Folly & Agendas & Talulah

(STC) Chapter 24: Atlas...

And he still has the determination from all those years ago.

I restrain my hostile emotions and plant my sword in the ground. I used my left hand to charge my Arts and sent an invisible flame throughout the area.

"Are you just going to stand there?" I asked as he was startled by my question. In the corner of my eye I saw the Cautus from before.

He closed his eyes before looking at me straight in the eye. "Talulah... Why are you doing this?"

"Explain." I replied as I see the Cautus yell out a faint order.

"Why are you here in Chernobog in the first place?" He started as I clench my Oripathy-ridden hands for a moment before releasing them.

The surrounding buildings and vehicles were slowly melting as he stood there unfazed. The Cautus and the other person were bickering with one another before the man with the mask forcefully pulled her away.

"That is none of your business." I state as he stood still. The surrounding air grew warmer by the second, but I wasn't bothered by it.

"By the looks of it, it will soon be everyone's business." He responds in an impartial tone. "Why are you here in Chernobog? We never discussed anything about taking over a city."

I let out a wry laugh. "You have long been exiled from the Reunion. You wouldn't have known."

"But I do know that dozens of soldiers are dying out here." He asserted.

"You're still worried about the soldiers?" I mused. "The most loyal ones have long died."

"I know its been a year or two but - seriously, why are you doing this?" If he keeps on prying into the subject, he'll start to break apart.

"I'm just checking off my to-do list." I frowned as the buildings around us were turning into a molten mess; the sky was darkening as dark clouds loomed above us.

"Calm down Talulah." Rye pleaded in a moderate voice. "I'm going to ask again-"

"Do you really think that you can talk some sense into me?" I interrupted as I flex the fingers on my right hand.

"I-" Hesitation took hold of him.

"I'm going to be a little lenient today. Scram before you slowly burn up." I pointed at him signaling him to go.

"You know I'm not leaving." He acknowledged.

Of course you aren't...

"Very well." I state as I send a flame towards him.

He blocks it perfectly, and slowly it vanishes before him.

"Hey, we can still talk this through." He insists as I stifle a laugh.

"Not every problem can be solved by mere words." I asserted. 

I swing my sword in an upwards arc causing the ground to erupt beneath him. Flames blasted through the surface as molten rock fly in the air. As usual, he dodged before he could get hit.

"Just think about the Infected protests before all of this started." I say as I swing my sword downward sending another eruption.

"There was a chance for the Empire to stop persecuting them." Rye retaliates as he dodged to his left. Then he started running.

Is he really approaching me?

"There is no way the Ursus Empire will listen to their grievances." I brushed off his reply as I block a beam of white with my sword.