HiveComb

Link

The Grey Slayer stood over his fallen foe. He stood victorious, but at what cost? He looked over at his deputy, his brother by arms. He slumped down onto his knee. He was surely dead. He fell to his knees and sobbed. "NO! I had failed the task he asked of me. I had failed!" The leonin had but one thought at the moment, the thought that drove that to keep moving forward. "What am I destined to do now? Where am I to go? What should I do now?!" He looked back up at his fallen brother. "No, this was not the end. I could have the power to reverse death itself. I still had the spells to manipulate life itself. I could bring you back if I wished to. I should bring you back. You are the only family I have left. You are the only family I will ever have. Please, please, please don't leave me. I will do anything to bring you back."

He held his brothers head in his arms and cast the spell of life. A red heat seemed to rush through him. The spell was working. He opened his eyes and the flesh began to grow back, the scream of returning flesh was heard throughout the Gloomvault. The flesh of his brother grew back. He was returned to the same state he had been before the battle. He looked up at the Grey Slayer and spoke. "I love you, my brother. And I accept your feelings for me in return. I am going to live now, because of you. You are my protector, my brother, and my friend."

The Grey Slayer smiled and threw his arms around his brother. "I hope that one day we will be a family."

The Gloomvault shook with the scream of laughter.

The rest of the colour room sighed with relief.

The Gloomvault shook for a second time, this time with the giggles of children.

"Boys and girls, I think you see the value in these stories. We don't always have make believe battles, but we still have tales to tell. We have great power to move the world forward. We have the stories that are passed from generation to generation, the history books that teach our children the lessons that are necessary for their future. We have the stories that make our friends laugh, the only hope for a brighter future. These stories show that heroes truly do exist. We can stand up for ourselves, fight for justice and make the world a better place for everyone.

"I hope that one day we will be a family."

The Gloomvault shook with the scream of laughter.

The rest of the colour room sighed with relief.

The Gloomvault shook for a second time, this time with the giggles of children.

As the room slowly faded to black and the light faded. The voices of thousands of children were heard speaking a single clear word. "Hear Hear!"

The entire crowd erupted in a standing ovation. The show had ended better than anyone could have hoped. Every mage in the crowd had a tear in their eye. The headmaster himself couldn't help but wipe his own eyes. The Grey Slayer and his brother walked off the stage, their arms held around each other. The room went to their seats and waited for the final act of the night. Most people assumed this would be the awards. Instead, the lights came on and out walked the two great brothers, two brothers ready to make amends with their family.

From the seats of the colour room, I knew there would be no true winner, no true loser. At the end of this show, two brothers, who both shared the spirit of brotherhood, had returned to the Gloomvault. He shook and they laughed.

The Grey Slayer turned to his brother. "Silverstaffers, the show is over. I'd like to invite you all to join me for an informal party on the pavement outside, in the fresh air. Very informal. I imagine my brother, who is still a student and so should not be drinking, will remain with me. Let's get light refreshment, maybe a friendly game of cards. After that, I'm sure we all need some time to ourselves. This is going to be a long night. The awards will be held tomorrow.