Children of the Gods: Arc 2 [Game/Closed]

[DarkRawen]

When Andrew arrived in the van, he saw a djinn become dust and disappear, apparantly even the van hadn't been completely safe. Aria then demanded to be let down, for some reason, and tried to go out, but instead she started crying. "What's the problem?" Andrew asked, but he was feeling very much unsure of what had caused this reaction.

As he spoke, he heard a loud yell, as if someone was in deep sorrow. Andrew hadn't heard thunder in a while, and when he glanced out, he noticed that the sky was completely clear, the sun shining and no storm to be seen. He spent a very short while drying the sweat and all that from his face. Unlike his phobia, this didn't frighten him, just make him a bit unsettled. Besides, with the warmth of the sun there, he felt a lot better. Andrew took the chance to heal Aria now that he was feeling better, leaning down and fixing the jaw that was obviously broken by touching her, but he didn't speak. She seemed unapproachable, and he had no idea of why.

More composed, he walked towards Prometheus and Steven, only to see a Norse god, doing something with Able's and Remus' weapons. Right next to the Viking, their bodies lay, them having signs of being burnt by something. They had probably been struck by the lightning, and it was clear that they were dead.

I see.

Andrew didn't really feel anything, despite having travelled with them, apart from a slight sense of loss. He wasn't sad or angry, just noting that there were two less now. Two less, who had died without really knowing what they had sacrificed themselves to stop, and two less people who could fight on their side. Andrew approached Prometheus and Steven, glancing over at what he figured to be Able's father every now and then, making sure he wasn't interfering with what the god was doing.

When there, Andrew wasn't sure what to say at first. It was too late to pretend to be all emotional about it, if he wanted to do that, he would have had to known about it before approaching them. At the same time, he was very aware of how twisted it was to be that frightened by a phobia, only to feel like shrugging at the deaths of two people. "Is he intending to burn them?" he finally asked, making sure to only murmur it. Andrew wanted to force out any sort of emotional tone in his voice, but he failed to do so. He felt even more numb than usual, it was a cold numbness spreading from his stomach.

"We're going to have a funeral, right? Right here, right now? Can I... not be there?" He knew it was unreasonable to ask. However, he felt as if he was going to stick out too much and be disrespectful like this. "I just want to get going."

 

[Lunar Templar]

The pain in her jaw subsided but she still hurt, both from her own actions, and the death of her 'friends', though she couldn't tell what hurt more, the losing them, or it taking till they where gone to really notice she cared about them. She forced her self back to her feet, and out of the RV, nearly falling over again, as she righted her self, she saw them, Able and Remus, standing in-front of the Pyre, looking at their soon to be cremated body's. She was surprised, but then, at the same time wasn't.


"I just want to get going." she heard Andrew say once she was closer.

"No, Remus and Able are both still here, we stay and give them a proper send off, they deserve that form us." she said, as she walked past him, and over to Prometheus, using him as a crutch of sorts, as she struggled to find something to say to not just to the ghosts of her fallen friends, but who she presumed to be Able's father.

 

[IFS]

Nicole staggered exhausted out of the van, and saw a terrible sight. Able and Remus's bodies had crumpled up against the side of the van, burned by lightning and so very clearly dead. A cry stuck in her throat and she felt her eyes watering, she could hardly believe it, they had been some of the strongest of the group, and she had considered them both friends. She felt defeated and guilty, I could have saved them with my new power I could have saved them if I had just been able to stay focused.

"We're going to have a funeral, right? Right here, right now? Can I... not be there?"

This surprised her, that Andrew of all people would be so uncomfortable with death, but then he had always been a rather private person, it shouldn't be too surprising that he wanted to be alone. She wasn't sure what to say though, she could only watch as the pyre was built.

"No, Remus and Able are both still here, we stay and give them a proper send off, they deserve that form us.

"Let him grieve his own way," she found herself muttering, she stumbled to the side of the van and sat down next to it, it was all she could do to manage not to pass out from the tide of emotions in her exhausted state.

 

[Green Shoes]

Prometheus clenched his fists, Andrew's words sending rage over him. Closing his eyes, he breathed out forcibly. relaxing his hands and taking control. Staring Andrew straight in the eyes, he spoke slowly and forcefully, shaking his head at both Andrew and Nicole.

"No. Grieve how you like, but you will show your respect for Remus and Able. They died for you."

