As Morrgar resumed his meditation, the trio retreated to a quieter corner of the temple. The stone floor was unwelcoming beneath their feet, its chill seeping through their boots as they exchanged uneasy glances.

"How are we supposed to talk to Aeloria?" Kale asked. "She usually comes to me… I don't even know how to reach out to her."

Rika shrugged. "How do you talk to a god anyway? Do we just… pray? Or offer something?" She tilted her head in thought. "Feels like it's kind of one-sided, doesn't it?"

Kale nodded slowly. "And what about the Izawac? Why do they have to die? What have they even done? I mean, I get that they're at war with Rothgar, but there's got to be more to it."

Liliana's voice was calm but sharp. "War isn't always about right and wrong. Sometimes it's just about power. But are there really only two options here? What if we can convince the Izawac to surrender or at least negotiate peace? Why wipe them out if we don't have to?"

Kale raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that's even possible? Rothgar clearly won't be convinced to stop, but maybe the Izawac would listen. They must want to end the fighting as much as anyone else."

Rika folded her arms, her brow furrowed. "Yeah, but if Rothgar is so strong, why hasn't he just wiped them out already? If his army's the largest and the most powerful, what's stopping him?"

Liliana's eyes narrowed. "That's a good question. Maybe Morrgar didn't tell us everything. If he wanted to, he could've ended this war a long time ago."

Kale rubbed his temples, frustration creeping into his voice. "So… if Aeloria doesn't answer we will have to try to stop a war that Rothgar himself couldn't, or wouldn't, end."

Hey, Kale," Rika said, nudging him with her elbow, "why don't you just get on your knees in front of that big ol' statue and ask Aeloria nicely? Maybe she'll appreciate the effort."

"What? On my knees? You think that'll work?"

Rika shrugged, feigning innocence. "Yeah, you know. Just kneel, do the whole 'Oh, great and powerful Aeloria, please hear our humble plea!' kind of thing. Maybe she's waiting for you to get a little more formal."

"That's right," Liliana said, a faint smile tugging on her lips. "I'm sure that'll go over well. Groveling tends to win gods over, doesn't it?"

Kale sighed. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, I'm very serious," Rika replied with a playful wink. "Come on, just give it a try. What's the worst that could happen?"

With a groan, Kale relented, glancing at the intimidating Aeloria statue towering above them. "Fine. I guess it's worth a shot."

Kale stepped up to the massive statue of Aeloria, and for a moment, he hesitated, but then, with a deep breath, he knelt in front of the statue. This was no joke, no lighthearted moment. He had to try.

He clasped his hands together, bowing his head before the goddess he had followed since this journey started. "Aeloria," he began, his voice steady and sincere. "Mighty goddess, I ask for your guidance. You've led me this far and given me strength. Now, more than ever, I need you. We all do."

The others stood quietly behind him, watching in anticipation. Even Rika, who had suggested the whole thing as a joke, remained uncharacteristically silent.

"We face impossible choices. A war we didn't start and a darkness that could consume us all. Please, if you can hear me... we need your help."

Kale's voice softened as he closed his eyes, his words laced with hope and desperation. "If you're still with me, if you're still watching... please, show me the way."

He waited, his heart pounding in his chest. The faint sound of wind blowing outside was the only noise that filled the silence. He opened his eyes slowly, glancing up at the statue, half-expecting, half-hoping, to see some sign, some flicker of light, anything to show that Aeloria had heard him.

Nothing.

The statue remained as cold and unyielding as before. The air felt no different, and the silence lingered, a painful reminder of how alone they were in this moment.

Kale's shoulders slumped slightly, and he rose slowly to his feet, the disappointment evident in his eyes.

Rika stepped forward, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Well, you gave it a shot," she said with a slight grin. "Guess we're back to option two. Annihilating the Izawac, it is."

Liliana shook her head, her tone dry. "Worth a try, I suppose."

Kale sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah. It was worth a try."

Rika gave a small smile. "So, who wants to ask Rothgar why we have to kill all those people? Or what the war is even about?"

Kale raised an eyebrow, snorting. "Yeah... I'm not going to ask Rothgar that."

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Rika turned to him, a playful glint in her eyes. "Are you scared of him?"

Kale didn't laugh. "Aren't you?"

Rika nodded, her smile fading as she crossed her arms in mock seriousness. "He is pretty scary," she conceded. "But still, someone's gotta ask. The whole thing feels off."

"Why don't we just ask Morrgar?" Liliana said. "He's more likely to give us a straight answer than Rothgar."

Kale looked over at Morrgar, still meditating in the distance. "You think he'll actually tell us?"

"Better odds than with Rothgar." Liliana said.

"Well, in that case, let's go get some answers," Rika said.

With a shared, reluctant nod, they turned back toward Morrgar, his six glowing eyes fixed on them as though he'd been waiting all along.

"Why did the war even start?" Kale asked.

Morrgar was silent for a moment before he responded. "The reason for the war is not entirely clear. Some say it was about power, or resources—typical things men fight over. But the truth has become buried in years of bloodshed. What may have started as a conflict for control has spiraled into something darker."

"And peace?" Liliana asked. "Is peace even an option?"

"Peace? Not for Rothgar. He believes that every single Izawac is irredeemably corrupted. To him, their very existence is a blight that must be wiped from Hekkaran."

"If Rothgar is so powerful, why hasn't he done it already?"

