The Light of A Broken Destiny: Frustration Boiling Over
Akari shook her head to clear it and hurried to catch up with Hunter. Once she was back with the group, she looked at the grimwalker. The swordswoman frowned as she pondered her next question.
Hunter most had sensed eyes on him as he looked at Akari. The young blonde frowned as he noticed the expression on the young woman.
"Is something else on your mind?" Hunter asked curiously.
Akari sighed and nodded. "It's just…I have seen people like Odalia before, and as far I know, people like her are all show," she answered. "It just doesn't sit right with me."
Hunter nodded, his frown turning into a thoughtful expression. He couldn't deny Odalia's sudden power increase didn't sit right with him. He had studied magic for most of his life, and the power that woman gained was too massive to be natural.
Hunter's frown deepened as he searched through his memories, trying to recall if he had even read anything similar happening. The only similar event that came to mind was Belos, but Hunter doubts Odalia somehow gained a star child's favor for a power boost.
The grimwalker shook his head to get rid of these thoughts; he knew from experience that thinking too long about the subject wouldn't do any good.
"...Is everything okay, Hunter?" Akari asked curiously.
Hunter looked at the swordswoman, dawning a neutral expression. That expression didn't last as he noticed the look Akari was giving him.
The expression Akari wore once again remained Hunter about the girl he considered a sister, and for a moment, he saw her face. The grimwalker needed to look away from the swordswoman, feeling tears welling up in his eyes.
"...Luz," Hunter said sadly under his breath.
Akari watched Hunter, noticing subtle changes in his body language, and frowned regretfully. She could take a guess what the grimwalker was thinking about, and it made her feel bad. The swordswoman sighed and picked up her pace, getting ahead of Hunter, so he didn't have to be around him to cause him more grief.
"...I'm still making people suffer," Akari muttered self-loathingly.
Akari kept her pace, passing Willow and Gus. The two witches watched as the human girl walked past them and exchanged looks.
Willow frowned, looked back at Hunter, and saw the confused expression on his face. She looked back at the swordswoman and picked up her pace. She got beside Akari, but the swordswoman kept her eyes on the path.
Willow stared at the human, trying to figure out what to say to the woman. It didn't help matters that Willow was still a little on edge with Akari.
Still, something about the way the human moved and acted remained Willow of her best friend, and that made her want to help her.
"Where are we going?" Akari suddenly asked, not looking at Willow.
Willow blinked, surprised by the question. She quickly composed herself and then looked around. The plant witch studied the area and recognized where her group was.
Willow made a spell circle and tipped it against her forehead. Her eyes glowed green, and she looked around again. The area was mostly clear, but she had learned not to trust her eyes. Once she was sure there was no one following them via illusion, Willow looked back at Akari.
"We're going to meet up with the others we get separated from," Willow explained.
Akari nodded, then looked around. She frowned as she noted the area; it was open enough that an ambush wasn't likely. Still, something was nagging at the swordswoman, like she was forgetting something.
Akari looked forward, putting this feeling into the back of her head. Instead, she decided to focus on something else.
"Willow…" Akari asked, getting the witch's attention. "What do you know about this Empress? I asked your friend just now, but I was wondering if you had anything to add?"
Willow looked at Akari, and the Japanese woman saw the slight hint of suspicion in the witch's eyes. The plant witch stared at Akari for a few seconds, then sighed.
"If you talk to Hunter about Odalia," Willow said, scowling, "Then there's nothing more to tell you."
Akari frowned, noting the anger in the witch's voice. She sighed and looked back at Hunter. The grimwalker was talking about something with Gus, but Akari saw him look in her direction now and then.
"...Yeah," Akari said lowly, looking at Willow. "But I'm just trying to cover everything, like my sensei always tells me. So I want to know your take on things."
Willow eyed Akari suspiciously for a second, then sighed. "I don't know what I could add," she said reluctantly, "But what did Hunter tell you."
Akari nodded and told the young witch everything she had learned from Hunter. Willow listened intently, a frown growing on her face. She looked at the grimwalker with her eyes, something Akari didn't miss but chose not to voice.
