Greyashe chapter 362 is entitled "Status report".
Previous chapter 361: Instants VI
Next chapter 363: Duo
Summary page
-Short summary-
A montage of different places and people after Baker's defeat.
-Long summary-
A jolt of sudden pain flashes through the swordsman’s subconscious and he awakens with a start. Or at least he would have if his body weren’t being restrained by something. Forced back down into the confines of a surprisingly soft bed by his false start, he simply stares up at a wooden ceiling for a moment. Even now his wry sense of humor is active, as he asks himself if heaven’s having a tough time of it if they’ve got to result to using shoddy buildings like these. Makes life not worth it if heaven’s just a continuation of the same old, same old.
Or there’s the other unlikely scenario that he’s actually not dead but c’mon….
There’s a shuffling noise akin to someone moving around and in a moment a dark-skinned, dark eyed beauty is staring down at him. This is more like it. Heaven always has been and always will be a woman’s attention. Though this lady is kind of familiar, and why is it his eyesight seems to be a little bit distorted? It’s only now that these questions seemed important enough to ask, as strange as that is.
The woman smiles and asks if he enjoyed his nap? It seems like he’s out of the worst of it, thank the –well she’s not entirely sure what or who to thank at this point. Which begs the point that maybe they (humans) should start attributing their successes to themselves. Though honestly, it had to be some sort of miracle that she found him when she did, and that he survived. There’s really room for everything in life isn’t there?
The swordsman is content just listening to her talk, her voice slowly lulling him back to sleep. She seems to notice this and snaps her fingers three times while commanding him to stay with her. She’s worried about him long enough. He realizes who she is upon that reaction and habit, and tries to say her name but his own voice fails him. The woman’s expression changes and she gently but firmly forbids him to speak. She’s not entirely sure of what happened, but he sustained heavy life threatening injuries somehow. She found him and managed to treat him with the meager healing ability she had, but he would need to see a real doctor soon. Sadly she’s not sure when soon will be with the situation as it is. He gives her a look, and she understands his unasked question. She explains that Butcher and Baker launched their assault on mankind and turned the effects of the recall to maximum which has driven magicians mad and essentially started a mini apocalypse. “Mini” being a relative term as she has no idea what is going on around the world proper. She had been spying on Butcher for some time, but her contact had been killed which left her out of luck. On her way back to the Kaiser mage, she found him collapsed and near death. Rather than rush him to a doctor, she found an abandoned home and treated him here. Right now it’s safe to assume that the sentients are still razing mankind and hope is still far and unseen.
He blinks twice and realizes that one of his eyes is sealed shut. He almost wants to ask for a mirror, but puts his vanity aside. It’d be really nice to be able to talk to her, especially about what he had learned about Baker and passion, but that’s not happening so he’d might as well settle in and wait for the end. He nods and adjusts his head, to resume his vigil of the ceiling. The woman who had been standing over him this whole time takes a seat at the foot of his bed and wearily sighs. How they’ve fallen, from the Kaiser Mage’s select magicians to running scared of Butcher. It’s funny in a “wow I can’t believe this is actually happening” way. Ultimately being the squad that fights against a problem when it occurs had left them lacking in what to do in a situation where fighting is not an option. So what now? Waiting for death? It’s devastatingly romantic to think about, but only tragic to employ. She then turns to him and asks “Reid” what he thinks? Reid rolls his eyes in irritation, recalling how many of these kinds of conversations they’ve had in the past. Not so much about the “waiting to die” thing, but her ridiculous unanswerable questions. Besides the fact that he can’t talk, what would he reply to that? Really, Libitina is cute when she’s introspective like this and not being a sultry smoky hot trope (Okay, that side of her is quite attractive for obvious reasons), but seriously. Enough with the doom and gloom.
Reid just shrugs and closes his good eye. Libby puffs her cheeks and leaves the room in a mock pout. A shared thought between them knows that they haven’t given up hope, but there will be a change should they survive this. What that change means for them and everyone else is unclear, but nonetheless it will happen whether they want it or not.
After reading rations for herself, Aicha prepares to head back to Aerhaart due to her concerns for the Kaiser mage and those in the tower. She hadn’t been able to contact them for some time, and since the current mission had been a success and things are under control, she should go check on them. She bids farewell to the other troops and begins to leave when the boy from earlier stops her by asking for a moment. Aicha nods and informs him that she would like to head back to the capital as soon as possible, so he’ll have to make haste. The boy thanks her and asks about the likelihood of they –the humans winning this conflict against magic itself. Torn between the realistic warrior and idealistic young lady within her, she opts to say that she’s not sure really. She wants to believe that providence is on their side, but the powers of their enemies are unbelievable. The boy shirks back from this but nods and thanks her for her honesty. It seems that their lives up until this moment were simply prologs to this serious conflict unfolding before them. Could they have been more prepared with time? Experience? But where would experience have come from? Fighting? Fighting who exactly? What? In all honesty he’s just so confused and frustrated.
Aicha can’t help but think of herself after the WITCH war. She had asked herself some of these very same questions. Just when one has life figured out, something happens to jumble up that fragile worldview. She tells the boy that he needn’t worry about it, as everyone goes through this at some point, being lost and not knowing what to do. It’s taking action afterward that really makes the difference. Consider this to be that “afterward” and everyone to be taking action, and things fall into place. For now he should stay with his people and think only of what he can do for them. She has to check on the Kaiser mage, and her own friends at the tower. The boy seems invigorated by this response and thanks her for her time. Aicha turns and finding herself invigorated as well starts the journey back to Aerhaart.
