Greyashe chapter 378 is entitled "Villainy"

Previous chapter 377: Interview.

Next chapter 379: WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!!

Summary page

-Short summary-

The repercussions for such a major shift in the way the world operates becomes more than the Kaiser mage's cabinet can handle. To proceed, a sacrifice will be necessary...

-Long summary-

Delaney barely avoids a sword attack to his temple by awkwardly dodging to the side where another opponent waits with a set of brass knuckles and a fiercely unfriendly attitude. Luckily for him, Willard with all of his strength is able to literally lift him out of harm's way and place him where it's safer, while he takes out both of his assailants by knocking their heads together. Their little sister while not as strong, is as swift as the wind; knocking out opponents with kicks before they know she's even there. Despite the overwhelming odds, they're able to mostly keep themselves from being overwhelmed.

The middle child Delaney is both proud and a little vexed at this. He had always prided himself on being able to attack without the use of magic, yet his siblings seem to have been born for this. Doesn't that essentially mean that he's, well...useless? No, no, no. Without a guide, Will and Aithne would be like weapons being fired randomly in the air in hopes of hitting something. He's that guide, so therefore he isn't useless. Right? Yes, that's what he'll go with. More importantly, hadn't these Magic Bashing riots gotten a little out of hand? Like, he gets that people are working of their steam now that magic is no longer a thing, but if these riots get any more involved, then they'll start to grow into citywide tragedies, and then countrywide. After that, they're looking at civil wars, and then world sized ones.. Which illustrates the point --they really need to get to the bottom of this and micromanage it right away, which isn't going to happen if all they're doing is busting up little fights here and there. Delaney completes his thought by giving his surroundings a sidelong glance, and the bodies of people, still alive and in varying states of consciousnesses are strewn around, and comments to himself that this isn't exactly "little" anymore. Suddenly a voice behind him commands the people to "knock it off", which catches his attention. Craining his head over to see where it came from, Delaney finds himself in the presence of a group of GMAGY students who despite their youth have resolute eyes of steadfast maturity. They had suffered a great loss, and decided not to let that define them which Delaney can immediately tell upon seeing them.  Their leader is simultaneously the least likely and most appropriate student of all --Cayden.

The aforementioned former snow user strides up and helps Delaney up as he states his authority as the leader of the GMAGY group which is a wing of the Kaiser mage and her cabinet, authorizing them to act in her stead. They will not tolerate any more violence, and insubordination will be met with harsh retaliation. They not only have numbers, but the permission to use them to subjugate and overwhelm from the Kaiser mage herself. If they want to try their luck they are more than welcome to, but they should consider this their first and only warning. The unruly mob stops in an instant and for several moments seems to consider the validity of his words, and casting aside their ire for peace, at least for now.

Delaney whistles and asks if any of that was true? Cayden glowers at him at first and then sneers asking if that matters now? It pulled his grease out of the fire didn't it? It's the middle child's turn to shoot the former magician a look of pure evil as he asks if he's comparing him to grease? Moreover he knows that he didn't think of that whole spiel on his own, so acting high and mighty now doesn't make him any better. Cayden opens his mouth to object, but closes it immediately instead giving Delaney a continued look of pure contempt. Iselia separates the two boys, and asks what their next move should be? Aithne shrugs a shoulder carelessly and admits that they've just been darting from place to place and putting fires out as they hear them starting. Not the best way of doing things, but it's all they've got for now, especially since they're all magicless. Damien is the next to speak, commenting on the strangeness of this whole situation --if magic truly was the enemy like they had all assumed, why are they not in peace now that it is gone? It's almost as if they (people) need an enemy to feel at all "normal". Without that they just turn on each other for that sense of villainy that they lack. Harrow chimes in: It's because one has enemies that they are able to build upon their friendships, so it makes sense now that the collective "enemy" to humankind is gone that the search for another has begun amongst themselves. Frieda glances between her friends and asks the inquiry on all of their minds. "Who will be our enemy now"? 

At the hospice, Anna Rose and her husband Colin are basking in the happiness of finally being able to have time alone with their son Van. The boy welcomes them cordially, and they talk about various things, as Anna Rose fusses over his hair and face, and Colin diffuses her work by enthusiastically rubbing his boy's head and smacking him in the back happily when he answers a question. Van finds himself at ease, even if it isn't a complete sense of calm. It's odd to think of his parents as, well, his parents since he had been an orphan for as long as he could remember, but strangely enough he feels like this is exactly how things should be. Like, even if he hadn't experienced it for himself, he feels like this is exactly what having parents entails.

