Before the Storm

Chapter 15: To Chase... A Lie

Back in Ataraxia, Galleous prepares himself to storm the Nether in a valiant bid to return Senn before any harm can befall the Master, but his head swimming in thoughts impossible was not the only issue he was to have when two mysterious characters were spotted in his workshop. What for, Galleous couldn't leave without finding out

Author's note: I inexplicably like this chapter illustration a fair amount fsr XD

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With his head in his palms and his digits pressing into his sinuses, followed by sighs of exasperation, Galleous stumbled back up the steps, wobbling from side to side as he rubbed his face raw, stressing and panicking. He couldn't stop his thoughts from swirling violently within his mind, sending his head into a frenzy as he tried to straighten himself out from spiralling as he forced himself to plan out his attack over the lingering motions of what would happen to Senn if he didn't get there in time – or what would happen before he could get there. If he dawdled and delayed, he was only all too aware of time running away from him before he could comprehend the fallout. He wasn't thinking about himself. Not even for a second. He was thinking only of Senn – how he would get him out, in what state he would find him, how he would get him as far away from harm as he could... He couldn't stop, and even as he mounted the last few steps up to the mountainside, he tripped and stumbled, groaning as he thought – as he stressed – thinking hard about his next moves.

He was going to grab Thalleous' sword from its wall mount. He was going to reignite the enchantment. He was going to sharpen it until a mere touch broke skin. Then he was going to march down to the nearest Nether portal – he didn't care where it took him – and he was going in there to retrieve Senn.

There would have been a time that the mere thought of crusading against another force would have churned his stomach and knotted it infinitely; but this was Senn's life on the line, and in the hands of that tyrant. Galleous had never once thought that he and Thalleous would have something so brutal in common, but if it was anything, it was their deep desire to care for an Ardoni that was not theirs – their willingness to do anything to protect him.

Senn was an adult, now. He was not the same clanless boy that Galleous had taken under his wing following Thalleous' murder; but he saw who he had become. He knew that, despite the new Voltaris Master's stern stance in killing Tygren at the first chance he got, he wasn't ready. Tygren had ensured that he had the upper hand from the first move; and now it was up to Galleous to snatch those chances away.

Whether he succeeded or not was another matter, entirely.

As was whether he survived or not, as well.

But he didn't care – so long as Senn was rescued.

Galleous was suddenly viciously pulled from his thoughts by someone as they grabbed his arm as he walked past them – another Ardoni: Mendoris. Camarya – a kind, soft soul, had graced his skin as he looked at her as if having been woken from a deep sleep, dreaming and dying. She spotted his apprehensiveness, but simply by feeling her cold hands on his skin that dull evening, he could feel that she had a worry about her that she had deemed important to share with the elder. He stopped and took her by the shoulders, examining her wary eyes.

He frowned.

"Galleous," she whispered, her voice wavering, "I do not wish to alarm you..."

"What is it?" he asked, as though nothing else could possibly go wrong.

Camarya inhaled, and her violet eyes darted towards his workshop across the bridge and illuminated by the Glowstone in the night. Galleous followed her vision and he squinted, looking at what was concerning the Mendoris. At first, he saw nothing, and was about to query her concern, when a swift glance of a dark shadow graced the entrance of his workshop, cloaked and shrouded in the shadows of the glowing light.