Chereads / The Beneath. / Chapter 24 - CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Light

Chapter 24 - CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Light

(FWAAAA!!!!!!!!!)

"ARGH!!!!"

"HEY QUIT IT YOU MASKED OLF!!!"

"HEY!!!!"

Todo shouts at the masked man hosing him down.

"HEY!!!"

He shouts before looking to his left and noticing Xavier silently geting hosed down as well.

"…"

-An Hour Later-

"…"

"It isn't right you know."

Todo says to Xavier who sits silent in the corner of his cell

"…"

(sighs) "Gaaaa!!!"

"What is the all-knowing thinking letting a kid go through all this."

He shouts scratching his head.

"Kid…"

"I mean, Xavier…"

"How long have you been here?"

Todo asks

"…"

-silence-

"…"

"Oh c'mon are we doing this again??"

Todo shouts

"We're brothers now aren't we??"

He says

"Or is it more like uncle and nephew??"

Todo he mumbles self-conscious after yesterday

"Well whatever. The point is we're closer now and am only asking because am worried about you. See kid us adults---"

"you talk too much…"

"Huh??"

He begins to ramble on before Xavier cuts him off

"…"

"Yeah well its better than whatever gloomy brood you have going on there."

Todo says pouting like a child

"Point is I'm just worried bout ya okay."

"Knowing when you got here might help me---"

"I don't know…"

He says before he is cut off by Xavier again!!!

"…"

-silence-

"…"

"Hey would you stop doing that?'

Todo says petty

"Am old enough to be your father y'know…"

He says stiffly

"haha… sorry"

Xavier says chuckles a little

"i'm just…"

"still not used to having someone to talk to…"

He says a little upbeat

"…"

"Yeah! Yeah! Well get used to it!

"Seems we're going to be together for a while."

Todo says hiding his blush

"Hm."

Xavier exclaims nodding

"So?"

Todo asks

"When did you get here?"

He says

"…"

"i'm…"

"not actually sure anymore."

Xavier says with a sad smile plastered on

"I lost count after 69…"

He says

"69??"

Todo echoes

"69 what??"

He asks

"Days, Weeks, Months???"

He asks to a shrug of the shoulder by Xavier

"…"

-silence-

"…"

"69… huh?"

Todo mumbles.

"Tch."

"Hey ki--"

"Xavier."

He stops himself before continuing

"Do you believe in the covenant of the all-knowing…"

Todo asks

"…"

"the covenant?"

Xavier echoes him confused

"Yes… yes… the covenant..."

Todo continues.

"You know…"

"'To be one with all is to be at peace with all'"

"All that gibberish."

He says to a blank Xavier

"…"

-silence-

"…"

"never heard of it."

Xavier responds

"…"

"WHAAAATTT?!?!"

Todo shouts in ridiculous disbelief

"Say it ain't so my brother!?!?

He says

"Sheesh is everyone on this continent doomed?"

He thinks

"…"

-silence-

"…."

"Well then what about the all-knowing?"

Todo asks

"Do you at least know who that is?"

He asks Xavier who just shrugs

"only ever heard the name…"

Xavier responds

"Aiyaiyai… where to begin."

Todo mumbles to himself

"No wonder this land is cursed."

He thinks.

"Listen here okay."

He says

"The 'all-knowing' he…"

"Well think of him as a god okay."

He says

"Well not that he is one."

"But then again with the things he can do he might as well be."

Todo mumble to himself as an uninterested Xavier watches on.

His knees held up high against his chest

"S- so this 'guy' right."

"…"

He begins

"Apparently he was some super wise guy from years back who'd travelled the world and learned its secrets."

He says

"Gained enormous power and popularity y'know…"

He says smirking

"Yada yada yada the rest is history."

He says pacing through the story

"But this is where it gets interesting."

He says

"On his travels the all-knowing reached this continent too."

He says

"And here he met two powerful leaders of two powerful houses."

Todo says as Xavier's ears perk up.

"That's right."

Todo says when he notices Xavier's interest has been piqued

"Am talking about a tale as old as time."

He says

"Of Black and White…"

He says

"Of Siyah…"

He says

"And Beyaz…"

Todo says smirking.

Xavier springs to his feet and walks toward the bars that separate their cells

Settling cross legged at the bars.

"Good."

Todo says

"Seems I finally got your attention."

He says with a giant smirk across his face.

"Don't know why I didn't notice this at first."

He says…

"Well that was probably because of all the booze I chugged down hehe."

He thinks awkwardly scratching his head

"But…"

He says

"Those eyes."

Todo says

"You have both blood flowing through you don't you?"

"…"

He asks to no response from Xavier.

"Well no matter…"

He says

"I don't really care about this continents politics."

He says

"In case you haven't noticed."

He says

"I… am not from around here y'know."

Todo says proudly smirking

"So I couldn't give a rat's ass what happens in this cursed land."

