The Night Rider

Chapter 53 - Tidal

Stroking her hair gently, the Singfallen’s eyes seemed to flash green with Tarragon before it erupted into seismic waves of pain. The two grimoires became one. A Triad but far older than any before it merged without sight, a deep sea green forced its way through Reina’s grimoire without any ounce of effort from the unconscious Tarragon. They hadn't laid eyes on Cricket’s grimoire. But just like his Triad with Memoriam it somehow didn’t need to. It was Abnormal.

“It took me a while to see it while you were busy playing warden. But you already knew how Memoriam worked. You're the same as Hack."

Reina hissed loudly, the sound piercing the barrier with enough conclusive force to rattle even Hack’s confidence. The Singfall siren's scales darkened to match her grimoire, a deep, dark navy that mirrored the Sand Wraith’s confrontation against Cricket as her Pulse echoed around the clearing. Her hair turned electric blue, irises tinged with green, furious at the comparison but clearly freed by no longer hiding the power so many like Hack had to hide.

"The same? As that halvasca? Don't spit on me and call it rain, little Mediator. I might be a necromancer but as sure as the seas change I'll never be like him. I'm the Stormkeeper."

Hawkins' eyes went wide, the phrase unclear to him but the link to the Keepers of Trait was unmistakable and he didn’t even need to see Hack’s expression to know it was true. He didn’t know how but despite not being Traited at birth they had willingly become Traited. Hack was a Sand Wraith which meant Blood Arts were their main focus of power while Singfall sirens held the power of songs, of Folka itself. The only question that lingered in his mind was who would choose to be cursed as a Traited and for what amount of power?

"Was. You were the Stormkeeper."

The rain that had steadily been chipping away at the invisible encampment broke through like a dam, the ex Stormkeeper’s steadily growing frustration becoming far too much for Hack’s Pulse to handle. He tried to redirect the rushing water with his Trait but it was too much weight for even him to handle. It was that growing fear, the nauseous feeling that clawed at his throat without warning that disguised itself as love and care even after he fell asleep. Cricket had never been the one pulling the strings. It was all Reina.

It was her who taught Cricket how to force a grimoire out of a Traited. It was her who drove Cricket to take back her status as Keeper, manipulating her just like the rain she conjured, leaving her alone and abandoned when she needed her most but spun it like some sort of punishment, kidnapping for the evil group who dared to take what was hers.

His smoke furiously emerged to overwhelm the Wavecaller’s senses, leaving him drowning in her memories as a group just like the Enforcers rallied together: Hack, Reina, Gizmo and so many more trying to do exactly what he was doing now. Protecting Memoriam from people like Reina. People like his mother, who squashed their dreams to force through their own. Hawkins didn’t even know if Cricket wanted to be the Bookkeeper anymore. Who knew if she did.

“No. That damn self proclaimed Storm Traited never deserved my power. She came to us, weak and alone even after her Agar got hurt but what did she do? She abandoned her home all because your beloved Fatekeeper asked her to? I would’ve died to save Neridia like she should’ve done for her homeland!”

The Abnormal Triad prevented the two from advancing, Reina’s voice booming as they tried to fight through the sheer impact of the noise. Daring not to look behind them and draw attention to the group desperately trying to avoid the rushing water breaking through, Hawkins' tired mind tried to come up with a solution, a distraction, anything to buy time.

“Cricket is clearly far more powerful, otherwise you wouldn’t be using her as a Triad.”

He could almost feel The Tinker Mole’s exhaustion, Mantis’ desperation causing her to look back and meet his eyes from just a moment, one arm still supporting Rin despite all their countless injuries. The Air Traited pushed the rising water away, Gidget’s hastily made the drainage system work overtime as Cull tried to heat up the air to rid themselves of rain.