"...Well," The plant witch said hesitantly after Akari finished, "There's something Hunter didn't tell you."
Akari kept her face void of emotions as she saw the young witch become conflicted. Willow looked at the boys, and Akari followed her eyes. The swordswoman frowned when she saw the plant witch was looking at Gus.
Akari narrowed her eyes as she studied the youngest witch. She noticed for the first time that Gus was holding himself differently; it was just a bit, but the young illusionist was favoring his right side.
The Japanese woman looked back at Willow, hoping for some more information. The plant witch noticed Akari looking at her and sighed.
"Hunter told you what happened to my family," Willow said, stating a fact, "But what he didn't say was what happened to Gus."
Akari could feel her stomach turning but kept composed as she gestured for Willow to continue. The witch sighed and looked at the ground, face twisting with fury. Willow stopped walking as her fists clenched so tight it was a wonder why she wasn't bleeding.
Akari saw this, stopped, and got close to Willow. Before she could do anything to comfort Willow, the witch noticed her state and sighed. She looked at her hands for a second, then let them go limp at her side.
Willow then looked at her oldest friend, her anger giving away to sorrow. She looked away and began walking again. Akari looked at the witch for a moment, frowning before she hurried after the witch.
"...You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," the swordswoman said comfortingly.
Willow didn't say anything, nor did she look at Akari. Akari accepted this and looked around, trying to keep her mind on other matters to keep her from wondering.
The group walked in silence, keeping their eyes and ears open for any signs of trouble. After nearly fifteen minutes of walking, Hunter stopped and looked around. Akari frowned as she watched the grimwalker scan the area.
The Japanese woman watched as Hunter went over to a rock. He tipped it once, waited about 20 seconds, and gave it another tip.
Hunter nodded and looked at his friends, a silent message being sent between the two witches and one artificial being.
Akari looked between the three, frowning. She saw the rock Hunter tipped and walked up to it. She studied the rock that came up to her knees before touching it. The human woman felt that the mineral was solid.
Akari's frown deepened as she studied the rock. She looked at Boiling Islanders and saw they were keeping watch for something. The swordswoman looked back at the rock and extended her right arm.
She tipped the rock in the way she saw Hunter did and gasped when she felt a tingle go through her arm. Akari looked at her arm as the tingling feeling faded. She stared at the limb for a second, then turned to face the Islanders.
"...I'm just saying," a familiar voice said calmly, "This plan will eventually turn against you."
Akari gasped as she knew that voice anywhere and looked ahead. She didn't need to look long as another group came into view, and she turned to her group.
"Everyone!" Akari called. "We got company!"
The two witches and one grimwalker heard the human woman and got ready for a fight; Willow and Gus made spell circles, and Hunter brought out his staff as they joined Akari. The human also gripped her sword, in case this was a trap by the enemy.
(A Few minutes earlier)
Everyone stared at the mess that was once Kikimora, shock clear on their faces. The only one not shocked (at least not on the surface) was Hiro; the immortal swordsman was indifferent as he studied the mess that had entrapped the demon.
The mass that had come from Kikimora completely covered her and thickened until it didn't resemble a living being. Hiro looked at the ground where the demon was and noticed that the mass had rooted itself into the ground.
The Japanese man frowned as he got close to the demon. Hiro lightly pressed his right index and middle fingers against the mass where Kikimora's arm was. He noticed how cold it felt, and that caused his frown to deepen.
Hiro kept his hand on the mass for 10 seconds, and when nothing happened, he moved his hand to where the demon's heart should be located. He leaned in, pressing his ear against the encased demon.
The immortal swordsman listened carefully, trying to find signs of life within the mass. Hiro listened for a minute but couldn't find anything; he couldn't hear a heartbeat or breathing.
"Probably died before she was fully enclosed," Hiro mourned softly.
The Japanese man pulled away from the mass that was once a living creature and brought his hands together. Hiro closed his eyes and offered a silent prayer to the fallen. He stood like that for a moment, then opened his eyes.
"We should get moving," Hiro told the group.
