Chapter 176: 176
BOOK II - GREAT DESCENT
VOLU VIII - HELL-FORGED
CHAPTER 176
CUT FROM THE SA CLOTH
A rather warm, southern wind blew, caressing the building tops of the lively town, yet seemingly invisible to the eyes of the passerby . While the town drowned in its daily liveliness, in one of the large-standing inns, Lino currently sat by the window, drinking and looking out into the sky . It had been a week since he’d arrived here, yet he hardly felt as settled as he thought he would .
His thoughts were interrupted quickly with the doors of the room opening and Lucky and Felix walking in, both seemingly exhausted and parched . They stared at him dangerously for a mont while he rely flashed a smile before reaching into the desk and taking out two glasses of wine, one for each .
"You guys had fun?" Lino asked, taking a sip .
"Fun? No," Lucky replied . "I was rely reminded as to why I hated your sorry, lazy ass so much . "
"Ah, co on now . It can’t have been that bad . " Lino said .
"Yeah, have you left the inn today?" Felix asked . "It’s literally ten billion degrees outside . And you asked us to go to the mountain ranches -- full of horses who shit all the freaking ti -- and expect us to have had a fun ti?!"
" . . . yeah, alright . Maybe you don’t deserve to be made fun of . " Lino said, turning toward them . "Did you buy it at least?"
"Yeah," Lucky nodded . "But . . . are we really moving to a ranch? Seems rather dumb . "
"Not we," Lino said . "You two . "
"Huh?" both Felix and Lucky exclaid at the sa ti .
"I’ll be leaving soon," he elaborated, withstanding the twos’ murderous gazes . "To a place . . . neither of you can follow . Whilst I’m away, I figured I’d secure you guys a permanent residence . "
" . . . is that it?" Lucky asked after a short silence . "Just . . . ’hey, I’m leaving . Here, have a house! Goodbye!’ . Really?"
"What do you an a place we can’t follow you to, Master?" Felix asked .
"This place will soon be plunged into a war," Lino said . "I’m rely leaving to make so preparations . "
" . . . ain’t that familiar-sounding . " Lucky said, quickly downing the bottle .
"Yeah . . . life really is quite ironic like that, isn’t it?" Lino said, smiling faintly .
" . . . " Lino suddenly lifted his arm to shield his head as a bottle ca flying at him; glass shattered with a loud bang, creasing over his arm and face, gashing several wounds across as wine sizzled over them . "You’re a fucking piece of shit, you know that Lino?" Lucky spoke in a dark and hardened voice as Felix felt as though strained between two realities .
"I--"
"You’re doing the exact goddamn thing as the last ti!!" she yelled at him, interrupting . "What’s this ti, huh? Is it resources again? Maybe you fancy so fat ass? Or . . . are you just running away? Is that it? Are you that much of a coward?"
"L’--"
"Felix, stay out of this!" Lucky glared at him for a mont before shifting her gaze onto Lino . "Answer . What is it? Or are you going to be cryptic, saying so stupid shit you think is charming?"
" . . . well, I was going for the latter one but you ruined it . " Lino said .
" . . . Lyonel," Lucky said . "If you leave . . . I swear to god you won’t find when you co back . Or ever again . "
" . . . maybe that’s for the best . " Lino mumbled faintly as he took a sip .
"Really . . . now?" Lucky’s eyes shined montarily as she slowly walked over to Lino and leaned into his face . "At least look in the eye when you’re throwing away you cunt . "
" . . . " Lino looked up, eting the already teary eyes . "You’ve seen--nay, you’ve experienced the hell back there, Lucky," he continued . "Tell . . . what part do you believe you have to play this ti around, huh? I can’t protect you two . "
"Nobody asked you to protect us!!"
"I dragged you over," Lino sighed . "Of course I have to protect you two . "
"Why?!"
"Because you two are the only ones I’ve got fucking left!!!" he roared angrily for a mont . "Fuck," he sighed as he saw Lucky’s and Felix’s startled expression, getting up and walking over to the window, leaning against the ledge . "I . . . I truly wanted to stay here with you for a little while longer . I wanted to see just how awkward Felix can get around whenever I smile at him dubiously, I wanted to see how far the two of you will be able to make it in this world . . . I wanted to witness all of this myself . " he turned around and glanced at them, smiling . "But the world doesn’t seem to give shit about what I want . And about what you two want . Hey," he walked over to the two of them and put his hand on their heads, caressing gently . "I won’t be gone forever, you know? Besides, you’ve got each other now, and all that without to pester you . "
" . . . go to hell . " Lucky swatted his arm away and angrily stomped out of the room .