He lingered a moment longer, the weight of his words coming down upon the group. Turning from the group, he quickly ducked into the van and ripped a white sheet from one of the beds, speaking quietly to Etna.

"You should come outside."

Returning outside, he saw Vera unconscious. Prometheus sighed deeply; he was tired and hurt, yet she was more-so. Kneeling down beside her, he picked her up with one arm, returning to the group. Setting her at the feet of Nicole and Aria.

"Bring her round. She'll want to be awake."

Still moving, he approached the bodies of Remus and Able. Tearing the sheet, he faltered, standing at the feet of the deceased. Tears welled in his eyes but failed to drop; he simply choked up and froze. There was little left to recognize them, few people that would remember them, fewer still knew that they died for them. Pushing past his thoughts, he wrapped both bodies as Vidarr finished piling the pyre. It was tall, about 8 feet, and dry to the bone.

Vidarr picked up Able, and Prometheus Remus. Placing them both atop the fire, Vidarr's tears ran freely, though he made no sound. With both bodies atop the fire, Prometheus produced a flame in his hand; Vidarr quickly grabbed the Titan by the wrist.

"Wait. Let the others who will remember them come out, and give me a few moments with my son."

Prometheus nodded and lit a small branch, passing it to the God, and stood back from the Pyre, silent.

 

[DarkRawen]

"No, Remus and Able are both still here, we stay and give them a proper send off, they deserve that from us."

Andrew only glanced at Aria, he wasn't going to object to what she said. They could stay, he would just be waiting in the van either way. He noticed Nicole walking over, she seemed to be in a bad condition, not because of injuries, but possibly exhaustion and sadness.

"Let him grieve his own way."

Grieve?

Had Nicole completely misunderstood? Andrew wasn't grieving, that was the problem. Right?

Yeah. It's this coldness, that's why I don't want to be there.

Andrew really felt like leaving now. The fact that everyone else were sad made it even worse.

"No. Grieve how you like, but you will show your respect for Remus and Able. They died for you."

"I'm not grieving," Andrew muttered in reply to both of them. His body language was closed, his eyes meeting Prometheus coldly and with defiance to them, but also what could be described as regret.

That's why I was intending to show my respect by not going.

What did it even matter if he was there? Able was one thing, he might not have interacted much with him, but at least the man hadn't expressed a strong dislike for him. Remus, however, had very clearly not liked him. Only...

"Hey. Drop the damned steel. And don't go threatening my friends like that."

No, even if Remus had said that, it had only been in the heat of the moment. There hadn't been anything apart from an intention behind it. Still, Andrew felt numb again. When Prometheus brought Vera over, Andrew took the chance to examine how hurt she was, but he didn't approach them, not yet. He would wait until she was awake, or until someone asked him to do it. Why? He didn't know, but she wasn't in a dire state, so it wasn't an emergency.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Aria simply sat and watched as the Pyre was built up more. Prometheus leaving to apparently fetch Vera and a sheet to wrap the departed in. As Prometheus requested, she set about trying to wake Vera, ignoring Andrews comment, she wanted to yell at him for it and ask 'what the hell was wrong with him?!' but she didn't, this wasn't the time or place for it, instead, she just woke Vera up. "Sorry to wake you, but we should all be up for this." she said once Vera was awake then made her way over to Prometheus.

"I'm sorry I'd been such a ***** on this trip, I'm sorry I took out my own hurt on those around me" Aria started finally finding the words she was looking for earlier, as she started to cry again "I'm sorry I didn't notice I cared about ether of you, or any one else here till now and I'm sorry I'll never get the chance to make it right to ether of you" she continued, just letting the tears flow "but I promise you, I will not let your deaths before nothing, it's the least I can do for you."

 

[hiei82]

Vera was pulled back to reality by Aria's words. "Sorry to wake you, but we should all be up for this." For a moment, Vera didn't understand. She was thankful the fog-monster-things were gone and they weren't hurt. Then, the memories of Able and Remus lying beside the RV flooded back and she dropped to the ground in anguish.

It wasn't right. It couldn't be and never would be. This was EXACTLY the thing she'd been worried about when they'd first been drafted for this terrible terrible job. Here they were, fighting gods well beyond their ability to manage with scarcely a hope against them. It wasn't right and she was vindicated in her belief.

