Chapter 403 - A Better Future For Few...
{I have a p-a-t-r-e-o-n with exclusive stories on it! I hope you guys will give it a chance. The link is /easyread. Remove the dashes. Webnovel censors the word.}
~~~(POV: Olisandra Oryzox)~~~
~~~(Location: Deep in The Forest of Jelleria, Elven Kingdom)~~~
~~~(Time: 5:45 PM)~~~
We've set up camp inside a cave for the night, and as much as I want to keep traveling through the night, it's better not to lurk in The Jelleria Forest after nightfall. The strongest monsters come out at this time, and keeping in one spot and secluded is the best thing you can do to stay safe. It's not full-proof, but it's a way to handle the situation we're in.
Blezikel is curled up next to me, and the rain outside the cave is visible. We're nice and dry, and it's rare for storms to happen in the Elven Kingdom. "What do you think mom is doing right now?" I've been trying not to think about it. She was on the verge of moving forward with her plan, and I don't want to be anywhere near a city, town, or village for the purge of half-breeds.
I wrap my arm around my sister and gently rub her shoulder. Trying to comfort her. Escaping from our mother and her armies isn't an easy task, but we're already making huge ground. "I don't know anymore, Blez... She's lost her mind... The grip on reality is gone, and she might lash out... We need to be far away when that happens..." My sister holds back her tears... The same as me...
We still love our mother dearly, and it breaks my heart knowing what she's trying to do. A flash of lightning lights up the entrance of the cave, and a blast of thunder rocks the ground. The cave is sturdy enough to handle the lightning. "Do you think it's storming in Greshina?" Probably... Can't say for sure... Blez and I didn't experience many storms growing up.
The rain gets heavier, and as more lightning flashes and thunder rocks the world, monsters fighting each other can be heard in the distance. Monsters are territorial, and Jelleria is no different. "If it's storming in Greshina, it'll be good for us. It'll wash away any tracks we might've left..." The dust from the passageway left footprints as we left.
If the storm is at Greshina, then it's washed away the only clues to where we're at. Blez stops talking, and I look to see her eyes closed. I wouldn't mind getting some sleep, but I don't think it'll be easy given the thunder. Blez could always sleep through the few storms we had growing up. I'd stay awake until they were finished.
I don't know if it was out of fear... I never felt scared when I heard thunder. It was just something inside me that liked staying awake for storms. "Remember when dad died..." Blez wasn't asleep after all, but her eyes are still closed. "Do you think that what happened to dad is what's driven her to do this..." I know that it plays a major role in her madness...
~~~(POV: Blezikel Oryzox)~~~
~~~(Location: The Deep Forest of Jelleria, Elven Kingdom)~~~
~~~(Time: 5:55 PM)~~~
Olisandra hasn't answered me yet, and I think it's because it hurts too much. In a way, Olisandra hasn't gotten over dad's death... I've moved on, but she's similar to mom in that way... Still haunted by his passing. "Yeah, it's a big part of why she's doing this... It hurts to think about him..." Olisandra was closer to our dad than I was...
It wasn't because he was a bad father to me or that he didn't love me as much. It's because she's a daddy's girl, and I wasn't that attached to my parents. Not like she was to dad. "Do you think he'd be happy with us leaving like this..." Her arm tightens around me. She makes sure not to hurt me, but her discomfort with my question is easy to see.
I open my eyes to see her biting her lips hard and tears falling from her eyes. She's quick to try and dry them. "He'd probably have helped us, Blez... That's what makes this situation so fucked... Our mom isn't the person that our dad loved and married... After his death, all the anger and hate for half-breeds blossomed." Yeah... He was always so kind and supportive of the half-bloods.
Many nobles and wealthy merchants hated him for his sympathetic views towards all of our people. Not just the ones of pure-blood. "Remember that time he told us that story of him being saved by half-breeds at the Border Walls... How they changed his life and views about the Elven Kingdom..." She doesn't answer and decides to stay silent.
