Chapter 118
To Slay the Unkillable
Strange silence perated the dining table, one that Sylas and Agnes seed entirely impervious to as they continued to gobble up the food. On the other hand, Valen, Derrek, and even Ryne only nibbled, spending most of their ti exchanging glances or looking at the strange woman that appeared out of nowhere. Sylas didnt introduce her, she didnt introduce herself, the two just walked in together, sat down, and started eating.
Observing her yielded little--in fact, if anything, it confused them further. She had hair as white as snow and a pair of ruby-red eyes and a skin that seed allergic to the sun, not to ntion that she wore similarly light clothing to Sylas himself. She was a beauty, unmistakably, but the kind that n found difficult to approach and speak to--not because she seed arrogant or difficult to talk with, but because she appeared... strange. Odd. Eerie. Otherworldly, even.
None of the three said anything, waiting for Sylas to break the silence. And yet, it seed as though he never would, and that hed just stand up and walk away when he was done eating. As such, Ryne took a deep breath and decided to be the hummingbird that sang.
Hey, Sylas, she called out. Are you going to introduce us to your friend or is it a guessing ga?
Oh? Right, right, havent introduced you this ti round, Sylas mumbled, wiping his lips and glancing at Agnes. She imdiately sighed when she saw the speck in his eyes, electing to shrug and just ignore him. She was enjoying the slightly salted cornbread and so deer. Lets see--this is... my mother.
...
...
...
I know she looks like this, but shes, in fact, sixty-nine years old, he continued, with Valen, Ryne, and Derrek reeling back in shock, still unable to process everything while Agnes was inches away from bursting out into laughter. She swore to herself, however, she wouldnt afford him the audience he was so desperately seeking. Thats why her hair is white. Anyway, she was worried about little ole and decided to trek through the hellish winter to co visit her favorite boy.
Are... are... are you really his... his mother? Valen quizzed. He was roughly eighteen million percent sure she wasnt... but he still had to ask. Just in case.
Of course not, Agnes rolled her eyes and sighed. There is no way in hell these hips of mine could ever bear as gigantic of an ass as he is.
... shit, that was actually good! Sylas exclaid.
Dont patronize and eat your deer, she said.
Yes, dear.
Ugh...,
Ryne snickered and elected to eat in silence; it has been around three weeks since the accident, and she was worried Sylas would be beyond down on himself. However, it sounds as though hed found soone new to lift him. Though it felt lonely, she steeled her heart and nerves and endured. Endured.
On the other hand, Valen and Derrek were stunned into silence, numbly eating their als. Whoever she was, they realized, she was of his cloth--and one such was enough to taper their nerves, let alone two. They decided to simply let them be, whatever that may end up becoming in the long run.
Right, Derrek, how would you go about killing sothing that seems unkillable? Sylas asked suddenly. As in, it can kind of, sort of, possibly wipe out the entire castle in a few attacks.
What?! Did you have another vision?!! Valen erupted in shock and terror.
What? Oh, no, right. No, no new visions, Sylas took a mont to recall that he was supposed to be a Prophet. Just pure curiosity. In case, you know, I have one in the future.
Dont... dont scare like that, though he seed to settle, the Princes lips were still shaking.
Sorry, Sylas mumbled apologetically. So?
Im not too sure myself, Derrek replied. Ive said this a few tis, but Im nowhere near as strong as you imagine to be, especially Kingdom-wise.
... Eh, it was worth a shot, Sylas shrugged inwardly, returning to silence. Agnes and he finished their als and bid their farewells, returning to the room the two occupied, leaving the other three to undoubtedly chat and chatter for hours at the very least.
You really are planning on killing that thing? she asked him on their way upstairs.
What other choice is there? he asked back.
Go around it?
And leave soone that dangerous in our backyard? Hed inevitably co north, anyway, Sylas said. By then, who can say what our circumstances would be? Besides, ever since I realized that village was abandoned, I had an idea in mind.
What idea?
To move everyone out the castle and into the village.
What for? she asked, appearing confused. The castle is far more fortified.
Its also far more exposed, he said. When Derrek and I leave, theres gonna be just a few soldiers left capable of fighting the Ghouls, let alone anything stronger. Though the castle is more fortified, theres no way in hell well be able to fix up its walls before spring, likely even sumr. And without them, its just a village, anyway. Additionally, the village has that underground level that can be further expanded to beco sort of a hideout.
