Euryce ~ What to do with the ever increasing darkness

Countdown for the cut: Two hours before the end

As the visitor explained, it all is quite simple.

Darkness is everywhere below the ground, but it’s not evenly distributed.

Generally, you can create, control and dissipate veils without issue anywhere. But there are places where the darkness is concentrated, dense, waiting for any leak. If a veil sprung in such a spot, it would become an unmovable veil that would grow until a barrier stops it or the pressure relents.

Turns out, Nochightdad was built upon an enormous darkness accumulation. Like a bomb waiting to blow up always under us.

Orphie’s guard movilized immediately when a random veil sprung inside the city, but soon we found out there was nothing to be done. It was impossible to dissipate a veil in the city once it had been created.

And when a second one appeared?

The situation went from dire to unsalvageable.

The veils were slowly, but steadily growing. The barrier had been weakened by the lack of sacrifices and it could very barely withstand the pressure from the darkness. If nothing changed, the entire city would soon be engulfed in darkness.

Then, the stream finally fell, and the only solution became apparent. They needed to strengthen the barrier immediately. Someone had to enter the stream.

Pole had escaped, and he was not a reliable candidate in the first place, which meant that Howard became the only possible sacrifice to use. I refused vehemently, but this time Howard refused to let me stop him. The moment he saw the two veils shooting through the sky he offered himself to be killed.

I tried to headbutt him but one of the guards stopped me.

Orphie looked at Howard, surprised by his willingness for the ritual. He seemed to doubt it for a moment, but after seeing the veils, he simply nodded and started the walk towards the stream.

I followed, trying to dissuade them in vain. They were trying to make it a quick affair, one that didn’t devolve into chaos like it had happened several times before it.

That meant, in that moment, I was the only one against’t sacrificing Howard. I felt alone, I followed them without hope.

Suddenly, I wasn’t the only voice against it. And somehow, that became even worse.

People starting coming to the streets, initially terrified for the veils, but soon they started coming in hordes as if they knew where to find us. The people started gathering into a mob, which soon formed into a rowdy crowd.

People wanting to see the long lost messenger of the Gods, people who screamed in desperation for a solution as they saw their homes being devoured by the ever increasing darkness, people who simply wanted to see what was going on. Their cries only increased the more people joined them, flocking like bugs to the light.

And then, the violence started.

Who threw the first stone?

I didn’t recognize them, but I did recognize their clothes. She must have been one of the mothers from my village, fighting to pass through the crowd.

The rock hit Orphie’s face, who soon turned in anger to look at it. A couple of guards tried to grab whoever had thrown it, but the wick on this powder keg had already been lit.

Rocks and hard objects starting flying through the air as people starting fighting each other. The guards could not contain the mob for long, as we all had to start movilizing ouside the city as quickly as we could to escape the enraged crowd.

When we started seeing blood on the floor was when we knew something had gone terribly wrong. The heads of spears started popping up from between the heads of the crowd as more people started fighting to get them.

How could this had happened so suddenly? Where did they even get weapons from?

Orphie himself tried to calm the crowd but he had to back down when he almost got grabbed by someone in the mob. It was taking all the effort of the guards to keep them at bay, but the safe space we had was diminishing by the second.

In a matter of minutes we were running for our lives, with only a couple of guards remaining by our side as we moved into the alleys, doing our best to run out of their sight.

Orphie suddenly stopped when someone came from the other point of the alley. We all stopped behind him, preparing ourselves to fight… until we noticed that it was another of his guards.

“What the hell are you doing here. Haven’t you seen the people outside? We need all available guards dispersing the crowd now!” Said Orphie, berating the guard before he could even say a word.

The guard stopped in his tracks when he heard his screaming.The envelope he held in his hand wrinkled when he closed his hands in fear from his reaction.

“Orphie shut the fuck up for a moment.” I said, passing through his side and getting closer to the guard.

“You have a message, don’t you?” I asked, pointing to the letter. Only then did that screaming idiot look down, noticing the envelope.

“Yes ma’am. Two actually.” The guard said, turning back towards Orphie. “Sir, we have been informed that someone breached into the weaponry and the mob got their hands in it. We lost half of our equipment.”

The confidence the guard spoke with diminished the more words he said. By the end, he was almost mumbling the message as he saw Orphie’s face get red.

“What’s the other message?” I asked, before any more screaming broke out.

The messenger simply showed me the letter, not wanting to say anything else. When I opened it, I was surprised to find out that it was written in the language of sacrifices:

“To whoever’s in charge. Hopefully you, Orphie.

By now you must know that I, the ever loved Pole, already escaped your puny prison. I won’t be in this city much longer, but I do know that you want me here for all that sacrifice stuff so let’s make a deal.

I know that you are surely colluding with that handsome man who calls himself “the visitor”, surely because he’s the most trustworthy and smart individual you have met in your life. Even so, him and I have unfinished business. Bring him, Euryce Vega and Howard Thompton to the clear in the midpoint towards sacrifice mountain so we can have a nice chat over cookies and tea.

If you follow these instructions, I’ll turn myself in and return to your prison, ready to resume my training, no matter the final consequences. If you don’t, then I’ll watch your city burn. Maybe I’ll go and add some fuel to the fire too before leaving, you know, for the heck of it.

You have an hour. If you don’t do this, I’ll leave to a place you’ll never be able to find me and I’ll shittalk you to everyone I meet for the rest of my life.

Pole Rast”

This stupid child is going to make my head explode. How much of an idiot can he be?

No, he can’t have written this thing… could he? I didn’t really speak with him much. For all I know, he could indeed be this much of an idiot. But if I had to guess, this is another ploy from the visitor. It has to be. But when the hell did he meet Pole?

I turned around and discovered that Orphie had been reading the letter over my shoulder. I didn’t know a person could be THAT shade of red. I could see him already coalescing light in himself, as if preparing to fight.

I fear that when we get there, things are going to get too heated for our sake. I looked back at Howard. He still was with us, but all he could do by this point was to grab one of the guard’s arm and follow us.

If worst comes to worst… I’ll be the one that stops Orphie.

“We understand. Go back to the base and help them to disperse the crowds. Make sure that they can’t get their hands on more weaponry and then make the problem known to any member of the guard still not aware of the situation.” I told the messenger, sending him away before someone could grab him by the throat and throw him into a wall.

The guard moved away, and soon enough, we were alone in the alleway again.

“What does the message say?” Asked Howard, still out of the loop.

“Nothing that you need to concern yourself with. The plan is still the same. We are just making an extra stop along the way.” Responded Orphie, cracking his knuckles.

Pole, you absolute moron. Why do you keep testing my patience with every move you make?

“And how are we going to find the visitor?” I asked, hoping to not find him.

“Who cares? Is not like we are going to play that brat’s game. We are simply taking a prisoner back to its cell. That’s all.” Said Orphie, starting to resume moving forward, rushing even more than before.

Without any more options, remembering my promise to Howard to keep Pole safe, we all moved behind him. I felt as if a new burden had landed in my shoulders as everyone I tried to protect kept landing themselves in worse and worse situations.

I just hope today’s not the day my back gives up and everything crumbles down over me. I can’t allow it. Not again.