Chapter Sixteen - Not Alone

~3049 words

(A/n No beta reader so point out mistakes if you find one)

// Auris Rivermoore //

Strolling at a moderate pace, I sized my whole mansion as I barked orders at mages from multiple Named Bloods. The frenzy among the soldiers boiled my blood as anger seemed to make my head explode. How can these hundreds of mages be afraid of a single individual? 

For a split second the thought of stopping this all-out assault against the mysterious ascender crossed my mind. However, it wasn't possible now. He killed my son... my blood! He can never be forgiven. Until I breath he will never have a day of joy. I will destroy him and whatever small fraction of people he is associated with. Be it Highblood Denoir. 

"The preparations are ready, Highlord", one of the soldiers clad in our signature armor with the Rivermoore Insignia etched on it, spoke while kneeling. 

"Go alert everyone. We will leave tomorrow", I ordered as I looked outside the window, seeing the sun preparing itself to vanish in the horizon. Tomorrow would be a new day. The enigma--Grey, will be vanquished from the face of Alacrya. And then finally I could avenge my son.

The beautiful horizon dyed in a deep shade of saffron glitched as a veil of amethyst suddenly covered the whole city. Or rather than city... it seemed to extend upwards and form a dome, enshrouding the whole mansion and the people inside it. A chill crept up my spine as the temperature visibly dropped down. My hair stood on the edge as my eyes darted everywhere--probing for a visible sign of someone. 

My eyes finally landed on the rising smoke. A gust of wind conjured, and the dust subsided. My breath choked in my throat as I looked at the one standing in the epicenter of the massive crater formed beneath his feet. His hands were tucked in his pockets as he walked leisurely. 

It all matched the descriptions. 

The pure white hair that fell down on his face, covering half of it. But the brilliant white curtain couldn't hide the gleaming orbs of amethyst, burning in a darker shade because of the animalistic bloodlust oozing out from him. His intent was barbaric as I could feel the foundations of the mansion shook more violently with every passing step he took. His eyes were set on the battalions upon battalions of soldiers. Strikers, Casters and Shields. All were getting into stances. 

However, his gait was casual as he walked over to Delphine--my daughter. 

"He is an interesting one", A voice spoke from behind. 

"You're late", I growled, not trying to hide the frustration in my voice. 

"Come on, dad. I am home after such a long time. Won't you even greet me properly?" My foster son replied. He was one of the reasons why our blood could amass so much power. In the past fifty years our blood fostered two Vritra-blooded humans. Both of whom manifested their blood at ripe ages of seven and eight.  

And Ethan... was one of them. However, he was taken away for some reason, he always keeps coming back. 

"Your brother was killed", I spoke, barely restraining my tears.

"I know. And I am back to take revenge of that. Although, I must say... you should withdraw dear sister before it's too late", Ethan spoke.

"I am not in mood to entertain your jolly gestures. We both know Delphine is as talented as you. If only you didn't have Vritra blood in you, you would've been easily defeated", I replied. 

He cocked his head to a side and then sighed, gripping the bridge of his nose, "If... If I didn't have it. But I have the Vritra blood running through my veins. And I am more powerful than Delphine. Since I carry more power, I know well enough she won't last a sec-" He paused, as I saw the color in his eyes vanish. His gaze remained plastered over the window as his lips trembled. His crimson eyes suddenly shone, corners brimming with tears. 

"N-No", his voice choked and became muffled amidst the tumultuous thundering clobber of my heart against its ribcage. 

I continued to look at Ethan. I didn't dare to look back. For the first time in decades, I was scared of something. So scared that I couldn't even look at it. Not because the foe in front of me was stronger. Such things could never scare me. What scared me was the softness inside me. A soft portion made by my kids. My two loving kids. Whom I loved with all my heart. They had crept inside the icy prison of my heart and melted it--making it their abode. 

And just when the ice prison was turned into an ice castle... someone... hideous... someone heinous---a monster took it away from me. My sole comfort. My kids. I didn't want to look back. Not because I couldn't see the result of what happened. But because I exactly knew what happened. 

For the first time I hated my sound magic. Hated my entire being for unconsciously witnessing it. Her subtle gasp. Her fear, her disbelief. And the crunch indicating the end of her life. I heard everything. 

A titanic intent--barbarous amount of bloodlust dribbled from Ethan, weighing down on my shoulders. His echoing growls fell on my deaf ears as I fell to my knees. 

No

My daughter....

No

She was...

NO

...dead. 

// 3rd person //

Storming outside the huge doors of Rivermoore mansion, Ethan made his way outside. "MOVE AWAY!" His voice thundered as the Rivermoore grunts stopped their spells and started making way for their young master. 

The soldiers around Grey scattered away, forming a huge circle around him. Letting a narrow passageway, they let Ethan walk towards Grey. On the way he stopped as he stooped down beside a mangled corpse. 

His hands cupped the pale face of his sister, that was once a lively one with a subtle blush always gracing her perfectly sculpted face. However, now that he saw her, he felt nothing but remorse. An unquenchable amount of anger course through his entire being, boiling his blood. Closing his eyes, he placed his hands on the either side of his beloved sister's head and snapped it back in place. 

