dorian ♕’s Comments (group member since Nov 28, 2020)

dorian ♕’s comments from the Grimoire’s Return. group.

Oh my Titan.

That was the first thing Hadrian thought when he looked up from the explosion.

The second thing, was “what the fuck?”

The third was “oh my hod what the fuck” because how else would you respond to your teammate suddenly exploding with light and floating, and all the soldiers that were just about to kill suddenly dead and bloody and the tent you were in ripped apart?

It was a miracle you were ALIVE.

He stared at Ace, who hung in the air limply, still slightly glowing. He looked at Hestia, who stared at Ace, tears in her eyes.

What the hell?

Hadrian had opened his mouth to say something, when Marcus ran up, sword in hand, his eye swelling. “We need to leave. NO— oh.”

He stared at Ace, too.

Hestia tilted her head. “Who’s she?”

“Her.” The man said. Hadrian looked at him, eyebrow cocked.

“Who’s ‘her’?”

“No.” Hestia said. It had immediately clicked for her. “No. Infernalis PLEASE tell me you aren’t hiding a FUGITIVE OF THE WORLD? PLEASE tell me that it’s a different ‘her’?”

Hadrian looked around, lips poured. “I’m so confused. What are we even talking about?”

The man nodded at the tent’s entrance. “They’re here.”

Soldiers burst into the tent.

••

Marcus launched himself at the soldiers walking into a tent, hoping and PRAYING, even, that it was the group. They crashed, a bar of the tent hitting him in the eye. Marcus rambled among the tent’s fabric, quickly realizing the group wasn’t there.

Fuck.

Hestia released the second chain, as soon as Infernalis has ordered her to leave. She slung the man’s arm over her shoulder, and stood up.

“He is the key to destroying Illusium. Ending the war. I am NOT leaving him to die.”

Hadrian went to the man’s other side and lifted his arm on his shoulder. “She’s right. Anyway, leaving a prisoner to die is horrible.”

The man groaned and lifted his head weakly. He stared at Infernalis for a moment, at her EYES. Hestia looked between the two.

“Infernalis, do you..do you know this man?”

•••

Marcus was freaking out.

Soldiers were running around the encampment, trying to find the intruders, and figuring out what was wrong, and Marcus was trying to sneak to the tent.

It was a wonder they haven’t searched the middle of the encampment yet.

VALERIUS AND LUCIEN ARE BACK OH MY GOD IM CRYING

DO IT

That was sadly felt.

Just become wake

“Borb hath”

Hestia was the one that screamed.


She ran to the man, moving her hands quick over his chains. This was Eleonora’s husband, the key to it all, and he was a CAPTIVE OF ILLUSIUM.

Oh saints.

Oh god.

Titan help them all, was Eleonora back? Why was he talking about her like she was here?

She unlocked his second chain, when the encampment’s alarms started to blare. She looked up, her hair going from it neatly tight braid, to a ragged mess. She was confused, and scared, and weirded out, and even her HAIR was showing it.

“What did Infernalis do now,” she said, working on the other chain.


•••

Marcus stared at Ace, who stared right back at him.

She attacked him.

Again.

This was last year all over again.

“Ace.” He said, standing up wearily. “What the actual FUCK was that?”

The alarm blared. They needed to go, needed to leave, but where was STIRIA?!? Hadrian looked between them, before biting his lip.

“I’ll go get Hestia.” He said, and ran off before either of his them could speak.

Fuck.

Fuckfuckfuck, they were caught.

I think we all kinda realized the cringiness 😭

Hestia moved forward, looking at the man in front of her. He had a fake brown skin, and his ebony hair shone dully in the light of the flickering candle beside them. His arms were chained to the poles that were stabbed in the ground to the left and right of him, leaving his chest for view.

He looked up at Hestia as she walked forward. “What now? You’re going to kill me? Ask me where my wife is again? I told you: I. Don’t. Know.”

Hestia tilted her head. “Who are you?”

….

Marcus didn’t bother with Ace. He unsheathed his sword and walked among the camp, quick to takedown any outstanding guards. They were close to making it, THIS close, when it happened:

An earth shattering scream.

