Hiraeth Chapter 98: Cinders
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Chapter Ninety-Eight: Cinders
Note: Sorry that this went up slightly after midnight! It took a while to edit this chapter, and I didn't wake up until 8:00 p.m.! Either way, I hope you like it! I hate when I miss a deadline by a few minutes!
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A strange sort of stillness settled around the area as the winds slowed. The air had reached its coldest point, and the trees no longer swayed in the frigid air, content to stay as they were. They had been rooted to this spot for hundreds of years, much like the curse that had hung over the land they stood on. Their roots ran as deep as the superstitions that had built this place, and as deep as the hatred that had driven once good people to do malicious and terrible things. The same hatred that had once driven the matriarch of a coven to curse the innocent and to break her pact of sanctity all in the name of something that would not change anything.
Grief.
Perhaps the greatest equalizer, it was the very thing that had driven the original founders of this place to settle these lands, and it was the very thing that had driven them away once the battles had ended. But then grief became a festering hatred, and it left a curse upon everything it touched. And since that day, hundreds of innocents had died in the name of one child who would not have wanted this to happen in the first place, and no vindication was brought upon the very person who placed it. It was cruelty for the sake of cruelty, pettiness in response to pettiness. Hate for hate’s sake. And none of it reduced the agony or solve the problem, and it most certainly didn't bring back The ones that had been lost. Instead, it left a legacy of punishment for those who had committed no crimes, and no punishment for those who had. It was the worst kind of evil, and to think that it had originated from within their own house was enough to make them sick.
But then, out of that snow-covered stillness was born a dim light that grew exponentially until the winds returned, funneling upward from the ground and into the sky as they carried with them the only thing that could render what had been done undone. The only thing that could mend what had been broken and prepare the entire region for a new beginning. In situations like this, there was only one single thing that could signify a new beginning for a place seeped in damnation, corrupted to its very core, and rotten down to its very foundation. It was the seedbed of renewal.
Flames.
For the second time that evening, the night sky around Lympha became bright and brilliant, but instead of the golden light born of a summoner's ultimate sacrifice, it was the kind of brightness that only fire could bring. The kind of light that signified the destruction of homes and houses; of mortar and brick and stone. The chaotic result of combustion via carbon dioxide and nitrogen, to name other things. The kind of heat that could stave off the undeniable prickling of frigid skin. It would heat up the night, and die down within the hour, unable to spread any further, but more than enough to do the job for now.
And at the center of it all was one young witch, her hands thrust into the sky above her as columns and swirls of nearly white-hot flame twirled around her in an infernal swelling hellscape of funneling ash and regressive heat, the limits of her power reached. In just a few minutes' time, there would be nowhere to hide for any of them, and with that came the revelation that tomorrow would not come if victory was not assured. If they did not all leave here, none of them would. There could be no further uncertainty. For the night was long, and the air was cold. There would be no waiting until the morning came. Not among the flames.
The icy grip of the snowy night would return, and with it, unbearable cold, and then sudden heat that would end when they ended, their minds betraying them into thinking that perhaps it had begun to warm if they too had done the same, and in shedding the only thing that protected them from the cold, they would succumb to it. Hypothermia. But that would not come to pass unless they should fail. And she had never known defeat.
If there was one thing that she knew, it was that the flames would bend to her will. And when it came to this place, her will was to see it reduced to cinders. In this place where so much pain and suffering had occurred; let it all be reduced to ash and dust. Let it settle and blow away in the breeze like the memory of it had in the public eye. Let the unrelenting flames stoked from necessity burn brighter than the darkest night in a place filled with nothing but bad memories and needless death. And even if no one ever returned to this place, the land could finally be at peace, no longer gripped by the darkness that had held sway over these lands for so very long. It ended tonight. What was important was that they didn't as well.
As Flora lowered her arms and panted heavily in the cold night air, she looked around the area. There was no sign of the summoner yet, but she knew that it wouldn't be long before he was forced to come outside and she was able to see him. She didn't expect him to exactly walk up to her and introduce himself, but she knew that he had very little in the way of places to retreat to if he didn't wish to burn to death. None of them did. She had made sure of that. Now all she needed to do was wait for the perfect opportunity to attack. She just hoped that that opportunity would be sooner rather than later. As hot as the flames were, it was still pretty cold out here, and she wasn't sure how long the winds would decide to stay away. They were all working on borrowed time and they knew it.