Yet, there was no joy in the vindication; only more pain. She hated every part of it. She hated how, deep inside, she was thankful it wasn't Nicole or Aria who died, even though the implications of the feeling were sickening to the very core of her self. Just as bad, she hated herself. For being trapped by the smoke-things so easily. If she'd just been more aware... it she'd just taken wind form earlier... Remus and Able wouldn't be dead. She could have saved them... she SHOULD have saved them, but she'd hesitated. She'd dared to think she could talk the god down.

Vera's stomach churned but blessedly she didn't lose it. She got up and made her way to the pyre. She heard Aria mention her sorrows. She didn't have anything to say. What could she say? She quickly made her way back to the RV and grabbed Able's notebook; the one he used to speak. She dug through until she found a blank page and tore it free. She couldn't say what she felt, but she could write it. She suspected Able would appreciate the way of saying goodbye.

She scribbled a few words into the paper and folded it several times; carefully so the creases would match. Finally, she returned to the pyre and threw the note in. It wasn't meant for anyone but Able to read. I guess he'd just have to share it with Remus. "Thanks for always being there for us Remus... I wish I'd had more time; i think we would have been good friends."

After that, she made her way over to Vidarr. At that moment, he wasn't one of the gods she so hated; he was just a grieving father. She felt a pang of guilt from somewhere deep inside; she wasn't sure why. "I know it's not much... but this was Able's. It's what he had to say and I think you should have it. I... I don't know if you'll believe me, but... it does get better. Not easier; never easier... but a little better." she said; recalling her grandparents.

With nothing else to do; she gave the grieving father his room and did the last thing she could and the one thing she hadn't done in years. She prayed. She prayed for Able and Remus, for Vidarr and Able's mother wherever she was. For Remus's family. And, she prayed for the rest of the little group in the RV because they perhaps needed it most.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Steven stood silently, anger still boiling under his skin. He just went in and grabbed a sheet, not talking to anyone, hand still holding the mace.

"We're going to have a funeral, right? Right here, right now? Can I... not be there?"

Steven turned slowly, not wanting to say or do anything he might regret. His grip on the mace tightened.

"I'm not grieving."

That was the very last straw for Steven. He grabbed Andrew by the collar, and put him against the van.

"YOU SELFISH ASSHOLE," Steven yelled in Andrew's face, "TWO PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT, FOUGHT AGAINST A FUCKING GOD, (Steven lifted the mace at said God) AND DIED WHILE YOU DIDN'T EVEN TAKE THE FUCKING STEERING WHEEL. THEN YOU DARE NOT GIVE THEM RESPECT IN DEATH! YOU... YOU..."

Steven let Andrew go, walking a few steps, forcing himself to stay away from Andrew. He took his frustration out on the van, leaving a large dent in the side, rather than on Andrew's face.

 

[DarkRawen]

Before Andrew got the chance to react, Steven snapped, and put him against the van, holding onto his collar.

"YOU SELFISH ASSHOLE. TWO PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT, FOUGHT AGAINST A FUCKING GOD, AND DIED WHILE YOU DIDN'T EVEN TAKE THE FUCKING STEERING WHEEL. THEN YOU DARE NOT GIVE THEM RESPECT IN DEATH! YOU... YOU..."

Steven then let go of him, but Andrew wasn't going to take an attack on his person without saying anything, especially not when Steven had basically called him a coward. He said it so that only Steven could hear it.

"If you ever touch me again, I'm not going to let it go. I don't need to do anything else than touch you, your food or your drink for a slight second to harm you."

He stopped for a short moment, in order to think of the next thing to say. Obviously, Andrew would be bluffing at this point, so he needed to say the right things to make an impression. He was annoyed, though. More than usual, for some reason. The coldness resided, and his whole body language turned a lot more hostile.

"If you don't get it because of your tiny brain, what I'm saying is that I can give you the worst plague imaginable, one without a cure. And I won't let it kill you, not yet. Now you're almost useful. No, it will take years to surface. Then, one day, you might feel a slight headache, or your throat might feel a tiny bit itchy. It might even just start with a sneeze. Then your body will start destroying itself slowly and painfully. So. Don't touch me."

Although he meant little of it, his expression didn't change during the time he said it. He then walked back to Prometheus, and although he was closest to the Titan, he was addressing anyone who had become upset with him. Well. Apart from Steven. "This might be too late to say," he muttered. His tone was sincere, and he looked more sorry now. "But I meant no disrespect. I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry. I just don't think I have any right to participate in a funeral when I'm not capable of grieving over anyone. I'll stay if you'll let me to stay here, but I'll leave if you'd rather have me gone." Even if it was beneath him, Andrew made himself look smaller. Humbler. As if he had accepted defeat.

