#thearial

Her name was Yulia. And while she was lovely in spirit, she was no great beauty to the world, blending into a crowd rather than standing out. She loved music, that much was true, but not to perform; she loved to dance, to move to the music in a gleeful display. And contrary to stories claiming otherwise, Yulia did not enchant the men of the world, did not have swarms fighting to claim her hand.

In truth, there were only two… but when one is a god, perhaps it’s understandable for people to give near unattainable reasons for their attraction.

To understand Yulia, it becomes necessary to understand the things around her: her family, her home, the good and the bad… because every experience she had formed the essence of the person she became.

Yulia lived in a city by the sea, a wondrous mixture of the old and the new, a marvel at the time… built into the very cliffs, each layer of the city stood apart from the rest as they looked out to the sea. Nothing -and no one- was higher or more important than the lighthouse and it’s keeper, guiding travelers to safety in the dark. The rich and powerful came under them, their homes intricately designed to appear a part of their natural surroundings, even the hanging edges that blocked their view of those beneath them.

The middle district was the draw to most; a bustling trade city at this point, the market dominated… buildings built into and out of the stone, decorated with bright paints and bells to draw a customer’s attention, it seemed a different world. The temples rested among the bustle, as busy as their surroundings with loud proclamations and varying degrees of worship among the people. Here, Eiris was second only to Korith in glory, although the greatest respect went to the Queen of the Seas; next to the ocean as they were, her protection was necessary, and in truth, she held more sway over its people than the Ruler of the Skies.

And in the lower districts is where you would find Yulia and her family, their home small and crowded, but also warm and welcoming. The inhabitants all worked together, a fishing community that stood together when things came crashing down on them. It was there where the people opened their doors to their neighbors, piling together for community meals… blood mattered little when the community was a family in itself... and surrounded by endless love, Yulia thrived like a wildflower by the road – not flawless, but naturally and perfectly belonging.

Lovely and happy and filled with light, Yulia was always sure to have a smile on her face, reaching out a helping hand towards those in need. Her soul was pure, her presence comforting to those around her, and there was nothing she would not try to do for another.

And yet, life was not perfect or overly kind. She cared little for romance growing up, might not have recognized it even if others had reached out with such intentions. Her years -her focus- was on her family, and other attention did not even come into her eyes.

Her father -lost in a sudden storm while he was fishing- had left a hole when she was little more than a child… and her mother, determined that her children would not rely on other’s charity, threw herself into her work as a seamstress. There were countless long nights, her mother working long enough that her fingers began to blister and bleed… without a single complaint. So, as the oldest of four -and with lack of any other ideas- Yulia took up the task of bringing up her siblings… the youngest of which was a mere toddler. Grown up too fast, her childhood disappeared… and like her mother, Yulia did it without a spoken complaint to any other living soul.

She would guide her siblings towards other paths in life, ones she believed were out of her reach. If she were asked, Yulia might have even claimed she didn’t have any dreams besides those for them; we can never know now. But her siblings found callings that would eventually lead them away from her: the second oldest begged to enter into Imrasil’s service, desperate for any more knowledge that they could get; the middle found himself drawn to the same ocean that had claimed their father, more content on a boat than on land; and the youngest? She wanted to be her sister, a center for those they loved and always eager to join in when her sister went to help anyone. She didn’t want to enter a temple, didn’t wish to explore the world in search of anyone in need; she wanted roots and she had an example to work towards.

Their home was small, but filled with love, and she was happy… and to the world, it seemed like she was perfectly content, longing for nothing more than what she already had.

But Yulia harbored her own hopes, fanciful dreams of an epic romance and happy endings. Maybe she even imagined her perfect partner, as so many others have, wondering if someone would ever come to sweep her off her feet… wondering if her life would change if that ever happened.

And remembering those dreams, perhaps it wasn’t hard to believe she would fall for a mysterious stranger who always seemed to look at her instead of through her. It must have been flattering, to have drawn his attention when he could have had anyone he wanted… but his eyes said that she was all he saw. And when he sang? When he sang, it seemed as if he was singing directly to her, in hauntingly beautiful songs of love and magic and heartbreak.

No, it isn’t hard to see her falling in love just as strongly as the God of Death did for her.

She didn’t know -couldn’t possibly know- the true identity of the bard who would innocently spend the long hours of the night with her. How could she suspect the gentle man who made her crowns from flowers and love notes was Thearial himself? He didn’t behave like they believed Thearial would; he was no monster from the shadows, no creature from bedtime stories or darkness taken human shape… to Yulia, he was just a man who preferred the quiet comfort of the Moon, and the relative solitude to make his music.

