The Seronites trudged along with their heads low and spirits somehow lower. Haetia’s shells had chased them into the surrounding woods and further down than they could’ve ever expected out of what they believed to be fragile monsters. Fire did little in the way of slowing them down and they completely ignored being set ablaze altogether, which was nothing like their past experiences. Before they’d usually have some form of panic, but now? Nothing. Only pure aggression.
The only ‘good’ thing, if it can even be called that, was that her clan had survived the attack, though a few were injured through all the chaos. The same couldn’t be said about the Seronites who suffered heavy losses by comparison. Nearly two thirds of them either died directly from the Shells or died later on from infection – that is put down by the others so that they wouldn’t suffer the pain of turning into a Shell in the first place. Not to mention those who couldn’t make the venture.
Being turned away from the Forest Mist only made their journey harder as they had little in the way of resources, being that they were forced to leave it all behind in the ambush. Drosera, however, continued to push them on and on despite their desperate desires for rest.
And eventually, they finally reached a city, or what was left of it. Like Alaria its glory days were in the past with the decline in human population and increase in mythicals, though it was still a city and a city with enough resources for them to try and regain their strength.
They met with another section of Seronites which helped to bolster their forces and morale, but not Revi’s. She who could only think about the last thing she saw before their escape – his face.
He was always the type to be disdainful towards people but not like that. That wasn’t disdain. That was enmity. Abhorrence.
And being covered from head to toe in dried blood? She knew him enough to know how much he hated getting his hands dirty, let alone being filthy in general.
She didn’t want it to be this way. But she knew this new version of Haetia would never see eye-to-eye with her from that encounter alone. The only person–people–she had a chance of convincing to stand down were Linias and Myrin but Myrin felt like an anomaly she couldn’t hope to crack with how evasive he was when she originally approached him in his cell, and Linias…
He’d go wherever Haetia went. Maybe he’d eventually learn to think for himself and then convince Haetia to stand down, but something told her that not even Linias could change his mind, assuming this version of him learned any respect for him at all.
Revi lodged a punch into the straw dummy hard enough to knock it loose and across the room, which was immediately met with a whistle from behind her.
“Any harder and you would’ve cracked a hole in the wall.” Andrae laughed off. “You’ve been making that face a lot recently. I’m guessing it’s about those friends of yours?”
“I just can’t help but feel like there has to be a way around this.”
“You can’t tell me that you’re thinking about letting the Host live right?”
“His name is Haetia and yes I am!- If I can that is.”
“But you know what he is!”
“And what would you say if I said I didn’t care? His existence isn’t a doomsday clock it’s if he merges with Heisyn and as it is right now he doesn’t have a reason to–not at least as far as I know, other than to probably kill me. But I’m sure I could talk him out of it…”
“You don’t even sound sure of yourself.”
“Because I’m not but like I said I just have a feeling alright? Myrin I don’t know, but knowing Linias at least, he probably doesn’t want a fight and I know the Seronites do but maybe if they faked their deaths or something…ugh. I’m not getting anywhere with this.”
Revi slumped against the stone wall, clenching and unclenching the fire within her palms.
“You don’t want them to die, I get it, but Revi, you have to know what’s at stake. It’s more than just them.”
“You don’t think I know that?! What if it was me instead? You’d try to find a way around!”
Andrae stumbles for a moment.
“...Yeah, fuck fine you’re right.” He sighed. “Fine, we can wrack our brains together, but it’s less something you can do and more their choice you know. Unless you knocked them unconscious and threw them on a boat or something.”
As they spoke, a crouched figure peered through the doorway and instantly Revi rushed towards them.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Mom! You should be resting–!”
“Haha, while my little spark won’t do the same?”
Revi kneels down, exchanging a kiss on the cheek.
“The drakaina is looking for you by the well, and since you’ve had your hothead preoccupied I figured you’d be here.”
“We’re all hotheads Mom. Now please get some rest. I know all this traveling is taking a toll on you. Andrae, do you mind..?”
“Yeah, yeah, you go on ahead.”
“Thanks.”
Before leaving she exchanged another kiss with her mother, and a simple wave for Andrae.
Rather than telling her so much as where they’re going, let alone why, Drosera immediately started walking on and once Revi showed up. Silence lingered between them until she eventually obliged her quiet question.
“We’re going to see an informant.”
“Informant?” Only one person she knew fit that description, and since they were in a city… “A kitsune by any chance?”
“Yes, I’m aware you’ve met her before. I’ve already paid her dues, but I wanted you to hear whatever it was she’d tell us.”
