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“I arowls, and steps forward Tharsus reels back in sudden terror But Apollonius’s anger dissolves as fast as it came “I am not mad,” he says quietly, then breaks into a broad smile “I simply lust for life and the thrill sport of war Why should I deny ht, when these two descended to offer hs “I know it is difficult for you to see ain, dear brother Why, how easy itin the abyss But it was not easy for me Neither the isolation nor the boredoreat strand of life would be cut short before the tilory But do you fathom what the deepest, darkest lamentation was?” He leans forward “Do you? It was the fear that ainst the world, was complicit in my incarceration”

“Complicit? Ridiculous”

“Irrefutably complicit”

“That’s a lie,” Tharsus says “They’ve filled your head with bilious dreck”

“Is that so?”

“Dreck Bold and grotesque”

“Come now, Tharsus Do you really think I don’t know your tells by now? You could never hide them from me”

“Apollonius, I would never betray you…”

Apollonius sainst Grimmus Why would the Ash Lord keep you alive if you were not his creature? Did you think he would bring you to his side? Tharsus, the Pink drinker Tharsus the Torturer Tharsus the Vaht have treasured your cruelty, but these others see you and they laugh at you like the drunken jester you are They think you a little nasty adolescent with blessed genetics, but, point of fact, you’re an adolescent with an army So they kept you and let you distract yourself with idle playthings and helped theive it to those clae teeth “My army The Ash Lord played you like a fool, brother You knew Admit it” He leans forward “Admit it”

“Yes…” Tharsus says He looks down in shaish trickle “It is true I knew” He looks up with hopeful eyes “But I had no choice”

“No?”

“I had to survive!”

“Why? For a facile existence of wetting your prick in myriad holes? You pathetic little deviant You are not a child any longer” He snatches his hair and finally Tharsus’s rebellious façade cracks The hint of terror he let slip earlier gives way to a storm of it

“Don’t kill hiet into the darkzone”

“Kill hi my apprehension “An ear is just an ear But a life” He shakes his head “He’s my brother” He looks back to Tharsus “My brother who betrayed me My brother who left his beloved kin to rot” He squeezes his hair, pulling tighter “My brother ished to be an only child”