Greyashe chapter 316 is entitled 'Ripple'.

Previous chapter 315: A fiery end of innocence.

Next chapter 317: For every action...

Summaries page.

-Short summary-

Hydon's death may have been silent, but the fallout afterwards is anything but.

-Long summary-

Water ripples as people in tromp past the once scenic lakes in a small mountain town surrounded by trees.  Life itself had been stirred awake by a tragedy in their midst; murder by agape. Not just once, but twice. A nearly charbroiled corpse had been found with the remains of a really charbroiled corpse. The forest doesn’t hide evidence of a fight between two men who knew their way around agape. Or in the brave new world post-recall, two men who were wrapped around agape’s nonphysical little finger. If two murders near a little town that barely knows even petty crime wasn’t bad enough, the identities of the deceased had recently been revealed. Not only did they have tragedy on their hands, but a high profile one. Niels Aschner and Langston Hydon are the two very dead men, and people could only assume that the two had killed each other in battle since no one had witnessed the deed happen.  

Like little ripples around a rock that has impacted the surface of water, people buzz around the frustrated authorities who aren’t accustomed to dealing with this situation, rightfully afraid that their strong grip on peace had been snatched away by the madman known as uncertainty. Wasn’t the new Kaiser mage supposed to be ensuring this kind of thing doesn’t happen? Yet one of her men had thrown himself violently into death’s maw. If she can’t control her own cabinet, then what hopes does she have to control an entire nation?

These are the topics of discussion as a man strolls up and circles the din. He has a jacket on with horn-rimmed glasses that capture a pair of blue eyes. He wears a baseball cap that a few strands of red hair manage to poke out of, he looks to be in his late twenties, and he strokes his chin revealing a red goatee. He then asks an officer what happened, and gets a hurried and annoyed response of ‘isn’t it obvious?’ The man apologizes and says that he only recently came into town as a traveler, and he’s not quite so familiar with current events. The apology seems to assuage the officer’s strained ego and he sighs as he explains that they found two dead men this morning, and they seem to be victims of agape abuse. The man nods and leans over so that he can have a quick look at the bodies, his stare giving the officer pause. Before he can ask what’s on his mind, the redheaded man comments that the corpses have been there for only a short while, and someone else had been there judging from the footprints around them. Judging from the man who’s in ‘pieces’ and the BBQ man he can tell that they would be far too large to make footprints that size. Seems like they’d be the size of a teenager….he then asks the officer if they’ve found any other witnesses? Despite himself, the officer shakes his head no and the man strokes his chin again with a thoughtful expression. He nods and thanks the officer for his help before turning to leave. The officer calls out to him and asks if he’s a cop? The red headed man allows himself a smirk and asks if he looks like one?

Sometime later the red headed man walks away from the once peaceful town –now a lake submerged in ripples of confusion and anxiety. He wishes he could do more for them, but for one he’s not all that altruistic, and two they’d need more help than he could offer. In any case he has to fulfill his duty to a very divine someone and himself. He had already let his boy down long enough and would be damned if he would let this opportunity slip through his fingers. Sadly it seems that he may have already come after the ripples had begun, so the water is murky and he can’t quite see to the bottom. Yet if he has to he’ll still dive into those depths. It all has to start somewhere…belief, life, and even the ripples…

Colin Rayleigh sighs and takes off the glasses that hide his farseer heritage from the world. He berates himself for being late, and decides that contacts would really be the better way to go in the future.

Years ago when Colin was Van’s age and ironically a child soldier trained by none other than Aschner, he found himself in the rather unfortunate position of being near death on the battle field after a scrimmage gone wrong. He can feel the strength leaving him as he holds a gape in his side that blood continuously flees from. Despite this he turns painfully on his stomach and begins to crawl…somewhere. When his strength gives out (and it does, several times) he finds himself praying silently to no one in particular. Of course he signed up for this when he decided to go to war…even lying about his age to enlist, so he doesn’t expect any help or favoritism…there are guys around him who deserve those things more than he…and yet…

Before him in a snowflake patterned white dress with glasses cut from sheer ice is the winter goddess herself…Ancasta.

