Greyashe chapter 318 is entitled 'Everyone's own discourse.'

Previous chapter 317: For every action..

Next chapter 319: Gods, Angels and Memories.

Summaries page

-Short summary-

Where paths seem to have finally converged for the heroes, a rift is created and through the clamor a diverge begins...

-Long summary-

The warm vapors rise from the cup of tea set before Van, caring not that he is completely cold inside. Colin dumps several packets of sugar into his coffee cup and stirs energetically for a moment while absentmindedly looking outside. He then turns to his cup and takes a long sip only stopping to make a face and mutter that coffee shouldn’t be so bitter. Life is bitter enough for the most part, so at least coffee should be sweet to offset things. Van doesn’t acknowledge his father and just looks thoughtfully down at his tea cup. He isn’t too sure if he ordered it or if his Dad had, but he couldn’t really deny that it’s nice to have even if he isn’t really in the mood for it. Colin repeats his cycle of ‘sip-face-complain’ again, and then silence sits at the table between the father and son relationship that has already been strained to an awkward degree. Colin then comments that his son has good friends, though he’s not surprised that things turned out this way.

Van looks up at his father and sighs deeply, a sigh full of hurt and loneliness. Colin blows air and asks what he intends to do now? The boy’s eyebrows furrow and he then takes the cup of tea and drinks it in one gulp. Colin blinks and asks if that hurt? Van gags on the hot tea and coughs for a few minutes which causes everyone in the café to look over at the two. He finally gets himself under control and nods that it did, but it’s exactly what he needed to remind himself that he’s still alive…still here.

Moments earlier, Guy and Reid remain pokerfaced as Van explains the Hydon incident and his involvement. To their credit the men don’t show their shock, confusion and most of all disdain, but if there is a moment where having a farseer’s eyes is more of a curse than a blessing it would have been then. Van had promised himself that he wouldn’t peak into his friends but now with agape’s power they’re both like open books to him. The boy turns from them so that he may protect his fragile ego, and more importantly because he can somewhat tell that they’re trying hard to hide something besides their feelings about what he had done.

Guy clasps Van’s shoulders and reassures him that their friendship isn’t something that would collapse from something like this, though they’re going to require time to digest everything. To that effect he can understand why Kani reacted the way she did right? She doesn’t really hate him, it’s just that well….it makes things a little different. Their whole dynamic was that they’re a group who does not use magic and while that makes them weaker in many ways than their enemies, it is also a source of strength. Back when he had subjugated magic to use as he wishes, that had evened the playing field. Now that he’s in essence a magician, he suffers from the same fate as those who are affected by the recall, and now he’s…

‘An enemy’. Reid finishes the sentence with a sad cadence in his voice. They couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t end up hurting them as the recall continues. Who knows if things won’t get worse before long? The phenomenon is at the whim of Butcher, and he could turn up the juice at any time. Ironically, the fact that he is a major sadist is playing to their favor, since he seems to favor watching his prey suffer slowly rather than taking them out in one fell swoop. The problem is that he could change his mind at any time and traveling with him could be a liability. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Van is tearing down the path of becoming corrupted.

Van gazes at Candle, Reid and Guy and asks what they intend to do then? Reid and Guy exchange glances and then turn to make sure Kani isn’t in earshot. Guy starts first and Reid fills the blanks, as Van listens and his expression grows more somber. He starts to reply once they have finished speaking but simply shakes his head. Even if he were in the position to disapprove what could he say if they’ve made up their minds? He does add that this will only be oil on a very sad and open flame. Guy nods in understanding, but putting this off any longer will only prove detrimental to both sides. Candle then admits to both parties that she doesn’t understand the severity of Van’s crime since she is not human, but she does say she enjoyed traveling with them and is pained to see this happen. Van apologizes to her and replies that it would be better if he continued to keep his distance from them. Reid is right about him and his ‘condition’, and after what he had experienced, he never wants to be put in a situation where he might lose control and hurt someone again. So with a broken smile from a broken soul he bids them farewell. Reid, Guy and Candle say their goodbyes and leave Van alone with his father.