Andrew wasn't sure which of the two roles he had just played fit him the most. However, he felt more inclined to give in at this moment, and he had really not meant to disrespect, it was rather opposite of that.

I shouldn't have worded it like I did before.

Still, he had been threatened, if people were allowed to physically harm him, then he was allowed to threaten them. He didn't look over at the Viking god, he had a feeling he would get attacked again if he did.

Spoiler: OOC

Unless someone is listening in on what he says to Steven, they won't hear it, as he's murmuring/whispering it. And yes, I know he's being pretty cruel, but he's not in a good mood, and someone pushed him against a van, yelling at him, so. :/

 

[IFS]

Nicole stood up and walked over the the pyre, and said her silent prayers for Able and Remus, not able to bring herself to say anything out loud. She felt like she might just collapse if she did so, as if saying such things out loud would be like admitting that they were gone, that she had failed them.

She noticed Vera heading into the van after saying a few words for Remus, she wanted to follow her friend, to see if she could talk with her. Andrew denied that he was grieving and Prometheus commanded him to stay for the funeral, all she could remember was when her grandmother had died, how numb she had felt. She suspected Andrew was going through the same thing even if he didn't want to admit it.

"YOU SELFISH ASSHOLE. TWO PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT, FOUGHT AGAINST A FUCKING GOD, AND DIED WHILE YOU DIDN'T EVEN TAKE THE FUCKING STEERING WHEEL. THEN YOU DARE NOT GIVE THEM RESPECT IN DEATH! YOU... YOU..."

Andrew muttered something that she couldn't hear then walked away, but Steven's words angered Nicole, not at Andrew but at Steven. She walked over to Steven, finding herself glaring at him.

"Getting angry won't solve anything, and neither will threatening people," she said, her voice wavering slightly but managing to stay stern "Andrew was fucking terrified by the storm, you should be glad he was able to force himself to come outside to help at all, not yelling at him about a goddamn steering wheel!"

She found her voice raising, and tried to calm herself with little success "How the hell would the steering wheel have changed anything anyways?" she said, nearly yelling now, she caught herself thinking no it wouldn't have, but I could have changed things... She steadied herself, and turned to look at where Andrew had gone "Some people just need to be alone to grieve, so let him be alone."

She turned and started to walk off, heading towards the van to go in and talk to Vera, she wanted to see if her friend was okay, and she felt like she needed to talk to someone.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Aria choose to ignore Steven and Andrews spat as well as Nicole's out burst, Andrew a side, who she was gathering really just was an asshole, figured it was just the stress of losing two of their own that sparked their own outbursts, even if Andrew had it coming, though when Vera and Nicole started praying she couldn't help but wonder who they where praying to.

Certainly not 'god', if anything this trip had more or less confirmed what she'd though for a long, but then who to? Asking that some divine entity look after two souls who died protecting the world, and did so because it was a task that needed doing and they we're qualified to do so wasn't to much to ask, but she was at a loss as to who to ask. Her mother maybe? She was kinda kicking her self for her lack of knowledge on deity's, but decided to send a silent prayer to her mother asking her help there souls find peace, even though she knew that wasn't really her job, Aria just didn't know of any one better of hand.

 

[hiei82]

Vera sat in the RV trying to escape her own thoughts. She'd dug out a book from one of the packs in the back, desperately trying to numb her mind with with the words. The less she thought about... "it", the better. The book was dry in the extreme and could barely keep her mind off the death of her teammates, but it was better than the alternative; thinking about her failure.

She'd managed to make it through a handful of pages before Nicole arrived. Seeming her, Vera abandoned the book in favor of conversation. "Hi Nicole." she said, her voice barely rising over a whisper.

 

[Terratina.]

"You should come outside."

Etna did, not only to obey the Titan's orders, but to see what was all of the shouting was about, not to mention other things.

This was what she saw: a pyre, a pale Able and a pale Remus, and some Viking standing by the pyre, next to Prometheus. She understood. It was sickening, this was too much shouting for a funeral. She clutched her hand, the one with the dagger in it. That anger Etna had experienced hadn't subsided yet. If her grief was a sea of sadness, then the remains of that anger was the remnants of a storm. She approached the pyre, her only words were, "Sorry."

'Sorry about this mess of a funeral; sorry I hardly did anything to help; sorry...'

Etna was rooted to that spot, neither wanting or needing to move.

