Book VII: A Master and his Doll
Chapter L
"Sir, we've begun the data injection into the blade you brought us," a shorter man in a lab coat said.
"Good," Adonis replied. "Is the titan near?"
"Yes sir, it approaches now, unaware that we're here."
Adonis smiled. "This titan has hid away from me for four hundred years now. Last time we met, I stole what I needed from him, but now... He's the only one who can take me to the World Tree."
"Sir, what if the titan doesn't comply?" the man asked.
Adonis smiled. "If he doesn't I will kill him, it's that simple. Mythra can take us there if need be, but I'd rather have more than one option."
Adonis looked up and smiled again, as he saw a large creature resembling a dragon fly overhead.
"FIRE!" he shouted as a large blast of ether energy hit the titan directly.
It roared as it began trying to fly away.
Adonis jumped into the air, hitting a large tree. He bent it down to the ground, and the tree flicked Adonis into the air towards the titan.
He pulled his sword as it began glowing teal and he slammed it into the titan's flesh.
"Come on Azurda, fight a little harder! Or are you too old?" Adonis laughed.
...
"He still isn't awake yet?" Gabriel asked Acacia.
Acacia nodded her head. "The ether damage he sustained was more than he should've been able to take. I don't even know how he's breathing right now."
"He's been out off eight days now," Canaan acknowledged.
"Oh my poor driver!" Azami exclaimed. "He's too cute to die!"
"Calm yourself, Azami," Sheba said. "It won't do for us to worry about him."
"Poppi worried...," Poppi added.
"Poppi not need to worry!" Rafi comforted. "Silas strong! Silas surely get up soon!"
"Mythra taken too...," Poppi said.
"Who?" Finch asked. She had already forgotten who Mythra was.
"Don't rack your brain over it Finch," Canaan calmed.
"Acacia, my sensor indicate a large amount of stress in your system, sleeping is the most effective course of action to counterbalance this," KOS-MOS interrupted.
"I'm fine, KOS-MOS," Acacia argued.
Kasandra, who had been sitting silently, sat up and began walking towards the room I was staying in.
"You alright Kasandra?" Gabe asked.
She sighed. "I'm fine. I'll give Acacia a break and go be his good luck charm for a bit..."
Acacia seemed annoyed. "No... really, I'm fine. I'll just—"
Kasandra cut her off. "Your blade knows you as well as you know yourself, go rest."
Acacia sighed. She looked relieved, but hid it well. "Thanks, I'll go take a rest."
Kasandra didn't look anyone in the eye as she walked into the room, she then shut the door behind her.
"You're going to rest to," Sonata said as she walked out into the middle of the room, grabbed Gabriel, and dragged him off. He didn't argue.
Canaan picked up Finch. "How about we go get some rest too?"
"Ok, but where are we?" Finch asked.
Canaan sighed. "For the eighth time, we're in Theoscaldia's hotel."
"Oh ok! I won't forget this time!"
"I... doubt it."
Soon, everyone went to bed, the only one not passed out was Kasandra, who sat by Silas.
"I don't know how you do it...," she said aloud. "Or better yet... why?"
She looked onto my unconscious body. "The entire world's against you and you're nothing but a farm boy. How do you keep going?"
She pulled up her chair and laid her head sideways on my bed. "Everyone really cares about helping you... I hope you know that."
Before she knew it, she passed out too.
That night, I left.
I got up, left the inn, and went to the palace. Nothing was being guarded, so I grabbed one of Zeke's old ships and I flew out of there. I was never going back.
...
https/youtu.be/TV0uYFPEkks
It had been five days since I had abandoned being a driver, they hadn't come for me, they probably didn't know where I was.
I had just made it home, and I sat down on Granny's front steps to her house. I... wasn't ready to face her yet. But she had seen me, as she was outside.
She walked up and looked over me.
"What are you doing back, Silas?" she questioned.
"I... I'm home, Granny. I... wasn't cut out to be a driver," I said simply.
"Not cut out?" she asked in her Welsh accent. "Whaddya mean your 'not cut out'?"
"You weren't there Granny," I explained. "He beat down Malos! Malos took on an entire army and slaughtered them all! But he couldn't even touch him! I... I couldn't touch him!"
"Where's Mythra?" she interrogated.
"She threatened to kill herself to save me, but Adonis knocked her out before she could even finish a sentence," I began crying. "I'm nothing more than a joke! He had power! Power like I've never seen! I couldn't even see him move..."
Granny sat down next to me, and laughed a bit.
"You know, Rex had the same thoughts one day," Granny started.
"He did? What happened?" I asked. "I thought he was the perfect driver!"
"Jin beat 'em and took Mythra. He humiliated Rex, and then accused him of being unable to understand a blade. Three days later, he packed 'is bags and said he was gonna leave," Granny explained.
"I... had no idea," I said. "What happened?"
Her tone shifted extremely quickly as she shoved me off the stairs. I hit the ground and was fairly confused.
"I shoved his arse on the ground!" she shouted. "Mythra trusted you! She understands she can't exist on her own so she turns to people she believes she can trust! And you just abandoned her?! Are you daft?"
"I tried!" I argued. "And she already got most of her memory back! I only stayed because—"
"Because what?!" Granny interrupted. "Lemme guess, you felt powerful, like you could do anything?"
"How did you know?" I questioned.
Granny sighed. "Because you're not her first driver. Everyone wants to feel big and important Silas. You tasted defeat, and now you're just going to give it all away!"
"I... don't want to fight him... he's too powerful, I'd just die. She's better off with him."
She looked pissed again. "She would've died for you, I hope you understand that Silas."
Granny got up and went back inside, she didn't have anything more to say.
And so I sat there. I cursed everything up until that point. I was angry at the stupid cave, Adonis, Pyra, Violet, Juliani, this whole thing had been stupid.
I didn't want to ever step foot outside of Leftheria again...
...
"What do you mean he's gone?!" Acacia asked, startled.
"I don't know! He wasn't there after I got up!" Kasandra defended.
"One of the ships is gone!" Gabriel brought up.
"Do you think he'd try to save her on his own?" Sheba questioned.
"Knowing the brat, he probably gave up and went home," Malos interjected.
They mostly ignored him.
"Let's get to our ship," Acacia decided. "We need to figure out where he went."
"The ship has departed," KOS-MOS stated.
"What?!" Sonata asked.
"Azami has taken it."
"Oh no...," Sheba said in realization. "She's going after him alone!"
...
"You can't sneak away from me that easily," Azami said as her left eye shined a bright purple. "I see you no matter where you hide! I'm coming."
Readability Level: 11-12th Grade
Time Taken: 3 Hours