COTE x TBATE | A Masterpiece

Chapter 47 - Effeminate Yagami

"Somehow... I have a bad feeling about this, Grey." Amidst the clamorous clamor of clashing and metallic grinding of engines and the strident outbursts of bellowing commands from ship captains, Nico's faint whisper was muffled, struggling to be heard above the deafening din. The cacophony of hauling noises was enough that it would cause an average person to wince in agony, unable to withstand the piercing cacophony assaulting their ordinary ears.

"We've worked so hard for this moment, Nico. Don't let your heart waver now." I replied, patting Nico's back. The supple strands of his silken coat to ripple and fold as I moved my hands into circles, his frame shrinking inside as he looked forward.

Cecelia walked in front of us, her navy-blue hair that had been dyed black waved in the air like a flag, carrying a life of their own. The glossy locks danced as she tossed her head, her crimson eyes which she had now changed colors to a lighter shade of golden, looked at us, a cheery grin on her face revealing a series of perfectly carved teeth.

"What are you both talking about? Let me in, let me in." She said, pushing her way between me and Nico.

"Ahaha... Hey! Stop pushing." Nico let out a nervous chuckle before falling into a frenzy as he struggled to not fall into the sea from the side of narrow passage that led to the entrances to the ships.

A jolt of pain went through my heart, a tremor of guilt that cracked the heart in its epicenter, making it wither in pain and a reeling sensation in my head, like slimy slugs crawling into my skull.

Her voice, her former appearance... the appearance of my dear friend---Caera, overlapped over Cecelia's making my heart twist and turn in pain, like an untreated wound it festered, the guilt of sacrificing her with my own hands acting as a salt  that exacerbated the already difficult and unpleasant situation.

'How could you...'

Her last words were a catalyst for my sleepless nights, a never-ending series of nightmares. I could've asked Agrona to get rid of them, but I needed this guilt to keep myself sane. A reminder of my sacrifices, a reminder that I can't back off from what I have... no, what we have started.

"Grey? Are you okay? You seem so lost." Cecelia said as I jerked my head, placing a finger between my horns as the ornament on it jingled.

"I am fine. Just thinking." I replied, flashing a smile in her direction. The metallic taste of blood reeled like a cold dagger inside my mouth, bile rising from the pit of my stomach.

"Don't worry about anything, Grey," she coiled her one hand around my arm and the other around Nico as she pulled us close to her, "Nico, we are finally taking our one of the last steps towards the life we have always dreamed of. Cheer up you both." She said, her grip iron-clad on her arms while there was a certain joy in her voice. Almost like she enjoyed it. While I had started looking up to Agrona as a father figure and have believed him for the most part, I still couldn't understand Cecelia's core happiness that was generated by doing Agrona's bidding.

Peeking at Nico from the corner of my eyes, I caught sight of him, his delicate eyebrows furrowed in a complex amalgam of frustration and worry veiled behind a cracked smile that made him seem almost comical.

Freeing my hand from Cecelia, I saw her close into Nico as they shared a personal moment of intimacy. Peeling my eyes away from them I looked around us. We were currently in the naval base of Alacrya near the shore of Vechor. The naval base was an idea introduced by Nico but he seemed reluctant about it later on. He always seemed a tad bit detached from Agrona, a constant display of almost palpable distrust in his eyes. However, he had already laid the structure of the idea and after a little persuasion from Cecelia, Nico and I were able to establish the naval fleet.