"You're… Erin's grandma?" Ryuma looked at her with wide eyes and an open jaw. He's been looking for clues about who Erin was, and here the clearest answer he could find had him locked up in her own personal dungeon.
After Ryuma had that realization, he looked away. He couldn't look her in the eyes. There was no way she was lying about this. There'd be no other reason than to bring his name up specifically.
He had subconsciously wanted to hide the shame of what happened. Though it wasn't his fault, he knew of Erin's fate. He was there when it happened and that was enough for him to feel guilty of it.
"Judging by your reaction. You know of my grandson," Madame Kokoro said. This time she no longer faced him having gotten the answer she wanted. "Please tell me how has my grandson been as of late,"
Ryuma's eyes widened again. This time he clenched his fist to the point that his nails dug into his skin. Did they not know? Of course they didn't. How could they? He was sure information about the Skylands rarely made it down here. They were in the dark.
Ryuma stayed silent. How was he going to break it to them?
"You know, when they took him, they told us that he was a rare surface dweller, born with the ability to use spirit force. Course, he didn't want to be separated from his family, but we all knew that he'd have a better life up there. Better than the meager life he'd ever live down here,"
Ryuma kept quiet even longer, refusing to answer her first question. Was it better to never tell her?
From what he heard of the situation. He figured that either Aiden Conwell, or somebody connected to him, lured the kid up to the Skylands with promises of a better life. Whoever got a hold of him obviously followed Conwell's faith. Under normal circumstances, the kid was lucky to be born with spirit force, but unlucky that he ran into the wrong group of people.
This whole thing about making contracts with demons. It was obviously a farce. And these people… they think he's still up there having become a priest.
The anger in Ryuma boiled up again.
"Still, it's been a decade. You'd think the boy would contact his people again and let us know he's ok from time to time," Madame Kokoro said, staring off into the distance.
Ryuma's clenched fist loosened up. No matter how painful it was, he had to be straight with them. "Madame Kokoro… Erin Frost… is dead,"
Madame Kokoro's posture didn't change. She didn't move, nor react to the latest information. She just stood there with her hands held behind her back, looking off into the distance.
"I see…"
As squinched has his eyes were in silent anger, he couldn't help but twitch his eye. Why is she acting so indifferent to the news of her grandson being dead.
"You knew…" Ryuma said.
"I had an inkling that was the case. Everybody was in denial, but I caught on early. Even I didn't want to believe that was the case. Still, there was always hope,"
Ryuma's eyes looked elsewhere again.
"How long has he been dead?" She asked.
He clenched his teeth this time. No matter what, he had to keep answering her questions. It was only right. "It's been about a decade now. He was the same age when he left the surface,"
Though she kept her posture, she shook a little and Ryuma caught it. She didn't know that part and it threw her off.
"I see… we sent him to his death… they executed him up there," She looked up at the sky where the islands floated.
"You guys didn't know. It's not your fault," Ryuma said.
"Foolish child. Of course it's not our fault. They were going to take him with or without our say so. Us convincing him was a comfort. We had no say in the matter," Though her words were biting, she said them with a calm voice. "How did they do it?"
"Wha… what?" Ryuma asked. Surely, she wasn't asking the method in which they killed him. Who would want to know?
"I said what did they do to my grandson!?" She asked with a little more force than her usual tone.
Ryuma took a deep breath. No matter how off the question was, he had a duty to answer her questions. Part of him started to wonder how it came to be she was getting the answers when clearly the agreement was that he would get them.
Everything in him hoped this wasn't her playing him. Somehow, he felt that wasn't the case.
"They… burned him at the stake. It happened right in front of me. I was a child when I saw it,"
No matter how composed she was, Madame Kokoro grabbed at her heart and started breathing hard. Ryuma made to catch her from falling over, but she held her hand up to keep him back.
He understood her pain. Erin was but a stranger to him and that was impossible to watch. This was her grandchild and to know of a fate so torturous of an end. Anybody would lose their composure.
"You mean my grandbaby, was lit on fire. Died seeing nothing but the faces of strangers looking on in amusement of his suffering,"
"I understand how we may look to you. And this may not even matter to you, but I assure you, nobody up there looked amused at what they saw that day. If nothing else, I remembered the faces of all that watched,"
"Was there nobody up there to object to burning a child alive?"
"No more than there was anybody down here to object to the obduction of one. Believe me when I say it's infinitely better up there than it is down here. The concept is much the same. You answer to a higher power of authority and so do we. Up there, whatever the Edicts say, goes,"
"Are they stronger than you priest?" Madame Kokoro asked.
"They can kill us with but a stare. There's nothing we can do,"
"So the reports are true. Of gods that can kill with only looks exist up there. I didn't want to believe such a thing," Madame Kokoro said.
"Reports?" Ryuma asked.
"Take this as a form of trust. I didn't play you child. I truly intend to believe in you. We have a plant up there that informs us of the going on up there. I can't tell you who they are, but such reports mentioned of living gods. They were sent up there to help us find Erin. I guess I just figured out why there were no leads,"
"There likely wouldn't be. Since we know the Edicts won't be punished for shit they do, everybody who witnessed it just wanted to forget it happened. Nobody brought it up,"
"I see. So that's how it is. I'll send a message up there to let them know to abandon the search. I'll have to break the news to everyone,"
{Them?}
Were their multiple people or was she using a neutral term to hide the identity of the spy.
Ryuma had a mind to ask but thought against it. It would seem suspicious if he started prying into their affairs when there was no gain and possible ruin for doing so. Not when they were on better terms than before. It was no longer his business to inquire anything more on the subject.
Him even knowing there was a spy was already too much. Truly the surface dwellers were more resourceful than he thought if they could get a plant up there.
"His sister, will not be too happy to hear of his fate,"
That statement piqued his interest. Erin had a sister? Where was she? Who was she? Was it his place to find out?
Whatever it was, it was best left alone. He didn't want any more of the Skylands to be brought towards this family than already has. It was best he stayed far away.
"I know you may now be grieving Madame Kokoro, but I still need you to uphold your end of the bargain. What is it that you know about my streak and why is it so important to you?" Ryuma asked.
Madame Kokoro finally turned and faced him for the first time during their whole talk about Erin. She walked up close to him and slowly raised her hand. She reached up to his hair and ran her fingers across the white streak, letting his hair ruffle between her fingers.
"Your silence is making me a little anxious mam," Ryuma said.
"Is that so? Tell me child. Has any of your parents told you of the Akari clan," Madame Kokoro asked.
Ryuma shook his head. "This is my first time even hearing the name,"
"Is that so. If that's the case, then either one or both of your parents had a mind to start life anew and eschew your bloodline. You are a descendant of Asura Akari,"
"Assuming you're not lying to me, why is it you happen to know more about this streak than I do," Ryuma asked. Clearly, he had a lot to ask his mother the next time he saw her.
"It's because it's a story passed down in the blood of the Akari. For I am a descendant of the Akari as well,"