Another crunch echoed in the deathly calm that loomed over the Rivermoore mansion and the area around it. Taking his blazer off, Ethan placed it over her corpse and signaled for one of the Strikers to pick her up. Sliding his one arm beneath her thighs and the other around her back, he picked her up and handed her lifeless form over to the soldier. With his tail between his legs, the striker fled from there, disappearing in the dark hall that was barely visible from the outside. 

Wiping a tear from his eyes, Ethan looked at Grey--letting his ire direct at him. However, Grey stood still, unflinching. "Is this bloodlust supposed to scare me? Or is it supposed to me tell me that you're a horned snake?" Grey provoked. 

Ethan's eyes glistened as mana around him trembled. "You think this all is a joke? Killing sons, daughter... brothers, sisters... does life have no meaning to you? Do human relations mean nothing to you?" Ethan spoke, looking at Grey in disgust. 

Grey looked to the side and seemed to ponder over something. Any mockery over his face vanished, replaced by an empty expression, "I am afraid I cannot relate. For all I remember... I do not have a mother, a father or a sibling. So...", he paused as Ethan's eyes widened, "...I am someone with nothing to lose."

Ethan looked down and then up at Grey, "You are an abomination. A shame to all morals. You... will pay for what you did to my sister", Ethan spoke as mana around his finger churned. A white light shone and subsided in the next near instant. The white light clung to his body. 

A tight-fitting mail armor appeared on his body, revealing his muscle mass. He was certainly a striker, Grey concluded in his mind. But since his Vritra blood had already awakened, there was an option for long range attacks too. A spear formed in his hand. The tip shined as it reflected the last of evening sunshine. A talisman hung from the base of bladed end. The hilt of spear was made out of a sturdy looking stick--embellished with white engravings and dipped in a burgundy color. 

Although his face reflected his own---emotionless, Grey could tell that he was fighting someone like himself---someone with nothing to lose. A wounded man is the most dangerous. As he would strive for anything to keep himself afloat and alive. But even dangerous are the one who do not want to live. Those who just want one thing in life. Do not settle until they kill their source of ire. 

"Let me show you what true power means", Ethan spoke, his voice rumbling as a greyish flame crept up his spear. Like a leech it seemed to devour the spear, until the whole spear had lost its appearance and was just a materialization of Vritra arts---Soul Fire in weapon form. 

"Sure", Grey replied as a sword of ice formed in his hand. A sheen of purple formed around it, reinforcing it. Kicking the ground with both of his feet, Ethan darted forward. He kicked the ground once again and leapt into the air. The air whistled as his spear cut through the air and made contact with Grey's sword. 

The sharp edge of his spear clashed against the side of the sword. Sparks flew on contact. The Soulfire jumped from his spear to Grey's sword. However, the sheen of purple around his sword neutralized the flames down. 

He thrust his spear forward without hesitation, aiming straight for the heart of the man he resented so much—the murderer of his siblings. Grey caught his spear in midair and then slammed him onto the ground. Ethan's head hit with such force that even Grey felt the force of impact. 

Grey looked down at Ethan in a daze, realizing he wasn't moving anymore. But then he noticed something. There was no blood coming from his body. He hadn't died. In fact, the pain she should've sensed from his injuries didn't seem to be there at all. With a quick twist of his torso, he spun and kicked Grey's jaw. His jaw rattled as he stumbled a few steps back. Pushing the ground with his one palm, he stood up with one swift movement and brought his spear in front of him. 

Grey wiped the blood from his face and smirked at him, "You're not all bark it seems."

With a primal howl of agony, suffering and rage tearing from his throat, he leapt forward once again like a missile. With quick and nimble footwork, he dodged the canopy of spells that rained down on him---fire, ice, lightning rained down on him like a hailstorm on a stormy night. Bone chilling wind blew, however, he dodged everything. 

Grey's eyes narrowed, and he brought his sword down once again. This time, it reached its target. The armor on the Ethan's chest crumpled under his blade, and his helmet fell to the ground. Aether cut through his defenses and cut his armor into two, revealing his bare chest. 

Without a moment's hesitation, he pounced on Grey and started clobbering him with punches. One after another as Grey lost his sword and tried to defend himself. His aether level was low as he had used most of it to defend himself against the Soulfire---using his own mana to burn him from the inside. While keeping his mana levels at a decent level he didn't want to expend much effort here.

However, his condition was not right. 

Ethan took out a knife from his pocket with similar engravings as his spear. Soul Fire coated it once again, engulfing it completely. The engravings were actually runes, perfectly conducting the Decay-type flames. Twisting Grey's arm, he turned it completely. The loud chumble from Grey's bones echoed as Ethan let out a maniacal laughter. 

"Now you know how she fe-" Ethan's voice was interrupted mid-sentence as his upper body vanished. His lower half, below his torso was still above Grey, a fountain of blood emerging from his torso. 

