It is extremely painful, to switch from happy to tear inducing sadness in a second, to have the smallest amount of time define your next emotion. I cannot keep up, It’s all bad, everything is tainted, because even in good times I anticipate the sad..every moment is spent begging my body not to betray me.
Day 6 of @the-line-is-erased:Damascus- Party - The choices we make and the consequences, whether good or bad, therein.
aka when Paladins have conflicting oaths
How could she be so blind? There was more at stake than just the life of one person she cared about. If they didn’t shut down the factory, stop the production of the simulacra, the entire world was going to fall, including her brother.
Grizzop vibrated with rage. Azu just stood there, acting like love conquered all. Foolish. But he shouldn’t have expected anything else from the Aphrodite lot.
Of course he wanted to go after Vesseek. It was hard enough to leave them alone with their clutch, but it all hinged on the fact that the entire world could fall apart if someone didn’t do what needed to be done to save it. And if Grizzop had to leave in order to be that person, then he would be.
Vesseek knew that the greater good came first. They understood this from the start. And Grizzop remembered his oath to Artemis.
As much as he longed to run off to Rome and save Vesseek and the others, he set his sights on the funnel above and the machinery around them. There was still work to be done.
~~~
How could he be so heartless? Was the life of someone he loved worth so little to him that he would let them be beaten and tortured by the Cult of Hades? If they didn’t go to save their loved ones, all of them, then they would be killed.
Azu clenched her fists tight. Grizzop just stood there, acting like the world would fall in an instant if he didn’t try to stop it. Foolish. But she shouldn’t have expected anything else from the Artemis lot.
Of course she knew that their current mission was important. It was a major setback to have to leave the factory as it was, but Emeka and the others could dieifsomeone didn’t do what needed to be done to save them. And if Azu had to be that person, then she would be.
Emeka knew that love came first. He understood that when she left their village in the first place. And Azu remembered her oath to Aphrodite.
As much as she wanted to finish the task at hand, to destroy the factory and stop more simulacra from being made, she racked her mind for any knowledge she had of Rome. There was a long journey ahead of them.
~~~
Then Azu noticed the tears in Grizzop’s eyes, tears he tried to blink back as he looked at anything and everything but her.
“Grizzop,” she said softly. “We’ll rescue them. All of them, okay?”
“Please.” Grizzop never sounded or acted his size, but in that word, he was smaller than he ever was before. With a cough and a shake of his head, he puffed out his chest and, in a clearer voice, added, “I know you will. And I’ll take care of things here. We both have our own jobs to do.”
Azu nodded. “And we both have our own oaths to fulfill.”
With a toothy smile, Grizzop met her gaze. “Thanks, Azu. I’ll meet up with you all when I can, yeah? And tell Vesseek… tell them…”
“I will.”
Grizzop gave one last nod and then climbed up to the top of the funnel with an adamantine arrow between his teeth. He didn’t need to worry about Vesseek – Azu was on her way, and she would never let anything happen to them.