Anna Rose apologizes that she doesn't have any home cooking prepared for her boys, though to be fair she also hasn't had a proper home in quite some time. Colin rubs his chin and replies that they'll have to fix that, oh and this "unofficial" marriage thing is kind of bothersome too. Now that things have calmed down a bit, maybe they should do it right. Anna Rose blinks several times, and asks Colin if he's saying what she thinks he's saying? The farseer smiles and gets on one knee, producing a small box out of apparently no where. If she recalls, he had been going in and out every so often, and it had been to get one of these. Normally he'd ask her parents for their permission, but well, sometimes you've just gotta take what you want with your own hands. So then to the important question, Will she marry him and make their bond whole? Anna Rose's hands are at her mouth and then her eyes to wipe away her tears as she nods happily. Van can't help but let a few tears of his own drop as he watches his parents, but less so out of happiness, and more because he knows that this scene of rapture can't last for long. What is in his body decrees it, as well as the world at large. The magic had been feeding him news so he's aware of events going on all without having to actually leave his bed. Although it still steadfastly refuses to answer his inquiries about what he should do next, the boy ---young man knows that living happily with his parents and pursuing an ordinary life is not in the cards, and their happiness is based upon that fact.

Once again he'll have to break their hearts, and leave them. That future is all but carved in stone.

Right on cue Azha knocks on the wall beside the room to announce her appearance. Colin and Anna Rose look up, and both greet her cordially, but she shakes her head and asks them not to be so formal. She is one of them; a farseer after all. Anna Rose squints her eyes and nods in agreement. She can't perceive her, which is evidence enough. Azha curtsies and asks if she can have a moment with Van? His parents trade glances with each other, then him before seemingly getting up to leave, but Van stops them and gives Azha a hard look. They stay, or they will not talk. It is as simple as that. 

Azha glares at him, her usual jovial nature all but dissipated. She warns Van not to push his luck and her patience. He should thank her for allowing him to have friends and family here as he recovers, since there is the small fact that he is a criminal awaiting sentencing. Did he think she'd overlook what he did because he stopped Butcher somehow? On that note, he'd also better rethink this stance he has on not answering questions from her officials. She had been busy trying to clean up the mess from Butcher's tyrant sized temper tantrum, and had entrusted her assistants to help her with various tasks, including understanding just what had happened out there, yet he had remained extremely elusive on the subject, which had caused her to abandon her plans and come here herself. Putting aside the fact that she is this land's authority, she's also wiser to the ways of a farseer since she had been born into her heritage rather than learning it later, and in a position where she has people she's responsible for. Oh, and she's also older than him by a year and a half, so there's that too. If he thinks he can make demands, he's got another thing coming. Van gives her a kubrick stare, and snarls quietly that he has stated his conditions, and if she can't abide by them she can leave.

Azha seethes and finds her hold on her temperament slipping, and she finally blurts what Dio and others had been dancing around since Van had returned. "Y-You've somehow become the source of all magic haven't you?!"

Silence.

Azha calms down and regret immediately seizes her. What should have been a by the numbers interrogation had turned into an emotional outburst, and for the first time in her admittedly short career she comes to two realizations. One, that leading a country is extremely stressful, and that maybe, just maybe she's over her head, and two that Van is now the most powerful entity in the world.

What then, makes him any different from the enemy they had just barely able to defeat?

The aura around the farseer seems darker, more sinister upon this realization and his glare seems to pierce into her soul. Still, she maintains her calm and bows in apology to him for her outburst. If he wants his parents here, then they can stay. After all, they now basically know what she was coming to ask him about due to her losing her temper like that.

Colin and Anna Rose are dumbfounded and ask their son if it's true? Is he really the source of all magic in the world right now? Van holds them close and whispers an apology into their ears, and then explains aloud that he's not really the source of all magic, he's more like a..conduit for it? Right now it's what is keeping him alive, and keeping the world from using it again. He then returns his attention to Azha who is barely managing to keep her calm upon this revelation, and answers the inquiry not asked. "As for the difference between Butcher and I, for all intents and purposes, there is none." he calmly states to her, his eyes empty of empathy or feeling

Azha nods slowly and thanks him for the information. She can tell he's hiding something, but pressing him would be...unwise. Instead her nimble mind is already furiously working on a solution to the ever growing threat of magic bashing going on around the world. This is why she was hesitant to open Pandora's box, as what people want, and what they can handle/should have are often two very different things. Once a system has been put into place for better or worse it is there for the long haul, and a major shake up like this does more harm than good. Why else do revolutions cause more lives to be lost than with a tyrannical despot at the helm? So then, her only option would be to somehow restore the old ways in any way, and any effect she can. The people had something in the old system that had kept the peace for the most part, even under Butcher's "recall". What could she do to return it? Then she realizes all along that it wasn't a thing, but a person.

Azha clears her throat and return's Van's gaze. He is well aware that she has a duty to her people, and will do whatever it takes to ensure their happiness and safety, and he must know about what is going on in the world now. To stop it, a return to normalcy is necessary, and there is one way for sure that will grant people the normalcy they knew even when magic had been in their lives.

Extending her hand to Van, she informs him that he will play the role of the world's "Villain" in Butcher's place.