White Strings

Episode 23 - Birth

The Lumen army that besieged Manus was in preparations for infiltration. The barrier had suddenly fallen, and Lav was called for the discussion about the process. He thought it was pointless, he was almost sure that the town would be empty, so he didn't even pay attention. He stared at the map that was laid out on the table as the General explained the plan, but Lav was zoned out completely.

"The pale woman has returned!" a messenger yelled as he barged in the tent, his eyes looking for the General.

"What?"

Startled, Lav wanted to smack the thin man, but the words finally sunk in. "Pale woman? You mean Silk?"

"The Fides, she's just walking towards the town's gate!"

The General and his unit hurried to join the others who watched the young woman as she carried a body in her arms. They watched as she walked towards them, the wind playing with her loose hair. Her body seemed stiff and her torn clothes revealed wounded flesh. Her eyes seemed dead, gone.

"Seize her," Lav ordered.

"No, wait," the General objected. "This doesn't seem right. Where did she come from?"

"I don't know, Sir. She suddenly appeared right outside the fort. We have been trying to ensnare her, but it seemed like we couldn't use anything against her."

They slowly backed away as Silk had gotten close. They waited as the General tried to decide which action to take. Lav watched the hesitant military superior in dismay, shaking his head. He then looked as Silk continued to walk right towards them, as if she couldn't even see them. In a few moments she would turn and enter through the gate and all that would be left for her to do is run inside the fort.

"Cowards," Lav muttered. He summoned his blade and was about to call for his ice coating so he could finish Silk in one blow, but nothing happened.

The soldier scoffed, "See? I told you nothing works on her."

The General watched as the hot headed heir tried to summon any ice spell, with no success. Something wasn't right, this Fides descent did something. The General looked at his palm and tried to conjure the orb of blood that was the signet of his family. His eyes widened in dread as he could not manage to harness his energy at all.

"What in the deities' name?" the General whispered.

The unit stood in silence, waiting for his orders. And yet, he was speechless. The soldiers watched as the Fides woman's back slowly turned to them. Her pace didn't change as she walked peacefully through the already open gate. No one dared to follow after her.

Silk ascended the stairs that lead to the fort's entrance. She held onto Kaon's body in despair. Once she reached the main door, she was greeted by Ameru's innocent gaze. Silk halted for a brief while, then continued to walk towards the door.

"He, alive."

Silk froze in place, her melancholic gaze regained its focus. She turned to the prodigy. "Kaon is alive?"

"New deity, Kaon interesting, summon Kaon."

"What?" Silk couldn't make sense of what Ameru was saying, but suddenly she was hopeful. "Is he alive?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?!"

"Yes."

Silk closed her mouth and then hastened her pace as she walked inside, followed by Ameru. The rest had escaped already, it seemed, but Silk could only worry about Kaon at that moment. She entered his room and was greeted by a great mess, as if a beast had gone wild inside it.