The Earth After Rebirth

"Hubris, you ought to learn to hide your killing intent like your brethren." He said, hoping Hubris could figure it out since he was a hound anyway.

"It's too late for me." He answered nonchalantly.

"But, it's beneficial."

"I don't want it, I want to be like you."

He didn't mean to say that, but it just came out. He thought it was embarrassing to say the least. He noticed that, at the back of his mind, he was thinking about the fact that, after successfully taking over. He was obligated to stay and rebuild.

For the longest time, he didn't want to feel what that thought brought. But now it wasn't asking permission, everything was all too real.

He was jerked out of the well of emotions when he felt someone sit on top of him. Sure enough, it was his master.

"It'll be alright, don't worry about it. Everything will work out." He said that while caressing his neck, his statement purposefully ambiguous.

Hubris stilled his heart and strengthened his resolve. This was no time to waver, it was time to kill and rebuild. He still had his master by his side, he had little to worry about, for now.

The hounds behind them, looked at the spectacle in front of them with shock. They didn't understand the relationship between the two, initially they thought he was a slave but, that all changed when he could be carried by their King.

They wanted to complain, but they couldn't find their voices. Belial tried to warn those who were close enough to him, they heeded his warning but still had their skepticism. They had never really seen Kiro in action, they just saw his small build and underestimated him.

Kiro was too much in his mind to care about the commotion. Fortunately, he could now sense vibrations even with his feet off the ground. So he wasn't just resting up there.

"It's River Lethe! Get ready, don't swallow anything!" Shouted Belial from the front line.

Kiro had no idea what that was, and as if on cue with his thoughts, Belial started to explain.

"I know most of you know, but some of you don't. This is the river of forgetfulness. A drop, a single drop, will not just make you forget who you are, you'll forget to even breathe."

Kiro scoffed, there was no way someone would forget to breathe. That was one thing every species didn't need to learn, it came naturally. But here was Belial, saying that anyone who drinks here will forget basics from nature.

Although he was tempted to drink, he decided against it, if Belial was correct that would be the dumbest way to die.

They got to the river bank. That's when it started, a thirst Kiro had never experienced before in his life. His mouth was devoid of saliva, his throat was dry. Any saliva his oral glands made, dried up quickly before reaching the throat.

He felt a strangling sensation, suddenly the water and forgetting didn't seem such a big deal anymore. He wanted to quench his thirst, that was priority. If he didn't, he'd die.

"Remember everyone, this thirst we're feeling isn't real. It only serves the river. It wants to you to drink so that it can claim you as its victim. Persist." Belial said with motivation in his steadfast voice.

The water didn't make it easy, on top of the thirst, the water occasionally formed fountains of water, to make it easier for them to drink without any hassle. They'd only need to open their mouth and their thirst would disappear along with their memories.

Hubris continued to walk, he wasn't exactly affected by the thirst. As an ancient beast, simple spells such as these couldn't make him falter.

Kiro was glad for it, his calmness seeped into him too, making him calmer than he would've been without Hubris.

The hounds on the ground weren't having an easy time. One had already drunk the water, coming out of his bewitched state he couldn't remember why he was there.

That's when he pounced at the closest hound. Sinking his fangs deep within his neck, others were too thirsty and tired to lift a hand and help. He ripped his neck open, his maw was bloodied, his teeth with bits of flesh.

That's when he started gasping for air. At the same time, the hound he killed fell with him in the river. The river was dyed in red for only a second. It was as if it were a sponge, that cleaned away anything that was polluting it's beautiful transparent body.

The river wasn't deep, but their bodies were swallowed whole. They could see them falling into the darkest, depths of the river.

'What the f*ck. What a dangerous river. Is everything just so dangerous in this world?' Kiro complained from within, he didn't want to open his mouth, not even to yawn.

'Stupid energy, why aren't you helping me, aren't I supposed to be overpowered with you within me? Look at Hubris, unaffected yet he uses magic.' He sighed.

'Yes, yes, I know. He's an evolved hound. I'm evolved too though?'

Kiro continued his inner dialogues as if he was talking to someone. Just to pass up the time. The river wasn't particularly big, it would only take them a few minutes to get to the other side.

He regretted it a little telling the spectres to stay behind. He'd have people to talk to right now.

'I wonder why we can't communicate telepathically, Hubris?'

Nothing.

'Hubris, Hubris, can you hear me? Hear me Hubris!'

He shouted in vain, he thought eventually he'd just feel that he was talking to him but there was no such.

When a second hound fell, Hubris ran to the other side at full speed. Then went back to carry others. He especially targeted those who seemed particularly weak to the witchcraft in the river.

By his 5th trip, there had been some who already made it to the other side on their own. Belial was within them.

Hubris made a 100 trips before he was done. It took him several minutes too. But they had lost 50 already. The world that was their home was a cruel one, it didn't care that they were marching to fight for it, it just wanted blood.