Chapter 46 – Grey Lines.

“Oh #^*&%.” Saylin stared at them with wide eyes before ducking down behind the barrier outside the second floor windows of the building that Clocky had informed them was their home in Brightswater.

Not that they couldn’t still see her boots beneath the bottom of the barrier and the walkway.

“Saylin?” Clocky questioned loudly, as they walked up to the building.

The carriage had dropped them off further down the road, and they’d had to walk the last part. While the building looked in better condition that many of the ones surrounding it, it still had seen better days, the lower level rooms all showing some form of abuse. Crystal had thought that Clocky’s home would have been in better condition than that to be honest.

Saylin’s head popped back above the barrier, worry and fear on her face. Something was definitely amiss.

“Whose she?” Saylin then asked.

“Myne,” Clocky replied.

Saylin looked blank for a couple of seconds before her eyes went wide.

“What’s she doing here?”

“I’m a tourist at the moment,” Myne answered, tilting her head slightly and giving Saylin a curious look.

“Really...” Saylin gave her a hard look.

“What’s wrong Saylin?” Clocky asked.

“Don’t be mad,” Saylin mumbled, before she then looked at Rachael. “You gotta save her.” There was sadness and desperation etched all over her face.

Crystal looked at Rachael, somewhat confused.

“I healed Dudley’s limp before we started our trek.” Rachael provided. “But it must be something serious. Saylin’s arm is broken too, what has she been up to?”

They headed up to the second floor, Saylin waiting nervously beside a closed door. While she was trying to hide it, Rachael was right, Saylin’s right arm was indeed broken. That alone would be causing her some pain, yet she seemed to be holding up well to that at least.

Saylin still stood there, almost protectively, beside the door as they reached her.

“What’s going on?” Clocky asked again.

Saylin looked down, shuffling her feet a bit, before then looking back up at them.

“You gotta save her. She’s not evil, not even a little bit. She’s really sweet and kind and lovely, and doesn’t deserve to have gone through what she has, but she’s been hurt bad...”

“Is there something between the two of you?” Fairweather asked.

Saylin blushed. “She’s mine. My lover. I’m allowed one, and it’s real, even if it started out as part of a deal.”

Clocky gave her a questioning look.

Saylin made to cross her arms, but winced in pain and failed to do so.

“Help her first. Answers later. Everyone knew what they were getting into.”

“Fine.” Clocky sighed. “Are you going to let us in?”

Saylin nodded, placing her hand on the door handle. “Oh, they’re friendly as well,” she said as she opened the door.

An unpleasant smell hit them as she opened the door, Clocky just standing there staring as Saylin slipped inside.

“We just have to believe her,” Fairweather whispered to him as she ushered him inside, Crystal, Rachael and Myne following.

Crystal could see his reason for concern. Protectively surrounding the couch that sat against the far wall were two very familiar Dark Grazeyes, their coats still a wispy black, perhaps even more so now, eyes staring at them with intent as their tales swished slowly, sizing them up. Laying on the couch was the young woman from the path, looking a little healthier than she had before, but still at deaths door. Her skin was pale, a fresh wound on her side seeping black red blood onto the floor. She wore what Crystal first thought was a glossy black catsuit, the sunlight through the window glinting off it, but a second glance accompanied with her senses told her that it was taint, protectively coating her like a second skin and taking said shape. She was attractive, especially looking like that, and Crystal could see why Saylin liked her, and yet...

he has chosen his priestess.

the choice is yours.

unbound taint consumes,

but she is not inherently ‘evil’.

though such concepts mean little to most of us.

Saylin was a member of their team, even if she hadn’t really met her. Rachael had spent a little more time with her though. Crystal looked at Rachael, Rachael nodding back in reply.

Clocky sighed. “She’s the reason for the message, isn’t she. But there’s more to it than that...”

“Yup,” Crystal confirmed. “She’s been chosen as a Priestess of one of the Ancients.”

“I’d say it’s a dangerous game that you’re playing Saylin, but to be honest, it’s no worse than anything else that we’re currently involved in, and you are still a member of our team.”

“Vorsce said the same thing,” Saylin said quietly. Clocky looked at her, but didn’t comment any more.

“If we’re to help, the cats will have to move away from her,” Fairweather said softly as they moved off to the side of the room.

The young woman looked at Saylin who nodded. The Grazeyes got up, shifting off to one side.

“What’s her name?” Fairweather then asked.

“Abigail.”

“That’s a nice name.”