At the tower itself Azha applies a cold pack to Delaney’s forehead with just enough force to be mischievous, but not so much that it annoys him too much. He sighs and gives her a look, but thanks the Kaiser mage for taking time out of her busy schedule to look after him. Azha gives him a grin and thumbs up, replying that she doesn’t mind taking the place of that girl he has a crush on. Presumably, she’ll return after she helps Van crush Butcher, if they don’t elope on the way there or back. From what she knows of them they’re apparently very close. Delaney shoots her a glare filled with concentrated evil as Aicha laughs haughtily. She then asks him what he expected to do against his siblings if he wasn’t going to kill them? Even without farseer eyes, anyone could tell he doesn’t have the intent necessary to take their lives. Did he hope they’d put him out of his misery or something? Truly she doesn’t understand men. Then Dio and Colin went and got themselves and parts of the tower banged up trying to take them down. Not that she’s condoning taking lives when it’s humanly possible, but bravado is one step removed from stupidity.
Leah enters with more ice packs and Azha thanks her. She bows and excuses herself, stating that Anna Rose would need assistance with the other men. Once she has exited, Delaney sheepishly asks how they’re doing? Aicha blinks in surprise and tilts her head, “You’re actually worried about people who aren’t that girl that you have a massive crush on and your siblings?” She asks with genuine curiosity. Delaney shifts his weight painfully and turns away from her saying that she can just forget it. He’s sorry he asked. Azha gently asks him to turn around, and when he does she flicks him in the forehead. Delaney recoils in pain, which causes him even more pain, and he nearly falls off the bed. Azha hmphs and walks out of the room, telling him to get up and ask himself before closing the door behind her.
Outside she leans against it and allows herself a smile. So he’s finally coming around. It’s funny how disaster has a way of making priorities clear. She travels down the hallway down to the broken cells that once kept Delaney’s siblings, where a rattling noise gets progressively louder the further she travels. She finally reaches another cell, which has strange glowing runes on the door that fade and get brighter as it rattles. Standing a distance away, she sadly watches the two try to destroy the cell door as madness engulfs them. Hopefully they’ll come around soon as well, as there’s nothing more bitter than siblings separated.
Guy and Kani make their way through the ruined landscape of Shrewlund with trepidation. Considering they are in extremely hostile territory, it makes sense they want to remain ever vigilant. Kani stops at the corner of a dilapidated house and peers around before signaling to Guy that the coast is clear. The two dart from hiding place to hiding place before stopping and waiting in silence. Kani gives the fighter a brief pensive glance, and he responds to her without looking in her direction that “they need this”. Kani bristles and replies indignantly that she’s well aware. Still she thinks separating now of all times is a bad idea. Who knows what Butcher has in store for them? Guy shrugs a shoulder and asks if she’s scared? Kani simpers a bit and admits that she is, since it’s not like their last match with Butcher had gone well. Is there anything wrong with that? Guy nods and agrees that they’d be stupider not to be scared of the unknown. That being said, it’s exactly the reason why people need to put business in order. Never know what’ll happen in times like these. Or did she want to be the one to explain why they’re keeping their distance from Van to Claire? Kani glances over her shoulder for a moment and huffs irritably, but her ire sobers up quickly and she admits that it’s really a difficult situation for anyone to be in. Guy perks up and says his fight detector is flying off the charts. Kani begins to complain about the appropriateness of such a metaphor, but she quickly realizes he’s never been wrong before so she prepares herself.
Claire ties her long hair up in a tail as Van walks by her, takes a seat and stretches his legs. The two are remain back to back from another for a moment, until Claire turns and stands behind Van, taken aback by how much he’s grown since she last saw him. Sitting as he is now, he’s almost her full height. Although she’s painfully aware of how petite she is, Van had always only been slightly taller than her at most. If she weren’t sure of the time that had passed, she’d think they hadn’t seen each other in years. His hair is messy, his eyes tired and wary, and his gait that of someone who is always on the edge and waiting for his orders or next battle. What had happened to the boy she had taken from Greyashe? Wait. She had happened. It’s a painful realization, but the truth.
Van comments that they’ll have to be on guard now that they’re in Butcher’s territory. The sentient is a sadist, and will probably come at them with the intent to make them suffer rather than killing them outright, which will be to their advantage. He then looks up at her and asks if she has any comments on his observation?
Claire glares at him and angrily asks if he thinks she’s an idiot? Or is he an idiot?
The two swim in each others's eyes for a moment until Van’s neck tires and he faces forward again, this time allowing a smile to creep across his face. Suddenly they’ve returned to the moment they left Greyashe, a nostalgic time where things were so simple. He replies “neither”, as his smile turns sad. He’d rather not have this conversation now as there are clearly more important things before them, but at the same time he knows it’s unfair to keep things from her. He does owe her quite a –
Claire snarls at him not to patronize her. The truth is that she ruined his life by taking him out of Greyashe didn’t she? Although she’s not sure what happened to him, it remains that if he had stayed in Greyashe as a blissfully unaware child, he wouldn’t be suffering as he is now. He should also not try to perpetuate some weak lie about how he isn’t suffering because she can tell. She’s not about to apologize to him, but the least he can do is respect her intelligence. Van’s sad smile doesn’t fade as he stands up, looks Claire in the eye and asks what she wants from him.
The angel crosses her arms and demands that he return the time lost between them.
The farseer places his hands in his pockets and inclines his head to one side.
“Okay. Let’s talk.”
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