Chapter 11: To Be Or Not To Be A Coward
- As you can see from the trend line in page 2 - explained Violet with refined movements whilst stood up - There have been more and more sightings of Monsters from the Dark Frontier over the course of a couple of months and..... less reports of these being subjugated.
- As we all know, once a monster has been spotted, it only takes a couple of days at most before they start attacking a settlement. That's a given for all of us here. We've become accustomed to this trope.
- What are you trying to arrive to Violet? - asked the Yondur Church Bishop with a grave voice - Get to the point.
Violet flashed an annoyed gaze towards Gustav, the Yondur Church Bishop, clearly dissatisfied with his interruption.
- Wouldn't hurt to shut your mouth for a moment right old uncle Gustav? - said Violet as she fixed her black glasses's position - Or is age done frying up your last remaining brain cell?
-Grrrrr.... We have come here because you said it was urgent. We do not have time to listen to your ramblings... little flat chopping board - answered Gustav with an honest smile.
- As unrefined as always I see.....I dare you repeat that uncle.
- Flat Earthers!! Flat Earthers!! We've discovered Shangri-la!!!
- Oraaaaa.. - mumbled Violet as veins started appearing on her forehead and the earth around Dawnless started trembling - Do you want to take this outside OLD UNCLE Gustav?
- I am prepared but..... - answered Gustav with a murderous gaze and smile - Are you??
The air around Violet and Gustav was so saturated with tension that if someone were to enter the room now, they would notice an immense pressure weighing down on their bodies.
- *Bang*
Someone had hit the table. Delivering a noise that could be heard throughout the city.
All within the room excepting the Cinis Bishop, who was busy slurping tea and enjoying the sweets in front of him, looked at the origin of the sound.
At the end of their gazes lay a woman with unparalleled beauty and unique traits. A golden monocle lay in front of her right eye and long darkish violet hair plagued by regions of snow coloured strands covered her head.
Rose, incapable of bearing with the situation in front of her anymore, had snapped and slammed her right hand against the table.
- Would the 2 of you calm down please?
- Yes Ma'am - Responded Violet and Gustav in unison like soldiers.
The answer had been near instantaneous. It was a reflex born of their journeys as a team together. The face that Rose had been doing, although pleasant for those ignorant of her personality, had made memories buried inside Gustav and Violet resurface once more.
- That's what you get for acting like children (Sun)
- Slurp - meanwhile, the Cinis Bishop had yet to do anything notable.
- Haaaa.... - Rose sighed as if she was tired of what was happening in front of her - Anyways, what were you getting at Violet?
-..... Ahh!! Yes. Ahemm! Once a monster has been spotted, it only takes a couple of days at most before they start attacking a settlement. We've become accustomed to this trope. But the data does not relate to one another.
- 5 out of 50 monsters that are sighted are never found. And this has began just last year.
- Couldn't they just have died of other causes like falling of cliffs or have met with a wandering master and have been slaughtered. This would explain the lack of reports. (Sun)
- I also researched into that. These monsters having met with a wandering Master is likely but even that is a rare occurrence. I also made some of Nexus' own force do some investigation around the sighting areas only to return rarely with a finding . Most of the time they would return empty handed. If we take all these numbers into account, at least 2 out of 50 monsters that appear every 2 months never appear in front of anyone ever again.
- Furthermore, even though attacks from the monsters in the Dark Frontier seem to be random, that's until 2 years ago when their pattern started changing. In the last 200 years of our struggle, places in Riarath were randomly selected until these last 2 years.
- These last 2 years, monsters have never attacked the same place more than thrice. As if they were looking for something. I think they found that just recently.
- How do you know? What is it that they are looking for? - with his attention piqued, Gustav asked.
- Their attitude just changed about 2 weeks ago. They seem to be attacking some areas more frequently than others now. But, after more research, we had concluded that these areas do not have anything noteworthy. But again, we cannot be sure, we are lacking in information about the Dark Frontier.
- Unless.... - seemingly having realised something, Rose said in a grave voice.
*Clang* Everyone looked towards the Cinis Bishop direction. He had just put his teacup down.
- They are trying to get our attention - announced the Cinis bishop without any doubts.
- Ohh!! Topic finally piqued your interest eyy Emil?? - Sun said with a bit of sarcasm mixed in his tone.
- I just thought the topic was worthy of my attention - answered Emil arrogantly - I apologise for Sun for interrupting you Violet, could you please continue?
- As arrogant as always... I just cannot be bothered with you anymore. Please continue Violet.