And she began to look forward to those nights, wishing the day would fade away faster, if only to see him just a moment sooner.

Little did she know that Thearial was beginning to crave the light for her… that he would willingly seek out the day so that he could be with her one moment more. One moment, a blink of an eye… and when she was by his side, those moments felt like eternity.

When the time came, and Thearial revealed the truth, it’s impossible to know what was going through her head. Betrayal, because the man she’d loved was nothing more than a fabrication, a mask for him to hide behind? Flattered, because she had earned the love of a god? Shock? Joy?

Her initial thoughts remained her own, even in her own private diaries. But the end result, her final decision had been made and put to paper.

I love him. Despite everything it will cost, I want to be with him. In shadows or light, I want to stand by his side.

I tell my family tomorrow.

However, Yulia was never able to tell her family the truth… not herself.

See, Thearial was not the only one who loved Yulia… not the only one who wanted to remain by her side for eternity.

The other man matters little. By all accounts, he was a good man; an honest merchant, generous to those around him, fair in his treatment of people regardless of status. He had known Yulia since they were children, and when his family rose in status, he never forgot the girl next door who had never failed to hold onto hope. He held onto her memory for all his life, and when he eventually passed, it was believed that Thearial offered him a hand in friendship, in respect for the woman they had both loved.

However, love is not always kind or pure. While the merchant loved Yulia -his childhood friend- there was another who loved him… and for her, love was cruel. Toxic, and all-consuming, love took the form of obsession and jealousy, and when she looked at Yulia, she didn’t see the kind soul others had been so drawn to. Instead, she saw a seductress, out to steal everything she had always wanted.

And so this woman came up with a plan, to rid her world of Yulia… and then she would have the love she craved.

She lured Yulia to the top of the cliffs with a deception, claiming to love her and begging for one meeting for a response. She even made a point to claim that if such an answer would be to reject their love, they would accept it and find closure in that answer… and Yulia did not hesitate to go. Even if her answer would hurt them, she would have believed that receiving an answer would be better than being left adrift, wondering if there was even a dash of hope her absence might leave.

It’s impossible to know what exactly went down, that morning at the cliffs. There were no witnesses who would speak of the events, and no memories that weren’t tainted and distorted by their own minds. Maybe Yulia -as she was inclined to do- tried to comfort the other woman and convince her that she was no threat. Maybe there was an argument on both sides, maybe Yulia tried to leave as soon as she realized she had been tricked.

We can’t say for sure. But it is fact that at the end of this meeting, Yulia had fallen off the cliffs and into the sea below. Lost to the waters, out of even Thearial’s reach, she was pulled into the darkness… and undeniably changed.

All that is thrown in the sea belongs to Eiris, and she guards all that is hers. As she has so many others, Eiris enveloped Yulia in her power, taking all the pain, fear, and horror she must have felt… and offered her a new form that gave her none of those things… and gave her strength, to defend herself and her new existence.

Thearial pleaded, begged his sister to let Yulia’s soul leave for his domain; as he had given Eiris her favors, he asked one in return… and was denied. Eiris would not let her go, would keep her prize despite her brother’s feelings.

The split between the divine siblings has not been repaired to this day. The destruction that followed after Eiris’ rejection has been documented, and there is no need to repeat it here. It was not Yulia’s fault -as some have claimed- and she would not have wanted it, had her heart not been changed in her fall… literal and figurative.

She still exists today, swimming deep under the water with the rest of her kind, those betrayed souls under Eiris’ protection. How much she remembers… we don’t know enough to know if any of them remember the lives they used to have. Eiris isn’t exactly willing to let any of that information out, even among her family. But if she does… maybe it drives her to continue moving, to react towards those who remind her of what might have been.

And if she remembers… it may not be possible for her to return to who she was; she has done and seen too much for that to happen. But maybe she could remember enough to move past the pain and revenge… and escape from the cycle she is in.

Perhaps one day, the love she had for Thearial -the love he still holds for her- will free them both.

Thearial heard the meowing three rooms away. It took considerable effort to maintain a blank look on his face, seeing countless kittens crawling all over his bed and climbing the walls.

This was not how he left his rooms before leaving to pass judgement.

“Arione.” His youngest sister was giggling, and with the three kittens in her arms, four pairs of wide eyes met his own. “What is going on here?”

