Elysia lay in pleasant silence, like most days. The sun poked out from above white clouds, soft winds caressed their huts, a few critters had strayed into the village before being shooed away, and the inhabitants followed each their own hobbies.
Zenrus quite enjoyed such days, bereft of hardship or responsibility. He knew it would be back to work eventually, but a moment of tranquility felt well deserved. Elysia became more quiet ever since Sorey and Mikleo left the nest, though even the time spent raising them both had been more of a vacation to the ancient malak. Odd, he wondered, that Sorey was already twenty years old; he aged within the blink of an eye to Zenrus, who knew that the sixty more years his ward might see would pass just as quickly.
More importantly to the old man, his boys were up against terrible odds; the current Lord of Calamity was bad news all around. He could not help but worry.
Into his worries however, a feeling of dread suddenly blossomed. The elder shuddered as his instincts screamed to flee, for a monster was near. He had to fight for composure, barely managing not to rush out and intercept the personified abyss before it could reach Elysia. For a moment he worried that thinking of Heldalf called him forth, but then his senses slowly adjusted to the power trespassing in his domain. Had anyone watched him, they could have noticed the way Zenrus' eyes widened.
It was not one greater being, there were two. Each one infinitely his greater, and one almost intimately familiar.
Pressing a hand on his chest where a human's heart would beat, Zenrus began to walk. He meandered out of the village, unconcerned as far as the villagers could see; they soon perked up regardless, following him with dawning horror. The dense cloud of Malevolence drawing toward Elysia lay on their senses like an omen of death, suffocating in its intensity even from a distance. From within shone the golden light of a god since banished beyond the heavens.
They fell still as one. No one dared speak for fear of drawing the Empyreans' ire. Zenrus' emotions ran wild, held in place by eons of experience; the domain remained his, despite the fact their visitors could have taken it as theirs with nary more than a thought.
The darkness touched down right before him, drawing back inward to reveal two figures; Innominat he would recognise anywhere, his incandescent shine banishing every shadow before casting more. Boyish he may be in size, but his expression was outright regal; the finest white and gold covered his frame, nearly matching his gently blowing hair in its radiance. He hovered next to his sister and could not be more different if he tried; Minkkubi garbed herself in a fine, black gown that flowed into many, red-trimmed layers to either side. Equally black gloves covered her arms from shoulder to fingertips and a curtain of liquid darkness cascaded down her back.
Two pairs of amber eyes moved over the arrayed seraphim; none were able to so much as lift a finger in their surprise, the Malevolence Minkkubi radiated staying contained in her shroud but ready to strike like a viper.
Seeing that he was still alive, Zenrus forced himself back under control and took a knee. "Empyreans Minkkubi and Innominat," he greeted reverently. "It is a great honour to meet you at last." The way their gazes focussed on him sent chills down Zenrus' spine, but he did not let it show. "What brings you to our humble village?"
"You're Zenrus?"
"Indeed I am."
The woman crossed her arms, Malevolence folding back behind her as a second domain layered over his. "Good. So you're in charge. We want to enter Camlann." The demand gave Zenrus pause for a moment, but he did not need clarification; they had come for Maotelus. Not to mention this was a courtesy; they could just break through if they so wished.
Chuckling, the ancient malak stood. "I see, so it is time at last? I did not expect the both of you to arrive in person."
"You take this a lot better than I thought you would," Innominat added from the side. Zenrus huffed at him, then motioned for the earth beneath.
"Zui came by a little while ago and told me what she did. So yes, I was aware. I knew you would come here one day as well. The darkness is yet contained." His eyes narrowed, wandering between the two understanding gods. "If I may ask, what exactly will happen with Maotelus?"
Much to his dismay, neither Empyrean met his gaze at first; Minkkubi clenched her fists while Innominat frowned, though it was the dark goddess who answered in the end: "We're saving him, no matter how." The way her expression darkened made it clear she would not take no for an answer, although it puzzled her when he began to chuckle about it. Everyone else stared at him like he lost his mind, though Zenrus did not care much. He allowed himself to laugh, stepping toward the bemused goddess.
"It's good to know you have not changed a bit, Velvet."
"...you know me?"
"I do, my dear girl. Empyrean or no, that strong will of yours has carried you far." He chuckled again, reaching up to clasp Velvet's hand. "If you would indulge an old man, do not just waltz through but take the passage in the ruins beneath. Mikleo's mother strengthened the seal with her resonant soul, it would not do to let the Malevolence she died to shackle escape." The woman nodded in understanding, though a frown quickly chased away her soft smile.