Just then, out of the doorway to the general store came a shrouded figure, limping through the snow. They seemingly struggled to stay on their feet, their injuries clearly grave even if she couldn't see them from this distance. Flora held her ground, unwilling to give any leeway to her potential opponent. She wasn't sure what he was capable of, and as such, she was on high alert. But as he stumbled into the light and out of the darkness, he fell to the ground in front of her, landing on his knees and breathing heavily. And she was finally able to take a better look at him.
Now clear in the light of the flickering flames was his mask, cracked but somehow still attached in spite of everything. His robes were tinted a deep crimson now, soaked with his blood as the result of a particularly deep upward arching slash became visible to her, the cold probably the only thing that had saved him up until this point. It seemed that Sirrus had truly gone for a killing blow, and she wasn't sure why he was still alive other than the fact that he was just unfortunate enough to pull through in spite of everything. The kind of power that her red hair acquaintance had unleashed upon him was something that was not typically used for combat in this manner, so perhaps that had something to do with it. But regardless, it was generally lethal in all forms, and seeing a human who had survived it was something else, even if she had been informed that he had been possessed by a Devil Prince. There was truly something special about this one.
Labored breaths became evident to her as he faced down towards the snow, seemingly unwilling to look her in the face. He was clearly struggling to stay conscious. She could tell that much just by looking at him. But the one thing she didn't understand was why he had come before her and was now panting at her feet. The obvious answer was that he was injured, but why he had decided that he should approach her instead of sneaking around behind her to attempt to kill her or something was beyond Flora. It was just such a strange thing to do.
"You… set the fire."
In all honesty, it actually took her a second to realize he was addressing her. His voice was so low and heavily tinted with pain that she was genuinely surprised to hear him speak at all. Looking at him, she wouldn't have guessed that he still possessed the ability to. He was clearly suffering. But he had somehow mustered the strength to do it, and she wasn't sure if she should be genuinely impressed or horrified that he still had that much mental capacity remaining given his current state. His resilience was impressive, if not slightly troubling.
Still panting slightly, Flora nodded in confirmation. She put her hands on her thighs, arching her back forward slightly as she took in the frigid air. The smoke burned her lung slightly, and she was thankful that she wasn't any closer to the buildings. Just because she could control fire did not mean that she was not beholden to its consequences. "Yes. Yes, I did."
Wheezing slightly, the gravely injured summoner coughed, spitting a bit of blood onto the pavement. He shook his head slowly as though he could not believe something, and she got the impression that it wasn't just the fire that was on his mind. He seemed to be genuinely taken aback by what she had done, sure, but this was clearly not entirely about that. He had other concerns. "We're going to freeze."
"Probably." She said in a matter so sarcastically indifferent that it seemed to actually shock him slightly. He looked up at her for a moment, his gaze falling back towards the ground a moment later. He chuckled, a wet gurgling noise apparent as he did so. She was no doctor, but she was willing to bet that he had blood in his lungs. He seemed to fully understand now that she was not here to play games with him, not that he had necessarily thought that to begin with. She had no way of knowing for sure. No, this was beyond that point. He needed to be careful who he was toying with. "Come to bargain so as not to burn?"
He shrugged in visible apathy, his disregard for his current condition apparent. What difference did it make at this point? There was no victory to be had here. He had been defeated wholly and truly, and his master had fled him. He had been abandoned and broken, physically and mentally. What else was there for him to do? Laying in a flaming building and waiting for the flames to consume him was definitely an option, but there was no guarantee that that would happen after he finally passed on. He was better off out here, even if the outcome might still be the same eventually.