I don't blame her for not wanting to talk about this anymore, and I miss dad so much... If there were anyone that could pull mom from her dark pits, it would be him... He'd only have to look at her, and she'd lose all her feelings for half-breeds. Mom and dad loved each other more than they loved us, and that's not bad... It helped us as kids... It showed us what love was...
Lightning flashes again, and thunder rocks my body. The howling of battling monsters deeper in the forest continues, and I find sleep creeping on me. "You shouldn't let it eat at you forever, sister... Dad would want you to let go of the pain you feel about his death... Move forward..." She hugs me a little tighter as the words come out of my mouth.
~~~(POV: Cera Adamo)~~~
~~~(Location: Safe House in Greshina, Elven Kingdom)~~~
~~~(Time: 6:13 PM)~~~
We've made the best out of the 4 hours we had to scout out our targets today, and we'll have another 4 hours tomorrow. The Orvello Estate has heavy security and powerful magical barriers that you can't get through just by jumping over the property line. "I hate them." The rain and thunder outside are drowned out from the words I hear from Sally.
There is a heavy storm over Greshina, and it's relaxing given how stressful today has been with the change in plans. "We all hate someone out there, Sally. It's fine to hate someone that's committed horrible things against you." Her voice isn't shaking or weak. It's even and has a strength in it. In my eyes, the Orvello's aren't her family.
She can hurt them and attack them. Punish them for everything they've done. I know that I have an evil and sadistic streak in me, but I'd rather have a monster in me that I can bring out any time. Then be weak and considered prey to those that are strong. Be a monster, but one that's in control. I refuse to be prey to anyone again. Not to life, bad fucking luck, some twisted sense of destiny.
Sally knows what that means now, and she's got her own monster in her that she can take out any time she needs. Cause without that monster, you'll be an absolute victim to anyone that has that monster. You've already lost, and I'm not having that happen to me again. "It was hard to not just charge and start killing, but I controlled myself." That's perfect. That's what she needs and has.
The control needed for that monster is hers, and she has the restraint and disciple to wield it with wisdom and intelligence. "I get what you mean, and believe me when I say this. I'm proud that you held back and took strategically and tactically smart moves. Thinking of it as a chess game." That's what this situation is, and it's a good example.
Chess exists in The Ancients World, and therefore, Gaia. Sally might not have played a chess game before, but that doesn't mean I can't teach her using chess as an example. I know that she's heard of it and knows that strategy and tactics are essential to winning.
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A/N: Below this line, I'll be keeping Cera's player information. That way, I won't have to place it into the story above anymore. It takes about 180 words up.
[Slayer (Zern) Lvl.196]
historical
[Exp: 40/100%]
[Title: The Son of Arch-Angel Michael (Hidden)]
[Stats] [Strength - 7095][Endurance - 7045][Dexterity - 7215][Speed - 8240][Focus - 19,660]
[Mana aura control: 6/100%]
[Health: 76,560,000,000/76,560,000,000] [Mana: 216,600,000,000/216,600,000,000]
[Stat Points: 50] [Armor rating: 500]
[Inventory] [Dice of Wayland (Divine)] [Hardened Tree sap Armor (Very Rare)] [The Witness (Legendary Sword)] [Fenrir's Whistle (Divine)] [Sally's Dresses 5x] [Camping gear] [Food Rations 3x] [Dried meat 3x] [Fishing poles 2x] [Fish 8x] [Festival Garbs 2x]
[Passive Perks]
[Inheritor of the Sword] [Son of Heaven] [Slayer of Evil] [Holy Willow Trees Savior] [Finder of Legends] [The Divine who has Legend] [Destined for Greatness] [Dungeon Diver] [An Overachiever]
[Active Skills]
[Heavens light Lvl.59 325/5900] [Protected by Heaven Lvl.59 225/5900] [Slash Lvl..77 4600/130000] [Parry Lvl.53 80/5300] [Double Strike N/A] [Kingslayer N/A] [Raging Machine N/A] [Winged Glory] [Angelic Flight] [Divine Pressure Exertion] [Divinity Pulse] [Controled Fun]