"His daughter... they cursed her. The curse was meant to break him, to shatter his resolve, but it did the opposite. It ignited something darker in him. Now, Rothgar uses his own life force to keep her alive, day by day, refusing to let her slip away. He's trapped in an endless battle—not just against the Izawac, but against death itself."

Kale felt the chill of Morrgar's words settle into his bones. "He's using his life force to keep her alive?"

"It's not just his life force. It's his rage. That's what truly keeps her breathing. Sometimes, it feels like his fury alone sustains her, like death itself is too afraid to take her, fearing Rothgar's wrath.

Kale tilted his head, his brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

Morrgar's eyes flickered as if trying to find the right words. "It is hard to express just how powerful Rothgar is. He is as close to a god as any living being can be. Sometimes, it feels as though death itself fears him, afraid to claim what belongs to him. Even death doesn't dare cross him."

Rika shook her head, stunned. "Damn…"

"So, Rothgar isn't just fighting the Izawac. He's keeping his daughter alive through sheer willpower," Liliana said.

"Exactly," Morrgar said. "It's why the war drags on. Rothgar refuses to leave her side for long. He doesn't trust anyone but himself to protect her. That's why he won't send his full army to annihilate the Izawac, even though he could. His life force, his rage, is what sustains her. And without him, she would die."

"His anger is his weapon and his curse. He was ruthless before, but now... now he is something far worse. His men, though loyal, call him 'Rothgar the Savage' behind his back, though none would dare say it to his face. The Izawac have another name for him... they call him 'The Butcher of Izokharn.'"

"And why do they call him that?" Liliana asked.

Morrgar's voice grew cold as he spoke, the memory heavy in his tone. "When the curse took hold of his daughter, Rothgar unleashed his rage upon the Izawac at Izokharn. Singlehandedly, he slaughtered thousands. Men, women, children, it didn't matter. His greatswords tore through anyone in his path. He spared no one. It wasn't just war, it was a massacre. The name 'Butcher' is well-earned."

Kale felt a knot in his stomach. "And that's why Aeloria turned her back on him?"

"Yes. Aeloria does not approve of the man he's become. His slaughter of innocents has driven her away. Rothgar is alone, and though he hides it well, he knows that Aeloria's absence is part of his punishment."

Kale stared at the floor, the enormity of the task sinking in. "So we've been given an impossible task. If we kill all the Izawac, Aeloria will turn her back on us, just like she did with Rothgar. And if we don't, Rothgar won't help us… and without him, we have no hope of stopping Xeroth."

"What if we find a way to break the curse?" Liliana asked.

Morrgar shook his head slowly. "As far as we know, there is no cure. And if one exists, the Izawac would never give it willingly. Rothgar believes their complete annihilation is the only way to save his daughter. He won't stop, no matter the consequences."

"So that's it, then?" Kale asked. "Rothgar's ready to destroy them entirely... even if it destroys us in the process?"

"This is the path he has chosen," Morrgar said evenly. "The question is not what Rothgar will do, it is what you will do."

Kale let out a frustrated breath, pacing the floor. "This is insane. We're supposed to stop Xeroth, not commit genocide!"

"I doubt the three of us could wipe out all of the Izawac anyway," Liliana said.

Kale shook his head, his voice tight with frustration. "And even if we wanted to stop the war, Rothgar won't listen. He's obsessed with the curse and doesn't care about Xeroth. But we need him. Without his army, we can't stop Xeroth."

"Rothgar's mind is clouded by rage and grief. He won't be easily swayed," Morrgar said. "You could try to break the curse, but it would mean dealing with the Izawac. And even then, there's no guarantee that Rothgar will ever be the man he once was. Aeloria may never forgive him for what he's done."

Kale ran a hand through his hair. The idea of dealing with the Izawac seemed impossible. They were enemies entrenched in a war that had lasted for years, and Rothgar had already slaughtered so many of them. The thought of finding a way to break the curse seemed just as hopeless as talking to a god who refused to answer.

"So, what then?" Rika asked. "We try and wipe them out, or we go find the other generals and hope it will be enough?"

Liliana looked at Kale, her eyes searching his face as if hoping to find the glimmer of a solution, but all she saw mirrored the same uncertainty twisting inside her. "There has to be another way," she said. "Something we're not seeing, something more than just these two impossible choices."

"Is there really no other way? No way to break this curse without killing them all?" Kale asked.

Morrgar shook his head. "As far as we know, no. But the Izawac hold many secrets. If a cure exists, they are the ones who know it."

"If the Izawac have a cure, we have to try and get it," Kale said.

Liliana nodded, though she looked uncertain. "But how? We'd have to go deep into Izawac territory to even begin searching for answers. And Rothgar might see that as a betrayal."

"So we just don't tell Rothgar," Rika said. "We go on our own, find the cure, and fix this mess. One way or another."

Kale exchanged glances with Liliana, then with Rika. What they were considering wasn't just dangerous, it was reckless. To tread the line between saving Rothgar and defying him was to court disaster on both sides. Unfortunately, this was their only option.

"Then that's what we'll do," Kale said. "We'll find the cure. And we'll end this war."

"And if they won't give it to us, we'll make them wish they had!" Rika said.

Kale sighed. "Please don't start a genocide before breakfast, Rika."

Rika grinned. "Who said anything about breakfast?"

Liliana shook her head. "Let's try to keep the smashing to a minimum until absolutely necessary, alright?"

"Fine," Rika said, throwing her hands up. "But only because you asked so nicely."

Kale turned to Liliana. "This is why we don't make friends, you know."

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