 

[Green Shoes]

Vidarr breathed in deep and straightened up, looking not at the pyre but far off in the distance. Speaking in a low voice, he uttered a Norse farewell, before setting the pyre alight. The sun had set and there was little light in the sky; no sun nor moon to cast any shadows. Pale and washed-out, the group watched on as the bodies of Remus and Able were burnt, far from home.

Prometheus looked over at Andrew, who had come over to apologize. The Titan shook his head, part in weariness and disbelief.

"It's alright, Andrew. Just...make sure the others are alright."

For now, he bowed his head in respect, his eyes red and wet. The pyre burnt hot and high, the bodies obscured by flames, the wind carrying the smoke away from the group and up into the cloudless sky. Teshub dare not move; set aside from both pyre and group, injured and breathing hard.

-------------------------------------------------------------

After a few minutes of silence, Vidarr spoke to Prometheus. His voice was hard and heavily accented, but measured and controlled.

"Who did this?"

Prometheus looked over to Teshub, locking eyes with the God. Teshub saw Vidarr and began to squirm. The Norse God breathed deep and ran his hand over the hilt of his sword, tears still in his eyes. There was no rage from the God of vengeance, only sheer grief.

"If you have any questions to ask him, now is the time."

Prometheus nodded and took the hint. Turning, he saw Etna, and met her gaze. Laying hand on her shoulder, he studied her, looking for something behind those pale eyes. Spying her dagger, he cared not about his choice of words; his voice was hoarse and broken. There was no kindness in Prometheus' eyes.

"Come with me. Do you know how to torture?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vidarr turned away from the pyre to the group huddled near the van. His face was wet with tears, but his eyes were fierce and stoic. He slouched and rocked in his walk; the gait of a defeated man.

"You are friends of Able? Did he fight well?"

Though the words were themselves strange and somewhat insincere, his tone was serious and hurt; ancient customs stuck with the God, and he simply wanted to know about his son, whom he had left to die.

 

[IFS]

"Hi Nicole."

Nicole didn't say anything at first, she simply walked over and sat down next to Vera, grabbing another book at random. She flipped through a few pages before she started to speak, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. She wanted to cry but she didn't feel like she had the right to mourn them, not when she should have been able to save them.

"Are you ok V?" she asked, her voice not much louder than Vera's had been.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Aria whispered one final farewell as the fire over took them, also bowing her head in respect, only lifting it when Vidarr came over to them, also noticing as she looked up, the ghosts of Remus and Able where gone, moved on she presumed.

"You are friends of Able? Did he fight well?", The Gods tone carried with it a great pain, a pain she knew all to well from the loss of her own family. "I am no warrior, so I don't know about well, but he fought bravely, even at the end, he showed no fear that I could see" she replied.

 

[DarkRawen]

Andrew spent the couple of minutes in silence, almost not looking over at the pyres at all. He hadn't been told to go away, just that it was okay, and that he had to make sure the others were okay. He didn't think he could, but Andrew nodded in reply. Since he hadn't taken the chance to walk over to the pyres while they were unlit like everyone else had done, he just formulated a goodbye in his head. He doubted they would have been able to hear it even if he had said it aloud, considering that they were dead.

Remus and Able. For what it's worth, I'm sorry I can't seem to show you the respect you deserve. You did well and you died for a good cause. Fare well in the afterlife.

Was he just trying to act like the others had? Did it even mean anything? Yes, it meant something. With the outrages he had been responsible for, first Steven's and then Nicole's, the latter of which had actually defended him, he felt like it was an obligation. Perhaps even his own will. It didn't make him feel better doing so, it actually made him feel sick, and when the flames had burned out, he wanted to leave. However, the god who seemed to be Able's father approached him and the others, and spoke.

"You are friends of Able? Did he fight well?"

Andrew didn't meet the eyes of the god, but he nodded. He could do this, at least.

"Yes, he fought bravely and skillfully. They both did." After saying that, he left. Andrew was considering going far away, to somewhere he could be completely alone. However, instead he entered the van. It seemed to be pretty crowded, but he spotted Nicole, and he wanted to thank her for speaking her mind to Steven, even if she kept insisting he was grieving, and even if she had yelled out that he had been terrified. However, both her and Vera seemed to be feeling very much down. They looked as if they were about to cry.

They have it a lot worse than me.