The group of witches were still in shock, but hearing the human's voice knocked them out of their shock. Raine was the first to recover and look at Hiro. They nodded and walked over to Eda.
The bard lightly shook the ex-wild witch, bringing her back to her senses. Eda looked at Raine, and they could see how the recent events still troubled their girlfriend. Raine offered their support by lightly taking Eda in their arms and holding her close.
Hiro couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight and then looked at Darius as he joined the immortal. He studied the witch's face, and while Darius's expression was neutral, Hiro could see the anger in his eyes.
Hiro frowned in concern and reached out to touch the witch's shoulder to comfort him. Darius moved away from the immortal just as Hiro was about to put his hand on Darius's shoulder.
"...You're right," the abomination witch said coldly, "We need to get going."
Hiro kept his face neutral as he watched the witch walk away. He looked at the others and saw the other were ready to go.
So, the group headed out.
The next twelve minutes were tense, everyone looking for a possible ambush. Hiro, however, noticed someone giving him a suspicious gaze. He looked at Darius and saw that the abomination wasn't trying to hide his suspicions about the immortal.
"Something on your mind, Kid?" Hiro asked calmly and saw the scowl Darius was giving him. "Don't give me that look. I'm only five hundred years old, so I think I'm entitled to call you kid, Kid. Now, what's on your mind."
Darius continued to scowl at the immortal swordsman, then sighed in frustration. He looked over his shoulder and saw the others were busy with their lookout duty.
"We have been fighting Odalia's forces for months," Darius said pointedly, glaring at Hiro, "And we haven't made much headway. Then you show up, and suddenly, things are coming to light. So forgive me if I'm a little suspicious."
Hiro hummed as he stuck his hands into his pants pockets. He looked at the witch with a calm expression.
"Think about it this way, Kid," Hiro said calmly, "I have no reason to even fight by your side. You saw me fight headless, so you know I have more power than you do."
Hiro stopped, causing Darius to stop as well. The immortal swordsman turned to face the witch fully and looked directly into Darius's eyes. The abomination witch found his
resolve shaken when he noticed how hard the immortal's eyes had become.
"So tell me, Darius, what's really got you so mad?" Hiro asked emotionlessly.
Darius suddenly felt like he was in a boiling rainstorm; he could feel every inch of his body burning. He couldn't keep his composure as his breathing started to come out rigidly. He could no longer deny that power this human processed.
The dark-skinned witch looked away and took a few calming breaths, trying to steady his nerves. Darius couldn't calm himself when the immortal swordsman was close to him. He let out a frustrated/defeated sigh and looked at the human.
"When Odalia raided one of our bases," Darius explained, frustration clear in his voice, "One of her scouts grabbed someone, a boy my…apprentice is quite close to. I tried to get to him, but a guard blindsided me with a spell, and I was forced to watch as the boy was beaten with a stone slab."
Darius looked away from Hiro to hide his mounting frustration. He recalled Gus's screams with each blow to his back. The abomination witch scowled as he remembered seeing blood oozing from the young illusionist's back.
Darius's fast tightened as he remembered what he had recently learned about the scouts; if he had known that Odalia's scouts were part Abomination, he could have tried to stop the scouts before things got bad.
Darius let out a deep, frustrated growl and looked at Hiro, eyes narrowing with anger.
"But… it's worse than just the boy getting a beating," the dark-skinned witch growled. "After they were done with beating him, the scouts injected some kind of potion into the boy…into Augustus's back."
Hiro frowned as he looked at the witch. He could see Darius's frustration through the witch's body language. The immortal human could tell Darius's frustration was more than from the event he was retelling.
The swordsman moved closer to the witch and placed a comforting hand on Darius's shoulder. Darius looked at Hiro and saw that the human's eyes had softened, having a near fatherly concern in them.
The abomination witch sighed faintly. "We learn that the potion was to half the effect on healing magic," he continued reluctantly.
Hiro frowned at this new piece of information. "Why would she do that?" he asked.
"I don't know!" Darius screamed, throwing his arms up. "It's just the latest in Odalia's odd behavior!"
