Chapter 88: Crossroads (III)
Before…
Gayle heaved a sigh of relief seeing that her first genuine friend scraped out a victory. Her magical eyes were able to witness the full scale of Lloyd’s skyshaking attack, and seeing Zan barreling and leaping straight into him despite it all made her heart skip a few beats.
In the end he was victorious and she could finally breathe, but her emotions quickly took a turn when he collapsed to his hands and knees right after.
Just as the owl girl readied herself to fly up there and make sure of his health, a red flare shot into the skies followed by twelve powerful assailants. Gayle was not only knowledgeable but could see through the veils, and she knew that each one was a draconic heir.
At that very moment, she hesitated. Her sword quivered, and she bit at her lips. All the while, Reh-Tom the owl watched her, seeing through her thoughts and struggles.
Excuses came up in the young woman’s mind such as, “What change could I possibly make against twelve of them?” and “ Surely we’re on the same side, right? They probably won’t attack him.”
Yet, of course she was smarter than that. She knew how the heirs operated just by records of past histories, and this generation was likely to stay the same. They would get rid of any semblance of a threat if they could, and they would most definitely strike at the most opportune time where their target— or targets, were at their weakest.
Zan was an unknown and chaotic factor, they were very, very likely to get rid of him.
Other than that however, the owl blooded girl was also smart enough to know that she was making excuses for herself to feel better.
And even as she saw two of the draconic heirs landing on top of the shield of clouds, she did not make a move.
‘Oh young one, inaction is also an action and decision, in and of itself.’ Reh-Tom spoke in her mind.
Unfortunately Gayle could not hear those words that she needed most.
In the internal battle within her mind, her voice was the only one she heard, and the back and forth of that single voice led to frustrating and vexing indecision.
‘What happens if I can’t help him?’
‘What would happen if I try and fail?’
‘If I combine my bloodlines…but then everyone would know that secret!’
‘I can’t let anyone know unless I have to…’
Seconds passed and the girl was still stuck,
‘Didn’t I come to this place exactly because my future is based on serving under an heir?’
‘Wouldn’t attacking them just be counterintuitive to all I’ve done!?’
‘What about my team? What happens to them?’
‘They’re…relying on me.’
‘But…I’ve never had someone I could really talk to.’
‘Someone who I could call a friend and not a subordinate or member of my party.’
‘What if he loses his life here…’
‘But what about my own dreams?’
‘How could I get strong enough to explore the world if I die here right now?’
‘I just met him, but I’ve had my dreams for all my life.’
‘Yeah, what about my life?’
‘Could I—”
‘Or could we…possibly get out of this alive and then maybe…I don’t know. Maybe everything will work out?’
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
‘Am I really going to bet everything I’ve built on chance!?’
‘For someone I’ve just met?’
Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the golden haired young man.
“Hey.”
“Let’s go.”
“Wh— What?”
The heir looked towards the skies and Gayle’s eyes which were glued to the ground followed.
As the ten assailants attacked the five remaining ships of Everrain, hundreds of warrior casters and their Rain Priests combined their power to fend them off. The two opposing forces used whatever methods they could, whether they were artifacts or magical mechanisms. Surprisingly, the two forces were matched in a standstill. Not Agni nor Everrain were gaining any advantages in their full scale battle.
Though, even a deadlock was dangerous for the forces that came from the Empire of Fire. For each second that passed by, their array formation was being constantly worn down. Soon enough the immense energy that was supplying them with power and endurance was sure to go away.
“Prove your loyalty.”
“If the rest of us join in, we’re definitely going to win.”
“I…”
The young woman threw caution to the wind, making sure there was no trace of emotion on her face. If the heirs were to establish a relationship between her and Zan, she might not just face suspicion and distrust, they might even decide to eliminate her.
The girl knew she had no more time to decide. Taking too long to answer would either warrant suspicion, or cause the very people she wanted to work for to view her in an undependable light.
Her heart wanted the best of both, to have it all without the consequences, but her logical mind obviously knew that she couldn’t. Logic drove her to the most sensible and practical decision, despite it leaving a tight feeling in her chest and in her throat.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go.” The girl said emotionlessly, and the two flew up towards the remaining five ships.
The change in her tone was subtle enough to not be seen through by the young man, but it was not overlooked by the owl that flew away from her shoulder.