He realized that now. Even if he was feeling a bit sick, and numb, and cold, that probably wasn't anything when it came to feeling that sad. Grieving. And Vera was still hurt. Andrew wanted to say something, to pay back Nicole who had helped him. What to say, though?

I should be able to come up with something.

"It's okay," he found himself saying. "They didn't suffer." From what he had seen of the bodies, they had most likely died instantly. "And they died protecting the people they care about." He wondered if they were blaming themselves as well. Andrew knew he couldn't have done anything. Nor could anyone else, done was done, no one could turn back time. No mortals, at least. Perhaps he should add something more in that regard. "It's no one's fault but the weather god's. No one could predict that they would be hit by the lightning, anything you think would have hindered it most likely wouldn't have." He turned to Vera. "Do you want me to heal you? You are pretty badly hurt."

It wasn't much, and it would probably just earn him their scorn. However, if it helped just a tiny bit, that was enough, since Andrew had only said it in order to repay Nicole, and perhaps because Prometheus had told him to.

 

[hiei82]

"Are you ok V?" Nicole asked. She wanted to say she was fine, but she couldn't bring herself to lie like that. On the other hand, she couldn't bring herself to say what she truly felt; vocalizing it would only make it more real. "No-" she said honestly before continuing; "-but I will be." The last words rang hollow even as she said them. Would she? Could she?


It all seemed surreal in the worst kind of way.

Before Nicole could say anything more, Andrew arrived. To little pleasure she might add. Truthfully, while she'd gained a certain degree of respect for the healer, she didn't really want to hear his opinions on death. They'd probably be realistic enough, but they'd lacked the empathy and feeling that needed to be there so soon after the wound had formed. "It's okay," he said; "They didn't suffer."

Vera took little comfort in those words; no one really knew what dying felt like. How could they know what suffering they felt. Besides, even if they felt nothing as everything was taken from them, that only served to prove how fragile and precious life was; increasing the abject horror at their companions demises.

"It's no one's fault but the weather god's. No one could predict that they would be hit by the lightning, anything you think would have hindered it most likely wouldn't have." Andrew continued; strike too close to the issue at heart for comfort. There may have been a grain of truth in it, but it did little to help. If she HAD been on her toes and turned into wind form, she might have been able to do something; shunting them out of the way at the last moment or launching dust into the air to intercept the blast. Heck; in warrior form, she could have acted like a lightning rod; drawing the bolt somewhere safer. Nearly any of her forms would have been useful save her normal self.

Still, she didn't say anything; what could she say?

"Do you want me to heal you? You are pretty badly hurt." Andrew finished. Vera nodded, uttering her thanks, though a moment later she couldn't even recall the exact words. She'd nearly forgotten the physical trauma of the battle and, for the first time since she'd awoke, she felt somewhat thankful; at least one of them had his head on, even if it was a shame he couldn't grieve.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

"Like you have the balls," Steven thought.

"Getting angry won't solve anything, and neither will threatening people. Andrew was fucking terrified by the storm, you should be glad he was able to force himself to come outside to help at all, not yelling at him about a goddamn steering wheel!"

Steven forced himself to be quiet, to not yell more or use this to call Andrew even more of a coward. Part of him knew she was right.

"You are friends of Able? Did he fight well?"

Steven turned to the new God. He breathed in and...

"Yes, he fought bravely and skillfully. They both did..."

Steven cringed hard when he heard Andrew talk.

"They tried to take that God in a melee," Steven said, trying to ignore Andrew and remember, "Able... Able managed to spear the God in the chest. However, the God... hit him with this mace... then blasted them both with lightning. However, that opening Able gave us was sever enough for the rest of us to exploit. We would of never took it down if it wasn't for them."

Steven looked down in the mace, still in his hand, suddenly disgusted he was still holding it. It was thrown to the ground.

 

[IFS]

"-but I will be."

Nicole nodded, she felt about the same, though it didn't feel like she would be okay later, but she knew she would be. Before she could reply though Andrew entered and started speaking, making an attempt at being reassuring.

"It's no one's fault but the weather god's. No one could predict that they would be hit by the lightning, anything you think would have hindered it most likely wouldn't have."

"That's not true," she muttered "I could have, I could have made the lightning miss them I know I could have."

It felt worse to say it out loud, like she was admitting it was true, but at the same time it wasn't just in her head anymore. She wondered if Vera felt the same way, like she could have done something but didn't. Andrew's earlier words about their suffering weren't much comfort either, he might even be right about no one being able to save them, but that didn't make her feel any less guilty.