He says to a stout faced Xavier

"Although…"

Todo thinks to himself

"…"

"the tale…"

Xavier mumbles

"What??"

Todo responds confused

"finish the tale…"

Xavier says

"Oh yeah that."

Todo says

"S-So listen here alright…"

"Listen here."

Todo says clearing his throat

"…"

-silence-

"…"

"Long ago."

He begins

"When the first Houses of Siyah and Beyaz governed the land."

Todo says

"The two House leaders at the time."

He says

"That is…"

"'Raphael Rodrick Beyaz' of House Beyaz."

"And 'Vanir Victor Siyah' of House Siyah."

He says

"Victor…"

Xavier thinks

"Wait hold up do you really not know this tale??"

Todo asks

"I mean really."

"What are you?"

He asks

"One of those nomadic idiots in the neutral lands?"

Todo says

"todo."

Xavier calls

"Huh?"

Todo exclaims

"Oh yeah the bedtime story."

Todo says

"Right where was i??"

He mumbles

"…"

-silence-

"…"

"Oh yeah!"

"Siyah, North"

"Beyaz, South."

Todo says

"That was the location of the two houses."

He says

"Pretty much fated to clash from their expansions y'know."

He says

"Anyway…"

He pauses

"The Siyah."

He says

"Aggressive, ruthless and employing scorched earth tactics into their military operations."

He says

"And the Beyaz."

"Swift… but just as ruthless taking the lives of all who opposed them."

He says

"Vanir was a man who wanted dominion over the continent."

"And sort to have it with his family at the top."

"And Raphael…"

He says

"Who granted wasn't as insane, but I assure you was equally egotistical."

He says

"Believed the world dirty and thought himself its cleaner."

"It's messiah if you will."

He says

"Conquering but also incorporating all who believed his vision."

"And slaughtering all who did not believe him the messiah of the new world."

He says.

"These two houses were on a collision course."

"And given time."

"They grew."

He says

"And grew."

"And grew."

"And grew."

He repeats

"Eventually meeting at the continents centre as the strongest Families this continent has ever known."

"…"

-silence-

"…"

"A battle ensued."

Todo continue

"Visions and ideologies clashing."

"Both fighting for their vision of the future."

He says

"To be the leader of the future."

He says

"A day turned to a week."

"And then a month and then a year and on and on."

He says

"They fought consistently."

"Losing lots of numbers but staying as strong as ever in their main households."

He says

"See there really was something special about their families."

Todo says smirking

"In the fifth year of their war."

"The all-knowing reached the continent."

He says

"And since the nomadic traveller was famed by this time for having created the basis for soul energy manipulation."

"You can imagine how keen both leaders were to have him in their camps."

He says

"But while they tried to coerce and bribe him to visit their houses."

"The all-knowing declined all their advances."

He says

"Instead instructing them to meet him on neutral guard if they wished audience with him."

He says

"He did this--"

"to avoid any misunderstandings that could come from visiting them separately."

Todo is cut off by Xavier

"Exactly."

Todo says

"Well look at 'you' following so attentively."

He smirks.

"So yeah that."

He says

"Essentially to avoid rumours that could worsen the continents situation."

He says

"Paranoia was running high at this time and had he met them separately in their homes the other would be beyond himself with not knowing what was spoken about."

Todo says

"And so he met them."

He says

"On neutral land."

He say

"And the leaders of both factions sought the wisdom of the all-knowing."

He says

"Un-ashamedly seeking the power and strength to defeat the other whilst in the midst of each other."

He says

"And despite their ugly showing in front of him."

"The all-knowing admired their drive."

He says

"In their eyes he saw the unwavering belief of two men who before their time."

"Their Houses were nothing more than a common housefly."

He says

"But during their time had reached heights that would take centuries to achieve for any other leaders."

He says

"The unwavering belief to breathe new life into the world."

"And nurture it too.."

He says

"To lead the world to a future that they alone saw."

"And they alone believed they could grasp."

"…"

-silence-

"…."

"It was then that the all-knowing would share the miracle that turned him from wise man to God."

Todo says stiffly an excited smile and slight shiver

"Interrupting the two in their argument for power…"

"He placed his hands on their foreheads."

Todo says gesturing

"To Vanir!"

Todo shouts hand raised

"Damion of North, and all that threaten his family."

He shouts

"The ability to 'see the future' he desires…."

He shouts

"And to Raphael!"

Todo shouts once more

"Saint of South, and Saviour of the helpless."

He shouts

"The ability to 'see the path' to his truest desires!!!!"

Todo exclaims as Xavier's eyes widen.

"…"

-silence-

"…"

"is that--"

Xavier begins

"You see it too don't you brother!"

Todo says cutting Xavier off

"…"

"what--"

"The blessings the all-knowing gifted your ancestors."

Todo says smirking

"…"

"…"

-To Be Continued-