Flash forward to only a few months ago. During the war between witches, Colin had once again found the goddess of winter masquerading as a soldier hoping to find a way to stop the bloodshed from the inside so that she doesn’t break the cardinal rule for deities….not influencing free will. Colin had seen through her disguise and thanked her for protecting his son when he could not. After Aicha had lead the units to victory, and before the winter goddess’s demise, the two had been able to talk about the life she had protected.

Colin had finally found the courage to ask why she had listened to his prayer over anyone else’s? Ancasta looks up thoughtfully, her thin white eyebrows furrowed in thought. She finally replies with a smile that he just looked so pathetic that she took pity on him. Colin gives her a look for a few minutes as she barely contains her laughter. She then adds that he was unique…in a world where people were only concerned with themselves and their agape, he had been different. She had only come to the battlefield to pray for the fallen when she noticed him crawling and praying. She expected him to ask her to save his life but instead…

Ancasta stands over the young Colin and asks if he’s sure. Colin grits his teeth and nods emphatically. He states that he has a kid and a wife out there fending for themselves and unable to utilize agape in a world where agape and magic are a way of life. If somehow she could use her divine powers to watch over his wife and son…and if for any reason they should become separated, then to ensure his son doesn’t grow up without someone that loves him. Ancasta doesn’t hide her shock and asks about him? He’s injured…surely he could ask for his own safety and then go look for his son….

Colin calls her an idiot, and says that he knows that already. He’s not going to die from a wound like this! He’s going to need time to recover, but he will be back on his feet soon enough. Until then Van and Anna Rose need to be protected. If she’s going to help then she should go find them and ensure their safety, and if not pass his message along to someone who can do something.

Older Colin laughs nervously and asks her to pardon his youthful transgressions. He was under a little bit of stress then, as she may know. Ancasta shakes her head and tells him not to worry about it, as she found it stirring. She had done her best to ensure that Van wouldn’t grow up lonely –to the extent she could without impacting his free will. Now he’s out making a name for himself, and she can’t be involved with him anymore without changing his destiny. Now that he’s recovered, it’s his job to step in and guide his child. She rises and says enigmatically that she had ultimately told him where to go as her last act of ‘goddess’, and that if he just follows that path he should encounter his boy eventually.  She then looks into Colin’s eyes and with a half-smile asks him to do his job properly.

In the present Colin looks out onto the scenery of clouds and mountains and with renewed conviction vows to find his son and fulfill his end of the bargain. Judging from the corpses and the amount of time that had passed (to his estimation) he should be getting close. The question is will he make it in time?

The ripples that spread out upon the water’s surface are paradoxically haunting and beautiful to witness. A miracle that occurs every time one tosses an object –any object even the most inconspicuous of rocks into a surface of water. These ripples spread out along the waters surface in intervals close and far, seemingly random but meticulously predictable. Our life too is like a set of ripples that take effect from any little change from any rock thrown in from any direction from any one person. How does one know when the ripples will submerge them so that they can get out of the water? How do they know if the ripples will reach them at all?

Hydon’s death ripples outward, all the way back to Aerhaart where the news from the mountain town has reached the ears of the new Kaiser mage; Azha Falk…along with the skepticism that she can do her job. Leah begins to falter, her psyche already broken by the death of her boss…and now her co-worker had passed on too. Azha sighs deeply, remaining calm but not hiding her deep disappointment and sadness despite knowing this would happen. She is then brought the remains of Hydon and Aschner to which she orders a funeral for them both. She comments that before he turned on them that Aschner was a good soldier and headmaster so he deserves their respect. She then turns to Hydon’s corpse and narrows her eyes. He hadn’t been done in by Aschner…this magic is different than his own….she then orders that an investigation be launched to ascertain the truth of this matter.

