A summary of Greyashe Episode 5

OP: OUTRUNNER

ED: Sunshine.

Chapters covered: 7&8

Thanks to Claire’s ability, the duo are able to make it through the frozen wastelands outside of Greyashe to warmer pastures in Verdecil, a green valley outside the metropolis known as Reduste. Verdecil is home to the indigenous ‘Fire dancers’ who are a tribe of people who like Claire can manipulate fire. Claire hopes that by visiting the people there, that she can learn more about herself, while Van hopes to pick up clues about other Farseers like himself. Claire is having some trouble moving around in Van’s baggy coat however, and wants to burn a bit of it off in order allow her more leg room. Van immediately forbids her, but is reluctant to state his reason. Claire smells a ‘flame’ and immediately runs in the direction the scent is coming from.

After catching up with her, Van notes that she’s looking back and forth….like someone who is sneaking into a place that they’re not invited to. The two get in a minor argument about Claire’s motives, but are cut short when they witness one of the fire dancing people performing her act in the street. Van is enamored at first sight by both the fire and the one who controls it; but much to his chagrin the dancer is a boy. The boy is friendly and leads the duo around, explaining to them that the people are getting ready for the ‘Age of Fire’ ceremony that takes place every year. He too notes that Claire is looking back and forth, and upon asking her who’s she’s waiting for they are immediately surrounded by tribesmen. The boy smiles and introduces himself as Calim.

Van and Claire are whisked away to the Village elder, who is none too happy to see the ‘goddess killer.’ As Claire had explained to Van earlier, the Challengers of Eternity had modeled her flame after the ones that the Flame dancers use. People quickly made unfair associations however, and it wasn’t long until the Fire dancers were suspected of wanting the beloved Goddesses dead too. Calim’s cheeky attitude towards the elder gets him thrown out, with the assignment of keeping Van busy, while he talks to Claire. Once the two boys are gone, he quickly mentions to Claire not to mistake his age for weakness, and beside him a fire apparition appears and glares at the girl.

Meanwhile Calim shows Van around and talks about the festivities coming up. When a moment comes up for Q and A, Van has many about the customs themselves, but he cuts straight to the point asking if Calim knows anything about the Farseers. Calim grins mischievously, as he knew this question was coming up.

He explains that the Farseers have gone into hiding, because of a prediction one made a long time ago, an accurate prediction of the world ending. This in turn caused scrutiny to fall upon the Farseers, as a group who brought about calamity. So they became nomadic and avoided any contact with other people. Van is flabbergasted however, wondering how someone could accurately predict the world ending when the two of them are still alive.  Calim cryptically responds that there’s no way to prove if the world they live upon is actually the first, using a ‘chicken and egg’ analogy to illustrate his point. If people existed before the world, where did they come from? And if the World existed before people, who created it? He also suggests that the Farseers have figured out a way to survive an apocolylipse, and that the goddesses descended to find out their secrets. Van asks how he knows this, and he explains that as the next inheritor of the ‘Fire Age’ it was passed down to him.

As for Claire, she opens by apologizing for the actions of the Challengers. The fire apparition surrounds her and begins to cut her oxygen. The elder rages at her, asking if she thinks an apology will make up for what she’s done. Claire yells back that she didn’t want to become the Challenger’s puppet in the first place, and that’s why she’s traveling with Van. To Atone. The elder sees that she’s serious, and after the apparition whispers to him, he calms down a bit. He tells her that if she wants to atone, she must first start by restoring their reputation, which means that she has to become a savior of the people. He reveals that she’s only been using 45 percent of her flame, and that the rest remains dormant. Claire then promises that she will not die before she restores their pride, and the elder holds her to this by telling her to attend the ceremony. There her flame will be fully awakened, however if she should fall into her old ways it will give out forever.

Van and Claire meet each other again, but Claire is quickly taken away to prepare for the ceremony, as she’s the guest of honor. The maids give Van back his coat, and he thinks back to how happy he was when Nancy gave it to him. He then realizes that his friends must be worried sick about him. He then makes an oath that he will return to Greyashe one day, and he’ll have no regrets.

The ceremony begins that evening, as the sky flares with an orange hue. Van, Claire and the other natives hold hands and form a circle, to symbolize the sun and how it is in each one of us. Van isn’t too sure if it was a good idea or not to come to see these people, but he’s even more determined find his people. Claire is then asked to use her flame, and reluctantly she does. Even she’s amazed as Calim dances within the ring of fire she created, and then sends it back to her. She watches it dissolve in the sky and smiles, as with it a weight has been lifted from her.