Rachael walked carefully up to Abigail, glancing once at the Grazeyes before ignoring them completely. Crystal wasn’t sure what, but there was something to it as the Grazeyes almost seemed afraid of her. Rachael then knelt beside her, hands glowing as she placed them gingerly against Abigail.

“I’m not sure how much I can heal her. She’s as much taint as anything else...”

she’s incomplete,

but in a different way to the way you two were.

a body warring between two states.

Crystal could read between the lines on that one. Arcane had provided the arrays necessary for making herself and Rachael complete, and for changing the others, but the arrays were gone now. There had been no such gift for Abigail, something done outside of the moment of their changes.

Myne walked up beside Abigail, staring at her. Crystal could feel Myne’s magic flowing around them.

“Her nature is similar to mine, in a way. Focus on just the wounds and nothing else, least you make her worse. Your aspect is after all the anthesis of hers, even if light aspect is required for most healing.”

“Is there anything you can do?” Saylin asked, holding on to a thin thread of hope.

“Perhaps, but it would be a temporary measure. She fights between life and death, the taint keeping her on the brink because it doesn’t know how to deal with going over the edge. Humans are tricky in that way as it can’t outright consume them without destroying them. She’s a lucky one though, as there is other magic there giving it purpose. The array that is used to make my kind could serve as the necessary base for melding her magic and body properly, but I lack the necessary understanding to make the changes, given that her magic is not draconic. I can only think of one case where it was successful, but they were not stable afterwards, and I doubt that they had much life expectancy. The magic she has been given is well beyond what he had though, so there is hope. Alysia might have a chance at modifying the array, but I suspect that it would require Velvet or Arcane.”

“What about the Dark Wildlings?” Crystal asked. They had seemed rather complete, although the wolf had lost the taint upon his death.

Myne shrugged. “Monsters work differently.”

“I can do the temporary measure,” Myne continued. “Though there will be side effects.”

“Please...” Saylin was still looking like she was on the verge of breaking down. Fairweather walked over and gave her a hug.

Myne looked down at Abigail. “And you?”

“I suspect that you all will complete the mission that I was sent to do even if I die, yet I don’t want to die. Nor do I want to see her so sad...” Abigail’s voice was weak, and laced with emotion. “I did promise that I was hers...”

nor does he wish to lose her.

a strange sentiment for him.

“Heal her arm,” Myne directed Rachael, pointing to Saylin “and I need a glass.”

Fairweather disappeared into another room as Rachael walked back over to Saylin, her hands glowing as she touched Saylin’s arm and closed her eyes. Crystal could see that Saylin relaxed a little as the healing magic flowed through her, likely having had to deal with the pain this entire time. She’d hurt herself enough times to know what it was like, though she had never actually broken a bone.

Fairweather returned a moment later, handing a glass to Myne.

“Is this size alright,” Fairweather asked. “We don’t have a lot of variety.”

“It’ll suffice.”

Myne grew claws on her left hand, then balled it into a fist, holding it above the glass. Crystal watched with strange fascination as blood sleep out through her fingers, running into the glass. She had expected Myne’s blood to look different, like Abigail’s did, but it just looked like normal, ordinary blood.

When the glass was mostly full the flow of blood stopped. Myne waited for Abigail to sit up, and then handed the glass to her.

“Drink up.”

Fairweather’s ears twitched as she suddenly became alert. “Why are there cars coming down our street?”

Clocky rushed to the window, and looked out, before moving back beside Fairweather, a concerned look on his face.

Abigail took a sip, screwing up her face at the apparent taste, her lips stained red with the blood. Looking determined, she then brought the glass back up to her lips, proceeding to quickly down its contents. The change was almost instantaneous, a pale glow of life replacing her deathly hue, some colour returning to her face. Her lips in particular were now a deep red colour, the same as Myne’s. Abigail licked her lips, looked at the glass and then at Myne.

Crystal could hear the sounds of vehicles stopping, doors opening and closing, and people moving around in a hurry. There was the brief murmur of conversation before everything went quiet. She tensed. Fairweather was right, something was up.

"More pleasche," Abigail slurred, holding out the glass to Myne. Abigail then attempted to stand, stumbling instead, the glass smashing on the ground as Saylin rushed to her side, holding her up as she looked at Myne.

“I did say there’d be side effects,” Myne said with a shrug, “though I didn’t quite expect that...”

The window to the room exploded inwards, shards of glass showering everyone as a ball of flame hungrily impacted with the wall. Crystal reflectively called magic to herself, reinforcing her body just below the manifestation level, the others seeming to do so as well. Apart from Myne, who just looked at the flame as it suddenly withered away. The sound of other windows being smashed echoed around them.

