Tidal Florette - A Painted Soul I

Favian - 53

"How do you not know the way out of your own city?!?!"

Favian is equally baffled as the furious citizens following them. The pandemonium overcame any of their senses and they'd somehow cornered themselves in an alleyway ending at the wall. The citizens are too upset and won't let the four of them pass to lead them to an exit.

"This is a disgrace to the gods! Your entire rule has been a disaster!"

Hayate is speechless, they haven't had any explanation for their error they just keep requesting the crowd turn back. Urso and Elio stand in front of them, looking unsettled and concerned.

Urso grumbles over to Favian. "We have to calm them down. Some are starting to arm themselves."

Elio calls out. "I assure you it was a simple error! Please my friends, the street just a couple blocks back will take us back on course!"

A gruff looking man sneers. "And I'm sure smarter folks are already taking it. You still haven't explained how you don't know the city?!""

The crowd rallies with frustration.

Hayate cries out, their eyes glowing teal as they fall to their knees. "No! Oh gods..." They look over to Favian with terror in their eyes. "She's dying!"

He looks at the silhouette of Akkokaido far back at the palace. There aren't any signs of resistance against it now. No... they have to live... I don't care why Yumi said she can't help me... She can't die now...

The crowd turns their attention to the palace and cower as the titan fires a beam into the core of the palace and it collapses on itself. A massive cloud of dust spreads in the wake of the destruction, masking the scene.

Hayate holds their face in their palms. "Seven millennium... lost..."

Elio crouches to try and comfort them. "We can always rebuild, your highness. Raelyn will make that easy!"

"Where IS Raelyn?!? I need him..."

The disgruntled citizen speaks up again. "Turning to blasphemy yet again. See what that's done to your city? You've sold our homes to the night and still you are blind!"

This is bad... We really do need Raelyn... He can open the wall... I have to do something or these people might get violent... He steps forward and holds up his hands. "Please, we need to calmly proceed to the city gates. We won't have long before the destruction reaches us. If we can get out we'll all be safe."

The man seems to be considering it, but shakes it off and scowls down at Favian with disgust.

Another man pushes his way through. Favian recognizes the bookshop keeper. "Listen to them! We're all going to die if we stay here! We must keep on toward the exit!"

Some people start on their way back on course, but too many are standing their ground. They are all faces Favian doesn't recognize, but he can sense a feeling shared among them. They have no intention of letting us by... And there's still too many to–

Favian feels one presence step into his range of empathy it hates to recognize. Far back through the crowd there's one man headed toward them that makes this situation far more dangerous.

Warden Lykke...