Ripples flow to Delaney who had heard the news of the two deaths, a fact that shocks him because of his proximity to Hydon who he knows as a man who had complete control over his agape. If he could fall so hard to the recall then what of his siblings? He receives a message from Azha who asks him to come in so she can brief him for his new assignment, and as he looks up from the phone he sees Aithne and Willard looking back at him, knowing what he wants to ask, the truth he will sooner or later have to face concerning them. He asks if they will come with him to meet Azha? He just feels like they should be together whenever possible so that no one loses sight of the future…or themselves. Aithne nods and replies that she was thinking the same thing. She doesn’t want to lose the siblings she just found. Willard crosses his arms in a silent show of approval, and Delaney shoots Azha a message that he will be bringing his siblings as well as another guest. He turns back to Aicha who nods slowly and says that their kind should stay together and protect those who need it.

The ripples spread to Kani, Guy and Candle who have just reunited with Reid. Reid advices that they get out of town immediately as he thinks Libitina is looking to force him to stay in town and enact his role as one of the Kaiser mage elect. Kani jokingly asks why he just doesn’t take the position? He’d be in a much better place both financially and influentially. Guy implores him to think of the women as well as the booze as well. Reid wrinkles his nose and says that he likes being on the road more than being stuck behind a desk. Kani smiles and nods, welcoming him back to the group. She then adds she’s been hoping to get out of town for a while too, and that a town named Rendelshack is nearby. They don’t have much to go on, but there may be some leads there. Guy and Reid agree, though only after trading glances with each other. Kani senses that something is amiss, but Candle speaks up and asks everyone if it’s really okay for her to continue following them? Guy and Kani remain silent knowing that this question is really for Reid. The swordsman and sentinent glance into each other’s eyes for a long while before Reid asks 'What is it that you want?'

Ripples exist only after an object is thrown into peaceful waters. Their existence is fleeting and born from discord so it is easy to lose sight of the origin of the ripple and focus on the fallout itself.  Yet should we not ask ourselves what happens to that rock that gave birth to the ripples? What happens as it floats to the bottom of the lake? Will it ever surface again if no one remembers to fetch it? Does the rock get a say in being the reason the ripples come into being?

In Rendelshack, a lone boy sits in an alley, his body ragged and his eyes unfocused. It has been a few days since he has eaten, slept or even bathed. The boy stares at his hand every so often and grimaces, his face whitening in terror. Tired of being looked at by the people who are surely judging him, he sinks to the bottom of his own river of self-pity, unknowing of his fate as the rock that gave birth to ripples that would soon shake the nation. Simply sinking further and further into himself. Van is sinking and the ripples he caused are obscuring his view of the surface where he once stood.

Aschner had told him that a soldier needs to survive. That is his highest priority. Everything else comes secondary to survival. Van had thought that was initially a wise teaching from an otherwise reprehensible man, and had built upon it to become the person driven by his goals rather than his old dependent on emotions and the kindness of others self, but now he can feel the familiarity overcoming him and his mind returning to its pre-Aschner condition.

He had been taught to survive, but not how to live. Now he has nothing. He survived but what for? His convictions, his friends, and now even his innocence are all gone. How does he live from here? Wait…wasn’t he already alive…when he was with them? With the ones who cared for him most? Then what is he now? A ghost? No, no…not even that much. A ghost keeps itself from the grave by having attachments to a previous life. He doesn’t have that now does he?

He is nothing. Just a sinking rock. A rock that has lost its way from the surface.

A voice greets him with a strange phrase. ‘Hello Killer’.

Van turns to the voice and sees a man with his features…his red hair, and eye color. The man stares down at him with a look only a few shades from utter contempt. His greeting lacks any joviality, and is said like a fact. Van’s eyes try to get a reading on this man but cannot. Since he knows from his waking nightmares that they’re working all too well there is only one other possibility.

Van stammers. ‘D---Dad?’