Flora stood there and looked up at the sky for a moment, closing her eyes as she exhaled deeply and slowly. Her lungs felt better, but it was best that they did not spend an extended amount of time in this kind of inferno. She was actually starting to get hot and that wasn't going to last for long if the winds returned. This was her ultimate bluff, and she hoped that she was good at playing her cards. "I've been authorized to offer you an accord. There's no bargaining in it for you, though. It’s a yes or a no answer kind of situation, and to be honest, your probability of survival isn't high either way so… "
Groaning in obvious distaste, he spat blood onto the pavement in front of him, coughing again and slowly moving his hand up to press on the space between his chest and throat. She could tell by the way he inhaled that his lungs burned, and they probably weren't functional to their full capacity at this point either way, so that wasn't the best thing for him at the moment. He probably couldn’t control it, though. He shuttered, seemingly physically revolted by the idea of surrender. And then he laughed slightly, looking up at her and shaking his head. "You don't have what it takes."
A soft chuckle came from Flora's chest as she closed her eyes before opening them again and rolling them, shaking her head. She held her hands out on either side of her and slowly rotated her palms so that they faced upward towards the night sky before snapping her fingers and igniting both of her hands in the same brilliant flame that now consumed the city. She stared down at him, an intense look of calm overtaking her as she allowed her distaste for him to become a parent, no longer concealed by even the thinnest veil of kindness, her long hair blowing in the wind as the edges of her locks ignited. Flora was not the sort of person who was going to kill an unarmed opponent, but she most certainly was the sword who would leave someone who had tried to kill members of her family to freeze in a burning city. She was offering him this parlay as an extension of goodwill to satiate her own humanity, but that humanity didn't necessarily have to be quenched. Her morals could be quelled if need be, which of course did bring into consideration whether or not they were truly morals, but no one was uncompromising. There were always exceptions. Always.
"Try me, mate. See what I’m “capable” of."
Agreus stared at her in notable silence for a moment before making eye contact with her, their gazes meeting for a period of time until everything around them seemed to fade away. She did not back down or flinch, and after a moment that felt like a lifetime, he seemed to understand that he had lost this fight. Even under his mask, through the cracks that had formed in it, his facial expressions were clear. And he wore the face of a man defeated, and by a teenage witch no less. It had to be quite the embarrassing thing to such a proud summoner, to be apprehended by someone he probably looked down on as weaker than him. But this was not a battle of power. This was a war of attrition thought by will alone. And Flora's resolve was stronger by a landslide. Frankly, she was done giving a shit, and he knew it. She would end him if she had to. No hesitation.
With another weak cough, Agreus kneeled further to the ground, clearly in a bad way. His health wasn't getting any better out here. Far from it. But if this was the only chance he had at possible survival, even if he did not believe that there was anything to survive for at this point, then he would take it. Moment by moment, clarity returned to him now that he was stripped of the presence of the devil prince, his influence no longer lingering in his mind. And minute by minute, he dwelled on his own mortality and morality, wondering just how much he had eroded it in his pursuit to please his master. He wasn't sure what he felt right now, but it was unpleasant and he did not want to acknowledge it. "Don't waste your efforts on me. You possess talent. I possess nothing."
Flora scoffed at the statement, shaking her head as she stepped forward and reached into her pocket, taking out something that she had brought from within the hotel. She found an old bike lock in there, the least magical thing that she could have hoped to use in a situation like this, but something that would have to do. He was going somewhere very secure, and whether he liked it or not, he probably wasn't going to be coming out. But she had to get him there first, and she would be absolutely daft to think even for a second that even after surrendering to her that he would just simply walk to where they wanted him to go. She expected him to fight back and to struggle and resist, it was simply who her opponent was. And there was nowhere near enough faith in humanity in her to believe in the innate goodwill of others. She had taken that chance many times, and it had basically always blown up in her face. Good deeds always lead to punishment, and she had had enough of that for one day.
"Stop your sniveling. You have plenty of time for that later." Flora said as she grabbed his arm and pulled it forward, wrapping the chain around his wrist before twisting it around his neck and then around his other wrist, locking it behind the back of his neck. An unorthodox way to secure someone, sure, but it did ensure that he wouldn't be able to easily fiddle with the lock or grip anything. After all, it was a little hard to open a door when your hands were basically tied to your neck, wasn't it? She then forced him to his feet, watching as the summoner groaned in discomfort at the idea of having to stand, his legs nearly buckling. She noticed that he was limping, and his leg was injured. An old injury from another time perhaps? "Hurt your leg?"