“I want a cat. But Korith said I’m not allowed to make one immortal.”

That explained far less than he wanted.

“How does that explain why my room is crawling with cats?”

“Well, if I can’t make a mortal cat immortal, then I’d find one that can’t die, because it’s already dead. Obviously.” Arione wrinkled her nose, planting kisses on the kittens climbing on her lap. “And I figured you wouldn’t mind me looking.”

“…In my rooms?”

“I needed somewhere contained so they wouldn’t chase the dogs!” Arione’s protest was too cheerful to be taken seriously. She climbed carefully to her feet, still holding onto the original three she had her arms around. “Besides, if you’re not working, you’re hiding in here. You need something to keep you company here!”

“I am content in the quiet. I don’t need… cats… intruding on my space.”

Arione’s pout -and the remarkably sad expressions on the kitten’s faces- made Thearial feel a stab of guilt. It wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed feeling, especially when it involved one of his favorite sisters… but there had to be a limit to what she could get away with!

Cats were one of those limits. Still…

Thearial sighed, nudging one of the kittens gently away from his cloak with his foot. “I have plenty of rooms in my castle. Take a few for your… friends.”

“Really?” Arione literally glowed, her conjured shape slipping away from joy. “You’ll let me keep them?”

“Just… try not to go overboard.” The words were dangerously close to a plea. “I don’t need a cat infestation to distract my workers.”

Arione made her promises immediately, vanishing with a dramatic puff of smoke… taking the cats with her. Shaking his head, Thearial sat down in front of the large mirror on the wall… except it wasn’t his reflection he saw.

He didn’t think Eiris knew about this, or she would have put an end to it centuries ago. But while he could, he watched what happened deep in her domain, in the darkest depths of the water… and watched over the souls he couldn’t save.

He might have stared for hours, or days, or weeks; time meant little when you had eternity on hand. But the vision was interrupted by a kitten pawing at the mirror with a hesitant “mreow?”

Raising an eyebrow, Thearial picked it up by the scruff; he ended up picking a tiny white ball with large green eyes staring up at him. It was almost comedic, how those eyes became too big for it’s face, too long whiskers promising growth that would never come to it.

Obviously his sister had forgotten one. He was about to call for her, make her take the creature, except for what was unmistakably hope in those eyes as the kitten hung from his hand.

Sighing, Thearial placed the kitten on his bed, shaking his head as it -and he supposed it would have to get a name eventually- immediately claimed a place on his favorite pillow.

Oh well. Thearial leaned against the wall, absently petting the kitten as it purred against his hand. One night can’t do any harm, before I send it off with Arione. At least it isn’t trying to claw my eyes out.

()~~()~~()

Arione wisely made no mention of the kitten hanging off her brother’s shoulder, the white fur glaringly obvious against the dark clothing he always wore. Just as she very wisely made no comment on the multiple cat toys that now littered Thearial’s palace.

If the dark glare on his face meant anything, he was not going to be happy if anyone mentioned his new status as a cat owner.

Even after all this time, he still dreamed of her. The way she smiled at simple gifts, the way the world lit up when she laughed. The way her hand fit against his. The way everything felt right around her.

Even after all these years, Thearial couldn’t forget.

She was gone now, the one -the only one- who had ever laid claim to his heart and soul. Her light, extinguished… her warmth turned to ice… gentleness turned to vengeance…

But he only thought of her as she had been in life.

That one perfect moment… a moment when Thearial had believed in all the good things of the world. A moment when time slowed, all things had meaning, and his heart -for the first time- truly felt alive.

He had never done well in the sun, still didn’t; the night was when he ruled, but he couldn’t find it in himself to hide away. She was meant for the light, the warmth of the sun and flowers in her hair… and for a moment, when she took his hand and pulled him into a dance, it felt like he was meant for those things too.

One perfect moment… and a life stolen from them both.

She was far beyond his reach now… and Thearial had forever to remember what might have been.

The feud between Thearial and Eiris is long and deep. Out of all the siblings, their relationship is by far the most strained, and the two very rarely choose to work together.

In the days long ago, when Thearial still chose to wander the earth, he found himself in a small city overlooking the sea. Normally he would avoid such places, for his sister had a habit of destroying these towns with her storms and unavoidable rages, but something about this place... he found himself walking the streets without much purpose, but very much interested in the mortal’s activities.