"Right . Well, I’m gonna pay for that dearly eventually . " Lino said, sighing as he sat back down and began drinking again .
" . . . I’ve learned many things from you," Felix spoke out after a short silence . "And one of them was to always be free . . . to be open to possibilities . To never let the world dictate my thoughts, my ideas and even less so my actions . I wholeheartedly believed you stood behind that belief . Looks like I was wrong though . "
" . . . " Lino glanced at him and saw it in his eyes -- the disappointnt, sadness, even tinges of pain swirling about the sea of honesty and innocence . "I’ve told you many tis before Felix, but I’m quite a hypocrite . "
" . . . no," Felix shook his head . "Hypocrites are rely cowards who don’t practice what they preach . "
" . . . you’ll watch her for , won’t you?"
" . . . goodbye, Master . "
Felix shifted on his heel heavily and left, his back slouched . Lino stared at his fading figure for a mont before sighing; though he very much liked to play the role of a bad guy, it wasn’t as pleasant when he was doing it to the people he cared for . Yet, he remained firm in his conviction . He knew couldn’t involve them into whatever was to co .
" . . . you’re maturing . " a robotic voice quickly chid in, causing Lino to scoff and even laugh for a mont .
"You can say it," he said, taking a sip . "I’m turning into you, bit by bit . "
"Is that so bad?" the Writ asked .
"The re fact that you have to ask tells you haven’t been paying much attention, have you?"
" . . . you’ve realized it, haven’t you?" the Writ continued, ignoring Lino’s jab .
"What? That I have to be a complete twat to two people I care about because I want to keep them safe? Ay . I’ve figured it out . "
"It’s a thankless occupation . " the Writ said .
" . . . why did you pick ?" Lino mumbled . "Why not so loner who hates everyone else as much as he hates himself? Why not so narcissistic whacko who would happily go around and kill people on your behalf?"
"The re fact that you have to ask tells you haven’t been paying much attention, have you?"
"Hah . . cute . . . real cute . "
"You could have chosen to tell them the truth . " the Writ said .
"It wouldn’t have changed anything," Lino said . "They would have still decided to follow . The only difference would be that the chances of them dying would increase exponentially . "
" . . . then you did what you had to do . "
"Do you know Hannah?" Lino asked suddenly .
" . . . I do . "
"Hah, so you really have been scooping around my mory lane, haven’t you?" Lino scoffed for a mont before continuing . "After Ally left, I pretty much lived to kill those involved in all her misfortunes . I figured I’d be like those avengers in the stories she used to read to . . . I’d fan the flas of fury till they unkindled and I beca just another needle in the heap of corpses . I knew she would co back for one day, so I wanted to leave her with a final ssage . I wanted to let her know that I’ve never given up . . . and that she shouldn’t either . "
" . . . "
"After Hannah helped kill Barry," Lino took a deep breath, staring at the bottle in his hand . "She refused to help kill anyone else, saying I wasn’t cut out for it . I’d have done it anyway, but . . . "
" . . . she never left you out of her sight . "
"Yeah . . . " Lino chuckled . "She was rather stubborn like that . I’d have probably died long ago if it wasn’t for her . "
" . . . is that why you hid from Alison when she ca to look for you? Because you didn’t want her to think you’d given up?"
" . . . no, it’s the opposite," Lino said, taking a sip . "I wanted her to think I had . Or, rather, that I’d already fizzled out . Hannah had told long ago that Ally was having a hard ti adjusting . . . and I knew I was that crutch, the boulder holding her back . It was ti she let go . "
" . . . isn’t it ti you let go the other one as well?"
" . . . I will . Eventually . " Lino said, taking a deep breath and putting the bottle down . "For now, though, it’s high ti I looked into Ethwart’s offer, don’t you think?"
" . . . indeed . "
"Great Descent . . . huh? I really do wonder what kind of weird whackos I’ll et over there . . . "
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