He let out a sort of wet cough, shaking his head. "I got what I deserved from that little summoner. I overstepped and I was put back in my place. An eye for an eye years in the making." He said simply, seemingly acknowledging something that she had never considered. She knew that this summer had hunted V down on behalf of the demon prince, but she admittedly hadn't been there at the beginning of this affair. She could tell by their reactions that everyone else had run into him multiple times before she had met him even once, but she wasn't privy to basically any of the history between them. It was an interesting aspect of this situation that she hadn't really considered until just now. "Very literally."
"Oh yes, I remember that. I remember that indeed. How could I possibly forget? I’m certain that he hasn’t. If not for my intervention, he would have certainly bled out."
Flora glanced over her shoulder to see Magnolia emerge from a building behind her, the witch’s left hand raised out in a manner that implied she was ready to strike him down if need be, her other freehand on her staff that was now reattached to her back. She held her hand just slightly behind her back, her fingertips brushing against the center grip. Magnolia possessed none of the leniency that her young niece did, and that was saying something considering how little Flora possessed at this point. The young witch watched as her other two aunts came from behind two of the other buildings in front of them, Aluta clearly exhausted, but now able to stand. And she had no doubts as to the fact that her aunt would probably snap her fingers and end him if given the opportunity. Willow simply seemed content to fold her arms and stroll over, her interest in having this over and done with before it got any colder evident.
"Vergil's oldest child? What did this one do to him?" Willow said to Magnolia, nearly spitting it. Her disgust towards the perverted magic and treacherous evils that he had committed could not be understated. There were few things she hated more than those who used insidious power to destroy and corrupt the minds of those around them, but adding attempted murder to the mix was surely a way to make it considerably worse. “Then you will live long enough to face his judgment.”
Magnolia turned her attention back to the captured summoner, looking him dead in the face as she leaned over and made eye contact with him. She wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure where to start. They had to keep him alive long enough so that she would have an opportunity to think about it. "From what I understand, the injuries this one inflicted on poor sweet V were so severe that it caused him to awaken his demonic blood. He then turned the tables on this one here and slammed him through a conduit, nearly causing it to go critical. It's still in rough shape, but it appears to be stable for the time being. Another thing we will have to worry about because of this one."
Coughing again, Agreus nodded feebly in response to her statement. He had no objections to make. There was no point. V had certainly done that, and to say that he had been shocked by the sudden turning of tables would be an understatement. He hadn't sensed the slightest bit of demonic power coming off of that child until the moment that he had sent a shock wave of it slamming into every edge of the cave. The next thing he'd known, he'd been within the grips of one of the most powerful devils he had ever encountered. It had been utterly mind-shattering, and his respect for his opponent could not be understated. After all, he’d nearly died shock before almost being literally ripped apart but V’s bare hands, and he hadn’t even been at his full strength. No, those who wronged him lived purely at his behest. He’d gotten a glimpse of what V could do, and a part of him had relished the opportunity to see him flex that power again, but nothing he’d done to provoke him into displaying it again had garnered the slightest bit of effort on the white hair’s part. It was hard to explain. But then again neither were some of the other emotions he felt towards him. It was hard to understand just how much he wanted to speak with V at this point in time. He wasn't sure they had much to talk about, but it would be interesting, nonetheless. Perhaps he would hold on at least that long.
Aluta approached quietly, standing with her sisters as they waited for the gateway that they needed to open to appear. They would fetch Sirrus from his safe place within the confines of the car once they knew that it was safe to proceed. But until that time, they were going to have quite a bit of waiting to do. They had given an exact time, but all of them got the impression that something just wasn't right. But until the gateway opened, they had no way of knowing, and they simply hoped that everything would be all right until then.
(-~-)
Morgan sincerely regretted every aspect of the plan that had led them to this outcome.
The trio said barricaded behind a large door, Hydrangea in the process of turning some massive sphere to attempt to pinpoint the exact location of where her relatives were. She had her eyes closed, clearly concentrating on honing in on their energy as Magnolia's bird sat mere inches away from her, working as a sort of channeling device.