Theres more to your head than ets the eye, huh?
Still, he said, ignoring her jab as she opened the doors to the room. This all presupposes Im sohow able to single-handedly kill that thing. Which, lets face it, will take a while. The best way is to probably evolve my Way further, coalescing a second heart that I can then use fully to discharge a single attack. The last ti, it wasnt fast enough so he was able to dodge in ti, forcing to miss his vitals. However, if I can get off a strike directly into his heart... aint no way hes surviving, ascended form or not.
"It's sowhat horrifying how casually you're talking about literally forming a second heart," she said, pouring herself a cup of wine. He didn't realize when, but she'd squarely begun treating the castle as her ho.
Im just following a blueprint, Sylas sighed. Im not sure if its even the right way.
Why cant you just kill that man before he turns into whatever ascended form is? she asked.
I possibly could, Sylas nodded. But I dont want to.
H-huh?
Im already capable of killing strong n, Sylas said. Hell, I could likely face an army of Derreks and do just fine at this point. But... my heart and gut are telling that I need to be capable of much, much more if I even want to have a chance of succeeding. The shadow is the perfect wall for , right now. If I can kill him, even by the virtue of cheating, in the ascended form, it would an that I can walk up to the stage of the bigwigs and strut my stuff about.
Its a mightily tall wall that youve chosen to tackle, she said. You are allowed to go step by step, you know?
... I think I can skip a few steps, being an immortal and all, he said. Im more worried about you.
About ? Why? she quizzed.
"Though I may sound confident, it will likely take years, possibly dozens of them, for to actually kill him," Sylas said. "Wouldn't it be better if you'd just... forget for a little while?"
Is this your roundabout way of telling to go away? she asked with a faint smile.
Its my straightforward way of questioning whether you have the ntal fortitude to endure the sa reality for years on end.
... I havent told you sothing yet, she said, looking out the window. But... the last year or so that Ive spent with you, fragnted though it may be, has been the happiest of my life. Not necessarily because of you, she added before Sylas could take a jab. But because alongside with everything else around repeating... so do my dreams.
You an...?
I havent gotten a new nightmare since that ti I watched you die in the village for the first ti, she said. They were all repeats. And though horrifying they are, after having seen them a few tis... they are more bearable. So, if anything, I welco the years and potentially decades of saness.
Even if nothing moves forward?
"Why do things need move forward, anyway?" she posited a question. "Don't all people wish to simply latch themselves on a few monts and never move on? Lovers tightly woven 'neath the stars? A mother holding onto her child a re few hours before it passes? Or a man overlooking an open plain where he'll run out into a battle a few hours later and die? Wouldn't the monts of eternity be the chains all of them would gladly put onto themselves?"
... for a ti, perhaps, Sylas said. But... nothing lives on forever in a mont. At so point, we all need to stop looking back at the things that were and werent... and look at things that could and will be.
Even you?
Especially , he said. The reason why Ryne is blind, Valen is crippled, Derrek is armless, and Tenner and many others are dead... is because I was unable to look back any longer. I had to step forward, chasing after the thing that could have been.
Well, she mumbled. I will let you know when that day cos. Until then, humor my senselessness.
So long as you promise that the hip birthing a gigantic ass wasnt your peak just yet, Sylas grinned. And that more gems of that nature are coming.
They are a-comin, she said. Unlike you.
... you know what? Sylas said. Because it was really good, Im going to substitute the actual reality with yours. Good job!
You could have just said good job, she sighed. I didnt need to know, you know?
How else would I glimpse at those beautiful, apple-red cheeks, though?
"I'd honestly just prefer if you slapped full force at this point."
Wow.
Yeah.
Very well, Sylas nodded. The next ti, Ill slap you with an even more embarrassing sentence. Just like you asked.
Yeah, the mont you smiled, I knew your lips will turn into buttcheeks and shit will just co flying out.
Spraying out. Im suffering from diarrhea at the mont.
... Im going to leave, for a little while. Dont look for , okay? And reflect in the anti.
Godspeed, sister! Make sure you dont step on any of the shit flyin out of my mouth!
Haaah...
Reviews
All reviews (0)