Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2016 14:05:03 +1000 From: Addisyn Draco Batchelor Subject: OK. Ch. 32 Ch.32. A OK guys, Addi here. We're gonna hear from Axyl this time, he hasn't had a lot to say for a while. I hope this chapter has action and excitement and all the cool things, but that's up to Ax. The same rules apply, and donate to Nifty if you can. And so begins the (seemingly...) penultimate chapter... This chapter is dedicated to Sam K. The only person who answered my call for help. Witch Hunt. After the slight argument about whether or not to save the innocent humans ended, most of us fell into a thoughtful silence. Zayk was raging somewhere on the second floor and Kory was still watching TV, but the rest of us were sitting around being silent and thoughtful. It was honestly the quietest we'd been for days. But such tranquility can only last for so long. "Eep" Kory yelping again. That's never a good sign. The tv showed still photos of our hotel room in Sweden. They were zoomed in to Toby. Next to that photo was a picture of me, 10 metres off the ground stopping the falling fire. Zayk was there too, but the main pictures were of Tobe and I. They had a caption underneath, saying 'Megastar Toby Drake implicated in supernatural phenomenom.' Tobe was pale as a ghost, visibly unable to speak. "It's started then..." Dyl said sagely. "The hunt... What are we gonna do?" Toby seemed to find his legs momentarily, and managed to flop down onto a chair. A joint appeared in his hand, and he took several long draws, almost subconsciously. He seemed to be emboldened by the THC, and began to speak; "I don't think there's much we can do, unless we could find all the magical people on the planet and transport them all here...." "There are no other magical people on this planet. At least none with active powers. There are a couple of thousand empaths and telepaths, but none that can do the magic the four of you can do" Kody piped up, matter of factly. "I mean, can you imagine more than four humans with your powers roaming the realm, unchecked and uneducated about the dangers? Seriously, this place would implode within minutes..." He trailed off, his attention diverted to the TV again. 'We are now crossing live to our airborne reporter, Kyle Thomas, who is attempting to make contact with Mr. Drake. Kyle, any signs that Toby is actually at his home? We know that he was only just recently in Sweden, is it possible for him to actually be back there without being seen anywhere since the incident? 'Well Jane, to be honest, we are finding it difficult to locate Drake Manor, despite the fact that I know it is somewhere in this particular area. It seems that the Manor has been wiped off the face of the planet, almost like magic...' "For fuck's sake! What the fuck would he know about magic!? He's just some dipshit in a helicopter. They're going to latch on to that and the fucking military will call martial law and kill millions! It's the same fucking story, over and over again!" Dyl uncharacteristacally and verbally exploded. I don't think I've ever seen him so angry. Next thing, Tobe has conjured another joint and handed it to Dyl. I silently thank him, and any god that has ever existed, because an angry Dylin is an incredibly scary Dylin. I'm half expecting him to shift into 'Konrad Mode' and maul all of us. Luckily, the pot subdued the beast, and he sat down on the floor looking raptly at the television, mentally cataloguing the lies that were being told. 'Toby Drake's meteoric rise to fame could almost be called supernatural...' 'A distraught female fan of Mr. Drake tells the story of the night Toby magically seduced her...' 'Could Toby's new boyfriend be the reason behind his new interest in the occult?..' What the fuck? How could they know anything about that? The logical part of my, obviously, inadequate brain told me that they are only going by the timeline of when they knew about us to now, a surprisingly short time of four days or so. It seems like I've been with Toby for centuries, but it's barely been a week. Is this how our relationship is always going to go? Seemingly endless months that only last for days, infinite years in a single minute? Is this how it has always been, if what Kody says is true? Too many questions, and it seems, too little time. As if reading my mind, which at this point, I don't doubt actually happened, Kody said, "You've all forgotten the big picture. Humans will do what they've always done, kill and maim eachother under the guise of protecting one another. As much as it pains me to say, you've all got to forget about what they are doing, and start thinking about what you are going to do. You've never been closer to actually achieving what you've been striving for so long, and now is a dangerous time to start fighting it. The signs have never been so quick to show themselves, and it has never taken just under a week for the four of you get together. This is probably the hardest thing I have had to say to you, but I think you should think about evacuating..." "What the fuck do you mean evacuating?" Zayk roared, making an appearance after he obviously raged himself out. "First you say we have to come here, now we've got to leave again? Where can we go if not here?!" "This was the best place for you all to be before the humans were searching for you. Now that they know how far this goes, who is involved, they won't rest until they've found you. You've heard of the Salem witch trials? They were nothing compared to what would happen if they got a hold of Dad T. You just have to trust me, it wouldn't be pretty, and there are people who would jump at the chance to discredit Toby." Kory said, breaking his odd spell of mutism. "You know what you have to do. It's just, it seems impossible to you." And then, like a light bulb had been turned on in my brain, I understood. Not only what we had to do, but everything. My early life as a human, my previous lives as a million different species and a million different solar systems. The tradgedies and triumphs, the victims and perpatrators. It all became clear, and by the look on Toby's face, he did too. It was an eternal and all encompassing knowledge of past, present and possible futures. All but one ends in something other than the total annihilation of everything we know and love... Evacuation from Earth. --- Sorry about the short chapter, it honestly wouldn't have happened any other way. Two chapters left, I think. The finale, and the epilogue. Reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated; addisyn.draco@gmail.com