Hiro watched as Darius's frustration reached its peak. He looked at the others and saw they were looking in their direction, slightly concerned. He looked back at the witch and saw the state he was in.
Darius was now shaking with rage; his jaw clenched, and his fists tightened. The witch's eyes flashed lilac, and his abomination hair flickered wildly.
Hiro wanted to comfort the witch, but Darius stormed away before the immortal swordsman could act. Hiro was about to go after Darius when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked into the concern eyes of Raine, and the swordsman frowned.
"It's better if you don't press the matter," the bard said sorrowfully, "Not when it comes to what happened that time."
Hiro's frown deepened, and he looked at Darius. The abomination witch hadn't calmed down, not in the slightest. If anything, Darius's anger had only increased; the witch's hair was now flaring, and some abomination matter had formed around him.
"There's more than just Darius watching a young man taking a beating," Hiro stated, looking Raine in the eyes.
Raine didn't break eye contact with the immortal human, and Hiro noticed how heavy the Bard's eyes had become. From the look alone, the swordsman knew he was right.
Before Hiro could get the bard to clarify, they broke eye contact, looking at their girlfriend. Eda meant Raine's eyes, and a message was sent between the two. The two witches looked at each other for about 12 seconds, then Raine turned their attention to Hiro.
The immortal swordsman stopped Raine from speaking by gently holding a hand up.
"...If you're not comfortable talking about it, you don't have to," Hiro said softly, then put on a fatherly smile. "But I'm here if anyone needs to talk. I know from experience how damaging it can be to hold things in for too long."
Raine's mouth opened ever so slightly from the gesture. Hiro saw this and smiled a little more than hurried after Darius. The bard watched as the human walked up to Darius and offered him silent company.
Soon after, the group fell silent as they made their way, keeping their eyes open for any trouble. Three minutes had passed before Hiro noticed something that caused him to frown in concern. He saw the area they were in was nearly clear; there weren't many things around them.
That didn't sit right with Hiro. He slowed his pace and got beside Raine.
"Where are we going?" Hiro asked the bard calmly.
Raine looked at Hiro for a second, then around the area. "We're close to one of the meet-up locations we decided on if one of our bases is taken," the bard explained, looking Hiro in the eyes.
Hiro's face twisted with concern as he looked around again. The swordsman understood the reason behind this; the lack of things like trees and other items meant the likelihood of ambush was low. But at the same time, it meant the group was out in the open and, thereby, was visible in nearly every direction.
"...Don't worry," Raine said, getting Hiro's attention. "If you're worried about us getting caught out in the open. We have thought about that."
Hiro looked at Raine. The swordsman noticed the magic circle around the bard's right wrist for the first time. Curious, Hiro let some of his spirit energy into the air. He frowned when he felt the magic in the air.
Raine noticed the swordsman looking at their wrist and smiled slightly.
"If you're wondering," they explained, "I have been using some magic to keep tips on the area. Darius also had an abomination traveling underground. If anyone alive comes within a mile and a half of us, we would know."
Hiro nodded but still felt a bit conflicted about a few things. He looked the bard in the eyes, his eyes narrowing.
"That's good to know," the swordsman said, a hint of admiration in his voice. "But, if you've been doing this for a while, it's possible that the enemy might be catching onto it by now."
Raine frowned as they thought about the immortal's words. They actually had thought about this angle a lot. However, they didn't have time to discuss this with others; they were constantly moving and rarely had time to rest.
"It's not that I haven't thought about that possibility," Raine replied reluctantly, "But…We simply don't have time to think up another plan."
Hiro frowned and rubbed his chin in thought. "That's reasonable," he said calmly, "But I'm just saying this meet-up plan will eventually turn against you."
Raine frowned as they continued to think about the swordsman's words.
"Guys!" a familiar voice suddenly shouted. "We got company!"
Hiro's eyes widened ever so slightly as he knew that voice anywhere and broke into a full run.
(G Corner)
So, Odalia's actions aren't adding up, even for someone like a five-hundred-year-old immortal, and that's saying something.