“Let me guess, you’re the ones who’ve been harassing Bowser?” Clocky asked as he moved over to them.

“Maybe... though any rumours are just a cover up of the truth.” Saylin was avoiding his eyes.

“And Vorsce? He was with you, wasn’t he.”

Saylin looked down. “He got captured ensuring our escape last night...” she replied quietly.

She then looked up at Clocky, her expression fierce. “He’s evil Clocky. He’s murdered all of her family, those she knew, just to experiment on them, feed his own position and wealth. He doesn’t fight fair though, and something’s off about him, and Old City as well.”

Myne snorted. “Only fools fight fair.”

The street-side wall shuddered as something impacted with it, the smell of smoke starting to permeate the room.

"They're going to burn the entire complex down," Fairweather stated unhappily. "Stupid brute force approach."

"Umm... What exactly is going on?" Crystal asked. Beyond the obvious that was. She felt that she should be worried, and yet... she wasn't. More like a little in the other direction.

"That would be Bowsers hit squad out there." Clocky had tears of blood again, a look of concentration on his face. At least his headaches seems to have gone now, after he had suffered through them the entire first week of training.

'There are a few dozen people down there, a couple of touched included, as well as three armoured and armed vehicles.’ Spectre confirmed. ‘They are making to surround the building.'

"No you're under arrest first?" That was the way things had always gone in the movies.

"Appears not. He must be more than a little spooked." Clocky shifted himself and Fairweather off to one side of the room, motioning the others to do the same.

Figures. She didn't think the people themselves would pose too much of an issue. The certainity was a side product of Warrior’s gift. She wasn't sure about their weapons however.

'They're ill equipped to deal with you.'

That was assuming that Spectre's senses were on the mark. They'd know soon enough.

There was a dull thunk before the wall beside the window exploded inwards, debris pelting them as a massive bolt smashed into the wall on the other side, embedding itself securely into it. Great, they had portable or mounted ballista or something. Though she should have guessed as much. They'd have something to use in place of guns, though to be honest she still expected their use, even with their issues. That kind of firepower couldn't be ignored, and there was no way the channellers wouldn't have experimented with its possibilities.

Clocky swore. “We need to leave. Now.”

Another bolt smashed though the wall near where they had been crouching, taking out part of the door at the same time, Rachael pulling them both further out of the way, grinning as she lay prone on top of Crystal.

“I'm not sure if the exit is going to be viable...” Saylin motioned to the remains of the door, worry etched on her face as she crouched, trying to keep Abigial steady. Abigail on the other hand still had a glassy look, and an amused grin on her face.

“Let’s do this,” Rachael whispered with a smile. She then gave Crystal a quick kiss and rose, dusting the additional debris off herself, Crystal pulling herself up after her.

"We'll provide a distraction," Rachael declared, still looking far too happy about the situation.

Another bolt smashed through the remainder of the door, it's trajectory taking it out the window on the other side.

'A dozen around the back, the rest still out the front, a few are closer than the rest, but no one on the building itself. They're trying to smoke us out. Though they’d probably be just as happy if we all died in an inferno.'

"I'll take the weaponised vehicle, you clear the ones gathering down below," Rachael stated as she glowed, wings and tail manifesting. Crystal nodded, doing the same herself. If Bowser's team wanted a fight, that's what they were going to get. She may also be a little irritated that they'd been attacked without provocation, even if there were other circumstances involved, and she would return the favour.

Rachael dashed out the hole that was the door, jumping over the barrier, Crystal following directly behind. She sprinted along the walkway, the heat from the burning rooms building up as the flames took their hold. It wouldn't be long before Saylins apartment also became a victim, intervention or not.

‘Yeah, yeah, we’re moving. We won’t be far behind you, and I’m not sure what fighting state Saylin and Abigail will be in.’

Seeing no one on the stairs, exactly as Spectre had said, she jumped over the barrier, and straight towards the group of people gathered nearby. They were dressed in leather and with steel plates over their upper chest and various joints, crossbows in hand and swords or axes on their backs. Some even had helmets on. On the breast plate was the familiar insignia of a fisted gauntlet with twin swords, though these ones also had a large bolt going through it was well. Definitely the shock troops.

Shouting in alarm, they scattered back, loosing bolts at her. Crystal grinned, using her wings to easily dodge the bolts, landing on the ground in a crouch, poised and ready.

"Please leave," she stated, staring at the group, her tail tracing a lazy line across the ground. "Its the only time I'll ask."

The only reply was another bolt loosed at her.

