Love, hate, and poison smoke

I dismissed it at first. I thought someone fell from bed, and that the situation was going to solve itself. That is, until the children's cries banged on my eardrums. Arra wasn't in my arms when I woke up, but I'm sure she also heard. Well, I'm sure everyone did. It was an earthquake, after all. The sound of rubble breaking echoed through the whole Stassi, but no one knew what or where it was. Some of us wanted to know. Some didn't want to find out. Una and Jayce were shouting outside, and Nelen stood at the door to the library, chanting and whispering something to herself. Esmeralda made a small barrier around the children as Diana tried her best to suppress the smoke coming from the bathroom. Jean is still nowhere to be found.

"What's happening? And why are the kids crying?" I rise from the bed.

"Cerberus. Again. They're not picking the time and place this time. It makes me want to punch their stupid faces in." Nelen groans and scowls at me. Looks like she also had a rude awakening. "Check the outside! I'll you something that repels magic! Here! NOW!"

This time, she didn't move herself. Her lone, glaring crimson eye is all it took for me to run across the room. She puts her palm on my forehead and chants something. The spell sounded like 'Repelare Fumys', but now really wasn't the time for finding out. I'm immortal, for fuck's sake. Why am I getting scared of a little smoke?... Maybe it's because it can put me to sleep? Immortality won't really matter if I'm always sleeping. Gods. I hate myself.

Blue smoke was everywhere when I went out. It's still dark, but the crack of bottles breaking kept the ghost town from sleeping as Dolls threw their signature smoke poison everywhere. Their sick games are getting on my nerves now. Maybe I'll start by asking Jean to take the investigations even more seriously. Jayce and Una are both swinging their hammers, and Arra's already summoned her gauntlets, bashing those damned puppets one by one... Maybe I shouldn't call them damned. They had lives af-- Wait. This isn't the time to argue with myself. I press my mark.

"Is it legal to slice these guys?" I shout. She turns to me with a frown.

"You're really asking that now?"

A Doll tries to grab her, but she ducks just in time and counters with an uppercut. Jayce drags a guy to a wall before smashing him to the ground, leaving me open for a brute to punch me in the jaw. I curse before shoving him with the scythe and decapitating him. Another one throws a bottle, hitting me in the back of the head and blinding me for a moment. I cough and start to feel my senses weaken, but its effect became at least bearable. A scratch and a stray punch knocks me to the ground... Oh, wow. The smoke's effects are getting weaker by the second. Whatever Nelen did sure helped.

"Don't stay on the ground, lad! Aye, little girl! Back him up!" Jayce screams and grabs a Doll by the collar.

"Got it, dad!"

"Wait, dad?"

I ask as she helps me up with one hand. Someone punches her in the cheek, so I retaliate by tackling the bastard down. Jayce notices this, and boy did he snap. He screams and gets me off the bastard, personally pummeling the shit out of the guy. I thought Dolls were focused on attacking nobles? What the fuck is this, then?

"How do we stop this shit? The smoke's going everywhere!" I scream as I tug my scythe from a Doll.

"All we can do is to guide the kids somewhere safe and wait for the magic wardens to arrive with their spell vacuums!" Arra replies and throws a Doll at me. His neck splits as I decapitate him.

"Why are we outside, then? Shouldn't we be starting on getting them outta here?! Also, don't you guys have tools to handles the smoke?"

"We're fucking poor, okay?! We can't afford no damned one! And for the damned record! Having the kids outside with these motherfuckers is dumber than a bag of oatmeal!" Jayce struggles in defending himself against three.

"Bag of oatm--"

"JUST FUCKING FIGHT THEM OFF!"

Jayce erupts and shouts the same spell Nelen used when she threw me on top of a building. There's still a dozen left, but it didn't matter to him. He rushes directly at them and spins his hammer, creating a small whirlwind with sheer strength alone. Una also screams and helps his dad, swinging at those who came her way. It's funny. They can handle these things alone. Maybe I should convince Arra to go and help the kids.

"You need help with the children?" Arra breaks her voice. What the fuck. So cute. "I don't think J--"

"DON'T FUCKING MOVE THE KIDS, SOL! YOU'LL PUT THEM IN DANGER!" Jayce screams louder this time.

"TRUST ME! IT'S WAY BETTER THAN LETTING THEM STAY HERE! YOU WANNA WAIT UNTIL THE SMOKE GETS TO THEM?!" I scream back.

"YOU HAVE NO FUCKING RIGHT, BITCH! THE POISON'S EVERYWHERE!"

"He's right, Sol! The children have lesser resistance against these types of things! Getting them out will do more harm than good! Let's focus on suppressing the Dolls until the wardens arrive!"

"We still have a dozen here, dad!"

"I'M ON IT!"

Damn it. So kids have lesser resistance. They should've told me that sooner. Wouldn't have had the conversation in the first place. I may be an amnesiac, but I could at least understand that much. Fucking shit. It feels like I've just been made fool of. Oh, well. I guess it's not really that big of a deal. Augere Vyribus!

...

Shit. I must've missed something. Maybe there's something double in the letters? Maybe the R? Augere Vyrribus!

...

Still won't work. Maybe the first one? I don't k-- Ah, shit!!

"Watch out!!"