After what felt like a lifetime considering the number of demons that were outside of the door vying to get inside to kill them and harvest their blood, she felt the door shift, and something in the room changed. A sort of electric hum became audible as they watched a blue glowing light coat the edges of the black doorway in front of them, its round arch filling up to the middle with a sort of standing water that seemed to ripple like the surface of a lake. The symbols that adorned the outer edge of the frame glowed brightly, working as a sort of indicator as to what was going on despite the fact that she couldn't read a single bit of it. The strange energy that encompassed it radiated off of the door, filling the entire room with a brilliant but haunting light as a cold breeze chillier than any HVAC system could achieve slammed into the room, bringing with it particles of what appeared to be snow and ash. And all the while, she could smell smoke and flame. She wasn't sure if that came from within the home or the other side of the doorway, but either way, something was burning.
This was something clearly beyond the pale that she had no reason to try to comprehend or be exposed to, but they were far beyond the point where that mattered. It was actually fascinating, if she was being perfectly honest. She wasn’t afraid. She just hoped that the magical artifact that she had been gifted by hydrangea would be enough to protect her should the doors fail, and she and Brenowon were doing everything in their power to keep the door closed. The wood could split, and the hinges could bend, much as they were now, but she would not let go of the door. It was the only thing between them and the hordes of demons outside of the door. They would have to take her down with it.
Off in the distance, she could swear that she heard the sound of gunshots and the clanging of swords, the shouting of voices that she did not recognize apparent but still not immediately helpful to her. She had no doubt that Lady, Trish, and Lucia were still alive. It was going to take more than a hoard of weaker demons to take them out. This was not their first rodeo, that much was clear. They had been holding their own for the better part of two weeks, so this siege on the house was probably nothing more than an exhausting inconvenience for them. That being said, she hoped that they were able to reach this end of the house quickly. They knew that shouting at them probably wasn't going to help considering the sheer amount of noise, but they had tried it moments ago, and a part of her hoped that they had been heard. She had not come this far to die behind a locked door. She would fight, but she’d be lying if she said that she didn’t need help. They all did.
Moments later, a foot stepped through the doorway, bringing ash and snow with it as they stepped through the doorway and into the brightly lit room. The figure in white robes was led by Flora, genuinely a sight for sore eyes. Morgan wasn't sure whether or not She would be able to do anything to help, but she was glad to see her safe either way. She'd seen enough good people get hurt today.
Willow and Magnolia followed shortly behind her, pulling what appeared to be some sort of hotel luggage cart with them. And on the cart was a figure with red hair bundled into a pile of bloody blankets. It was Sirrus, and even without being able to see most of his body, she could tell that he wasn't doing well. She had no idea what had gone so wrong, and last she had checked, the red-haired man was supposed to be in the underworld with V and his family! There had clearly been a massive change of plans at the last minute. Either that or… No! She couldn't think that. He had to be alright! She couldn't ask just yet, but she had to know that he was okay. That all of them were okay. None of them deserved to suffer because of the machinations of one individual and his set of pawns.
"Something's going on, isn't it darlings?" Magnolia asked tiredly as the door slammed shut behind them, cutting off the torrent of cold air and seasonal weather that had been carried through behind them. She didn’t even need to ask, let alone look. It appeared that she had noticed that they were holding the door shut, and couldn't help but chuckle to herself in exhausted disbelief as she realized that something had gone horribly wrong while she was gone. She literally couldn't step out of the house for a few minutes without the apocalypse rolling up to the front door, could she? One of the perks of knowing the Sons of Sparda.
Brenowon Not an agreement as he turned around, pressing his back to the door in an attempt to keep it closed. Upon seeing Agreus, He growled and raced forward, lunging at the summoner in an attempt to exact some sort of vengeance upon him. It was clear that he genuinely hated him, even if he hadn't spoken a word about it previously.
