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Chapter 28.5: Dear Little Brother
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Since the day he was born, Horus Crouse was compared to his elder sister. He had never thought ill of her because of it. In fact, he took pride in the well-deserved praises she received from others. Seeking every opportunity to boast of his sister, Horus would even go so far as to bring up her name amongst his friends and during social gatherings when allowed the chance.
Needless to say, Horus had been close to his sister growing up, but this had not always been true. When he was very young, Horus remembered Chiri Crouse to have an existence similar to that of a phantom in their own home. He remembered her attending a family meal routinely, once a week. Where, she would eat in silence. Speaking only to politely answer their parents questioned her about the progress of her lessons. Sometimes, even this occasion was missed. However, their parents did not remark on her absence nor did they display any discernible sentiments towards Chiri in his presence.
Days could pass w
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Chiri stood, leaning against one of the plain blank walls in the infirmary. Only serving the purpose of healing minor ailments, each bay within the clinic was equipped with a cot and a little cabinet of medical supplies. Concealed from view by simple white sheets, they did nothing to diminish the hushed conversations of the medics, or the groans of pain from the trainees she had injured.Looking at the person in the cot pensively. Brow creased as she took in the sight of the burns she had inflicted. Leaning her head back until it met the cold wall with a soft thud, she reflected on their fight. Chiri did not mind if it had further cemented her as a villain within his mind, as long as it served in its purpose to teach her brother a lesson. Best that he understood the implications of using their family powers now, Chiri would cut down a hundred more trainees if it could spare him even an ounce of the pain and devastation it had caused her. For her it was a lesson hard learned,
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It had seemed a long time ago that Allen had walked the streets of Ineset. Weeks passing without any further incident, Chiri Krane was allowed to escort a handful of trainees to acquire supplies.Being under her tutelage, Allen managed to glean a little more about her. To be expected, as an instructor, she was ruthless and quick to point out other’s weaknesses. That being said though, the Witch seemed to value persistence among her students and would never belittle those who sought make an earnest effort in their lessons. However, that did not seem to improve others opinion of her.Although no other challenges had been issued since her first day, the Witch was received with contemptuous glances wherever she went. Allen had even heard other trainees spit after referring to her as a ‘Dhryzic’. A term, which he had come to learn as being possibly one of the blasphemous names for a criminal one could utter. Allen did not share the same concentrated hatred
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Allen held the bag of bullets, feeling their weigh in his hands he slightly dreaded the prospect of using them.He had never taken a life before. Although, Allen had shot at the Witch, he had been driven beyond reason by hatred and alcohol. He was still unsure how he would have felt if he had actually followed through with it, especially once he discovered she was in fact innocent of the particular crime he had accused her of committing. Her other crimes, however, remained inconclusive. There seemed to be a consensus amongst the majority of people he had encountered, that she was to be held accountable for committing a crime four years ago.The case she had been found guilty of in the past, and the one most referred to within the insular magic community, was that of an incident involving a passenger train. Assigned to guard a Day Gate reliquary during its transportation to the capital, a situation arose in which the Witch completely destroyed an entire car of the train
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Chiri was angry enough she felt as though she could spit venom. Looking at his sharp toothy grin as he slyly peered out from behind his barricade of protectors, the Changling glared back at her mockingly.Its talon like nails and the blue-grey skin of the abomination’s hands curled around the arm of young Morose, holding her hostage. Chiri knew it was futile to explain to those who were not accustomed to using dark magic of their true nature. To them, this type of magical creature, would appear as the most deceptively nonthreatening entity they could come up with. There were many dark beasts that camouflaged themselves in this way, they were practiced at the art of misleading light magic users and the average person. Just as elemental creatures were troublesome to dark magic users as they were typically difficult to see. Their eyes were not adjusted to distinguish these beasts due to their lack of exposure.Annoyed by the Changling’s refusal to back down an
