He waited, expecting the usual harsh response from Althea. But all he saw this ti was a heavy conflict in her expression. Althea — or rather, Thalia, who inhabited Althea and had chosen to go by the na Althea since then — knew this was a decisive mont to act, just like he also knew the sa.
The Order fragnt had always been one of the most powerful, perhaps no lesser than the Error fragnt either — though the divine aspect the current Errant brought into the mix was another matter entirely.
Yet, Althea had never used her power to the maximum. She had never pushed herself, and especially her vessel beyond what was necessary. In fact, in practically all of her incarnations over the years when she was under the radar — before Priest himself found her — she had remained dormant as a soul fragnt, letting her vessels live their lives however they wanted.
But now, with Althea, things were entirely different. With the others, Thalia as the original Order bearer had known to act in necessary situations.
But ever since her incarnation with Althea, she’d just retreated into herself as if Althea represented sothing much bigger than what she’d allowed Priest to know.
Deep in his heart, Priest knew it likely had sothing to do with the Errant.
What exactly had happened between both of them in that ti? And more importantly, what had she seen or done in the years that followed that encounter that changed her in such a manner?
Priest’s eyes narrowed tiredly, as he saw Althea’s expression harden again. She had been at the edge, but she’d convinced herself again and retreated into her usual habit.
Priest rubbed a palm across his face. It seed he would have to go ahead and do the thing he’d dreaded so much to do...
He would have to et the Errant Heretic directly.
The thought of it alone made his teeth ache from discomfort. That guy would likely kill him at first sight without waiting for an explanation.
Even if things were to work out the way he’d hoped, and Althea and the Errant t up to join forces, he still wouldn’t feel safe eting with the Errant after Althea were to explain everything to him. There was still a risk in that safer scenario.
Yet now he was about to take an even greater risk to go directly... by himself... alone.
He had just begun to ponder just how he might lead the first interaction to prevent an imdiate murder attempt on his life when the bird from before ca flying through the window again, landing on Althea’s shoulder.
"Another ssage?" he asked, looking just as surprised as Althea did as the bird brought its mouth close to her ear and whispered its ssage.
Priest, due to his Transcendent status, had a body so enhanced, he could also hear what was being said, and Althea knew that. Together, they listened to the shocking words that ca out of the bird’s mouth:
"Urgent report from the Seneschal family information outpost to the only surviving Seneschal left..."
That opening was enough to send a shock through Priest as his eyes widened dramatically. He saw as Althea’s body stiffened from the address and a terrible thought appeared in his mind.
"...don’t tell the Ossuary has moved already," he whispered in disbelief as the bird continued.
"At exactly 7:00pm on the 29th of the current month, twenty hours after news of the Error Bearer’s bold move spread across the world, a total of five-hundred Preceptors were deployed by the Ossuary to apprehend Mistress Althea Seneschal.
"Upon seeing she was nowhere to be found, they proceeded to level both the main branch and the side branch of the family. All family mbers have been reported dead. It was a total annihilation of the Seneschal family from the face of the world."
"If this ssage finds you in good health, Mistress Althea..." the voice of the bird cracked, mimicking the pained tone of the person who sent the ssage. "...then you are the only surviving Seneschal left anywhere in the world," the voice struggled to hold back choking tears.
"Please... avenge us!!"
The ssage cut off abruptly at the end, as though sothing unforeseen had happened at the last mont.
The bird closed its beak after delivering its ssage, then took off from Althea’s shoulder, heading back to the peaks of the mountains and leaving the room in an unnatural, tense quiet.
Only the sounds of Althea’s heavy breathing, and Priest’s hesitant, silent ones could be heard.
"...what do you an wiped out?" Althea’s expression shifted in confusion, disbelief, agony.
"Grandfather..." her mind went to the old man back at the Seneschal Ossuarist School that she had stayed at for years. The headmaster, her grandfather who had brought her up with his strict, yet caring ethics.
He was now... gone...? Because of her?
There was a visible struggle on Althea’s face. She began to pant more heavily, breathing in ragged gasps as a low static buzzed in her ear.
Priest was yelling sothing, but it sounded muffled and distant. All she could hear was her blood rushing wildly. She wanted to do sothing... hit sothing... kill sothing.
Why was Priest looking so panicked? This was what he wanted anyway, wasn’t it? For her to take action? For the real her to join the Errant and take action through her vessel.
Well, he was going to get it.
She looked to the side of her bed, where a plain black sword rested quietly against the wall.
With nothing but a thought, she summoned it and it sped into her palm, groaning and humming as if in happiness. It knew it was about to be put to good use again, glowing green at its edges in joy.
I know I’m not your master... but you and I will have one final dance before I return you to your rightful owner, her soul seed to communicate her intentions directly to the sword, and it groaned deeper in delight, releasing its full might as if sensing her turmoil and showing it was willing to help her to its fullest.
Imdiately Althea received its willing response she didn’t hesitate. She took off running to the balcony, her eyes utterly still.
In a clean motion, she dove from the castle and into a free fall and let the sword fall along with her. But before she could fall too far, the sword wove its way under her feet and whisked her into the air, shooting her up through the clouds like a bullet of vengeance.
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