"Mikleo is a seraph."
"But he was not always," Zenrus told her gently. "His first life ended before he was more than a babe, not that he would remember." By the sudden grief in her entire posture, he knew she understood. Now however, having ascertained that they actually met, he could not help but ask: "Are he and Sorey alright?"
"They're fine. We got them off the continent to explore some ruins, so they're out of the way for now." He barked a laugh in response, clearly understanding why Velvet herself smirked. The expression fell right quick, however. "That aside, you just reminded me; you're ancient, right?" She did not even wait for his confirmation. "Then you should probably know that we lost Magilou Mayvin, not even a month ago."
This startled Zenrus. He had not even known the Mayvin was still alive, but hearing she died hurt regardless. "I see," he muttered. "A thousand years are a long time for a human to live. Would you show me to her grave once this matter is settled?"
"There is no grave."
"...pardon?"
Laphicet Crowe chuckled mirthlessly before repeating himself: "There is no grave. Magilou's body was incinerated as per her wishes, and from her soul was born the fire seraph Enya." He paused there, giving Zenrus a moment to digest the news. "We didn't have the time to build her a proper memorial yet."
That at least explained how Mikleo's tale reminded Velvet of Magilou. He inclined his head once more. "Then I gladly lend my aid to this endeavour. Once the matter at hand matter is resolved." The Empyreans scrutinised him momentarily, but nodded their assent. Zenrus huffed in response. "Now off with you two. I have a few questions to answer in the meantime." There were gazes boring into his back, the other seraphim obviously curious about the situation.
"Just in case," Laphicet interrupted as he placed a pre-fabricated teleportation arte on the ground, "we will leave this here. The fighting might spill over. If it does, pass through this to find shelter."
Zenrus inclined his head gratefully, suppressed worries easing somewhat over the display. He hesitated a moment before speaking: "Thank you. I wish you all the luck in this world." There was no response, but they all knew these two would need it. Velvet turned fully and raised her hand in goodbye as the siblings marched off.
While the Empyreans made haste to pass through the winding corridors among the mountainside, Hyaci Maltran led a force hundreds strong into the entrance of a similar structure. Old ruins, nearly fallen apart and in a state of disrepair; a recent earthquake collapsed several supporting columns, she noticed. Thankfully, none of the broken corridors were of relevance to the Blue Valkyrie. She continued to lead her hellions through abandoned pathways, wondering where the expected opposition was; after so much backlash against her side's general movements, Hyaci refused to believe they had not noticed their march on Camlann. Yet no matter how many layers they passed, no one accosted them. Careful observation of any side passages and other ambushes revealed nothing, either.
A shiver ran down Hyaci's spine every once in a while, her senses on high alert; if anything, the wait for what she knew would happen eventually made her tense up even more. It took her an hour to realise this may be the idea behind the absence of hostiles.
By the second hour of their speedy ascent, she noticed there may be another stratagem at play; with every grand staircase they ascended, the corridors grew more narrow. Where at first the whole battallion could march in three wide lines, five of them could barely continue shoulder to shoulder. If this were the plan, Hyaci reasoned, they would soon encounter a small elite force; it was the logical conclusion and somewhat worrisome, though Hyaci kept a cool head.
Just as they climbed the penultimate layer toward the third hour, she stopped and raised a hand to bid her forces halt. Sharp eyes lay on the two distant figures, clad in grey with gold and blue with black respectively; one was pristine, the other wreathed in Malevolence. The dim light was to blame for her to not recognise a familiar face, as her gaze was first drawn to the clearly visible fox tail behind the hellion. Only upon spotting the spear held at rest did Hyaci strain her eyes to make out the other woman. What she found was surprising... and sent a quiet pang of woe through her chest. She paid those feelings no mind however, striding forward with purpose. The warriors expecting her remained at rest, though cautious. A sudden charge was out, they expected that.
"Clever," Hyaci began after halving the distance, "to confront us here, where the number of my troops is more of a hindrance." Her voice carried easily in the ancient halls, echoing halfway through the structure. "Although I must admit I did not expect you of all people, Alisha. So you have finally fallen?"
Her attempt to push merely made the erstwhile princess purse her lips. "I believe the common folk has an idiom for such matters," she returned over the same distance; Hyaci shivered over how hard her voice sounded. "How did it go again? Ah yes, 'pot calling the kettle black'." The hand Alisha had on her spear tightened while Hyaci allowed herself to huff.
