As is so often the case, tragedy arrived in the night. The furry messengers of the Goddess arrived at the Six’s dens simultaneously. All bellowing and pleading for assistance. Their message was unbelievable at first.
White had betrayed everyone!
None of the Six believed the story at first. It wasn’t until they were shown White itself standing upon a great altar that they began to understand. Swearing bloody revenge if anything happened to their eggs, the five departed at once.
Some were father from the altar and others closer but every one closed in as fast as possible. Yet, even from a great distance they could see the high hill that White occupied. Unbeknownst to the others, he’d assembled an army of slaves to create the altar and stood ready to resist White’s siblings.
The desperate and weak spent spears and arrows in plenty. Yet, none of the five were bothered enough to slow their arrival. Defenses snapped like twigs under them and any attack that struck true bounce off the experienced monsters.
A great tendrils snaked down from the sky as Gray arrived, demanding, “What are you doing?”
“It is none of your concern what I do with my eggs.”
“It is when it will affect the rest of us!” Red snarled, “Do you think the Goddess will overlook you selling something she made for us?”
White ignored the others as the tendril coiled and slowly descended down. White beckoned, “God of hate! As our agreement. Take my eggs and grant me even greater power!”
The others arrived and wasted no time. Leaping at white, they tried to pin it. Sadly, white’s body was too large to weigh down and it flung its siblings in all directions.
Closer and closer the tendril crept. Moment by moment coming ever closer to the eggs as White fended off the rest.That was when it happened.
An unspoken apology came first. Then, Blue opened their maw. Water poured out from their mouth in a torrent. Their target was the eggs.
The rest looked on in horror as Blue crushed the eggs with the pressure of the bottom of the sea. White closed the gap far too late. All at once the tendril slipped back into its dark portal, the contract unfulfilled.
White roared in fury and lunged at Blue. Taking them by the throat, White slammed them over and over before tossing them skyward. Blue made no attempt to defend themselves. Black was the one who interrupted the furious beating.
Then, like a bolt of lightning, the Goddess arrived. Her own fury was evident as she pinned White to the ground. Then, all assembled were moved to a vast, underground chamber. The floor glowed with sickly light as White was released.
White, for the first time in their life, struggled to move fruitlessly.
The Goddess gave their sentence, “You will be trapped here until such time as I determine you’ve amended for your crimes.”
None of the five siblings spoke in White’s defense. Their cold stares lasted as long as they were there. Then, the Goddess returned them each to their dens to watch over their eggs.
However, as is often the case, tragedy is rarely ever alone.
Alone in their shared Den, Black and Blue alternated hunting and watching over the eggs. Such that it was that Black was alone when the intruders came.
They came on white wings.
They bore golden arms and armor.
They spoke infrequently and cared not for injuries inflicted on them.
Intruders came plentifully and charged Black time and again. None survived.
It wasn’t until the last golden creature fell that Black’s eyes widened.
All of Black’s eggs had been smashed and half of Blue’s.
An unspeakable pain tore through Black. First, as sobs. Then stomps before finally screams of raging sorrow.
Blue returned to find the scene and sobbed. Turning its head towards the sky, it contemplated, “Was this punishment for what I did to White?”
Black left the cave and Blue nestled its remaining eggs close. Those lost were buried at the bottom of the ocean. From then on, Blue refused to move. Messengers arrived, telling of Black’s miserable rampage. And Blue did not move.
The others began to try and put Black down. Yellow tried trapping them in a pit and Black simply escaped, burning its way out. Red first tried to reason with its ailing sibling. When that failed, Red worked with Yellow to overpower them.
It didn’t work.
Gray tossed Black around but it didn’t matter. They path of destruction left by Black would meander in whatever direction Black felt best. It was an unpredictable road riven with blood, corpses and pain.
Black scorched the earth where it tread and froze all those foolish enough to challenge it. The nightmare continued for lunar cycles until Blue arrived.
The pair stood off. Their connection had always been strong. Their surroundings burned and became scorched. Yet, it wasn’t until all four siblings united that they brought Black low. Once more, the Goddess moved them to the dimly lit prison. Even unable to move, Black screamed and sobbed, the only actions afford to them now.
Once more, the remaining four left without a word. Now not in disgust but in misery.