Arra screams as a Doll comes flying in my direction. Cloth, skin, and dirt collide as the Doll and I go tumbling down, creating a small ripping noise on my clothes. Una glances and shouts an apology before focusing on the fight. The Doll tries to swipe at my face, but I catch her hand just in time. Despite that, she continues on pushing forward, mangling her own arm in the process. Her eyes didn't even wince. I threw her off me, stood up, and prepared my scythe. Without hesitation and a left arm, she lunges, and I cut her down... Gods. This is cruel. This feels horrible. There's that same damn pain in my chest again.

"Sol! Come on! Get up! Only a few more and we'll be okay!"

Arra encourages, but I wasn't in the mood anymore. Not after seeing the Doll's eyes. I had to do it, though. The lives of the young and the living depend on us. With tight grip and a heavy heart, I swing at another one. An old man this time. Probably in his thirties. Maybe he had a kid in his past life. Maybe he died without anyone really knowing him. I don't know anymore. Another dies by my hand. A female this time, with blonde hair and jeweled clothes. The crowd gets thinner, but each swing gets harder. Why do I feel like this?

"Only one more, Sol! You finish it, since you barely did anything!"

The old man screams as I turn to his direction. Gods. This is sick. A little boy, ugly clothes and all, shuffles while throwing a bottle at me. He never stood a chance. His head falls to the dirt, blue energy oozing from his neck. He's just a kid, for fuck's sake. I rush back inside the orphanage, the hoarse voice of Jayce telling me to come back. Arra calls me, but I didn't care. Seeing the Dolls eye to eye, I saw just how heartless Cerberus was. I'm a fucking mess. Gods, forgive me. Gods, forgive me. A few tears escape as soon as I close the door.

"What happened?" Nelen asks as I knock.

"It's done for now, at least. Teach me the spell Esmeralda's using."

"Right. It's called Clypeos, with a Y instead of an I. Do you remember the alphabet?"

"Yes. Clypeos!"

The barrier triples in size and covers the entire room. So you can combine the same magic to make it stronger. This is good. Esmeralda praises me for the shield, then the waiting game began. Jayce and Una goes inside a few moments later. Nelen takes a deck of cards from her pocket and plays with the kids while I lay on the nearest bed. So casting magic feels like burning fat, huh? I guess it's not so bad.

"Hey." Jayce sits on the bed next to mine.

"Hey. Where's Arra?"

"She went to help people. You good?"

"I'm good."

"By the way, sorry for that. You know, the words."

"You better be. That shit really hurts, old man." I wipe sweat from my brow.

"Yeah. Sorry again. Been takin' care of the kids for a long time. They're kinda like my children."

"I understand where you're coming from. Don't worry. I forgive you. Just tone it down next time."

"Thanks a lot. Also, I didn't mean it when I said you were worthless. I was just stressed."

"Sure."

...

"I want to at least make it up to you, mate. I still feel bad."

"Tell me their stories then. How many kids are we talking about here?"

"Fifteen. Most of them, we saw lying inside a basket at the door, but others have stories. The oldest is the one with the blue hair, although he doesn't look like it. Found him crying near a dumpster. Look at that boy with the weird face. His parents died from a mugging. Those twins teasing Nelen? Their house burned down in a fire. They keep on saying that Nelen looks like their sister when we took em in." He offers me a cigarette, in which I shake my head.

"How long have you been here?"

"More than forty. Less than forty-five. I can't really remember. All I know is that I've been here for as long as I'm breathing."

"So you were here when Nelen's mother g--"

"Got killed? Yeah. I wasn't in the house when it happened, though. The land lady said that some Chimerians came in with poison, declared it was king's orders, and forced her to drink in front of the kids. I had a crush on her mother, y'know. She was a really nice lady, physically and mentally. Sure, she and the king had a bit of a relationship, but I couldn't understand why he would go to such an extent. It's one of the many things that bothered me."

"One of the many things that bothered you? What did you mean by that?"

"The kids I took care of told me that the guards also had blue eyes. Like the Dolls right now. But it was already too late. At the time, Nelen was hell-bent on killing the king, and there was nothing persuading her."

"Why?"

"See, lad, demons are designed to become extremely unreasonable when it comes to two things. Love and hate. Intense love towards something or someone causes total euphoria, and with hate, excessive adrenaline. Both block one's reasoning."

"But Nelen is half, isn't she?"

"Yes, but part of her is still demon. That's why everyone's afraid of 'er. They don't want to get on her bad side."

"Huh... So what if a demon loves and hates at the same time?"

"Then the stronger feeling wins."

He sucks on the cigar and catches its ash with his hand. He then watches the half-demon. Nelen shouts at the twins while Esmeralda fixes her hair, making me think if she's the monster everyone told her to be. The rest of the kids are laughing, almost as if they're forgetting about death at their door. Diana's also with them, sleeping with a smile on Una's lap. She really looks happy. One hour passed. Then two. Why does time pass quick when people are having fun? I look at the clock atop the bathroom doors. Five minutes until seven. And then the sound of shouting.

"Anyone still there?!" Someone shouts.

"AYE, MATE! WE'RE HE-- ACTUALLY, I'LL GO TO YOU! REPELARE FUMYS! STAY HERE, KIDS! WE'RE SAFE!"

Jayce charges to the door and closes it, getting his hand caught between the door. He curses before rushing off outside, screaming all the way. Everyone's eyes are on the door now, and after a few more minutes of silence and waiting, he comes back with a guy wearing the same clothes as the exterminators. We should be happy, but for some reason, we aren't. Jayce looks like he'd just seen a ghost, so Nelen asks her what's wrong. With six words and eyes of fear, he silences us.

"The whole East Gate. It's gone."