• tab "But--" Zarek began, his gold eyes desperate.
    tab "None of that, Zarek. We're sending her away. I made it clear that you weren't allowed near her, and you disobeyed me."
    tab Four year-old Zarek Draechenstan hung his head and put on a guilty expression, though he was livid at his father at the present. "But Darinth was allowed near Sarraian, and you never scolded him for it, and..." His voice trailed off and he raised his head, his expression now defiant, his eyes burning with the anger he had fought until that moment to conceal. "You can't just send her off, Father! She's only a newborn."
    tab "I can and I will. That she is a newborn only means she is better able to adapt to the change in surroundings."
    tab "If you do, I'm going with her!"
    tab Rianthus, Lord of the Dead, sighed in exasperation. Once either of his sons had his mind set on something, there was absolutely no way of changing it. "Zarek, the reason I am sending her away is to keep you away from her. If you go as well, what will be the point?"
    tab A wave of pure shock and disbelief washed over the boy's face. "What? To keep me away from her?" His lower lip quivered slightly. "Am I...dangerous or something?"
    tab Rianthus did not answer. He wanted, however, to tell Zarek the truth, that he wished for Sarraian to wed someone else. Who it would be precisely, the god had no idea. He had a long list of possible suitors. What Zarek would definitely not be pleased with at all was that his twin brother, Darinth, was foremost on that list.
    tab The child spoke again, on the verge of tears. "Wh-where are you taking her?"
    tab Rianthus' one red eye--his left--showed a hint of pain. "Thirria," came the muttered reply.
    tab "No!" Zarek screamed. "You can't do this to me! You can't do this to her! A Sartokian cannot survive in Thirria--the climate is too harsh!"
    tab "Zarek Arago Draechenstan, you will do as I command and respect my judgement, and that is final!" The god angrily turned and glided away. Rianthus had lost his patience with his son. He thought he knew how it had felt to be in Zarek's place at that moment, but there were many things about the young demigod that Rianthus would never know. For instance, only much later would he find out just how strongly Zarek felt for young Sarraian Draechenstan.
    tab As Sarraian was being carried away by her mother, the goddess Nepthir, Zarek muttered, "But I love her, Father. I thought you would know."
    tab Looking up then, Zarek swore he caught a glimpse of one of Sarraian's tiny hands reaching toward him.