These events occur after the event
Soulbound 05/01/2017 but BEFORE
After The Storm 05/14/2017.
There will be several writings coming out over the next few weeks or so as I try to prepare my characters for the next Chronicles RP events.
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“Yes yes, I’ll be fine.” That’s how it started outside the closed door to Aaronock’s hospital room. The nurses kept disputing his decision to leave. Ezekiel, waiting outside the room, rolled his eyes. Aaronock had determination in his voice, and he wouldn’t back down easily now. The countering continued, “Gosh, stop being so fussy, I’m leaving.” Then, “I’m conscious and on my feet, you can’t exactly stop me at this point.” And finally ended with Aaron grumbling, “I’m getting my staff and bags right now. Cream, c’mon, stop trying to look up every nurses’ skirt, that’s so inappropriate!!!” Cream’s nasally chortles rang throughout the room. As if in sync, the nurses’ pitch changed from concern to screeching
Then without warning, the ethereal engineer burst through the room, carrying his bags and a staff slung across his back. Cream the Drops speedily followed out; bouncing down the hallway. The nurses bounded through the door only seconds later infuriated and rushing the tall man out of the building. Ezekiel followed, finally bursting into a chuckle once outside, “…Did Cream really peek up their skirts…?”
Cream was still in front of the pair as Aaronock’s face tensed and blurted out, “Only once today! But she didn’t notice, and it made for easy inspiration as a way to get out of there.” Cream heard what Aaronock said and beamed proudly with a wide, gooey smile.
Another chuckle followed with a reply came from the rogue, “I have paid for all the hospital services.”
“Even better, now let’s go on a walk back to Geffen.”
“Are you certain? Kafra teleportation would be far quicker…”
“And I don’t care, I need to stretch my legs and feet. I’ll do it with, or without you.”
Ezekiel would shrug his shoulders and not advance the topic any further. The decision became walking, and hopefully it wouldn’t be too troublesome for the trio.
The walk took them much of the day. They waltzed the streets of Prontera to the capital’s western gates that reached out into the fields near the culverts. Another turn eventually took them northwards to the hills halfway to Geffen. There they ate lunch and Cream chased after the various insect life residing in the forest. Then they continued heading westward, and Geffen at last popped into the horizon. Atop the hill before the town of mages Aaronock stopped for a final break. The taller man gestured for the other man to stop and sit. The other obliged, saying nothing, and looking at the destruction wrought upon the city from afar.
The destruction on the city was far from minor. Across the city houses were torn here and there, rooftops were blown off, all sorts of nooks and crannies throughout the city filled in with rubble. At least the primary areas of the city had the debris cleared. Even there however, razed areas from the attack left major gaps that made the city feel ever emptier and ruined.
Though from their current location they could not see it, Ezekiel had seen on the day it occurred the full wreckage the bridges sustained to the north and west of town when Adelaide initiated ‘Plan B’. They laid mired in the depths of the bodies of water that surrounded Geffen, nobody could get inside the town by foot except from the direction the trio currently traveled upon.
An hour passed with no dialogue spoken between any in the party. It was Aaronock who’d eventually break the silence. Between raspy breaths he murmured, “Those nurses, they didn’t want me to leave, but they don’t understand, I had to see what those bastards Ostellos and Eudoxie did to my home.”
As Ezekiel listened to Aaronock finally speak he dug around one of the bags they carried and pulled out some medicine, handing it to the inventor.
After swallowing the liquid inside the bottle, Aaronock continued, whispering, “My house is over there, to the southwest in town, somehow it didn’t take a lick of damage it looks like from here.” A cheerless laughter accompanied the statement and then he continued to hollowly glare at the city down below.
Finally, Aaron began to speak at his usual volume, “Ostellos and Eudoxie are now sealed up by cold, spiritually based magics that most don’t even touch. I’ve heard rumors about the guy who wielded the weapon that locked them away.” Aaronock shifted his position but never averted his gaze held upon the city below. “He’s still alive, lucky for him, because he could have ripped his own soul into more pieces than there are fragments of Ymir if he wasn’t. For all we know a bit of himself got stuck inside despite not taking a wound from it.”