Before long they find Kani sulking by the entrance to their hotel. Candle goes to her and asks if she’ll be all right? The witch takes a deep breath and says quickly that they’ll need to leave town quickly. They have already spent enough time loitering around as is. Claire is depending on them to find this Ambriel person after all. Guy runs his hand through his hair and asks if they shouldn’t slow down a little at least? It’s perfectly normal after something like this to take some time to think and calm down…

Kani gives him a death glare, or she tries to. The fighter only sees a broken little girl in front of him trying to reclaim what little sense of control she has left. She then says in an even tone that moving means living, stopping means dying. Even he should understand that much. Guy then shakes his head and returns her glare with one of his own. Reid’s expression changes and he stiffens knowing what Guy is about to do. He admits that it’s not the way he would have proceeded with the news, but what Guy Cowan lacks in delicacy he makes up in raw empathy. He has an understanding of people that psychologists would yearn for, and as such the swordsman leaves the task of informing their travelling mate of their plans to him.

Guy asks if she at all considered what they want to do in regards to Van? Or had she just figured they’d trail her like obedient dogs until the end of the world? Kani is unprepared for this inquiry and stares up at the fighter who; despite always being a bit taller than her seems even more imposing now. She then frowns and asks if he talked to Van? He should know what the implications of what he has done and what he could do are now. Even knowing everything would he still tell her that he wants to travel with him? Guy crosses his arms and asks what would she do if he wants to? Stop him? Kani hisses at him not to be an idiot. His petulant nature is the one thing (among a multitude of others) that she can’t stand about him. Why can’t he act his age? Guy smirks and comments how he figured she doesn’t like him much, but she’d never actually told him why. He thanks her for the commentary and promises to improve on it should they meet again.

Kani blinks and stares at him. ‘Meet again’? What is he—

Guy’s expression changes and he looks at her blankly. He asks her to consider this his resignation notice.

Starting…now, he’s leaving the group and striking out on his own. Kani can’t stop her mouth from gaping open, and the feeling of the pit of her stomach from falling. Guy continues; she had been taking them for granted ever since Van ran off right? While it had been beneficial for a while, now it’s just plain annoying. This isn’t her show, and they are not her band. Maybe the way he had attempted it wasn’t the best, but the truth of the matter is that Van had at least tried to look for a new way to achieve their goal of stopping the sentinents. What had travelling all over accomplished other than deepening their sense of despair? Not a damn thing. As such, effective post…now he’s striking out on his own and trying his luck. Better than following some chick who lets her feelings do the talking.

Kani turns to Reid who nods slowly and announces his intention to leave as well. Truth be told he had only joined them to pay back the favor Van had granted him back in No Heaven. It had been a blast to travel with them since then, but he needs to focus on his own training and his own goals. One thing the ordeal with the recall, election and Van’s decent had taught him is that while the adage of ‘things getting worse before they get better’ might be true in some cases he just doesn’t see how things are getting any better in this case. He agrees with Guy that they should consider trying separate ideas and attacking the issue from different angles...something they can’t do if they stubbornly keep on the same path.

Kani can feel her face getting hot as words fail her. Why now of all times? Couldn’t they see that this is the time she needs them the most? Yet they could just…..

Had she been so blinded by her own anger and resentment over being so powerless that she had been blind to their feelings? She had been so used to being alone that she has trouble considering other people’s feelings past what they show her verbatim. Perhaps if she had trusted them more she would have seen this coming.

The witch sighs deeply and sadly. Then she says their names.

‘Reid’

‘Guy’

‘Take care.’

The swordsman and fighter look back at her and reply in kind.

‘You too.’

Then, just like that…they both depart in different directions.

Candle watches them leave and then walks over to Kani who leans on the wall of the hotel and slides down until she’s in a sitting position, her head in her lap. Silence passes between the two girls before Kani asks in a muffled voice what Candle will do.

The sentinent recalls what Reid had asked her to do. He asks if she’ll stay with Kani, even if just for a little while? His request is selfish, as is his course of action, nonetheless he’s asking her if she’ll do this. Candle had asked why he’d ask her to? It’s because of her that Kani had been injured badly and would require the use of bandages around her body for the rest of her life. Besides, doesn’t he hate her for some reason? Reid places his hands on the young sentinent’s shoulders and replies that he doesn’t hate her….it’s just the way she had given up back at the election had reminded him of his own past self, and how that decision had cost him something precious. The slap was a wake up call. Humans either get living or they get dying. If she can’t be a sentinent then why not join their team? It’s not too late, though the requirements are pretty tough. Candle titled her head and asked about the ‘requirements’? Reid replied that one is taking responsibility for doing something wrong without being forced to. It’s easy enough to force someone into taking responsibility, but the true worth of the human soul is what one does when not required to. Which is why he won’t make her stay with Kani, but if she wants to be one of them she knows what she must do.

