Greyashe chapter 290 is entitled 'In retrospect....'

Previous chapter 289: Reasonable risk.

Next chapter 291: Down below.

Summaries page.

-Short summary-

As the old is buried, the new begins to turn, as does an age old love story.

-Long summary-

From overhead, the sanctum of warriors past has an appearance fitting it's majestic naming. Water rushes and gushes down cliffs and valleys, and the flora is a lush green that surrounds the entire landscape. A lone building and road leading back towards the main districts near Aerhaart are nearby, and the fog resulting from the waterfall permeates the air around the buildings and road. The sky is grey and foreboding, as if it intends to ignore the amount of water on the ground and selfishly add it's own excess from the air, as unnecessary as that would be.

Ill fitting as it may sound, the weather is perfect for the occasion. Azha, Hydon, Lea, Reid, Libby and a few others of Acheron's cabinet have come to give the kaiser mage his last rites and send him with their respects to the beyond. Hydon allows a rare expression of sadness to adorn his sharp features for just a moment before gazing out at the waterfall and scowling. As the right hand of the kaiser mage, there really should be no reason for him to be visiting this place in his leader's stead. In fact, there would be no greater honor for him than for he to be buried here before Acheron. Of course peace is preferred, but if there were a need to have a procession such as this, the best case scenario would be for him to be in the casket and Acheron to be present. Though at least for now peace had won out, and they have a new kaiser mage, even if she is young and her methods somewhat strange.

Azha stares out into the fog and seems to be lost in thought. Lea asks if anything is the matter, and she replies that she's fine physically, but maybe it's just that the weight of her new position had finally hit her. She's effectively leading a nation now, and in extension would have many who rely on her to make decisions for the greater good. She repeats her intention to not lead the same way Acheron did, but enforces that she will ensure everyone's safety. She then turns to the straggler of their group, and with a cute smile asks if Delaney is fine with this?

Delaney is wearing an uncharacteristic scowl as he walks through the fog and stands before the much shorter Azha. He asks her why she'd ask him that of all people, and she points out that her 'vice admiral kaiser mage' should have some say in how she does things as well after all. Delaney complains that he didn't and doesn't want this position, to which she asks if he's going to break their promise. Delaney quickly shuts up and shakes his head, although his scowl doesn't disappear. Hydon allows a smile to creep up on him, thinly veiling his enjoyment of Delaney's discomfort and annoyance. Apparently, Delaney's information (in his opinion) is worth the life of another, and Azha had then in turn created a position for him to serve under her. In short, she is literally keeping her friends close, and her enemies closer. Delaney would tell her his connection with the sentients, and she'd be able to keep an eye on him. The ruthless thing about this set up is he could very well have 'unfortunate' things happen to him since she had only provided 'safe passage' for his siblings, not him, and he can't just run away since then he would have broken the promise and would have the full weight of the kaiser mage on top of him. For now at least, Delaney is stuck serving the farseer girl, and there's nothing he can do about it.

With the rushing waterfall serving as both the background and the music for this funeral, the group prepares to lie the kaiser mage to rest. Azha rests her hand on his casket and solemly promises to continue to strive for peace. Delaney turns away, but steals one glance at his father's casket, his expression soft and retrospective. He silently promises to protect his siblings, something that he failed to do for them as a father. Hydon notices this and reaffirms his own pledge to hunt down and mercilessly kill Aschner for his crime.

As the casket is lowered, Azha turns to the group and says she's been 'enlightened', and everyone save for Hydon is surprised and a bit taken back by her words. Hydon confesses that he has no idea how Acheron's power was supposed to be transferred, but apparently she's figured out something? Azha nods and says she has some 'ideas', though to discuss it in front of 'certain parties' would be rather uncouth. Everyone in the envoy glances at Delaney who smirks. She'll gladly address them later on about the details, and undaunted she addresses Hydon and asks him to strive for remaining alive. She is already aware that he feels exemplary service as a 'right hand man' means being in a casket before their employer, but he needs to keep in mind that she hasn't yet figured out how the 'recall' works, and therefore any use of magic is deadly to both the foe and the user. Hydon gives her the once over, and with a bored expression she remarks on men and their need for revenge, and derisively waves him off. The right hand man doesn't need to be told twice, and with a curt bow turns and leaves the group. Azha sadly notes that she's almost certain they won't see him again, to which Reid asks if Aschner has become that strong?  She shrugs and asks him how she would know that? No, the problem here is Hydon's own ambitions getting the best of him, and his own 'ideal' that a right hand man should be one who would die before his boss does. She would never ask for someone to lie down their life before hers, as she believes this is an antiquated notion. Though maybe those feelings are what make people more powerful? Delaney blows air thoughtfully and shrugs, then checking his watch stands up and begins to walk away, saying that he has a 'date' to keep. If Azha wants she can send a guard with him or something, since he honestly doesn't care. Azha giggles and says he can lose his life any where and at any time, so he should be careful. Delaney stops and for a moment gathers his nerves before turning around and bowing thanking Azha for her kind words, and the new kaiser mage smiles and nods happily. Reid impatiently taps his foot as well, wanting to go join Kani and the others immediately, but knowing Libby is keeping a watchful eye on him. Why should leaving be so difficult? The swordsman wonders.