- Haaaa...anyways. Emil is right, they might be trying to get our attention. But that sparks a controversy. Weren't they supposed to have limited intelligence? If that is still true then is anyone controlling them? Then if that is so, why did they just made a move recently? Or is it just a behaviour unseen to us before? This could just all be speculation but even so, we cannot leave those areas unprotected. We still do not know what they want after all and we also can't allow them to get a place to create more cracks in Riarath and evolve. That'd be even worse. There is also the concern about the missing monsters.
-....So what does our leader propose? - asked Rose, her right hand supporting her chin, a confident smile plastered on her face.
Violet looked at her companions in the eye one by one, a serious, dignified and ruler like look on her face. Something that she only wore when the situation was something to be concerned about. When she wore that expression, even Gustav has to reluctantly admit that she respects her. Even Emil, the most arrogant one of the group, put attention towards her next words.
- Rose, Sun, Gustav, Emil. Return to your respective regions and.....
**********
- Oh someone please kill me.....
With Locus's help, Logan had stopped crying and calmed down... that's until the embarrassment of his actions caught up to him.
When he realised what he had done, it was already to late. He could only bury himself below the sheets of the bed he just woke himself up in until the redness of his face dissipated.
- It's not something to be embarrassed about Log. Everyone cries. But what differentiates a coward from a brave entity is what they cry about and how they act to numb the pain.
- Now tell me Log - said she as she caressed Logan's head - Are you going to be a massive coward.... or are you going to fight?
From all the months they've been together, Logan had formed a image of a childish Locus. Someone who is his best friend and is tender, a prankster and is overall not a lady in any sense. In all of the months they've been together, Logan had never seen this side of Locus.
It baffled him to see Locus like this, but at the same time, he adored this version of her. Caring, mature, otherworldly, beautiful, refined.....Logan couldn't think of any more adjectives to describe her with.
He adored this version of her.
He wanted to be like this version of her. Grow up like a dependable and mature person like Locus was now. So he stopped hiding, and he looked at her straight in the eye.
Locus looked at the determined look in Logan's face and an honest and childish smile bloomed on hers. Once Logan saw this smile, he vowed to himself to never let Locus worry again. Even though he adored her mature side, in Logan's eyes, her childish side and that smile on her suited her best.
Logan smiled and told her the next words in an arrogant manner through their spiritual connection:
- Who do you think I am? I'm Logan. I'm your best friend. I'm not one to shy out from anything. Battles, personal problems, sorrow, anything. Keep'em coming at me, I'll confront them head straight.
Now it was Locus's time to be impressed. She did not expect him to recover this easily and she was happy for him. But for a reason she could not understand,:
- "Had he always looked this mature?"
Locus had been treating Logan as her best friend since they'd known each other but she always saw him as a little brother that needed protection. Even when he started acting more mature, it just felt so unnatural to her, as if his attitude did not correlate with his actions, he looked like a child desperately trying to act like an adult.
- "But now, it's as if Log's inner and outer self had balanced"
The Logan in Locus's eyes did not look unbalanced anymore, as if his inner mature self had finally caught up with his outer childish self. The Logan in front of Locus, at the tender age of 7, looked more of an adult than the majority of adults Locus had encountered so far.
- Loc?.....Loc?..... Earth calling to Loc. Are you alright?
-.... Yes... YesYesYesYes! I am alright. I am alright - said she as she unknowingly fixed herself. She'd been staring at him for an unknown period of time - Anyways!! You'll have to provide an explanation to Cloud behind you. By the looks of it, the orphanage had not sent him here for recon or to get you back. He seems to be acting according to his interests or that's what I've inferred from watching him all this while
- Do you think he's....
- That, I do not know. But he seems to suspect of you. Either way, out of all the adults you've interacted with so far, he's the only one with no malice coming out of him.
- How do you know? - asked Logan with interest.
- Malice manifests as an insupportable odour to me. It just stinks when people look at something or someone with malice. It's the more noticeable when they look at you Log for I am your contracted spirit and I can sense when something is threatening your life. Out of all the adults so far, Cloud is the only one to not emit any of this characteristic odour when looking at you. It's for you to decide your next course of action but I suggest gauging the true intent of the man behind you. You never know, you might gain an unlikely ally.
- Sounds like a plan. - answered Logan.
- Because it is.
And with all of that said, Logan turned around to look at Cloud, ready to give him an opportunity and with the illusion that maybe, just maybe he could expand his circle of trust.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
GrimApple
GrimApple So, for those who are following this series, I apologise for not posting a chapter for a couple of days, I am in Dublin on vacation and will return tomorrow. I will try to post a chapter tonight or tomorrow.
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