"I didn't kill him."
The words still echoed in Aerys's mind as he ran,But something else had died ,The last chance of unity house celerion so Aerys ran , His boots slammed against the stone steps of the dungeon, each impact sharp, controlled—but faster than he would have liked. Behind him, shouts erupted, growing louder with every second, Too late to stop him not too late to react.
He burst into the lower hall.
A handful of Titos's soldiers sat scattered across the ground, hunched over strips of raw fish. Blood smeared their hands and mouths as they tore into the flesh like starving animals , Several heads snapped up at his approach and For a brief moment, no one moved.
Their eyes followed him as he passed,then the shouting reached them.
Everything shifted,but Aerys didn't slow down.
By the time they stood, he was already crossing the courtyard. cold air hit his face as he sprinted across the open space.
"Callius!" he shouted. "Callius!"
A window above slammed open.
Callius leaned out, eyes locking onto him instantly for a split second, confusion flickered across his face, then it vanished.
"Shit," he muttered, turning sharply. "Rosis! Wake them up!"
Aerys didn't look back—but he didn't need to, He could hear them now Footsteps.
Three… no—four Closing fast. He pushed harder. A flicker of movement above caught his attention, Cassandre .
She jumped from the ramparts without hesitation, Eight meters. Her descent was clean—almost effortless. The blade of her axe caught the light as she fell, and gleamed faintly in the pale morning glow. She landed without breaking stride. Then charged , Fast,Too fast.
Aerys measured the distance instinctively, his mind already calculating angles, timing, possibilities.
but before he could act, his clan moved. They didn't rush to him, They didn't hesitate, They ran for the gate.
Opened it The heavy doors creaked wide just enough, Fog spilled into the courtyard like a living thing, swallowing the space in pale grey.
One by one, they slipped through,Gone.
All except jinn, She broke formation without a word.Faster than the rest.Lighter.
She closed the distance in seconds Cassandre didn't see her coming, she didn't expect her.
jinn leapt, her body twisted midair, her club swinging down with precise force.
The impact landed square against Cassandre's knee. A sharp crack echoed, The weapon splintered.
Cassandre screamed as her balance gave out. Her essence reinforced bones held—but her stance collapsed just enough.
That was all jinn needed. She didn't slow down didn't even look back. She landed, pivoted smoothly, and sprinted toward Aerys.
They crossed the gate together.Behind them, the shouting turned into a full pursuit; Too late.
They descended into the basin where the others waited and didn't stop running north, always north.
The terrain grew harsher the further they went. Steep hills, slick stone, and thickening mist that clung to their bodies and dulled the world around them. By the time night fell, they reached the fort, It loomed over a ravine, tilted slightly, as if time itself had worn it down. Ancient stone walls, darkened by age, were covered in patches of lichen. The fog curled around its edges, seeping through cracks and broken openings It didn't feel abandoned.
It felt… waiting, They entered without a word.
Hunger followed close behind , Birds nested along the inner walls, hidden in cracks and ledges. The clan moved quickly—hands grabbing, bodies lunging Some birds escaped, wings beating wildly into the darkness.
Others didn't, They ate in silence, No one spoke, No one needed to , Something had shifted This wasn't survival anymore It was separation a line had been drawn.
Aerys stood near the entrance, eyes scanning the fog below He expected Titos to come ,To chase ,To surround them they had prepared for it. Fire Food. The sheep gathered inside the lower levels Enough to last weeks—months, if managed properly He had imagined the outcome clearly, Titos arriving with his starving soldiers; the smell of cooked meat drifting through the air the Warmth ; they would break One by one they would abandon him, they would come here that had been the plan.
But Titos didn't come He didn't hesitate , He didn't give his people time to think. On the sixth day, he moved; not toward Aerys , Toward war. House Solenar became the target. Aerys and callius watched from the hills. From the tall grass, from the mountains near the Tower , Always at a distance, Always unseen.
Titos's strategy was simple, Relentless attacks, no pauses, no space for doubt. Hunger turned outward and Weaponized.
He introduced trophies, Marks carved in blood across faces, Proof of violence and of loyalty.
It worked, Aerys saw it clearly. around the Solenar stronghold, the damage spread quickly , Apple trees cut down, Supply lines disrupted, Horses targeted. One of Titos's soldiers managed to snare a torch from the ramparts using a lasso, For a moment, flames flared, hope,Then cavalry charged out.
Buckets of water doused the fire before it could spread, From the ridge, Aerys saw Titos's reaction Rage, Sharp and Immediate But controlled ; He didn't lose himself , he adapted.
with Vixos at his side—still alive—he struck back.
A spear flew , Precise , A horse collapsed mid-charge, Its rider hit the ground hard.
Before she could recover, Vixos was already there Fast and Efficient, he seized her. No hesitation, no emotion.
That day, Mars gained two prisoners and Titos kept the horse.
Aerys remained still long after the fighting died down.
Watching , Thinking.
Titos didn't need discipline the way Aerys did, he didn't need unity, he used chaos, fed it. He shaped it just enough to point in the right direction. And for now it was working.
Aerys exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the distant battlefield, two paths. two leaders, two ways to survive.
The mountains remained silent. But the truth was already clear This wasn't just a conflict anymore It was war.