The Night Rider

Chapter 63 - Pull

Not ordinary pages. Grimoires. Discarded grimoires.

The contorted spines, broken locks and shreds of decorative binding might've looked like a bibliographer's worst nightmare but no sane Traited passed through an ashen streaked graveyard without stopping to realise the truth. All of these ashes, all of these grimoires had been people. Innocent people. Far more than they had ever imagined.

Memoriam shoved the vision in front of his eyes before Hawkins could even blink.

Crowds trapped and clustered together only to be ripped apart by demons, Traited or worse. His fellow Mediators tried to keep pace and calm the crowd but one after the other they fell to the alluring curse of Truancy, calling out for help only to rip out their own grimoire in a state of madness.

The Trollians who dared to help or flee were lost to the same choking fog tinged not in an eerie green but a deep, dark blue. Almost an exact replica of Lady Nivara Cross: the leader of the Sixth Order and the Regent of Opalis.

Hawkins scanned the area with the clear intent of finding her signature blue cloak but before his hazy vision could refocus Memoriam's sepia-touched vision blinked out. Hawkins stopped in his tracks.

The familiar pillars of the Halls of Mediation had toppled to the ground in a perfect cross, the gravel mixing the fallen with every step they took. Hawkins wanted to vomit, but the clinging, pale hand on his sleeve forced him to remain a pillar of strength despite everything the Enforcers had unknowingly done to help cause this.

This was all because of him. He had the black grimoire: Memoriam. None of this would have happened without that stupid-

Mantis' strangled cry broke Hawkins out of his hollow grief, half dragging the missing twin towards the murky pile of ashes that reached their knees. She had already reached the faint outline of a dim amber lantern, desperately digging out the soot covered frame of a young woman clinging to a child much like a mother would.

Cricket.

Wreathed protectively behind her were two familiarly furry bodies, barely breathing as if the gentlest of touches would turn them to ash alongside them. Hawkins' heart broke the moment he saw the once brazen Firestep wolves now haggard from hunger, grievous scars covering Blaize. Her twin Hazard, had a large chunk of sinewy jaw barely entact beneath a pustule covered eye barely open by burns. He didn't need to guess what caused it. Who...caused it.

"I can't do it. I can't do it."

Mantis wrenched back as if being badly burnt, her hands trembling at the sight of the rarely seen crimson blood that came before the Eternal Death. A rusted dagger, no bigger than her wrist lay embedded in her palm, constantly phasing in and out of existence. It was like holding a piece of pure sunlight but everytime she did a part of it shattered. It was her Trait weapon but much like his own, it was barely holding on.

"Why can't I do it?"

Rin's frail frame leaned ever tighter against the cascade of black sand like ash, drifting in and out of unconsciousness even as Mantis tried to gently rouse her. Her eyes glassy and unfocused no longer burned with the vigour to learn, but only focused on the small, blind girl resting beside her. An obsession rather than the urge to protect.

"Can't do what, Rin?"

Hawkins sucked in a breath, unsure of how to proceed but the ache in his chest betrayed what needed to be done. Closing his eyes to the carnage he compartmentalised each and every detail he picked up on. It had felt like years since he had grumbled about his Sentry training to eventually be recognised as a Mediator.

Listening to mundane stories and petty crimes only to stumble across the first major incident of his career since he graduated. He hadn't expected to be punished by forces outside of his control. This was the very first time he felt like all that training had been worth it in the end. Despite all the grievous injuries, numerous questions and unnecessary lives taken he was here right now and he could put his skills to good use.