💎A Collision of Fates💎 (Straight to Gay) (MxM) (18+)

96 - Breck and Nick (18+)

"Holy shit." Nick looked up at the rocky city, his mouth open. "I... I had hoped they would fight back, that they would win." He rubbed his stubbled chin. "Jesus Christ."

Breck had hoped the same thing. But he hadn't held his breath. When they had escaped Jkaal, the place had been teeming with Red Riders and the palace had been destroyed. There was no coming back from that.

But he didn't say that. Instead, he gulped and nodded. "Qoal is a man capable of terrible things, it seems."

"To kill your own brother..."

Breck grimaced. He would've given anything to see his brother again. The idea that that fraternal relationship, that familial bond, could be so twisted and toxic, so completely inverted that it could cause this much destruction, was unthinkable.

And the destruction was immense.

From behind a riverside rock, Breck could see the ruins of what had once been the great city of Jkaal.

They hadn't spent very much time there, only a few, short days. Really, they hadn't gotten the chance to explore that much of the place. There had been the brizzok, and then the fight with Henrov, and then the explosion. Still, sadness and pain welled up inside of him as he took in the sight above them.

The palace had collapsed completely. The twin rivers, that had tumbled down into the river below, now flew over the edge of the big rock, haphazard and chaotic, splashing the closest rocky platform. Most of the houses had been demolished, piles of stone and wood and rubble left in their wake. Tentacles monsters, Red Riders on their back, prowled the streets, hassling the residents that were still alive.

"Hundreds of people used to call this place home," Breck said, voice low.

Distantly, he wondered how many were dead, how many had been turned into corpses. From their vantage point, he could see bodies draped over the rubble.

"Maxil," Nick said.

Breck turned to him. Immediately, he knew that the other man was doing. "Jalson."

Nick's face was flat, serious. "Qoal."

Breck breathed out. "The One."

Nick turned back to the city, back to the ruin. "All of them need to die. There can be no salvation, no mercy. There can be only death."

Breck nodded. There was no doubt. If redemption had been possible at some point, for any of them, that time was long past. They would all need to die, and Nick and Breck would have a hand in their downfalls, that much he was sure of.

The two of them stayed hidden behind the riverside rock for a few more minutes. The chaotic, churning waters of the river bellowed in front of them, stretching into the distance. Some of the spray splashed over the rocky shore and sprinkled them. But the two of them remained there, staring at the destruction that The Golden Spire had wrought.

But Breck knew that they were taking a risk. Every moment that they remained, their chances of getting discovered increased. So, eventually, Breck gently pulled Nick away from their hiding spot. Together, they slipped back into The Spread and skirted around the edge of the city. Through the trees, he could see the City of Rushing Waters, a constant reminder of the doom that The Golden Spire rained on innocent people.

From that point forwards, The Spear guided them towards home. They stayed off of the path for the first while, wary of patrolling Red Riders and cultists. But, after a few hours of uneventful travel, they strode onto the path and continued their journey.

Breck made sure to walk behind Nick. He kept the other man in front of him, and his eyes on their surrounding. Next time danger descended upon them, Breck would be there. He wouldn't let Nick out of his sight.