"And you grew a spine while you were at it. Or perhaps it is just more pronounced now," she mused, halting several spearlengths before the two women. "Your will was always strong."
"Stronger than you know," the blonde by Alisha's side chimed in. She drew her blade properly now, but made no motion to strike just yet. "I had always wondered the kind of person Hyaci Maltran would be. Alisha only ever sung your praises when the subject came up. Meeting you in person, I understand that your reknown is indeed earned." Her gaze strayed to the hellions slowly coming to stand behind Hyaci while the woman herself arched an eyebrow.
"And you would be?" Her question earned a tired smile, as well as the formation of two figures now flanking the girl and Alisha. One she did not know, a tall, broad-shouldered man whose scowl almost made her backpedal. The other, she knew far too well. Hyaci made an understanding noise as she met Symonne's gaze. "So this is where you went after betraying the Lord of Calamity."
The seraph girl's expression clouded over just as she hoped, but there was no further reaction to Hyaci's words; so they had known already. Symonne's vessel put a soothing hand on her partner's shoulder, but never took her eyes off the threat. "Symonne made her choice, it is not for you to criticise her." The near-growl almost drew another huff from Hyaci. Competent they may be, but getting under their skin was quite simple; then again, perhaps they felt hesitant to commit as well. Were Alisha not here, the battle would have begun already.
"The point is moot," her former student cut off the discussion, "for all that remains is you and those behind you. The Age of Chaos ends today, Lady Maltran. As we speak, the Empyreans move to free Maotelus of his shackles; even if we are to fall here, you shall not succeed."
"And yet you stand before me," Hyaci deflected calmly, though this new information had her mind racing; if it was true, she already lost. But there was no way any other Great Lords could be active, except that Alisha had never been a good liar. She was far too confident of herself, so either she had been fooled... or else. Her gaze went to Symonne again, whose expression hardened into her former blank mask by now.
"I wished it so," Alisha admitted, raising her weapon. "I prepared myself extensively to face you today. Who would have thought," she continued with a wry smile, "that this is my graduation?" Hyaci allowed herself an unladylike snort, but nodded her agreement. She raised her own weapon while the hellions began to growl, but halted when Alisha raised her hand. "One last matter before we begin. There is a question I would like to ask." Hyaci almost rolled her eyes in response, expecting the usual fare of 'why' she never felt like answering. But as a last service to her brightest student, she remained in place.
Once again, Alisha surprised her: "Why is it that birds fly?"
It appeared her companions were just as surprised; even the yet unnamed blonde broke her constant vigil momentarily to stare, though Alisha held Hyaci's gaze instead. The older woman considered the question with due attention, but found she needed not think for long. "Birds fly because flying is their birthright," Hyaci Maltran declared, clearly aware of what the actual question was. "And forevermore, even if their wings art broken, they will strive to embrace the sky."
She received a contemplative silence. Alisha nodded and the girl by her side exhaled slowly. They tensed a moment later and Hyaci could not help but grin. "Charge!" she cried just as they burst forward, shooting off to meet her student in battle for the last time.
Hyaci expected Alisha to be stronger and faster than before. She was still unprepared for the blur of motion ramming into her chest.
Alisha's furious charge slammed her erstwhile teacher back into her troops, sending far more massive bodies stumbling to the ground. Hyland's most decorated knight caught the horn of a mutated lizardman and nearly tore their head off in a bid to reverse her momentum. Her troops rallied without fear, closing the gap. Just as Hyaci pulled herself forward however, Margaret surged past her with barely a glance. A quick swipe was deflected and the girl was past, sliding on a rail of water. Weaving between the larger enemies, her Armatus' floating daggers poked out eyes and other soft targets in passing.
A mixture of werewolf and lamia lunged at her with fangs bared, but rushed past a metre to her right. The hellion's side tore open from a quick slash as it understood the illusion, eyes widening just before a fist crashed into its face and shattered it. Eizen hammered his victim into the ground, his strike leaving a crater. He caught another werewolf making to lunge for his back with one hand, then stomped the ground. Gleaming ochre chains rose from the ground and entangled two lizardmen just as Hyaci crashed into them; the lesser hellions crumbled while the Valkyrie flew past, her spear shattered from an attempt to block. Alisha followed right after.
Hyaci turned her fall into a roll, feeling the force of her student's strike hitting where she just was. Ancient stone crumbled just as Hyaci's foot found pursuit, pushing her out of the follow-up swipe. Alisha's speartip buzzed by, leaving behind a strand of wine red hair and a piece of blue cloth. A spray of purplish blood slapped both items from the air, the orc it belonged to squealing in pain while their opponent circled around. She embedded her blade in the hellion's spine, separating it with a smooth motion just as she separated in two.