Crystal smiled, giving off a low growl, summoning sword and shield to her, parrying the bolt and launching herself at the aggressor. They didn't have enough time to switch weapons, her shield slamming into them and throwing them across the road. She then spun around, sword swinging at the next one in range. Scrambling off to the side, they managed dodge the attack, dropping their crossbow and drawing their sword in a fluid practised motion. Crystal followed through, her next attack also dodged, the combatant slipping between two of their team mates.

Anticipating an opportunity, the two team mates both lunged towards Crystal as she chased her original target, sword to her right, axe to her left. Shifting her centre of balance, she leaned in to her left, shield deflecting the axe swing as she twisted out of he way of the others sword. Feeding mana into her weapon, she then brought the glowing sword hard down of the axe, smashing it out of their grip and breaking their arm with the impact. Her tail then swept past, knocking them over as she then lunged at the sword wielder, a shield bash sending them flying through a door and into the building. Perhaps she was going easy on them at the moment, unwilling to kill anyone at this stage, but if they even thought of threatening any of the others it would be a different story.

“Such skill, for a demon,” her original target said, dropping into a reactive stance.

“Leave,” Crystal stated, as flames started to light on the opponents weapon.

“We have our orders.”

Crystal shook her head, and then dashed at them, parrying their strike and replying in like. The next two attacks went the same before she saw her opening, a twist with her wrist as she parried throwing their stance off balance. Pushing a little more magic into her attack, she slammed her shield into them, sending them careening across the street and through a window of one of the buildings. She then turned, returning her focus to the others, all of whom were now armed, crossbows discarded. See, that was one of the benefits of guns – multiple shots.

Crystal felt herself slipping into a rhythm as she flew into them, sword and shield flowing smoothly as she systematically parried or blocked their attacks, retaliating with hopefully non lethal attacks, and moving into position for the next one. It was all so natural. Her opponents on the other hand were rather lacking, so much so that it was kind of unsatisfying. None of the others were touched, and even they hadn’t been much of a challenge. Myne had been an impossibility. These people were just fodder, and they did nothing for her desire for battle.

Then just like that the group closest to the building had been taken out, either unconscious, attempting to pry themselves out of the buildings, or nursing wounds that wouldn’t allow them to continue. Looking in Rachael's direction, she discovered that the front of the middle vehicle had been caved in, the ballistas scattered around it in fragments. Half a dozen bodies lay prone around her, some looking very much worse for the wear. More bodies lay even further away. Rachael stood there, perched on top of the damaged vehicle, gazing around and looking just as unsatisfied as she felt.

‘More returning...’

Crystal turned, running back towards the building and the bottom of the stairs. A couple of windows, probably the only ones still remaining, blew out as the fire roared up the side of the building, Clocky and Fairweather racing towards her from the stairs, Myne, Saylin and Abigail just behind, Saylin still supporting her lover while the two Grazeyes walked protectively beside them. Shouts sounded out as five more squad members rounded the building from the back, only meters from Saylin and Abigail as Crystal reached them. Without a moments hesitation they levelled their crossbows and fired, the cats reacting in like.

“Die.”

Abigail stretched out her arm towards them as Crystal positioned herself in front of the pair, shield ready. Tendrils of blackness stretched past Crystal, impaling all five with a sickening squelch as Crystal blocked and deflected their bolts. The tendrils then retracted, their bodies slumping to the ground in a pool of blood. The Grazeyes stopped their charge, looking a little confused.

“That was newsch,” Abigail managed, followed by an amused giggle.

That lot certainly wouldn’t be getting up again. Crystal looked away, the sight making her feel uncomfortable. According to what Spectre had been telling her, that would leave seven still behind the building.

‘Correct. Appears that they are still watching the far side. For what reason I don’t know. There was no way that you would be going that way. If they stay there though there survival is guaranteed.’

“Come, we need to leave,” Clocky stated as he looked around, urgency in his voice.

Rachael jumped down off the roof of the middle vehicle, walking towards them before she stopped beside the next one, tapping it lightly.

“Why don’t we use one of these?” she asked.

Saylin made a guttural noise. Crystal assumed her train issue extended to all vehicles.

“She’s right,” Clocky agreed. “It’s a good option. It’ll get us to Old City without issues. If we walk from here, we may get attacked again, as we don’t know if there are any more of them. And we really need to leave.”

Fairweather walked over to one of the fallen squad, kicking away the sword that they were reaching for, then crouching down to their height.

“Try that and you’re going to end up with more than just broken limbs. Now, are there more of you?” There was no kindness in Fairweather’s voice.