Aine looks down at Claire who nimbly decides to try and talk her way out of this situation, despite the deal she made earlier. She reminds the goddess about the recall, and how she's flirting dangerously near insanity by activating her agape. Aine then refutes this since even if she doesn't do anything, she'll still go mad. Might as well go on a spree after finishing a few things, like taking Claire's head for example. Besides, hadn't she made a deal with them that if it was found that the deities are the ones who gave them the curse of eternal life, that she and Claire would settle things mano a mano. Now she admits she doesn't and hasn't really like Claire too much, but she respects her as a woman who doesn't worm out of promises, and while she doesn't mind having one more reason to kill her, at least she should keep her promises.

Anu and Aimend both remain silent, though their eyes speak volumes. They are torn between wanting to forgive the deities for giving them life beyond their years, and the anger and sadness that comes from outliving everyone they know and love. Unable to muster up the passion Aine has; they resign themselves to standing behind her with their arms at their sides and their faces down. Claire gives Aine a genuine apology, but she snarls that she doesn't want to hear her crap right now. Either fight or die. Claire shakes her head and replies that she can't do either, at least not right now. She wants to assist in the fight against the sentinents, which would mean she cant die here, and Aine's power is necessary as well. The summer goddess's eyebrow rises and she asks what the angel is trying to insinuate. If she doesn't want to fight her, though her power is necessary it means that she believes she would win if they were to have a fight? Claire quickly turns away and without facing Aine indicates that she said no such thing, all while noticeably sweating. Aine roars and commands her to say that to her face, and when Claire doesn't, she takes a swing with her weapon-formed arm. Claire turns to meet the strike, but instead she hears the clang of metals meeting each other. She then glances above her and sees Kani's staff and Aine's gun grinding against each other. Both women jump back and stare each other down, as Candle and Guy both run towards the group. Kani apologizes to Claire, as she's normally not one to poke her nose into affairs in which it doesn't belong, but she's grown weary of losing people who think they can do things on their own. Claire bristles a bit, as she had things under control and had gone out of her way to leave them so she wouldn't lose any more of her precious resolve, but she does appreciate the help. She asks Kani if she's up to the task? She doesn't want someone who's going to protect her halfheartedly. Kani grins and says while she's really excited to meet the three living goddesses in the flesh, there's an important friendship to protect. Claire returns her smile and asks how she knew where she was? Kani's smile quickly disappears and with a groan holds her head in her hand and points in Guy's direction. The fighter puffs out his chest and comments that his fight detector is never wrong. He complains that it seems to be all chicks, but he's not against watching them duke it out among themselves. All of the women's faces sour at this except for Candle who has more or less reserved a spot behind Kani.

Dio sits up and with a yawn asks for everyone's attention. Aine glares at him for a moment, and her jaw drops as he's completely uninjured now. Dio picks up on her surprise and reminds her that he has some of his divine power. He had mostly allowed Aine to beat him up so she could work out some aggression, but now the whole 'I'll be angry at the whole world' shtick had worn thin with him. Now that she can see how utterly futile it is to continue picking fights with angels and anyone else for that matter, he asks if she'll calm down and discuss things civilly with him. Aine begins to object, but Dio raises a hand and his face hard, and his voice with a deeper register than the group had heard from him so far, tells her to shut up. The summer goddess finds herself at a loss for words, and the vastness within his eyes has her mesmerized. The young boy who had been sitting in front of them had matured into a God; a god who will not be trifled with. Dio sighs and the immense presence from before all but dissipates, and glancing over at the group allows himself a smirk. A group of angels, and humans interacting is definitely something he wouldn't ever had fathomed when he was the ruling Deus. Of course the fact that he's here now among humanity is also something else he would have never fathomed.  He turns and to all three goddesses confirms once again that it had been the deities who had decided to choose them for the recipients of long lifelines for the sake of protecting people.

Before anyone can react, the boy is on his hands and knees prostrating himself in apology. He realizes how hard it must have been to not understand why they stopped aging, why they had been granted huge agape reserves, and most of all why they had to be so different. Truth be told, he had been against the idea of manipulating people like this, even if it doesn't break the cardinal rule about tampering with human's free will since they had not actually told the girls that they would have to use their powers for one specific purpose. He lauds them with his pride though, that even with the powers they wield they had in fact turned out to become the very protectors they had hoped they'd be. He then reveals that their power had been granted in conjunction with the election of the 'judge', Ivan.

Candle perks up at this and fixes her gaze on Dio. Ivan had been chosen to stop the sentients should they rebel, while the goddesses had been set in place by the deities to give the humans an alternative to following the leadership of the sentinents who would in turn use them as fodder for their grand ambition. For a while at least, these two stopgaps had been enough, but now with Ivan dead and the sentients now having free reign to do as they wish, it is now time to put an end to stop gaps and confront the problem head on. He looks at each person in attendance, and with a nod says that he will explain the story from the beginning, as the ones gathered here are the people who are the most likely to 'change the world'. Kani glances at Claire, and Dio answers as if he already knows the question; 'As for that Van fellow, well...he's a troublesome case really', further indicating that even he isn't sure where he fits in with 'end scenario', Dio going as far to say Van may be more of a problem than the sentinents themselves. Though it's meaningless to discuss his case right now. Instead Dio begins to tell a story of a seemingly inconsequential love affair, which on the contrary had set the stage for a revolution on a worldwide scale.