Kratos does not think, he simply acts. He gathers ether around him, pulling more from the thick ambient ether than the ether in his own veins, because to not use a resource available to him would be absurd. (Mithos' ether is much more powerful than his own, anyway.) The ether gathers, releases, Judgement raining down on the humans that surround Mithos. Tethe'allan troops, not that it matters. Those not killed by the Judgement fall to swift, efficient strokes of Kratos' sword, until he can reach Mithos' side.
"This might hurt," Kratos warns, but Mithos simply nods, so Kratos gathers the ambient ether again, concentrating it on the restraints binding Mithos. The ether cuts through them, releasing Mithos' wrists, and he collapses into Kratos' arms.
He's still sobbing, trembling, clinging to his older brother. "I forgot... how much it hurts..." he laughs, weakly. "I didn't think I could forget."
"You're okay," Kratos whispers, soothing as he holds his brother tight. "It's okay, now--"
"It is," Mithos agrees. He pulls himself away from Kratos a little, though he falls with his head resting against Kratos' knee. He smiles, wide, and brings shaky fingers up to his core crystal. The dull green that has been threaded through it for years now burns, brilliant and glowing and-- "Martel's alive," Mithos says, full of joy that darkens only after a second. "She's alive and they're hurting her."
His other hand grips Kratos' arm, tight and uncomfortable.
"We'll save her," Kratos assures Mithos.
Mithos shakes his head. "Not like this," he says. Kratos squints, but-- The puzzle pieces aren't that difficult to align. Blade eaters share pain because of the shared core crystal, and what is Mithos doing with Martel, right now?
"Mithos..." Kratos begins, not sure how to solve the problem. Mithos is one step ahead of him, though, still smiling.
"It's okay, you're here now," Mithos says, unbothered. "So I can just..."
Ether gathers around his fingertips, around his core crystal. It's a second before Kratos understands, and once he does, panic strikes him.
"Mithos," he says, in warning.
"Kratos, it's okay," Mithos tells him, bright. "It's safe-- it'll be just like before. It's not like I could keep her shards, anyway."
Kratos doesn't have a chance to argue, all he can do is watch as the ether around Mithos gathers, warps, and then--
Mithos' dormant core crystal and a handful of Martel's shards fall into his lap.
MITHOS IS /DEAD/
"This might hurt," Kratos warns, but Mithos simply nods, so Kratos gathers the ambient ether again, concentrating it on the restraints binding Mithos. The ether cuts through them, releasing Mithos' wrists, and he collapses into Kratos' arms.
He's still sobbing, trembling, clinging to his older brother. "I forgot... how much it hurts..." he laughs, weakly. "I didn't think I could forget."
"You're okay," Kratos whispers, soothing as he holds his brother tight. "It's okay, now--"
"It is," Mithos agrees. He pulls himself away from Kratos a little, though he falls with his head resting against Kratos' knee. He smiles, wide, and brings shaky fingers up to his core crystal. The dull green that has been threaded through it for years now burns, brilliant and glowing and-- "Martel's alive," Mithos says, full of joy that darkens only after a second. "She's alive and they're hurting her."
His other hand grips Kratos' arm, tight and uncomfortable.
"We'll save her," Kratos assures Mithos.
Mithos shakes his head. "Not like this," he says. Kratos squints, but-- The puzzle pieces aren't that difficult to align. Blade eaters share pain because of the shared core crystal, and what is Mithos doing with Martel, right now?
"Mithos..." Kratos begins, not sure how to solve the problem. Mithos is one step ahead of him, though, still smiling.
"It's okay, you're here now," Mithos says, unbothered. "So I can just..."
Ether gathers around his fingertips, around his core crystal. It's a second before Kratos understands, and once he does, panic strikes him.
"Mithos," he says, in warning.
"Kratos, it's okay," Mithos tells him, bright. "It's safe-- it'll be just like before. It's not like I could keep her shards, anyway."
Kratos doesn't have a chance to argue, all he can do is watch as the ether around Mithos gathers, warps, and then--
Mithos' dormant core crystal and a handful of Martel's shards fall into his lap.