Chapter 153: Black And White, Lights (1)

The next few days were a blur for Vivian Lex. As the head of Mystic Tower she had a plethora of things to deal with. Aside from Zero’s weighty words, she also had to consider the fate of Guiding Light Chapel. In the end, the chapel was disbanded. This was according to the wishes of the last surviving member, Dealla.

“I don’t think I have what it takes to be a leader. Besides…” Dealla said as she stared down at the pendant in her hand, “there’s nothing there for me anymore.”

Vivian offered the dragon-kin a place at Mystic Tower, but she also declined. Seeing that there was little else to be done, Vivian offered her a place to stay until Dealla got on her feet. She then turned her attention to settling affairs of the departed.

It would be three days later when everything was finally sorted out.

A loud knocking at Agni’s shared room alerted her to the fact that it was time to go.

“Are you guys ready?” She said as she looked herself over one last time in a nearby mirror. Instead of her usual garb, adventurer’s gear or casual wear, Agni was dressed in black and white.

*This is my first time wearing a dress. I have mixed feelings.*

This was something new to Agni as well, emotions. Layers upon layers of feelings that mingled with one another, twisted up and required constant untangling. Today there was a mix of melancholy, sadness, anxiety and strangely enough pride.

*I look good.* She thought as she ran her fingers along the fabric of her two toned dress. Even her hair was done up, elegantly in princess ties which held her hair well. Despite the self admiration she also felt…guilty. For even thinking such a thing, given the situation.

Her makeup was another matter. In the end, she had to rely on Katrin to apply it. Black lipstick, crimson eye shadow made her look more bewitching than usual. It was delightfully dark — and she liked it.

“Yep.” Shula said, in response to the earlier question. Agni gave her appearance a once over as well. Today she was also draped in black and white. Unlike Agni’s more sleek, form fitting dress which reached to just above her knees, Shula was wearing something more different. Her dress was mostly black, with white frills along the edges. A single white ribbon tied around her neck accentuated the style. Shula’s normally unruly hair was styled into a ponytail which made it appear much shorter than it actually was. Katrin also took the liberty of doing something simple with Shula’s makeup, mirroring Agni’s as well.

“Mhm.” It was Katrin’s voice, she sounded less chipper than usual. Distant even, as if she had something pressing on her mind. Agni could relate. By contrast to Shula and herself, Katrin was wearing mostly white, a modern style all in one dress, sleeveless which reached down to her ankles. Her shoes, and several other stylish adornments on the dress were all black. Aside from this, she wore a pair of black satin gloves which extended just above her elbows. A white hat further accentuated the look — complete with a black veil that hung downwards. Due to Katrin’s natural shape the outfit was quite alluring. Rather than dark makeup, she simply opted for lipstick. Simple, elegant and water resistant.

It would be sexy, if not for the occasion.

After a brief pause, a few more raps across the door were met with an answer. Three women stood within the room, facing Vivian Lex, though two of them averted their gazes for various reasons.

“Yea. We’re ready.” Agni said as she offered a smile. Vivian too, was also dressed for the occasion. She wasn’t heavy on make up either, and her style of dress was more traditional. She wore a long length yukata, black with white floral design. Her hair was done up, held in place by a black and white floral accessory that doubled as a hair pin.

The Doyenne led the way to their destination. She only made two other stops, the door across the hallway and another room nearby. With everyone in tow, they made their way out of the chapel. Their destination was central Grenvale, to be specific the town square.

As they walked there wasn’t much to say, the mood didn’t allow for it. Agni ventured a glance at each of their expressions, while the others were lost in their own thoughts.

*I wonder what Shula is thinking about?* She thought inwardly, and then realized it was the only time in recent memory that she wondered such a thing. Shula’s thoughts were usually so apparent to Agni. Today all she felt was a lingering sensation of sadness.

Soon those gathered people were joined by others, all dressed in varying degrees of black and white. Some seemed more talkative, others despondent or distant — but all headed towards the same place.

Soon a small gathering grew into hundreds of people packed into the square. Agni and the others managed to arrive early and thus had a better view than most. This particular place was one she’d passed dozens of times. Whether to visit the General store or traveling to Sprim Row, she never really paid much attention to the strange statue in the town square. Until now.

A familiar face stood next to the statue, along with several others. Sypha, a Light Weaver she’d first met at Mystic Tower, was among them. He was dressed in black and white as well, mostly black with a suit that resembled something you’d see at a funeral.

*Ah. I used the word.* Agni thought to herself.

She nodded, acknowledging his presence and he did the same before Agni continued processing her thoughts. Her eyes were drawn to the statue once more. It was large, so large that it could almost be called a monolith in some aspects. It was made of stone, with a large base and near the top a hollowed, circular hole. Along the length of the statue were various etchings, now that she looked closer. The area around the statue had several smaller statues which she recognized as shrines.

“Ah!” The sound of Shula’s voice caught her attention. This, followed by the imp hitting the ground as she was knocked over, caused Agni to redirect her full attention.

“Watch yourself, filthy demon.” The words were spoken by a nearby man. He was short in stature, shorter than Agni yet his face was full of scorn. His blonde hair, fair skin and clear, blue eyes did not match the level of venom oozing from his words.