Margaret sheathed her dagger as Symonne slid away, hands in dark leather gloves reaching out. A larger hand covered hers and her call was lost amidst the cacophony, though the light was not. Blonde hair was replaced with ochre, her ethereal glow renewed; the wounded orc swung their warhammer, only for their opponent to vanish. Flame consumed the beast a moment later. "You're wide open!" a union of two voices shouted while their target slammed into them from behind. "Burn!"
The living torch crashed into a couple of blinded hellions, setting them ablaze just as they were launched sideways. One such projectile hit the blocking Alisha's side, preventing her attempt to push back Hyaci. She was buried beneath a mass of meat and muscle while her opponent followed up.
Hyaci used the momentary break to form a new spear from Malevolence; just as the darkness solidified, Alisha pushed her burning soldier away. The werewolf's pained howl was ended by a single slash of her spear, decapitating the enemy. Alisha dashed forward as its head began to fall, laying into her opponent with swift stabs and vicious swipes. Hyaci learned her lesson however, weaving through the flurry with haste more than grace; she could barely follow the younger woman's motions, only a decade of experience sparring with her kept Hyaci alive.
To the Blue Valkyrie, it was a second dance with death less than two months after her last one. She had known she was outmatched after their very first exchange. Alisha fought with a lethal grace not unlike her own, never wavering in her assault yet also not overextending. Battle raged around them but neither woman cared for it, attention solely on each other for the danger they represented. Any lesser which stood in their path was batted aside like a bit of fluff. The gap in power between them was vast, Hyaci knew, yet skill and experience let her bridge it in part.
Dying screams and sprays of blood roared all around them, courtesy of Margaret and her seraphim. To the hellions still capable of thought, the epitome of a shepherd had descended from the realm of fantasy; motions descended from Claudin himself, refined by Artorius and reimagined by Velvet. Margaret switched from one Armatus to the next, drawing in Symonne and Eizen respectively while keeping together by force of will and the endless energy of youth. As water she flowed past her enemies while leaving lethal wounds in her wake, hiding her position with careful illusions. As earth, she roared and hammered into her enemies like the fist of an angry god.
Her opponents were mighty, swift, and ferocious. Yet venomisation took the minds they would need to truly see; her actions were like clockwork, drawing enemies toward faked openings only to run into devastating counters. The straightforward nature of beasts could not match such calculated cunning as the first shepherd's soul sung in steel.
Slowly but surely, the force of hellions was whittled down. Alisha kept up her stalemate with Hyaci, though both knew it was not to last. Though focussed, they remained aware of the carnage; the entire hallway was drenched in purple, teacher and student ever more often trampling corpses in their battle. The living and the dead turned into springboards or higher ground; Alisha defended her perch atop a large lamia with careful sweeps, only to have Hyaci sweep it away under her feet. Controlled heat roared through her body, surging out of her tail and over a ducking Hyaci's head; Alisha landed by the time her opponent could strike again, another stab swiftly blocked.
"To my own detriment," Hyaci found herself speaking over the noise, "I taught you well." She considered escape, fully aware that she would tire long before Alisha. Her student made full use of her greater power, limiting herself to minimal energy expenditure while forcing Hyaci to exhaust herself.
Both women refrained from clashing again, circling each other warily. A screaming werewolf flew past in-between. Alisha's face remained a mask of calm as she responded: "Neither of us expected it to end like this. Are you truly not willing to relent? To surrender and accept a new cause?"
"As if you would spare me at this point."
Hyaci surged forward to stab her again, fully aware of Alisha's narrowed eyes. Much to her surprise, there was no parry like before, no block. Alisha flicked her spear aside and let Hyaci's puncture her gut; despite the thrust's force however, it barely penetrated. Alisha's hand held onto the weapon while a rivulet of blood flowed from the wound, purple like everyone else's. A hellion about to jump the still woman from behind was caught by her tail as it turned into a vicious maw; the beast screamed while Alisha devoured it, the noise of tearing flesh and snapping bones shocking Hyaci into silence.
Alisha pointed behind her back, where the champion of light yet raged against an ever-weakening tide of darkness. "Symonne was granted a chance to redeem herself," she told the stunned Hyaci. "I offer you the same. Heldalf is dead and has been for months. You lost. Continuing beyond this point is futile. Surrender. And live."