Gayle bit her lips till they bled, before she realized what she was doing and swallowed the blood back into herself, making sure that no one saw and that there were no traces.
Reh-Tom took note of the girl’s forceful display of nonchalance and detachment. Affirming in her mind that what Gayle did was the most logical and correct decision.
Yet…perhaps it’s not what she would have done. Gayle’s mother after all, despite her cold logic and demeanor, had passionately decided to marry and even have a child with her former enemy.
But obviously this situation had many complexities. This was this, and that was that.
Reh-Tom flew higher into the skies, and no one paid any attention to her. Though it was more correct to say that her existence seemed equivalent to the passing clouds and winds.
With her humongous eyes and aerial view, she watched as to how the events would further play out.
In a deeper layer of the universe, where mystery was the essence and linear logic was useless, a set of infinite possibilities, within a greater set of infinite possibilities, had converged back into one, before exploding again into an endless expanse of multidimensional realities.
Paths closed, and many more opened as a result.
…
Upon a drifting surface of clouds that still held the lingering energy of a powerful existence…
There, stood four very different individuals, whose lives were as complex, variant, and rich as any others.
There was not one character more important than the other. Well…at least on a universal level. The value of a life was not subject to any of the mortal measurements such as wealth, power or beauty. It was intrinsically immeasurable, for no true scales existed to measure it, and each one had a place of its own in the world.
Though, there were those who were going to make it out of this situation alive, and those who were not.
Zan was still on his hands and knees facing the ground. And because of that, no one saw as his mouth opened to show two sets of ravenous sharp teeth.
His body, mind and spirit were linked to the eldritch flesh, and because of that he could hear the alien creature pleading with him. Of course without the use of spoken words, but through the language of emotion, will and desire. It was telling that if he didn’t feed then both of them would die.
Yet be that as it may, Zan was still human. Engaging in the act of cannibalism, or more specifically in this case, live cannibalism, was not something he was so eager to do even if it meant saving his life.
At this current moment he was going through everything he could do to stop himself from eating a person alive. Although every thought that he had within his mind was subjected to untold amounts of suffering, he forced himself to think anyway.
‘Mayb– Maybe I— I– ca— can hold out until I find some real food.’
‘No!’
‘I!’
‘Fucking can’t!’
‘The sh– The ships!’
‘Arghhh!’
‘The— They migh– might have food.’
Zan struggled to close his bloodthirsty jaws, before he looked up to observe his blurry surroundings. The youth knew he had a limited amount of energy to work with, and he was not sure that he could leap such a distance towards one of the flying ships. Even if he was able to do so, by that point he wasn’t so sure that he would be sane enough to question why the food was running around, and instead take a bite out of an unlucky individual.
He stared at the ships, but before he could jump into action, the scene to his left caught his attention.
A whirlwind of flame manifested, and the figures in the fire resembled that of the majestic creatures of phoenixes and dragons. Within the circle of that whirlwind was a voluptuous woman of great beauty and conceit, and in the next moment, she lunged forward with her flaming sword.
The sword was not like Gayle’s talon sword of light and flame, which looked heroic and even slightly angelic. Although the blade was beautiful, the draconic heiress's crimson metal sword was more akin to a great demon's blood sword from hell.
Lloyd held his own sword high in the air, but his sword was shattered, and his will to gather the same energies of sorrow and grief was momentarily shaken by his dead lover’s last words.
“Forward,” she said. Before she held his swordhand up to protect him.
Lloyd wondered if that subtle action was just to keep him safe, and perhaps there was an underlying meaning behind it. Combined with the last word she said, the next moment ended with the painted sword of his accumulated grief shattering right in front of him.
Did she know that it would break if she placed it there? Did she want it to break?
With all that she did and said in that…dream…Lloyd made a few guesses of what her overall message to him was, and he was determined to live the rest of his life in that way.
But fate was unpredictable and unfathomable. Not long after her message for him and his newfound determination to live a more present, richer life, he was soon going to die.
…Again.
The swordsman watched as his enemy exploded forth, approaching him within half a second in a storm of flames.
The sword drove forward, piercing through the air. Lloyd was unwilling but death usually did not care if they were.
Crimson metal pierced through flesh, bathing itself in the blood of its victim.
…But the blood was black, and instead the blood dyed the sword in its colors. Where the sword was supposed to drink the life of its victim, it was now being drowned and strangled by it.
The person who took the impalement of the sword, was none other than Zan.