Ashes of Vile

49

CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE
THE FINALE: Cassidy Idgen's Final Decision

Cassidy Idgen and Oceanna Murray Vile were like cat and mouse. The two made sure to be in each other's presence and avoid running away like they had done for too long. She brought forth Vermithis Ashgrim's rage in the lands that had run her dry the same as thsose that reigned over it. The Ashgrim family was bound to fall, and she had the misfortune of falling for one. She had to somehow compromise. She couldn't dare to rid the woman she loved out of her life, but she could dare to rid the family of August Vile. Even if that meant she would hate her. But she knew better than to think the chancers were high. August was inhumane for the most part, the little emotion she may have for her blood was lower than the depths of the endless ocean.

And as she faced head on the battle she imagined in all its forms– revenge, sorrow, and chaos; she couldn't help but get pulled into the deep focus of vengeance. She would catch the glimpse of Oceanna's face amidst her many watchmen, and she despised that face so much. It looked too much like August, and though she knew that wouldn't pull her back from doing what was needed to be done, she just hated that she may have to see that face for the rest of her life. It was true, what the people said. Angels were scary to scare demons, and demons were beautiful to deceive. If anything, Oceanna was the biggest deceit of humankind, no one would suspect the beautiful Ashgrim and its beautiful people were corrupt by the beautiful faces of the Viles. There's a certain triumph to the doing of a god. More specifically, a god whom many cursed as a hoax and deceit. But hypocrisy has a way of showing itself in a humorous way.

Cassidy had found a natural away around her source, but what she had just discovered the day on the battle was how it strongly amplified by harnessing her emotions. And when she was mad, so was the source. She blazed through the sharp blades and bullets of the watchmen, building on reflective walls, protecting both the people caught in the crossfire and her complex 'friendships'. Chase Creed grabbed the opportunity of the distraction and slid through the gap created by the lines of watchmen and slashed their ankles. It almost looked poetic, the way his legs crashed on the floor with the puddles of water. The rain was neverending, and though it made the perfect scenery, the battle was becoming more unbearable. It obscured the visions of even the greatest assassins, and though the power of the thousand watchmen were incomparable to Chase Creed and August Vile, the little detail of their sharp eyes, it disoriented them. And that was an integral part of their skill.

He landed in front of Cassidy Idgen's feet and she was taken back to the very first night of meeting the murderer. "You almost look like you're begging." She said, mostly to herself, but Chase caught on to her words despite the rupterous sounds that consumed them. "You lasted longer than I thought, little vixen." That was always the thing between Chase Creed and Cassidy Idgen. They were smart people, and somehow despite knowing very well of the page they were on, their responses never seemed to match. But in a way, they understood what they were saying to each other. Even if that was hazily painted with their words spoken. And in that case, they picked up on it. Take care, Cassidy meant. You give them hell, Chase meant too.

"DUCK!" Sung Mi yelled, she had an atrocious voice when panicked, which was rare. Chase tackled Cassidy down to the ground, barely dodging the large ax that was headed straight at them. It hit the watchmen's head instead and his body fell down to the ground straight away. Chase and Cassidy looked at each other with a horrifying look, watching their missed fate with their own eyes.

It didn't take them much to realize the groups of midnight riders had begun to mix in with the chaotic gunfires being shot and the blades clanging. They immediately got up from the ground and Cassiy ran straight through the center of the battlefield where most of the creatures were gathered. She diverted their attention away from her people as they fought hard. She frantically looked around and without the need for a calling, Arcadia was slowly but surely making his way to help his master.