Just like with Linias and the others, Drosera and Revi went through the backdoor and were met with none other than Mitsuyo. The same smug face and the same sly smile.
“Well well well. I thought it’d be you. That siren seems to have his own reasons hid under lock and key but I figured you just couldn’t help but follow the fiery tide.”
For a second, Revi understood the depths of Haetia’s hate for the kitsune with her way with words, and just like Haetia she decided not to give her the satisfaction of an outburst.
They were seated in a private room, just like all the times before as well.
“You trust her to not go running back to her friends? Not that it’s any of my business.”
“It isn’t.” Drosera bared her fangs. “Tell us what we came here for and nothing more or less.”
“Never fun, always serious. Alright, have it how you want it.” Mitsuyo exhaled a wave of smoke. “You didn’t catch him either. Slippery little bastard isn’t he? Can’t seem to get caught, can’t seem to die. It’s a real problem, which is why you’re here I know. Unfortunately for you, he seems to have learned his lesson and I haven’t the slightest clue where they are now. On the bright side, there’s still two more of Brun’s temples on the way to the Ivory Shore that you can hope for. And if you want my honest opinion, which I know I don’t get paid for but I’m going to give it anyway, leave the elderly and children here. I’ll continue to give them a place to stay but if you take them with you they’re bound to die. Even you Seronites will drop like gnats eventually. Nothing survives that far North.”
After a period of silence, Drosera clicks her tongue and heads towards the exit. Revi looks between the two in mild confusion but leaves with the drakaina regardless.
Once they were outside again, Revi tried to ease the tension with a question, “So are you–”
“What choice do I have? As helpful as it’d be to have more than a handful of fire spirits, I recognize that it’s getting too dangerous for them. Should the Host perform a stunt like that again, we likely won’t be lucky enough to survive.”
“...Drosera, do you mind if I ask you something?”
Judging by her lack of a response, Revi opted to take that as a yes.
“If…If Haetia didn’t take on the role of the Host in the end, what then?”
“Do you believe that? That he’ll relinquish his duty?”
“I..I don’t know. I hope so.”
Drosera surprisingly sighs. “Personally, I doubt it. If he was willing to use the Shells as he did then I already believe he’s past the point of talking. You’re welcome to try, but don’t let it get in the way of the Seronites. I’ve given up on trying to talk or use him for anything. We’ll leave in three days time, be sure to say your farewells if you decide to join us, but if you wish to stay with your clan here I won’t stop you.”
The drakaina continued on her rounds, not stopping to look back at the fire elemental for even a moment and thankfully so as Revi stopped following long before.
It was always a decision.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Revi slowly creaked open the door, finding her mom resting on the bed with Andrae on a stool nearby. Taking her expression as a sign, Andrae left the room after the fact to give them their privacy.
She sat on the edge of the bed by her mom, giving a weak smile.
“Hey mom. How are you feeling?”
“I’d be better if you’d stop looking so worried all the time. I promise I’m fine. I may be old but not so old that a little scuffle like that will have me at death’s door. But enough about me, what’s on your mind sweetie? Things didn’t go well with the drakaina?”
“Not necessarily…” Revi purses her lips. “They’re going to leave the clan here. At least anyone who can’t make the trek, so…you. And I…I want to know that you’ll be alright Mom. Drosera said I could stay if I wanted but I want to help them because it’ll help not just you guys but everyone too.”
“Oh Revi, you know better than to ask. Of course I’ll be alright. I wouldn’t have made it this far if I was that fragile!” Her mother laughed which managed to finally break Revi’s knit brows into relaxation. “And all the more if it’s to help others, especially those friends of yours.”
“Mom–...Thank you. I’ll try my best!”
Spirit reignited, Revi gave her mom another kiss and headed off again, this time to ask Andrae his thoughts who was waiting in the hallway.
“A lot of the clan’s going to stay here since it’s gonna get a lot harder from here on out, but I’m gonna stay with the Seronites.”
“I go where you go sadly.” Andrae rolled his eyes with a smile. “And I’m guessing that’s with Drosera?”
Revi nodded. “I talked to my mom already. This city might not be doing so well but it’s better than what’s out there.”
“If we don’t make it back?”
“...Then I can at least say we tried, right? If we don’t do anything we’re as good as dead anyway. And…” With a fierce and motivated grin, she slammed her fist against her palm. “I have to do what I can for those guys too.”
image [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/786923185768497222/1212270391310028800/Chapter_37_Map.png?ex=65f139c8&is=65dec4c8&hm=fdc5c6b17e4d0a14527180650c93f5107bf97b20f63e880f08f56a6151347615&]