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Walking through one of the long corridors in the central administration building, Allen’s stomach turned. Returning after filing a witness statement for the incident report, he recalled the events, which had transpired during their outing with Chiri Krane. A sight Allen would not soon forget, he could still hear the howl of the dying Changling and vividly recollect the blood splattered on the ground every time he closed his eyes. He wondered why the Witch had chosen to spare him the trauma of experiencing the brutal death of the Changling, while still in its child-like appearance. However, made nauseous by the very thought of seeing her again at the moment, he could not bring himself to ask her. Allen knew now that he had grown complacent towards the Witch’s actions. This incident reminding him that she was indeed every bit as ruthless and dangerous as he had originally thought. Proven by her merciless act of casting such a spell for them to witness. The terrifying efficiency of its
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Bewildered, Allen blinked astonished by the statement. Standing stupidly in the hall where they had happened upon each other, he replied tentatively, “What do you mean?” “She betrayed Chiri.” Rika answered absolute in her certainty on this matter. Motioning that they should move their conversation elsewhere, they progressed down the corridor once more. Turning into another a minute later, that was lined intermittently with doors and windows. They walked side by side as Rika divulged more of her explanation, “Chiri was always set to become the next Director of the Day Gate, until Annaliese took that title for herself.” She continued, still in a hushed tone. The conspiracy sounding too unbelievable to him, Allen massaged his temple tiredly. Already worn out by the vastly different account of events, he almost wished in that moment to never hear the name of Chiri Krane again for the rest of his life. “That’s impossible, Rika.” Allen rebuffed. Shaking her head so
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Gawking upwards, Allen’s head tilted back as he followed their mild glow. Continuing skyward until they appeared as small as stars, he could not even begin to guess at how many crystals decorated the tower’s walls. “34,295.” Rika stated. “Sorry?” Allen replied quizzically, not understanding the significance of the number. “That’s how many crystals are in this room.” She explained, guessing at what he had been thinking. Astounded, Allen asked, “What are they?” “Accounts.” Rika responded, already beginning to home in on a particular area, “Some are of events or trials, and others are personal.” She elaborated helpfully. Sliding a ladder over, to the spot Rika had identified. Allen recovered a crystal, roughly the size of an apple, from a shelf marked fourth from the bottom. After descending its steps, they retreated to a small room. Hidden by a dark curtain, it was no bigger than a cupboard. Furnished with a circular table covered by a l
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Delivering this judgement, all within the court seemed to extract a cruel sense of glee as a thin metal wand was brought out. Placed on top of a tray, an elderly wizard in robes proceeded towards the convicted felon at the center of the room. Reaching to take it up, Chiri stopped him. Gently touching his hand with her fingertips, the links of her chains rattling as she did so. Outraged by the action, he exclaimed indignantly, “You dare to interfere with the sentence of this court!” Smiling ruefully in response, she retorted “If the court would allow it, I would prefer to see this part of my sentence through myself.” After a brief look in the Judge’s direction, Elder Crouse permitted the request. Saying with a casual wave, “It’s of no use to her now anyway, the Court will allow it.” This verdict passed; the tray was then extended towards her. Regarded the object somberly, Chiri picked it up. The wand rejecting her instantly it hissed and burned her skin in protest. He
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The office filled with the serenity of the subtle white noise of each person’s solitary or otherwise mundane activities. It was the frustrated sigh which stood out amongst them as Chiri stared at the black and white squares of the board in front of her. The mild amusement that her opponent as he derived some enjoyment at her expense, evident by the sly smirk on his face. Chiri finally plucked her bishop from the board, her brow furrowing as she placed the piece in the last movement available to her, she slouched back onto the soft leather couch in resignation.Aware of her defeat without him having to state it, Cazer still smiled as he declared smugly, “Check mate.” Sulking as she sustained another loss, Chiri crossed her arms in front of her chest as she muttered back at him sourly, “I hate this game.” The smirk of confidence he possessed from beating her repeatedly at chess that morning, unrelenting as he continued to stare back at her. The expression would have irked her more had s