In the present, Candle responds slowly that she will stay with her…stay with Kani. The witch is silent and doesn’t lift her head. She then says in a soft and muffled-by-knees voice that she has nowhere to return to….nowhere to go.  Following her means that she too will be wandering around aimlessly. Candle considers this and repeats her previous answer. Until and after she does find somewhere to go, somewhere to return to she will follow her to make up for what she has done, and because she can see now that Kani is a good person. A good person deserves more good people around them, and while she isn’t good enough for her now and not even a person for that matter, she will follow her until the day she is.

Kani lifts her head and turns to Candle, her eyes red and her face soaked with tears and snot. She cries that she thought she knew solitude before she met Van but, no. This is it. This is true solitude. To have something at your side at all times and then be told to make do without it…she is experiencing for the first time something she thought she knew all too well.

She remembers how when she met Van he had innocuously promised that he would be the place she could return to. Kani had laughed him off as silly before, but deep down she treasured those words. After her fight with Candle had left her on death’s door, that simple promise had been what got her back on her feet. It had been her one reason for living….and although he has no idea, Van had broken that promise, and snatched her reason to be.

The tears won’t stop. The pain is too real.

Candle meekly pats Kani on the head as she sobs her eyes out, sobs so hard that her body feels like it could collapse. What hurts the most is she had believed in that promise, back then…and even now.

Van and Colin walk back towards the cave where the latter had left Roysé. For now the farseeing boy would stay with his father until he could get a handle on what he’d do next, and it would be better than being on the run by himself. Colin promises to introduce his son to his ‘daughter’ of sorts, which has Van intrigued and a bit confused (isn’t he an only child?), but his father had remained enigmatic about the whole thing. When they arrive, Colin stops and beckons for Van to get behind him. The boy does so, wondering what the matter could be when his father says in a hushed whisper that someone is in his abode. Van thinks to himself that he’s never heard someone refer to a cave as an ‘abode’, but doesn’t have time to reflect on it further as his dad growls and murmurs how he can’t believe ‘that guy’ found them so quickly. Van begins to ask who ‘that guy’ is, but Colin dashes into the ‘abode’ leaving Van to follow out of confusion.

Inside a blond haired boy maybe a year or three older than Van stands in front of what seems to be a chest demanding that someone open up immediately. He has long dark slacks on, a green jacket and black boots. His turquoise eyes are brimming with confidence, and despite him making a demand for the occupant of the chest to open their enclosure immediately, he seems more amused than upset. Colin stands a few feet behind him, and the boy upon realizing that he is not alone stops his demands and glances back in the farseeing man’s direction. His expression changes to one akin to a child getting caught with their hand in a cookie jar, and he begins to mouth the word ‘Crap’, but Colin has already launched himself at the boy and nails him in the chest with a kick. The boy goes flying a few feet away and lands in a crumpled heap. Colin refers to the chest as ‘Roysé’ and asks if she’s okay?

The chest opens slowly and a girl who is also Vans age pokes her head out and replies that she’s fine, and thanks Colin for coming back when he did. The girl has long blue hair and hazel eyes, though her irises are empty, and the boy quickly surmises she must be blind. She embraces Colin and then asks who’s with him? The boy is surprised that her senses are so acute despite being unable to see, but is even more surprised when Colin introduces him as his son Van, and her old---er, brother. Just brother. This seems to please the girl and she greets Van, noting that she hopes they get along as she's never had a brother--just brother before. The boy begins to make a face, but realizes this might be rude and stops....before yet again realizing she can't see him so it's a moot point.

Before he can comment however, the boy is already slowly getting to his feet and asks if Colin thinks he can get away with treating a God the way he does? Eventually he’ll smite the farseer unless he atones for his often violent greetings. Colin ignores him and dotes on Roysé, which only raises the boy’s ire more. Van blinks and asks himself if the boy just referred to himself as a God? He watches their interaction (and lack therof) realizing that things are not quite what they seem here….