I assume my dragon form. I can see Bereul's eyes fill with awe and the tengu tremble, perhaps out of fear, perhaps out of excitement. “Ride on my back.”

As I order them to climb onto me, I am met with astonishment.

“How am I to be allowed to ride one such as you?”

He was staring at my gleaming deep black scales. I snort.

“How else am I to have you not be caught in the inferno I will unleash?”

Bereul pondered for a moment.

“Fair enough. Also, if you will allow me to fetch my brother's axes first... I left them at the inn.”

That was no problem.

“We can just fly there first. And what about you, tengu?”

My evaluation of him was drastically different now and even as he assumed his mocking tone, I did not mind it at all.

“You know, I can fly by myself. So, no worries.”

More than an hour later, after stopping at the inn where Bereul was staying, we were approaching the border of the city.

“Shall we start then?”

I asked as I hovered over the city's wall.

“You know, it might be stupid of me to ask, but what are we doing all the way out here? Weren't you going to turn the entire city into a pyre for your daughter?”

Having a malicious mood take over me, I respond to the tengu hovering beside me with the same mocking tone.

“Silly you! Don't you want every soul in this city? Of course I am going to first seal it off with fire all around it, so that people can't escape.”

He let out an “oh!” of someone who had just understood something important. Without waiting any further, I take a deep breath and infuse the fire I breath out with magical properties. It was a magic I had developed many centuries ago, to fight against the incubus Zeerael, the Soul Gazer, a Tyrant. That fire, once it touced anything, would rage on for eternity if I so wished.

I flew around, then over the city, spreading fire, death and destruction and I delighted in the screams that I was able to hear. Did my girl scream like that as the trash stabbed her? I wonder if they first attacked the child in her belly? From her wounds, they must have. If only the suffering of this whole city could erase hers. It pleased me, but the destruction of Meliria was far from enough to satisfy my lust for revenge upon the world. It seemed that the tengu next to me, on the other hand, was quite satisfied, at least for the moment.

“Hmm, yes, yes. This is quite the bountiful harvest. I can only praise my luck at having met you, Aurelya, the Exalted.”

I can hardly keep my laughter in, even as I seethe with rage and resentment, at being called that again.

“Please, forget about that title. What is there to exalt about a murderer like me? No, as I am right now, I am merely a hollow mother, who tragically outlived her children.”

As I let go of my morals, I lit up the greatest funeral pyre the world had ever seen.