“You’re going to your deaths,” he replied, glaring at her. “Bowser will deal with the likes of you.”

“That was not the answer that I was looking for.”

“Bite me,” he replied defiantly.

“If you insist,” Myne purred, a dark edge to her voice.

She walked up to the man, picking him up by his leather vest and raising him to her height, fangs barred. The man’s eyes opened wide in terror, and he started squirming, fruitlessly struggling to escape her grasp as she brought him closer to her, an unpleasant smell emanating from him. Myne chuckled in amusement, then tossed him away, the man landing in an unceremonious heap on top of one of his unconscious squad mates.

“You’re not even worth the effort. You’d be tasteless.”

“Why the urgency?” Myne then asked Clocky. Clocky pointed to one of the lower rooms.

“##%$@. My lab!” Saylin’s voice trembled. “Fine, vehicle it is. Let’s go.”

Clocky looked at closest aware squad member as he started moving towards the closest vehicle. “I’d start moving your teammates away from the building if I was you.” He then looked at the other vehicle. “We should disable the other one, or they may think to chase us.”

A pillar of deep black flame erupted out of the ground under the furthest away vehicle, tearing through it’s engine. A second pillar erupted at the tail end of it, brighter in hue, tearing off the rear door and flipping the vehicle over, sending it tumbling towards the buildings. A couple of the squad in its path just managed to roll themselves out of its way.

“Done,” Myne declared happily as she walked up to the first one, looking at it curiously.

‘She’s being more than just a tourist,’ Spectre observed.

The vehicles resembled large armoured vans, dark grey in colour, and very reminiscent of those from their age. Rachael opened the drivers door, dismissed her wings and tail, and took the seat. After a few moments the engine roared to life. Crystal went over to the rear door, opening it and ushering the others inside.

“I’ll provide directions,” Fairweather stated, hopping in the front seat with Rachael.

Crystal had wanted to ride shotgun with Rachael, but Fairweather had a point. Neither of them had any clue as to where they were going. Once every one was inside, the squad outside starting to move but keeping away from them, Crystal closed the door and the van reversed away from the building. It was a little cramped, the two Grazeye’s were rather large cats after all (especially the lead one who had claimed Abigail on the trail), but the armoured van was made to fit a dozen or more people in the back, so they managed. Just. It was also rather odd, being in such close proximity to the monsters as well. Abigail just smiled happily, glomping herself across the back of one of the cats, still looking tipsy.

“This things a relic,” Rachael observed. Crystal looked over at the front of the vehicle. It was too familiar. Lacking in all of the electronics that vehicles had had before she had fallen asleep, but all of the analogue instruments she expected were there. Speedometer, fuel gauge, heat gauge, etc. No odometer however, guess they hadn’t been seen as necessary any more. Some parts looked a bit more crude than others and didn’t quite match, like some had been manufactured while others had been taken from various pre-existing vehicles. She guessed that still functioning parts from old vehicles, or any technology, would probably be worth quite a bit, but it was a wonder that some of it had managed to survive this long.

“Pity there’s no music though,” Rachael grumbled as she finished reversing out from the building and on to the road. “At least there’s still power steering.” Not that she probably needed it, given the strength that they both now had.

Rachael did however look entirely in her element.

They were only a few blocks away when Saylin’s lab exploded, the shockwave rocking the car. Reinforcing the fact that she did not like travelling in vehicles at all, Saylin painted the floor and one of the cats with whatever it was that she last ate. To compound the issue, it appeared that the van did not have openable back windows. Crystal solved that one by smashing open the closest one.

Crystal wondered if she had just delayed their inevitable demise, putting their enemies out of the fight rather than outright killing them. It didn’t feel right, killing another person, and yet...

your morals are you own.

some will take your mercy,

others will seek you back out,

for revenge, honour or duty,

and yet others will make someone else carry the cost.

there are always repercussions to your choices,

but they are yours to make.

mogust

Things are starting to heat up. They don't know (yet) what Saylin's been up to, but it looks like they'll be brining the fight to Bowser, after he brought it to them (because Saylin brought it to him, because of his experiements... The start of it all may be a bit blurry).

Two more chapters left for this story arc. The next chapter (47 - Stained Hands) will be up later this week, and the final chapter of the arc (48 - Lair of the Beast) will be out early next week. My backlog has shrunk somewhat (I'm working on chapter 51 atm, hope to finish tonight) so no bonus chapters unfortunately.

Thanks for reading as always. Comments are welcome, it's always nice to know what people think ^^