"You sick bastard! I can't even believe you're still alive! You were going to hurt my sister!" He snarled as He raced forward and decked his former cult master in the jaw, nearly sending him careening to the floor if not for the fact that Flora was holding him up under one arm. She made no move to stop him, but Morgan pulled him back, understanding her brother's fury, but entirely unwilling to allow him to exact his vengeance right now. As much as she hated to admit it, they had better things to do at the moment than tell the summoner a piece of their mind. Still, she turned and looked at the man in the long robes, fury evident in her eyes as she realized this was the man who had been willing to hand her over to a demon Prince to do with as he pleased simply at the behest of that very same monster. And for what? Power?
She let Bren go but for hauling back, running, and kicking him in the knee so hard that this time he did buckle, falling to the floor and nearly hitting his head on the podium that held the spherical control device for the door. He groaned and discomfort, seemingly shocked at just how hard she had kicked him. She then stepped back and folded her arms, shaking her head as she sighed in discontent. She wasn't even sure where to start with him. Perhaps it was best that she just not bother? That was going to be her policy for the moment. How lucky for him.
Magnolia patted both of them on the shoulder before stepping forward and unlatching the lock on the door, cracking her knuckles as she adjusted her shoulders. She then held out her hands in front of her, and the air pressure in the room changed before the door slammed open and a torrent of strong wind shot down the hallway like an air cannon, eviscerating the demons in front of her, and slamming any that had the temerity to remain in the hallway back a few dozen feet into the wall at the far end of the hall, knocking the wind out of all of those present who were on her side in the process as their backs hit the nearest wall on either side of them. There had to be at least 20 of them, but as she snapped her fingers and Porter staff from her back, her bird surged forward and a hail of lightning went shooting down the corridor, enveloped in the thundering wind that carried downward strike. The demons cried out in momentary terror before being reduced to nothing more than I said pile of dust on what would otherwise have been an immaculate floor. She then stepped forward and gestured for the rest of them to follow her, making her way down the hallway in a sort of hurried walk as they made their way back towards the entrance hall. She knew a shortcut back. A door behind one of the bookcases that only worked one way in case of emergencies. And considering how badly hurt Sirrus was, this certainly counted as one.
"We need to make our way to the infirmary wing. Posthaste. And we'll have to fight our way there. Are you prepared to do that, young ones? Willow said if she looked over at Morgan and Bren, Flora standing just behind them still holding the beleaguered Agreus in her grip. She knew that neither of their young guests were warriors, but these were low-level demons that shouldn't pose too much danger to them so long as they kept their wits about them and stayed aggressive.
Bren grabbed the nearest thing that he could get his hands on. It was a sort of metal lantern stand that resembled a candelabra. Not the best weapon, but completely adequate given the circumstances. They'd only been given enough time to grab one magical artifact, and he had insisted that his sister take it. He hadn’t the slightest idea how to use magic anyway, and although his sister didn't either, he wanted to give her the best chance of surviving in spite of her numerous protests to the contrary.
Morgan clutched the small piece of carved stone in her pocket that Hydrangea had gifted her on the way down here. According to her, it was a training talisman gifted to children who were starting to learn their power. She had been told that if she possessed the aptitude, the stone would be able to protect her. She wasn't sure what that aptitude might be, but she had been told a phrase to recite should she need to use it, and it was burned into her psyche, perhaps as a result of her adamant desire to not die here. She exhaled heavily and nodded. They were going to make it to the far wing of the building, and they were going to do it now. None of these demons were going to stop them from saving Sirrus.
"Let's do this." She said firmly, her eyes locked on the task ahead. Everyone here had fought to protect her from the forces of the underworld. It was her turn to help protect them. “I’m not scared of these weak assholes anymore. Let’s take them out.”
(-~-)
This is it, folks! 6k Words! This chapter felt good to write, not gonna lie! You know what’s coming next week, don’t you?! Chapters 99 and 100 (Seriously, wtf I really can't get to the point, can I lol?!) are going to be one hell of a ride, and I simply cannot WAIT to have you read them. I have a long week of writing ahead of me, and you have a lot of anxiety lol! Get the tissues ready because we're about to play Soliloquy Saga: Prepare to Cry Edition! OMG, I am so fucking cringe I can’t stand it…
Hope you all had a good week! See you in the comments, and I’ll see you all next week! I have a lot of planning to do this weekend! Again, sorry for the late upload! The day just kind of slipped away from me.