Chapter 109: Augury
Under her gaze, both Ymir and Orochi stopped for a moment as they had an ominous feeling.
It felt as if any continuation could bring them harm in one way or another.
Ymir sighed, and stood up.
Water poured off him in heavy sheets as he rose from the RainWell, it ran down in lines of his chest, over the hard plane of stomach, and straight down his cock before dripping back into the dark water.
Steam clung to his skin, and he did not cover himself up. He stepped out of the RainWell with bare feet, walked straight past Violet, making no effort to hide anything.
He took the robe placed on the black stone behind her, and draped it over his shoulders, and tied the knot.
"k-" Theodosia literally choked.
Her eyes went wide and she spun around in an instant, with one hand blocking her view.
But...Violet didn’t look away in time. Her eyes dropped straight down at him with her brows raised and face completely flushed, and stayed there for moments.
Only after draping the robe did he look back at them. Violet finally forced her eyes up to his face, hands still crossed but clutching the silk cloth of her gown till her fingers turned slightly pale.
"...Could’ve asked me, I would’ve brought that to you," she said, quietly.
Ymir tilted his head, watching her.
"It’s not like you’re not going to observe me naked after our marriage, I thought a glimpse wouldn’t hurt," he said.
"Anyways, better late than never..." Ymir spread his arms wide.
"Welcome to my home, Violet." He said.
From the water, Orochi let out a low, lazy breath and settled deeper against the stone. He made no move to rise.
"I’ll stay here, go entertain your wife," he said, and was completely ignored by everyone.
"Follow me," Ymir gestured at Violet and Theo at the same time and walked out of the Rainwell without looking back.
The moment feet crossed the door, the massive black lion from the far edge of the chambers stirred up.
The leader of Rain Lions opened its golden eyes, and rose in one smooth and heavy motion.
Without a sound it walked past Violet and Theo as they gave it way and even passed Ymir, heading straight for his usual place, the Rain Hall.
Violet and Theo followed.
The palace rose in quiet levels, water seeped from the walls in thin threads, and the air grew slightly cold.
At last the corridor opened into a far larger space.
The Rain Hall.
A great dome stretched overhead, taking the full force of the river, with tons of water striking the curved glass and stone, and roaring apart into the Rain that covered the Mountains of Silver Valley.
The Rain lion settled heavily to the side of centre sofas.
Ymir stopped near them, and took a seat, gesturing opposite to him for Violet.
"This is the heard of the palace and my personal space," he said, and then looked at Theo. "Who’re you?"
Theo straightened at once, still avoiding looking too long at the loosely tied robe. She placed a hand over her chest and gave a formal nod.
"Theodosia Verona, Your Highness. Recently appointed High-Priest of the Covenant. I currently hold the managerial seat previously occupied by Ferrey. I’m Second daughter of the Duke of Verona."
"Verona," he repeated. "East of Arterris, I see."
He looked back at Violet, who had finally taken the seat across from him. The flush beneath her veil was not fading at all.
"What brings you all the way to my palace?" he asked.
"..." Violet thought for a moment and then looked at Theo.
"Could you leave us alone for a moment," she said.
"Your Holiness," Theo bowed in affirmation and left the Rain hall as massive dark stone gates of the hall closed with a resonating low boom.
"My reason for being here...shouldn’t it be obvious?" she said.
"Are you implying that even you’re now interested in the plot of my story?" he asked.
"...Well if you put it that way, then yes. Obviously. I helped you, I’m inevitably now a partner in whatever deeds you’re committing," She said.
"All you did was notice the movement of Winifred in funeral and alerted me-"
"I noticed his movement in a room filled with strong individuals, people who were suppressing their powers deliberately so that they do not hinder my prayers but I did violate their interests by not praying faithfully and focusing on little movements to help the scheme you were plotting," Violet repeated, and elaborated perfectly.
"Now that I know what all has occurred, and I know that you’re after your brother who’s been plotting rebellion all this long, I am fairly interested in everything, I must say," she said.
Ymir was just about speak when he sensed a presence at looked at the doors of the hall.
The gates had not opened, nor was there any sound of their movement, but Orochi still walked in with his hair back against his shoulder, wearing his usual formal black and golden, three-piece-suit attire.
"Boring down there without an audience," he said, dropping onto the sofa beside Ymir without invitation, and then raised one arm along the backrest.
"Also you left the letter," he said tossing it to Ymir.
Ymir caught it without looking, and Violet’s eyes shifted to Orochi.
The man had no aura, no warmth, or no presence, not even a signature. As if, even her divine senses failed her for the first time in her life.
But there was a smell. A wrong smell underneath, a smell that was foul for her, and without a doubt came from the man.
"You’re not going to introduce him?" she asked, looking at Ymir.
"He’s someone I know," Ymir said.
"That description would be pretty accurate," Orochi replied.
"He has a foul smell..." Violet murmured to herself.
"What?" Orochi furrowed his brows, and Ymir just smelled in the air, trying to smell what she was sensing.
"It’s not...bathing smell, it’s something...I’m not able to pinpoint," she said.
"Underneath..." Ymir said her words in her stead and put a hand on his chest.
He then looked at Orochi as if he was going to say something really wise.
"She’s telling you that your soul is so corrupt that it irks her sense of smell," he said in a saintly tone.
"That’s a really good revelation you motherfucker," Orochi replied calmly.
"But I find it hard to understand that...how could a goddess find this smell endearing?" Ymir closed his eyes, again thinking something wise.
"Maybe she has some extreme kinks," he said.
"..."
"..."
"*Ahem* Regardless," she said, composing herself. "He’s still unintroduced."
"Orochi." He looked at her while saying his name.
"Former General and Conqueror of Celestial Wars." Orochi said.
"Yamata No Orochi. That’s the name bestowed upon me."
Violet listened to that name carefully, but nothing from history came to her mind. And the name in itself was odd, did not really mean anything.
She nodded in affirmation and her eyes shifted to the letter still resting in Ymir’s hand.
"That’s from Darin," Ymir said. "One of Marcus’s students."
Ymir considers Marcus as another person, not just a persona of himself. It’s a psychological trick that helps him in managing his two identities.
"I see..." she murmured.
"So...what now?" she asked.
"Hmm..." Ymir hummed for moments, and then said. "Cymbal."
"Winifred kept him patient, without him, patience isn’t a virtue Cymbal has any real relationship with. He’ll want power the only way he probably still understands. He’ll want an army," Ymir said.
"Army...?" Violet tried to piece anything from ongoing politics, but she couldn’t. How will Cymbal get an army for himself?
"Krells." Orochi answered.
"Exactly, Krells." Ymir said. "A man with three hundred thousand reasons to hate the royal family and the covenant, and with an army of Nine hundred thousand, including all of his counts."
"I assume we won’t have the luxury of calling this a war of minds much longer," he said.
"Can’t you just...kill Cymbal now and stop everything?" Violet asked. "That seems practical."
"Of course I can if I don’t mind the court of Royals coming after me in pursuit of my own brother, thinking that I’m framing him as a demonic human to justify my murder, having whole kingdom turn against me, and even the Queen, including all possible clearance six mages and armies of dukes and righteous individuals... Then sure. We can Kill Cymbal!"
"..."
"..."
"So...a war’s coming." Violet finally murmured in understanding.