I'm on time! Second Monday of updates and it's looking good so far!
So yeah, here's the twelfth chapter of The Citadel of the Onis. As you can probably guess from the title, a lot of words will be thrown at our heroes before it all goes to heck. Will they be able to handle it? And are the cult members the only ones being mocked...?
See you at the bottom of the page!
Chapter 12: Being Mocked
The Vet couldn't deny that this woman was beautiful, in an ethereal, inhuman way. She was tall, with long, silver hair and gorgeous purple eyes. She was wearing a dress almost identical to the one the Author was wearing, even down to her bare feet. So very beautiful…
Oh, did the Vet loath her so.
"You!" She shouted, pointing at the heinous woman. "Let my sister go, NOW!" The woman waved a hand smoothly, sweeping her gaze across the crowd. Did she just… ignore her?
"Please, allow me to formally welcome you all to my world, seeing as you've already made yourselves at home here. I suppose it is no longer customary for you to knock before entering, is it?" Her mouth turned into a saccharine sneer. "You've all come so far… I always have admired human stubbornness… to a point. And what a stubborn lot you all are!"
The Vet glanced around; Gilbert seemed particularly shaken by the woman's voice, after having heard it in the mansion over and over. Brittany held an arm protectively in front of Casey, who for once didn't seem to mind so much. The Artist still had tears streaming down her face, though she was clearly trying hard to keep quiet. All of the other cult members around her were staring intently at the woman, barely glancing away for more than a second to meet eyes with their friends.
"Each of you ran head first into cheating me… and for what? For people like them?" Her gaze turned to the countries, standing in a half circle in front of Feliciano while staring up at her with trepidation. "But why? Why help these creatures, these things you know nothing of?" Her eyes slowly left the group of countries and flitted about the room, seeming to stare into their very souls. "Some of you may say you felt obligated into helping them; after all, they are like idols to you, yes? Some of you may have simply sought a thrill, or something to 'accomplish'. The rest of you don't even know why you're here, do you? Would you like me to tell you why?"
Silence.
Her gaze flicked to someone directly next to the Vet. "It was all because one of you decided to try to defy fate, decided to put everything on the line for some sense of self-importance. She even went so far as to risk what wasn't even hers to risk: your very lives." She propped her chin on the back of her hands, purple eyes still boring into that one person. "You all know who I'm talking about, yes?"
The Vet glanced at the cult's leader. Brittany Davis' face was white as a sheet, biting her lip as she stared back into the woman's eyes. The other cult members stood still, moving only their eyes as they glanced at Brittany, at each other, at themselves.
"She's…" The Vet gulped. "She's trying to make us doubt ourselves." Her voice pitched just a little louder. "Guys, we… we can't stop now—" Her voice caught in her throat when the woman's gaze snapped to her. It was like every spotlight in the world fell on her, judging her very existence.
"Of course," the woman drawled, tapping her chin as if she were in deep thought, "I suppose it would be unfair to put the blame on a single person for this situation you're in now, wouldn't it?" She pointed directly at the Vet, and now it was like the sun itself was her spotlight. "Take the Vet, for example. A noble profession, a noble name, a noble cause… when she so chooses." The woman shook her head and tutted, as if scolding a child. "So headstrong, and yet so flawed in that strength! In your pursuit of what was 'right', you've pushed your sister away. Now look at her." The Vet didn't need to look. She could see her sister every time she closed her eyes. "She is a husk of what she once was. A beautiful husk, to be sure, but regardless of if she lives or dies, you've sealed her fate."
The Vet was crying, but she could do nothing to hide.
The woman descended the stairs gracefully, and as she did so, Onis appeared beside her, staring eagerly at the cult. Everyone watched on silently, unable to think straight, much less prepare to fight.
This was a losing battle.
The woman raised her hands, as if she were about to conduct a chaotic orchestra. "Now… shall we begin?"
"You shall not."
Everyone immediately whipped their heads back up to the top of the stairs to see… Who was that?
For the life of her (and her life might actually be on the line soon), the Vet could not describe this mysterious newcomer. Every time she tried to put together words to describe them, the words fell apart and jumbled into nonsense. The only word she could think of clearly was "tall", but that couldn't possibly be enough. Their very voice was indescribable.
"You are bold, Materna," the person said.
"It can't be…" Brittany whispered beside her.
Materna? That's her name? Vet thought. Wait… didn't Brittany speak with an 'acquaintance' earlier? Is that who this is?
"However," the person continued, "your boldness ends here. You are quite mistaken if you think you can go behind my back for so long, in such close proximity to my presence."
The Vet quickly glanced at Materna. Materna was frowning, but if this person was about to keep her from killing them all and shut down her whole plan, shouldn't she look more… upset?
"…"
Someone whispered behind her, but the Vet didn't dare to look away. This person… Brittany's 'acquaintance'… commanded all attention.
"Your attempts at folly are at an end," the person continued. "For attempting to upset the balance of the multiverse and my place as its keeper, you and your family shall suffer for all of eternity."
"…trnarnd…"
The Vet heard it more clearly that time. Something about that voice wasn't right, but she could swear she almost recognized it.
The person was looking at her now, she realized. Apparently, they could sense her distraction.
"ENOUGH!" They shouted with enough force to break glass. "Everyone in this room shall listen well to my decree until I have finished speaking! Is that made CLEAR?"
"TURN AROUND!"
That distorted voice could only belong to one person.
At the Author's command, everyone turned around to see a monster—the monster—looming over Feliciano's barely conscious body.
The Vet fired her gun.
Oof. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will emotionally damage us forever.
So... is what Materna said about Brittany true? To an extent. Brittany, as revealed in pieces from throughout the series, never had many friends at school or even in online communities, and never much of a purpose beyond enjoying what she did like and dreading the 'real world'. Brittany would never mean to get anyone hurt by being ambitious, but what you think you'd do when presented with a life changing opportunity versus what you'd actually do can be surprisingly different. The Acquaintance likely had many candidates for starting the Cult of Veneziano (there are a lot of fans in the world), but Brittany fit the best with her abilities to follow instructions and her hidden potential as a leader (though how well she ended up following instructions is a bit of a gray area, given her sudden friendship and subsequent romantic relationship with Casey, and her attachment to many other cult members).
Man, Feli had it rough, huh? Lucky for him that his friends can try to comfort him in his state. Unlike the Author... Though it's possible that she's not as far gone as everyone thinks...
The Acquaintance appears in person for the first time since the prologue! They're a piece of work, as we will find out in future chapters, though they do have a personality beyond what they've shown so far. I wonder why no one can see them, or if anyone can see them...?
Anyway, I think I'll leave this chapter. Much shorter than the previous one, I know! But the action is going to end up tightly packed in the next two chapters, so buckle up! And remember to PLEASE leave a review, this series has been written over the course of literally seven years, so I'd like to get some feedback on it!
Anyhoo, I'll see you all next week. Until then!