Whenever he came to the surface, he was fascinated by the mortals. They all knew they would die someday, but they all chose to live with reckless freedom. They had ideas, ludicrous ones, and they went after them, because why not? Why not do something others thought was mad; if they were all going to die, they might as well live the best they could first.

It was a mindset Thearial couldn’t help but admire.

It was in this city that everything changed. For in this city, so long ago that it’s name has been forgotten, there lived a young woman named Yuliya. She was young, good-hearted, and loved by the son of a lord... although she never returned such affections. Her heart was with her family; her father, lost to the seas when she was a child, a mother who worked every day to support her three children... her two younger siblings, who Yuliya was determined would make something of their lives.

Thearial was immediately drawn to the light she had; his realm carried so much darkness that he forgot what it was like, to drown in such purity. He began to journey into the mortal world more often, disguising himself as a minstrel to court her, intent on earning her affections. Perhaps, if he had shown himself as a god, things could have turned out differently.

Months passed, and Thearial spent more time in Yuliya’s company, never forgetting his duty, but finding the joy in what life could really be. But in the times that he was gone, he didn’t realize that darkness was always lurking.

Jealous of the affection the lord’s son gave to Yuliya, another young woman in the village, the daughter of a merchant, arranged for such affections to be cut short. Blind to Yuliya’s lack of interest, and beyond caring, this woman led Yuliya to the cliffs with a forged note begging for just one last meeting.

It would be the last, for although the full events were never known, it was no secret that Yuliya fell off of the cliffs and into the sea, never to be seen alive again.

In his grief, Thearial followed Yuliya into the waves, down to his sister’s domain to beg for her release. To beg for Yuliya’s soul to be brought to the realm of the dead, to where he was... but he forgot his sister’s most important rule.

All that is tossed in the sea belongs to her.

And that included the lost souls of the dead, trapped beneath the waves, twisting and changing into her servants. He mourned those souls, but he had never had reason to fight for them before; he had accepted the rules as absolute. Thearial didn’t want to change them, for rules were how they managed to survive and thrive for so long.

An exception, as he had once given his sister, for one of her daughters that had died far from the water’s reach. An exception, as he had done, moved by the softer emotions Eiris rarely showed.

Eiris refused. Yuliya had been thrown into the sea; there was no reason to release what was clearly hers. She refused even to allow her brother to see her, sending him away with a dismissive wave and a strict warning not to return for such frivolous reasons.

Furious, refusing to allow himself to be anything else, Thearial returned to the surface with one goal: to destroy the place that had taken Yuliya. The city worshiped his sister; they would be the price. He would destroy it, and take the souls away from Eiris’ reach. All of them combined would never add up to the worth of Yuliya’s, but it would relieve this pain.

He sent the plague. He made it slow, and painful, and sent his creatures to make sure none of the townsfolk were able to reach the water, never able to reach the realm of their patron goddess. He let the rage take him, hoping that it would numb him to anything else.

He spared only Yuliya’s family, spiriting them away in the dead of night before he took his revenge on the city.

Eiris stormed and raged, but he had taken precautions to ensure that she couldn’t destroy this city. She could have the others; this one was his. It was on the land, not the sea, and if he chose to take it, there was nothing she could do. Even when she petitioned Korith, demanding that she stop Thearial, there was no way around the rules that Eiris herself had opened herself up to.

When it was over, and the city was empty, Thearial waited to lead them to judgement. The city became a haunting ground for their spirits, calling out for their gods to save them. He took them slowly, the children and innocent first, and let the others call on their patron goddess for release.

And when she came, humbled and quiet, Thearial refused.

It was too late for her offers, too late to fix what they had done. Yuliya was already gone, anger and grief at her murder twisting her into one of his sister’s avengers. The city was torn apart, never again fit for human life. The only thing to do was finish this.

He allowed his creations to guide the souls to his realm, making sure his sister would not steal any of them away... except for one. In death, he knew Yuliya’s murderer... and he would not allow her peace. He left her to wander the shores, never able to reach his sister’s realm, but never allowed into his own. She was left to lament her cursed fate, warning others away from the land she had lived in... and crying for Eiris’ blessing that could never come.

That was his compromise, for what they had forgotten in Thearial’s absence at their sides, was that he was as vengeful as any of them... and he never let an insult against him go unpunished.

To this day, the ghost of the cursed woman wails on the cliffs, and Eiris continues to send waves up the sides, hoping one day to reach her soul and finally offer her freedom. And Thearial has never again entered the mortal world, for pleasure or for duty, and remains in the realms of the dead, judging those his creations bring to him.