Hyaci kept standing there, lost. She thought she had a chance, but Alisha just demonstrated that this fight was not about overcoming the odds; she stopped a killing blow dead with her own body, yet received little more than a scratch. Hyaci's hellions were slaughtered by the lesser combatants of their group. If Heldalf truly died, then it was indeed over. Even if Alisha lied, which Hyaci knew she did not, he was not here. He could not stop the slaughter.
"Traitor!" a voice hissed from the side and both women moved at once; Alisha let go of Hyaci's spear, allowing her to bring it around and stab the furious lizardman's gut before it could disembowel her. Before the other hellion even registered the hit, dark lightning crackled over it in such a force that Hyaci could smell the ozone; it dropped to the ground, convulsing violently.
Their eyes found the other again and Hyaci saw; there was a spark of something new in Alisha. Something she had not seen in years. "You changed," she uttered softly as pride and despair warred within. Alisha nodded solemnly, though a smile blossomed on her face quite soon.
"In losing my humanity, I was given hope and power to bring the change I so desire," she answered. The fighting subsided all around them, Hyaci noticed; Alisha's companion methodically cut down one after another. Her elite forces, venomised to great power, were found wanting. Her time was running out.
With a defeated sigh, the Blue Valkyrie let her spear dissipate. "I surrender," she declared morosely. "Show me your gods, and I shall see about changing my mind."
Alisha beamed.
Hyaci marched while thinking herself a conqueror; now she was stopped with such perfidious ease, only to realise she became the conquered instead. Just as she thought so, the burly seraph man broke her final soldier's neck; once it fell and the echo subsided, there was silence. Blessed, final, deafening silence. From where she stood, Hyaci noticed Symonne huff at the sight of her; the seraph girl quickly focussed on her partner however, tending to what few scratches the girl received.
"I'll keep an eye on her," the sole man in their group told Alisha as he strode toward them, pointing toward the corpses with his thumb. "You clean up."
"Ah, of course. Thank you." Alisha turned back to Hyaci then, offering a shy smile. "I will be right back."
The erstwhile princess wandered off, leaving her defeated teacher with that companion of hers; Hyaci took the opportunity to study the man and took note of his defined muscle. His silent stoicism stood out as well. "Not a word of disagreement, despite the fact I was leading operations in Hyland?"
He shrugged in response, either ignoring her inquisitive tone or unbothered by it. "It's her choice to make, not mine. She's kinder than the last hellion I traveled with." That gave Hyaci pause, leading to another careful once-over. He did not resemble anyone she knew, so likely not another of Heldalf's former retainers.
"Would that be someone known?" Hyaci inquired, only to receive a huff.
"First Lord of Calamity."
Only decades of practice keeping her outward calm prevented her from gaping, both about the revelation and the flippant tone he delivered it in. Before she could inquire further however, the awful sound of tearing flesh filled her ears. Head snapping around, Hyaci was once again subjected to the sight of her prized student feeding a hellion twice her size into that tail of hers. She recalled the same happening not long ago, but everything else distracted her. With this reminder, Hyaci felt herself concerned as well as confused. If her student empowered herself with venomisation, just how many hellions did she devour to get that strong? And more importantly, how was she keeping her sanity?
The sight did not appeal to Hyaci either, but she had seen worse in the past. "Her will must be greater than I ever knew," she mused while Alisha methodically 'cleaned' the area of corpses. The seraph snorted, but did not respond to her attempt at coaxing out information.
"It is," another voice chimed in then, "but that is unrelated to her remaining sane." Symonne strolled up to them, her human partner in tow. "I didn't expect you to surrender just like that."
Hyaci merely arched an eyebrow at her former partner in crime, hiding away her own uncertainty beneath indifference. Instead of indulging Symonne, she studied her partner; blonde, younger than anticipated, and completely fine. Yet the girl did not stand at ease; her arm remained angeled the slightest bit, hand close to her scabbard. She could draw in a single motion. The leg she focussed her weight on was bent a little, allowing for an immediate motion in any direction. The teacher in Hyaci could not help but admire this girl. She offered a nod of acknowledgement. "Your level of preparation is impressive," she granted, "I doubt I ever saw a prodigy of that caliber before." She surpassed even Alisha, whom Hyaci had every reason to be proud of.
Her praise drew a smile out of the blonde, though her guard did not relax. "Thank you, ma'am."
Seeing that neither of these two were willing to engage her and Alisha remained busy -crunch- Hyaci then turned to Symonne. "Now that I actually have the chance, I would have your reason for defecting."