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The smell, like death and decay condensed. It seemed to cling to the walls of the tunnels and hang in the air as repugnant as one might find a corpse which still swayed in its noose. The heinousness of the scent, only becoming more egregious as they continued further into the catacombs beneath the bustling streets of Ineset, Allen found that each breath he drew provoked a repulsed churning in his stomach.A rat, made fat by feasting on the bones of the deceased and the other hapless creatures that might live within them, brushing past his foot. Allen released a mild gasp, before recoiling back against the wall of the tunnel in disgust. Already traversing the morbid labyrinth for at least an hour now, he began to hope for any sign of the rogue mages’ hideout to be uncovered soon. Whilst acknowledging that their unlit corridors and seclusion were perfect for those who did not want to be found, Allen could not fathom how it was inhabited by any member of the living for long.Their route,
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The small wooden frame of the bed moaning as someone shifted on its lumpy twin mattress, the noise prompted Chiri’s eyelids to flutter open slowly. Awoken from her deep sleep, she rolled onto her back to observe the person who sat on the edge of the bed they had shared. Her long hair tangled beneath her, she watched his broad back silently as he pulled on the few articles of the uniform that had been scattered about the floor during the night. Her gaze, apparently felt by him after a while, Allen Pierce turned. Greeting Chiri with an affectionate smile as she blinked the sleep away from her eyes, the skin around his blue gray irises crinkled from the extent of the contentment within this moment. The springs of the mattress displaced again as he leaned towards Chiri, Allen cupped her cheek tenderly in his hand to say gently, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” His thumb caressing her cheekbone lightly as he spoke, Chiri smiled back at him tiredly from the pillow. Her hand, rising
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The rank smell of decay and mildew immediately enveloping her, Chiri knew that she had rejoined the dark catacombs where the cohorts of the Moon Gate’s malicious hoard gathered. Hissing as her form solidified again in the tunnel, Chiri again grasped at her side. Unsteady, the weight of her body found some stability as her back slumped onto the damp wall beside her. Expecting to be met with some snide remark in regard to her injury instantly upon her arrival, Chiri was to discover instead that her entrance had hardly been noticed amidst the affairs that had preceded her. Voices heard in the large junction between the tunnels, Chiri turned her head lazily in their direction. Leaning wearily against the dark tunnel, her eyes pinched together mildly as she squinted at the figures in the opening. Most of them the usual suspects that collected around Ryker Crouse, there was one amongst them that was only vaguely familiar to her. The woman’s hair matted and clothes dirty and torn from the t
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Hurried steps and panicked voices arising from outside the Dawn Gate, the source of their alarm was indeterminate from what corner of the empty ward Chiri occupied. Disinterested by the distant sounds of their mingled unease faded into a buzz of unrest as she closed her eyes against the persistent pain which plagued her. Clutching the saturated fabric more closely to the gouge at her side, Chiri grimaced as blood oozed out from between her fingers and onto the pestine floor beneath her. The wound, not having cut deep enough to touch any vital arteries or organs. It only posed the immediate threat of blood loss as she remained a solitary entity amongst the empty cots of the infirmary. The injury’s presence, no less vexing in the least, this was to be the reward Chiri enjoyed from another one of Ryker’s misguided assignments. Reclining against the wall slowly, she hissed an embittered curse through gritted teeth, “Sodded slug suckers!” Fortunate enough to find that no one else should b
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“Those damn toothy bastards can burn in Hell for all of eternity!” Cazer roared, the doors slamming shut behind him in order to punctuate the vehemence of this outburst. They were then battered again as he landed a ferocious kick onto the barrier of the office. The eruption of his fury causing the solid doors to shake, Cazer barely regarded the man who sat observing the dramatic display from his position on the couch.Allen’s eyes following him warily as he stormed into the room, Cazer found the silent pressure of his judgemental stare of little consequence as he marched over to his desk. Breathing agitated and his hair disorderly, he jerked open a drawer on the bureau. Withdrawing a half-full decanter and wiping the rim of a glass on the desk that had previously been used for water, Cazer poured himself a sizable portion of the spirit. Not offering any to the Hunter, he waited for Cazer to down the drink before asking, “No luck, I take it?” In too foul a temper to accept the smugness
