The red watery sky above gave no light, but the blue flames on his head, partly covered by his hood, were enough for him.
The silence that surrounded them found a way to convey messages of the chaos that had once happened in full force here some hours ago.
The war had happened, and there had been no winner.
Death had left in anger - surely he would return, and The Mother's thirst for revenge against her son grew hotter.
Thanatou was forced into hiding, a whole Thanatou, King of his whole Realm.
A pathetic sight.
If he had his Bride by his side, this would never have happened. His power would never have been challenged and put to shame in such a way. If only that ritual had been conducted, everything would have been perfect for him and his realm.
He needed his Bride.
He needed her now.
But there was no way he could leave his Realm and go to the Realm of the Mortals, he had no more messengers to send either, he was completely helpless.
Except, that he wasn't.
He had hope.
One of his prisoners had a red string. The strong had revealed itself right at the moment Death had raised his scythe.
The Red string was the strongest connection anyone could ever have with the Mortal Realm, which meant that he could, when the opportunity would come, send the prisoner there to fetch his Bride for him.
Maybe it was a good thing that this war had happened after all, or else, Death would have taken the little mortal, and this chance that he now has would have been gone forever.
Right now, he was waiting for his warriors to bring his prisoner with the red string back to him.
Hopefully, his mother hadn't taken possession of her before him.
His warriors dragged the wailing statue to him and he turned towards the mouth of the cave they had been hiding in with a sense of relief. Once the last of the warriors were in the cave, he tapped his skeletal fingers against the cave wall, and the hard walls dissolved into invisibility to anyone who might come across it from outside.
He stood before the statue and whispered some words beneath his breath.
Stone became flesh and bones, and for once, the agonizing wailing stilled to a stop.
There she was, stone no more.
Kestra couldn't believe it.
She had been in agonizing pain.
Her legs wobbled beneath her and she almost slipped to the floor, if not for the Thanis that held her at either side.
"Do you seek revenge against any of those in your Realm?" He asked.
"Yes. Those that killed my daughter. Please, send me there," she yanked herself away from the hands of those who were holding onto her, allowing herself to slip to the ground, her knees scratching the rough surface in the process, the fabric of her dress ripping, making her fair skin bleed.
But all this would be worth it soon enough.
"They killed my daughter, please send me back to avenge her death."
The Thanatou must be familiar with motherly rage, this should convince him.
"I seek for my Bride. My Thanis that came with you says you know her."
She would never get used to their clickings, or the fact that something in this Realm made her understand it.
She hated it. Their non-human nature made her sick. They disgusted her!
All of them!
"I do. I will bring her to you. Allow me to avenge my daughter's death and I will do anything."
Long skelental fingers slipped beneath her chin and Kestra's blood ran cold at the contact, dread filled her bones.
This was unnatural.
She hated this place.
She missed the sun and her high heels, her luxurious fragrance and clean, clear water.
She missed Eli.
She wanted to go back to the Realm so that she could be with him again.
She would do anything for him.
Including enduring this pitiful place called a realm for as long as she needed to.
"Please," she whispered in a breathy plea. The tears in her eyes were real, but for a different reason than her lips proposed. " I will do whatever you ask."
This filthy floor. Disgusting!
Blue flames gazed at her and she had no means of assessing if he believed her or not.
She soon realized where he stood, as he crouched next to her. Even like this, she was nothing compared to him.
She knew.
"Avenge a child you didn't even run to when the chaos broke?"
The words cut her deep, not because of the connection it had with her daughter but because her plans had been ruined just because she thought no one was looking.
"Bad Mother."
Her magic was useless here, she knew, still a spell rushed past her lips, having no effect.
Just meaningless words in this Realm.
Her heart raced.
She was helpless.
"I know what you are." With that, he drove his hand straight into her chest, fingers clutching around her heart, like daggers ripping her apart.
An agonizing cry ripped from her throat so hard that her back hit the cave floor it felt like her skull had shattered. The cave walls echoed it as blackness dotted her eyes completely, and her body stretched taut with pain.
Her cry mixed with Thanatou's low chants, till she could hear nothing but the drumming of agony in her ears.
Felt nothing but the prickle of torment on her skin.
Even death would be more merciful than this.
Silence.
As it should be.
He pulled out his fingers, completely red with blood, along with a chain, just as equally stained.
Till he was on his feet once again, towering over her with his darkness and blue flames, like her doom that he was.
"Live."
It was a command, that brought her back from unconsciousness. She blinked, still hearing that ringing in her ears, and the pain in her veins, like little aftermaths.
Then she felt the weight in her chest, around her heart.
A yank!
The sound of chains clanking. She clutched her chest because of the pain and that was when she discovered why she felt the way she did.
A bloody chain was protruding from her chest, and Thanatou held the other end of it.
What was this?!
How was she even still alive?!
"Kneel."
With each command, the chain glowed with a soft blue light.
Her body obeyed with a swiftness that left her dizzy and the pain that went straight to the back of her throat.
So this was what it felt like, to be controlled. To be on the other side of power.
She hated it!
"From now on, I am your master and you are my slave."
That cursed blue light, once again.
Another order, but this one wasn't spoken.
He was ordering her with his mind now!
Her head dipped with a yanking force, and her lips moved like controlled steel.
"Your wish is my command, Master."