The water seraph remained silent for a long moment, eyes downcast. Hyaci observed curiously, unused to how freely Symonne emoted. The girl sighed after glancing to her partner. "You would not believe the pull genuine kindness and affection can have on someone as starved for it as I am. I had no logical reason, no sudden desire to betray everything I helped build, but over time I changed. And before I knew it, I no longer wanted a world of darkness."
Hyaci listened, somewhere between baffled and desolate. Her lips curled up unconciously as morbid mirth bubbled up from the pit in her stomach. "Kindness," she huffed out."Overabundant kindness was our downfall, in the end?" She did not need Symonne's nod to know it was true, chuckling quietly to herself. Then the chuckle grew in volume until Hyaci was laughing. She bent over, clutching her stomach as peals of laughter echoed through the broken, ancient halls. She could not help it, for this was all she still had. The sheer comedy of how it all came to be, the reasons behind it all, and that it happened when they were so close already.
Vaguely aware of the concerned looks from all around, Hyaci continued to howl in laughter. Her control slipped and darkness coiled out from within, weaving around her like a cocoon. Hyaci Maltran's body contorted, growing thinner and taller to the point her battledress slid off. All feminine traits receded, fingers growing in size to twice their length, turning thin as needles and supremely sharp. Razor teeth gleamed out of a crescent mouth set in a head devoid of hair, a forked tongue flicking to take in the many scents. Vertically inclined eyes blinked down at the surprised bunch while Hyaci's laughter slowly trailed off.
Letting out one last huff, she straightened to tower over all of them and waited out the silence. Alisha stared at her with widened eyes, but soon went to finish her grisly work. Ultimately, it was Symonne to speak first: "I always wondered what your true form looks like." Her dry tone failed to hide her surprise.
"And did you expect this?"
"No. I do not even know what I expected, but it was not this."
Hyaci huffed once more, but left it at that. She rolled her shoulders, flexed her fingers; remaining in her compact human form at all times was tiring. While working out some of the tension however, Hyaci glanced toward the entrance to Camlann; she could attempt to make a dash for it, but the cautious blonde stood right next to her. Hyaci could not gauge her speed clearly so far, but the reaction to her attempt would be immediate. Not to mention Alisha was done and returning to them now.
She lost. Risking her life at this point was foolish if oh so tempting, as Hyaci's dream of the crown still persisted. But she resisted and sized up the victors. "Now, I believe I said so before: show me your gods." The seraphim began to grin, though Alisha and her human companion conferred with but glances; whatever notions passed between them however, they ultimately took her along. With how slow it went, she took the time to fish for information again: "You two seem to have grown close."
"Quite so," Alisha agreed softly. "Margaret and I, and Symonne for that matter, have been together for the better part of a year by now." A quiet huff sounded, followed by an easy grin thrown at Hyaci. "It is ironic how losing everything gave me more than I ever had."
She agreed, though the yet unnamed seraph man spoke over anything Hyaci may have said: "Life has a habit of doing that. All it takes to change everything is a chance encounter, or a single choice made by the right person."
"So you mean destiny?" she could not help but ask. "Fate?" The response was a laugh.
"No. None of that nonsense. Each of us has their own path to walk, their own choices to make. Nothing compels us to act in any way beside what we want."
"That kind of mindset can get you killed."
"I know, but that doesn't matter. Even if my own choices lead to my death, it is I who made them and so I have no regrets. I am steering my own ship."
Once their exchange ended, Alisha piped up quietly: "I wish I had as much confidence as you, Eizen." She did not appear sad about being found wanting, though.
"You're already doing it right now," her companion shot back.
"Not everyone can do as they please," Margaret reminded her partner with a sigh. "And not everyone wishes to do so. Many are perfectly happy living an ordinary life as an ordinary citizen." So as a sheep, Hyaci thought but did not say; going by how he rolled his eyes, Eizen might have similar thoughts.
"You're misinterpreting what I said."
"Which was that everyone should do what makes them happy, just in man-speak to sound tough."
Margaret and Alisha dissolved into giggles while Eizen frowned at a grinning Symonne for her cheek; even Hyaci had to suppress the urge to smirk. Seeing them banter so freely however, she suddenly felt alien; these were the same people who just exterminated an overwhelming force of hellions like pests.
Before she could come to terms with it, the earth began to shake. Old murals around them shuddered and cracked, then another shake brought down parts of the ceiling. The four around her exchanged severe glances and nods, forcing Hyaci to inquire herself: "What is going on?"
Symonne told her everything she needed to know in but three words: "It has begun."