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Greyashe chapter 354

Page history last edited by Sakaki 9 years, 1 month ago

 

 

 

Greyashe chapter 354 is entitled 'Blind sided'.

 

Previous chapter 353: Advance.

Next chapter 355: Countless hands.

Summary page

 

-Short summary-

 

Even with Van and his team away, the crisis affecting the world sets it's sights on Dover tower.

 

-Long summary-

 

Aicha's expression is unmistakably concerned as she looks at her phone's display screen as a female voice suggests she leaves a message. The seizure of the Cathedral had been successful, and being the enterprising soldier she is had wanted to ask for her next set of orders after ensuring that everyone here was safe. It had been an easy matter really, since they -- the "Unloved" are completely unaffected by magic. Despite them having to be in close vicinity of their enemy, if their ranged attacks have no effect then all they need to do is close in the space between them which is child's play. Aicha hates to admit it, but she actually prefers being able to attack mano a mano to the times where she had magic. She feels more in control of her facilities this way, and thus could avoid killing if she so deemed it. Even before the recall the idea that a mysterious and unknown entity requires her love to attack her enemies had been more than unnerving. Still she had fought, and fought as much as she could before losing her magic, yet it feels like only now had her true battle begun. Only now had the true enemy shown it's face and they had a place to direct their attacks.

 

That being said, after the target had been secured, Aicha immediately called Azha back, and finds that she cannot get in contact with her leader. At first she doesn't feel that this is a matter for alarm --after all she is a busy woman. Though after successive attempts her worries only deepen. By now Van should have left for Shrewlund to take on Butcher directly leaving Azha, his parents, Leah and Dio behind. Leah's own aptitude with magic is low so she should be less susceptible to the recall's effects, and as far as she can tell Dio seems to be an existence above it's reach. In theory then Azha should be "safe" from any attacks. "Safe" only because Butcher pulls the strings on mankind and can literally send whomever he wants whenever he wants to. It's that train of thought that had Aicha considering just going back to the tower directly, though Azha hadn't ordered it. The young woman had begun to figure out that Azha --despite being a few years younger is quite intelligent and what she doesn't say is just as important as what she does. If she hadn't said "return immediately after securing the target", there has to be a reason for it. Still it's extremely worrisome that she is not picking up and replying to her calls. At a time like this where anything could and is happening, being able to see and confirm others whereabouts and general affairs is important. --Then again maybe she's just slipping into the habits drilled into her by her soldier father. For now at least, she would hold down the fort and hope that Azha is safe. The one thing that she --that they cannot allow Butcher to take is their sense of hope.

 

At the tower however hope is the last thing on anyone's minds.

 

A trail of blood leads up from the prison at the bottom of the tower to the floors where the kaiser mage holds meetings. The splatters are random patterns, tiny splotches in some areas and bigger puddles in others --an indication of dawdling here and there which in turn is the indication that the owner is looking for something or someone. This dripping is followed by quiet but firm footsteps which echo through the empty tower. The guards had long since been swayed by the recall and no longer keep their vigil or the kaiser mage and the tower --a sad scene that is an indicator of the times. Knowing this however was part of Dio and Azha's strategy. Keeping themselves in the higher parts of the tower would mean that their enemy would have to endeavor harder to reach them, and as such they can prepare as the enemy makes their way up whether it is to fight or to hide. Truly it is a double edged sword in a situation like this, but the blade cuts in their favor as it is still marginally much safer to be in the tower than outside of it.

 

--That is of course unless the danger comes from within.

 

Dio is restlessly walking about to calm his nerves when he sees them. He freezes, the proverbial deer caught in the headlights as his mind works furiously on two fronts. One side trying to ascertain the abilities and identities of the duo standing in front of him, and two to suss out the possibilities of this new development. Considering that the people behind him do not easily possess the ability to defend themselves, he has to quickly figure out a means of dealing with them here before he ends up in a hostage situation or worse. To be honest that "worst" part is what concerns him the most as at least hostages would keep their lives for a period of time. If he were dealing with rational people, he'd actually prefer a hostage situation.  --Again a truly worrisome sign of the times. Dio knows however, that he is not dealing with rational people.

 

Aithne's hand hangs limply at her side as blood drips from her knuckles. Her once pristine school girl uniform is in tatters, and her face is disheveled. Towering beside her is Willard who has one of his massive hands covering his face save for one eye, and the other raised slightly and producing a steady yellow glow of electric energy. His clothes too are tattered up, and his breathing is heavy. Dio surmises that the recall had snapped the already frayed cord of inhibition within them, and they had simply attacked their enclosures until they broke --with no regard for their bodies in the process. Now they stand before him, with the intention of killing anything that gets in their way. The former God knows that technically he can just overpower them into submission, but what would that take exactly? Would he have to harm them severely to bring them down? Maybe even kill them? He could assume that the two would rather die than remain at the feet of Butcher, but who is he to make that call? He hasn't even really been human as long as they've been alive if he's to take in their ages compared to his. So should he casually decide their lives now?

 

Aithne lunges at him first. Dio is almost caught unawares, but pivots to the side to avoid her strike. The hallway erupts in yellow light as Willard prepares an attack, but Dio goes in low and hits him with a blow to the stomach. Like it or not, he's in this fight and the people behind him need to be protected. Much like he did back on his first excursion down below, Dio steels his resolve and prepares to do what has to be done, despite his inner turmoil.

 

That is until a voice behind him speaks out asking what he thinks he's doing.

 

Dio turns and finds himself face to face with Delaney, the sibling to the two he is about to engage in combat. He frowns and begins to ask what he's doing here, but Delaney steps past him and gives his siblings a long sad gaze. Shaking his head he asks why it had to come to this? Even if he knew that this would more likely than not be the result of the recall and their use of magic, he still wanted to believe that somehow they could avoid having this confrontation. Every second of his journey back here had been filled with the hope that he'd be wrong somehow tempered by the reality of the world that confronts them. Either way this is his problem to deal with and he won't allow anyone else to come between the siblings that had saved him from loneliness and himself.

 

Putting his bag aside, Delaney commands Dio to stay out of this. He'll take care of them himself. As their sibling this is his right.

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