Before the Storm

Chapter 16: To Chase... Hope

Nightfall in Fort Zuka brought restlessness to the Felina and the Knights as Hubris wanders the perimeter, unsure of what to do. He bumps into Onyx in a very similar position, but before they could start at each other's throats, something upsets the environment

And with an unexpected guest comes unexpected news

Author's note: so we are past the halfway point already, and it is indeed time to shake things up a bit. here we insert plot twist number one

the second plot twist sits within the following chapter. after that, all hell breaks loose and things start getting hairy XD

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Restless nights plagued the habitants of Fort Zuka as the uncertainty surrounding the terror that had cost them the trust of the clans after losing the Deathsinger's personal effects to an unknown entity weighed heavily on their minds, with no solution to come of their efforts in securing, not only the perimeter, but also their own safety. Someone got in and out of their armoury without being seen, and the only clue that they had to go on was the word of two guards, adamant that they saw what looked to be Ingressus Voltaris himself; yet a visit to an undisturbed grave had put that idea to rest as quickly as it sprouted.

So, what was bothering them all so much about this news?

It wasn't just the wasted efforts in securing the equipment, outwitted by a ghost, but also the unsettling possibility that it could happen again. Since they had no leads and no evidence but the word of two, they had nowhere to go, and nowhere to look. They were as lost as the Deathsinger's effects. But even above all that, as they could push the pressure of the how under the carpet for now, and they could trip over it later when it came back for them, it was the who and the why that gnawed at their guts. If it were a Voltaris in possession of deadly elements, then there was only one culprit for it – Tygren, as little sense it made, and even if he didn't fit the description.

There was no other possibility.

The grave was undisturbed. They had seen it with their own eyes. The cat was settled, as it had always been since that day, showing signs of connection to the person under that stone.

Surely, it couldn't be Ingressus...

But thus far, there was very little reason to scratch off any possibilities. Tygren was a ghost for all they knew – and as had been proven, they knew very little this late into the game, this deep into a brewing storm.

And be it as it may that the missing effects and the intrusion and the lack of evidence to help the army, that was not what weighed heavily on Hubris' mind, for as he wandered the dirt path around the outskirts of the Fort, kicking loose stones as he pottered about, and letting the misty moon beat down on his pale markings dimmer than they had been, he couldn't help but think about Senn.

Much like Galleous when he and Hubris had first witnessed the undertaking, his mind swirled relentlessly, tossing and turning as if in a heated sweat, fighting a priority between wanting to chase Tygren down, and wondering in what state they would find the young Voltaris Master. Hubris wanted to drive his sword through Tygren the second that he showed his demonic mug in Crown Peak a few days before, but he was too stunned by the ally in his grasp to think clearly. This long on from then, his mind was still no clearer. In fact, he could argue that it was far more clouded than it had ever been, for now the battlefield for action and wonder had given way to the newfound knowledge that Tygren was not their only enemy in this oncoming war. Kiyoshi was concerned for their security, but Hubris was concerned for their preparation. With this level of uncertainty, he had no hope of planning his moves carefully enough to avoid a fallout larger than he could handle.

If he had even a hint of a clue as to where to go to find Tygren, he would have taken it at the first opportunity – foolishly so, for even he was aware that one could not fire all guns blazing against an enemy that has had far more preparation time than themselves. Even on a spontaneous coordinated attack, their brute force would be no match against the cunning mind of Tygren alone, less so the Nether army awaiting them inside.