The Inferno Ascending

Lotham wins

KISTAN CITY

Jax had been watching his father and uncle dangerously combating—putting in and causing more properties to burn—in the hallway, but all that he could think of was assisting his father, who was now on his knees, dampened in the pool of his blood, while Lotham viciously laughed, relishing the moment of gore.

With tears in his eyes, Jax knew that he could defend his father, but how? The questions in his head constantly revoked his steps when the burning woods stood like a barricade between him and his father.

Zane could feel his son's presence, but then he didn't want the boy anywhere close.

"Your doom is here. It's NOW!" Lotham's voice echoed through the blaze. He had drawn his sword to decapitate Zane while Zane caught the silhouette of the boy behind Lotham. Fear altering Jax’s body.

The last thing that he wanted was Lotham's attention to be transferred to the boy.

Zane fisted, gathering the only strength he had left, pointing his hand in the direction of the boy as a swirl of wind forcefully propelled the boy through several walls until Jax was kilometers away from Kraus Manor, landing somewhere in a plain meadow.

Lotham could not decipher why Zane had chosen to destroy the walls. At that point, Lotham could not read the mind of his brother or feel his vulnerability because Zane had saved his son—at least bearing in mind that the little boy stood a chance of survival.

Lotham had only gotten through to Zane because Zane thought his entire family had been wiped out in the fire outburst.

Seeing Jax miraculously survive the daring blaze gave him the littlest of hopes that Jax would someday return to save Kistan city from the hands of his evil brother.

"Did you not want to hurt me, you fool?"

Lotham booted Zane's face, causing the helpless man to land on the ground like a wood. Lotham was furious. Although he had wanted the takedown of his brother for the past twenty years, he hated the idea of Zane not attempting to fight back.

One thing was certain, Zane wouldn't break down easily and so Lotham had readied himself to torture his brother for the twenty years to come.

A part of Lotham's army stomped into the fire swathed in metal armor to take Zane, by Lotham's orders.

Lotham vanished with the army and Zane, appearing outside the Manor.

While he stood with his hands crossed behind his cloak, Zane was chained to heavy shackles as they headed to the intricate automobiles setting off for Kistan's Citadel.

"Commander Lotham, the vehicle is ready to move!" his second in command informed him. Lotham’s lips formed with a horrific snicker. He watched the manor burn down into ruins until there was nothing left of the edifice that was once envied, invincible, and surrounded by a river of guards.

"Now, we can move!" Lotham said, he smiled triumphantly.

Lotham enjoyed watching Zane being taken away in a separate car to the prison tower of the city, where he could no longer use his abilities.

Criminals that were locked there barely made it out within the speculated years of imprisonment. It was a place for mental and physical torture.

Lotham turned to the guard next to him.

"Let the Khai Clan members and officials of Kistan city know that I demand to see them, unfailingly." he ordered.

The guard bowed his head. "Yes, commander!"

…

In less than ten minutes, the Citadel was populated—the furnished hall with Kistan’s flags draped around each corner. The clan members had an exceptional place to sit on the extensive golden rostrum, then the city officials occupied the brazen seats, and one of Khai Clan's grand elders rose, his cloak sweeping the floor while his white bead completed his age.

"Today marks the day that doom has befallen Zane, he turned his back on the rulership of our tradition and ordinances of our people—"

"Frankly, great elders, there's no time for all that hearty discourse. I have no time to listen to all of that. I need to rest my head now, you see. It's been a fiery event lately! Make me Lord of Kistan already!" Lotham blurted out almost furiously.

The man stroked his long white beard, "Bring in the ornaments!" said the man. When the ornaments were brought forward, Lotham stepped in front of the man, then knelt on a knee. The clan began to recite the anthem for the coronation before the officials joined the chorus.

Highs and lows, gains and trust!

We wither alone, we thrive as a whole!

The unity that binds, the blood that flows!

Victory is ours, let's hail the ruler!

While the songs went on, Lotham was outfitted in a red cloak with a golden button and an amulet ring.

"Now rise," the man said as Lotham proudly rose. "Hail, Lord Lotham!" he yelled, and then there was a loud outcry from the clan members, the city officials, and the army. "Hail!" they repeated the word at least thrice.

Lotham spread his arms apart with a satisfactory faint smile covering his lips.

"Now, my people, I would consider the notion that my brother took for granted. I will make your lives better than you've been, and if by happenstance a renegade is caught among us, I'll burn that person alive. You all know the measures I took to bring balance, harmony and solemnity to us—I cast off my brother, his family and that nine-year-old arch-enemy. What else can I not do? I have kept the ordinances of our rulership and I will continue to keep 'em." his hands gently fell off. "I urge you folks, to join me in this new era of harmony and potency to defend our ancestry and our walls. Starting with Decter’s empire, we shall raid the empire that made our slaves forefathers slaves in their colony,” said Lotham.

He was applauded over and over again. Lotham felt the relief and freedom that he'd never felt, the liberty to say what he wanted the way that he wanted.

The secret goals that he had in mind were yet to manifest.

His era had come.

…

A week later,

Lotham was driven to the prison tower to visit his brother, Zane. Not that he cared, but he wanted to remind Zane about the things that he wouldn't have any longer. It was in his stark nature to mock and make a jest out of everything.

They took the screen elevator that led right up to the top of the tower.

His guards led the way to Zane's dungeon that was surrounded by titanium barricades. Lotham demanded that they be left alone.

The smell of toxic metal, blood and flesh escalated across the building.

Lotham stared at his brother's rear while Zane was seated on the ground swathed in prison clothes and chains.

He had been badly beaten, tortured with hot metal, and starved. All according to Lotham’s orders.

"Dear brother, long time. It has only been a week, my bad!" Lotham sarcastically began, "Didn't you hear about my raid against Dexter's empire? Kistan is raiding it in the next few weeks. Call to duty, huh?!" Lotham chuckled. He majestically walked to the corner where Zane faced, Lotham’s feet just inches above the ground.

"What you couldn't do, I did!" Lotham snapped with precision.

"You are inciting war—"

"I am bringing balance, Zane," Lotham interrupted with a scream,

"RUIN—"

"I am straightening things that you bent!" he added, gritting his teeth. "For a long time now, neither you nor your father have taught the people of Dexter a lesson about the crime that they committed! They are the reason our technology has sebacks"

"That was because we stole from them. Besides, the vendetta was settled fifteen years ago. I have always made sure of that. They are paying their dues and we are keeping our distance. You are leading Kistan astray—"

Lotham cracked up, swiftly rubbing the tip of his nose. "You didn't settle the vendetta, rather you displayed your frailty, you couldn't stand your ground! You wasted twenty years of rulership building nothingness—a bunch of cowards in unifirmd. From deficiency to a demon son that you bore…" Lotham said with a thick frown.

Zane chuckled weakly, the covers of his mouth ached, "Do you mean to say that I bore your ruination?! I sure did! The only prophecy that did infuriate you, will come to pass! You speak effortlessly of my flaws, but how come you quickly forgot about the fact that a nine—year—old could ruin you, Lotham? A boy! You knew that Jax would destroy you and so you tried to kill him.”said Zane. “He will return to destroy you, he always will…"

Zane laughed again, Lotham's veins surfaced up, his fury covering his figure.

"You idiot…" he yelled.

He fisted, his hands hung in the air. The more he did, the more he strangled Zane without physical touch, watching him lose his life, still, Zane's death was uncertain.

He released him as Zane fell to the ground.

"I'm going to raid Dexter’s empire, I'll ruin your name. Brother!" Lotham sniffed lightly.