Grey got up and torched his half body, wiping the splatters of blood off of his face. Everyone was in a deep trance as they saw the pitch-black creature, flying in the sky with the upper half of Ethan's body in its maw. 

"I had things under control here, Sylvie", Grey shot at her. 

"He was hurting papa. Bad man", she shot back at Grey as she atomized his upper half with a beam of pure mana. Grey sighed and looked at the frightened soldiers, gasping and slowly retreating. 

"Take care of these then too", Grey said. 

"Yaayyyyy. Ok, papa", Sylvie spoke excitedly. A shiver ran down his spine as he saw his loving and innocent daughter, obliterating hundreds of men. 

"That Seris has some thorough explanation to do", Grey made a mental note to interrogate Seris and Cylrit at their teaching methods for a 5-year-old. Waves upon waves of pure mana washed over the wailing soldiers leaving nothing but charred bones and a deathly silence in its wake. 

Sighing, Grey walked inside the mansion. The foundations of mansion rumbled as dust fell from the network of crevices forming all across the ceiling. In the wide hall, adorned by carpets and velvet curtains, sat a man. He gripped his glass and twirled its contents as he kept looking at it. 

"You are not a Vritra born. Nor are you a lessura. You are an asura. Right?" He spoke, not looking up. 

"Half accurate. I am neither a Vritra born nor a lessura. But I am not an asura either", Grey replied casually as he looked around. Seemed like he was the only one in the mansion. 

"Lies. I have been in the presence of Sovereigns. I know how the presence of an asura is like", He spoke in a baritone. "I can feel it... the air of indifference and superiority and... this divine presence every asura has around them."

"Well...", Grey scratched the back of his head, "...I am mostly asura. Not completely though."

"Ahh", The man muttered, "I have a chance then."

Suddenly Grey fell down, his body convulsing and spasming violently. Like a hungry mana beast, he pounced over his table and ran towards Grey. Crashing the glass on his face he augmented his hands and started punching Grey's face. His features distorted as he continued his assault. Facial bones cracked with every mana augmented punch. 

"Give them back to me", he screamed at Grey, the dignity in his voice replaced by slight whimpers. 

"Give me my kids back!"

He punched again, breaking his nose. 

"MY SONS."

He punched again, breaking his jaw that dangled to a side. 

"MY DAUGHTER."

He punched again, breaking his teeth. 

His assault diminished as he broke into tears.

"I am sorry... Travis, Delphine... Ethan... I am sorry... sorry that my greed consumed you all", he looked around and got up from Grey's mangled corpse. "And now I am left with nothing. I am sorry... my children... I am sorry." Falling onto his knees, he burst into tears as he clenched his chest. The shirt over his chest ripped as he continued to claw at his skin---like trying to rip his heart out. 

And then...

A shadow loomed over him. 

Hesitatingly he looked back. A purple mist enshrouded Grey's face as it stitched itself back into place. Bones reattached, muscles regrew, and severed tendons joined again. In a matter of few seconds his face was back to his former glory. However, his face showed nothing but a sad look. A veil of melancholy casted over him as he looked at the man with nothing left in the world. 

"I hope you've vented enough. You won't get a second chance", Grey spoke, getting rid of any emotion. 

Before the man's lips could move, black lightning coiled around Grey and appeared in front of him, his sword of ice jutting out from the man's back, "That was my last act of mercy. Time for you to reunite with your family... the family you loved so much", Grey whispered in his ears as a satisfied look appeared over his face.

"Ahh... yes... My kids... my wife... I am coming." He spoke between choked sobs and then his body went limp. 

Carefully, Grey placed his body down and looked around. There was no sound. Outside, Sylvie was waiting in her fox form, sitting over a pile of corpses and with a huge smile over her face.

His own words echoed in his mind, "No mother... no father... no siblings."

And then Ethan's, "Do human lives matter nothing to you? Do human relations have no value in your eyes?"

A sad smile formed over his face as he draws an arc with his sword, getting rid of blood. "Come to think of it... It's really sad to not have anyone", he muttered to himself. 

"Mom, dad... I don't know who you are. Where you are. But I will find you one day... just... stay alive and wait for me", Grey said while looking at the blood-stained ceiling. 

A distant silhouette flashed in front of his eyes. The unmistakable pearl hair and pair of horns. 

A question he was asking himself for a long time... "Why am I always left alone?", answered itself in that moment. 

The moment when he felt the small, lean frame wrap its arms around his neck. He could feel the warm breath fanning his skin. Her frenzied state to get him out of another Scythe's dominion in its earliest. He felt... happy, and finally found an answer to his question... a question that always plagued him, 

"I am not alone... not this time", he thought to himself before the bright white light of tempus warp swallowed him.

*********************************

(A/n Ehmm... hope you're all fine and enjoyed the chapter. 

I have an exam on 8 December that regrettably has a low passing ratio, so... yeah, need some heart-felt, sincere wishes. Just so you know If i failed I will stop writing, so ya all better pray for my success. Well then see ya all... later? lol.)