The Romance of Lotania - An Under Gods Story (Rough Draft)

Chapter 24: Hope

Chapter 24: Hope

"Ghawou, are you okay?" Kaga asked.

"No," Ghawou answered with his head held upward trying to keep tears from falling as he sat patiently waiting for news from the other room.

"Hey, I'm sure she'll be fine. Besides, after what you told me, what's there to worry about?" Kaga asked.

"It won't be that simple. There's a spirit that hovers over every lotanian who earns the title Leviathan named Basou Wedo. In order to receive his power, a kind of pact is made that details that a dead leviathans spirit will become a part of him. So if she dies, that's it."

"I still don't understand what these Revolutionaries wanted. Why go through all this trouble just to light a fire?" Aapti asked.

"The fire itself wasn't the issue. It's what it represented," Eyawa explained. "In imageon, we've come to realize that the color of a flame has meaning. In this case, violet is a color meant to represent revolution and freedom. And considering my last run in with revolutionaries before this happened, they were probably trying to get a message out to Met Visogue."

"So what are we supposed to do if she doesn't make it?" Orunya asked.

"We'll figure that out if it happens," Eyawa answered, not wanting to count Teporia out just yet.

And she wasn't the only one...

Outside, a circular barricade of soldiers had been erected in response to the recent chaos, though it was not the chaos they'd expected. Ever since the violet flames died, the citizens of Vahemoria – higher and lower – had grown restless.

"Everyone, get back!" a vahemorian soldier yelled and shoved back a few citizens.

"That witch and her imageon killed my children!" a lotaness shouted back and clawed the soldier's face.

The soldier groaned in pain and pulled his rifle up. But before he could fire it, a mass of others swarmed him, beating and stabbing him with whatever they had. The soldiers on the other side of the ignited their Imageon fired at the people indiscriminately, hoping that they would flee, but they didn't. It was as if these citizens had no fear to inhibit them. They clung their hands to the gates still hot from the massive fire and climbed them. The soldiers aimed upwards, sniping them one by one. The lasers ripped through flesh and charring it just as fast.

"Please, Draven! It's my sister! We have to get to her! Vi can help her!" the voice in Draven's head cried, but Draven gave no answer. The truth was he honestly wanted to help her. In the past few days, being nagged by her constantly showed him that she was just another being caged in Lotania with that thing.

He could still feel Met Visogue's aura gripping and pulling his vine-ridden body from the walls of Anaqwe's Woven Maze, his mind still tethered to the spider-like lotanian as Met Visogue tore his jaw clean off with his own wooden staff. The salty blood stinging the look cord from his nervous system that dangled as he tried to crawl away with his one good arm. In what was probably a minute's time of Met Visogue's sentient tentacles burning through the hard vines, Draven could feel the fear, regret, and pain of Ananqwe, and that froze Draven solid.

"Listen, vi know you're afraid of her. Vi am too, but you can't force me to stay here when vi know vi can save my family," the voice begged.

Suddenly, Draven's green feline eyes changed to red.

"Draven? Draven?" the voice meowed.

Then a realization came, Draven had relinquished control.

"Vi am coming, Teporia. Just sit tight!" the voice growled and sprinted toward the gate.