After a sigh, Aaronock still staring at the town below then pointed a finger in Ezekiel’s decision. “The mages used a solution that I’m not the happiest with. Still think my solution was the most simplistic, just evaporate the two of them – body and soul – entirely. Quite dangerous and more than deadly, as far as solutions go, but if you’re going to go all out, may as well go all in too. You think…you think I’d be happy either way, Ostellos and Eudoxie can’t be threats to us anymore.”
Aaronock then paused for a while, folding his arms and basking in the now slowly setting sun. His eyebrow twitched when he spoke next, “How I’ve acted and treated everyone the last year or so should have me second guessing my own abilities. Hoarding all this knowledge and magical talent, and look at me flounder about so uselessly in anger at the mere sight of Ostellos. I’m far from being quite as special as I thought, there’s no way I can be a better leader in this world than those already placed there.”
Ezekiel shrugged from behind, uncertain what to say to ease the muddled emotions he believed the Ethereal Engineer experienced now. “Not all are called to lead…”
The inventor cut the rogue off, “I know that, but I so strongly believed I was some sort of ‘chosen one.’ The plans I had laid if I ever became leader of the Light Allegiance…I thought it my place in the world to fix all the myriad problems of corruption throughout society. Ostellos and Eudoxie believed something similar, but for the Dark Alliance and Erebos, and look where those ideals took them. Their idea of justice was destruction. What use is the world they want to create however, if only tatters of society were left?”
Aaronock turned to look at Ezekiel then, and the latter rubbed the backside of his head shyly. In the back of Ezekiel’s mind, he contemplated why he needed to bother with this. He intended to only make sure the inventor did nothing rash whilst returning home. He hadn’t anticipated the other to want, nay, need comfort from him. The time to share his opinion was now or never. With a shrug Ezekiel finally shared, “As I said to others before, it would be trading one form of tyranny for another. What world we live in now is far from perfect, for many who hold power abuse it to no end. However, the current world keeps people safe from the monsters and wild magics of our planet. Ostellos and Eudoxie’s world could never promise even that. Better there is progress in our civilization than to send her back. Indeed, what good is a new society if all everyone does is look for all the lost knowledge of the civilization that preceded it?”
“You armed with those beliefs, Ezekiel…well, that explains why you’ll be the better of us one day…if that day hasn’t arrived already. My solutions to problems are far more simplistic. You actually think of the ramifications beyond yourself and those closest to you. Perhaps I’d be happier doing the same more often.”
Now it was Ezekiel’s turn to wag a finger at Aaronock, “Do not envy whatever you perceive as my position and lot in life. Neither of us alone really have the power or influence to change the winds of society. Knowing that, I can see why people may foolishly find Eudoxie and Ostellos’s solutions so elegantly appealing. Or why they themselves saw it as the only solution.”
A laughter broke from the Ethereal Engineer. The Master Rogue saw fit to saunter over and punch the other man’s arm, and then inquiring about what humored Aaronock so. A clear answer never came, only the words, ‘You’ll figure it out eventually’ could be shaken from him.
Cream bobbled forward to face Aaronock instead, “I rarely say this, but I’d like to get home sometime today! Now let’s go, celebrate the small victories we’ve gotten, and prepare to end Dark Lord. That’ll put things mostly back to normal!”
Aaronock smiled, “Ah, now that sounds like an interesting plan you crafted, but should we execute it, hm hm hm?”
“Are you alright then to continue walking?”
“Ah, of course.” Stretching, Aaron then continued, “Before we go, I want you to know, somehow, I am more at peace with myself and past mistakes made than ever before. Once this, ‘Liberated Dark Lord,’ as they call him is sent away, all the threads Eudoxie and Ostellos crafted will have been dispatched. Anything remaining will be easily thrown to the four winds by comparison.”
“Funny you should be bringing that up, I have an official notice from King Ernst himself looking for adventurers to battle against that deathly foe. A reward is definitely involved. Interested?”
“Ah ho ho, what’s this, why do I have your blessing to fight now?”
“I originally had no intensions of allowing you, but you’ve said more than enough to ease any worries I had before…”
Cream bobbled back and forth excitedly. “Jeez, just take the note and let’s go for the glory…and chicks!”
“Huh? Why are you in such a rush to go headlong against fearsome foes? I don’t see any backbone growing inside of you now do I?” Aaronock teasingly rolled his foot over the top of the Drops as he stood. A motion was given that he was finally ready to head to town. “Best we hurry before the full evening sets. Let’s make tea if we can once we reach my place.”