“Excuse you?” The words escaped Agni’s mouth before she thought twice. She found her body acting on it’s own as well. She immediately recognized her knee jerk reaction as lingering wounds from a past life, and on some level admonished herself.

*This situation is not…that.* She thought inwardly. Nevertheless she could feel her mana bursting forward as she struggled to contain her own agitation. Her eyes began to glow faintly, the color of red that matched her own inner turmoil.

The blonde man was well dressed, an expensive overcoat to match his dress suit. He glanced towards Agni, directing his piercing gaze towards her in the process.

“Silence, harlot.” These were the only words he spoke, his voice was low and contained despite the obvious disdain simmering behind his gaze.

“What did you just say to me?” Agni was so taken aback that her chest grew tight. She couldn’t help but clench her own fists as she bent over to help Shula to her feet.

*Are you okay? What happened?* Agni asked via telepathy.

*I-I don’t know. I was just minding my business when he barged into me and knocked me over.* Shula responded as she knocked the dirt from her dress and glared towards her aggressor.

“I have no need to repeat, nor explain myself to demon-kin. Know your place.” He said, and then turned to leave. For the briefest of seconds Agni considered allowing the man’s rudeness to slide. And yet, once more, emotions and experiences from a past life flooded her mind and heart.

“Not so fast. Before you go anywhere, you’ll apologize.” Before she could think, before she could rationalize her own actions, Agni had reached out and gripped the man by the shoulder.

Almost immediately he turned, seeking to shrug her hand away. When that didn’t work, he slapped her grip away — with more than enough might to spare. The reverberating sound of the strike drew the attention of everyone nearby. For Agni, she was oblivious. Perhaps it was the rawness of the moment, the feelings which accompanied the occasion — but she found it difficult to do anything else but act on her impulses.

“Kneel and apologize.” The words carried the exceptional weight of Agni’s displeasure with them as she activated her Whisper ability. Even those nearby understood that the command was not to be denied– and yet the cocky man simply laughed. His face contorted into such a sneer that Agni felt foolish, yet she had no idea why.

“You kneel.” He said as his eyes began to glow. He made a peculiar motion, one that was obviously magical in nature as his fingertips left a visible trail of magical energy in the air. From her experience as a Scribe’s best friend, Agni realized he was forming a rune of some sort. When it was complete, Agni’s world began to grow dim. Suddenly it was difficult for her to stand up. The weight of the world seemed to press down on her shoulders, literally. At the same time her body felt so weak and sluggish that she began to quickly sink downward. She glanced up at the man’s demented, self satisfied smile which gave her even more dissatisfaction.

Not only was she being bested by someone in the wrong, but she was also being condescended to. For the briefest of moments Agni considered activating her fusion right then and there, she lifted her hand to touch the choker around her neck as the thought consumed her. It was only due to a timely intervention that the situation did not deteriorate even further.

“That’s enough.” Vivian Lex said as she gripped the man’s upheld hands with enough force to distort the hand seal he was using. The runic magic disappeared, and along with it the symbol of oppression that was affecting Agni so.

His face contorted into one of pure rage as he moved to wrench his hand away from the Kitsune. This time, his strength was not sufficient. Not only did he fail, but he strained himself in the process. Vivian’s cold gaze conveyed her point perfectly, yet for extra emphasis she squeezed his hand all the more tightly.

Agni was certain she could hear the sound of crunching, perhaps a sign that Vivian had begun to grind bone against flesh. Yet she was still discombobulated from the previous attack. She felt ill and weak, as if she could barely muster any strength. It took Shula to begin helping the succubus back to her feet.

“Enough.” Another voice, this time a woman’s, pierced the tense situation. Vivian glanced towards the woman, taking in her countenance. The woman’s gaze was less angry, but still cold — making her light blue eyes seem more like ice than a stare. She too had long, blonde hair which came down slightly further than her shoulders. She was tall, easily closer to 180 cm (5’11) and dwarfing most people within the vicinity. Despite this she was dressed as a princess, perhaps even a queen — with luxurious fur wraps, high quality gloves and even a tiara.

Vivian’s expression never softed nor changed, yet she released the sniveling man and watched him move towards the woman. His eyes burned with anger and unbridled rage as he gripped his broken hand. It wasn’t a situation that Agni could understand but past experiences told her that unfounded and irrational rage needed no explanation.

The tall woman bowed her head slightly towards Vivian and then Shula before issuing an apology.

“Please forgive our rudeness.” It was short, devoid of empathy, but nevertheless it seemed sincere. Despite this, the woman flashed a glance in Agni’s direction that instantly melted any rage or resistance the succubus had to offer. Rather, these feelings were replaced by a sense of unease, discomfort and the beginnings of a cold sweat.

“Accepted.” Vivian replied and then bowed her head ever so slightly as well. Then, just like that, the two groups continued about their business. Despite parting ways Agni could tell that the situation wasn’t resolved, not by a long shot. The injured man glared back at them with a fire in his eyes that spoke of his hatred.

“What was that?” Agni asked, almost the moment the two blond haired menaces disappeared into the sea of gathered people.

“Fucking Angels.” Vivian muttered as she shook her head in disdain.