An alarm blared, sending Hadrian to his knees, hands over his ears.

And Ace attacked him.

BITCH.

Hestia lowered herself to the ground, unsheathing a dagger.

She slit the first guard’a throat with ease, making her way deeper into the encampment. It was filled with tents and tents, soldiers making love, others talking.

She wondered why they didn’t notice her yet, before she realized that the talk about Illusium being heavily fortified was merely rumors.

That’s all it was.

They could’ve won this war a long time ago.

Fueled by anger not only directed towards Ace, but also now Aenia itself, she began to walk faster, before pausing. Right next to her was a tent, and in it, someone grunted.

Now, normally, Hestia wouldn’t have paid attention to this. But the thing about this tent is that it was lit. There was light coming from inside it.

And the shadow showed a man hung.

Hestia pushed open the tent, and immediately clasped a hand to her mouth.

Oh Saints.

….


Marcus watched Ace go, a hand clasped to his chest.

She didn’t love him anymore.

She hated him.

He wiped his eyes of any tears, before facing Hadrian, who looked at him, wide eyed. “Let’s go. Hestia might need help.”

“What about—“

Marcus cut Hadrian off. “If she wanted us, she would’ve made it obvious. She has made her decision. So let’s make ours.”

Marcus followed after her. “Ace.” He said, almost hesitantly, before saying it again, louder. “Ace.”


He placed his hand in her shoulder. “Ace.” He swallowed hard. “You told me on that battlefield that you live me and that you wanted to try again. But the way you looked at Hestia… do you love her?”

Hestia lifted herself in the air, before slowly making her way towards the Illusium encampment. She made her way over it, when she pushed.

There was a smell in the air.

What the hell?

Hestia gored at her. “You don’t know me. You don’t know me at ALL, if you think or believe what an evil witch tells you. And if you do believe that… then maybe you aren’t the person I thought you were. Not willing to stand up to the war council, allowing yourself to fall for a man that tried to kill you… the signs were all there, but I ignored it, because I thought there was finally someone who understood me. Who understood what someone like me— what a WOMAN— has to do to survive in this world full of men.”

But apparently not.

Again.

Hestia moved her finger, her body slowly raising in the air. “I’m going to see what Illusium is up too, considering I doubt any of you remembered that’s why we’re here.”

Hestia stared at Ace for a moment before waking up to her.

And she slapped her.

“Sorry?” She said, shaking with anger. “SORRY?!? Because of YOU, Infernalis, we have one of the most powerful witches unleashed in someone who barely knows how to keep her at BAY. And all you have to say is SORRY?”

Marcus put his hand out. “Hey, Hestia, no. That’s unf—“

Hestia turned towards him.

Marcus recoiled at the sight of her eyes. They were a dark, dark, night sky purple, glowing with her anger. “Hestia. Your eye—“

“No. You have no place to talk, no place to try and judge ME for my reaction when you tried to MURDER SOMEONE. Someone YOU claimed to love.”

Marcus glanced at the others. “Give her a chance. Maybe she’s changed.”

Hadrian stared at him. “A witch that has killed not only her own KIND, but innocent people as well? No.”

Hestia glanced at the witch, who dallied and sun music to herself. “I believe her. I don’t know why, but I do. Can you try to, Hadrian?”

He bit his lip before meeting Eleonora’s eyes. “Okay.”

Hestia nodded, before facing Eleonora again. “Bring back Ace. NOW.”

Hadrian breathed hrd. He held Solus tightly to his chest, shaking for fear, with anger, with everything that was possible to shake with.

“Why.” He said, quietly. “Have we not lost enough? Have we not been hurt and tortured and been THROUGH ENOUGH?” He spoke with held back anger.

“I lost my lover in this war. My parents. My best friend. I have seen shit that you will never see in your LIFE. And now, to top it all off, I have to deal with you, someone who will be worse than all of the previous combined.”

His shoulders sagged a bit. “I can’t do this, Hestia.”

Hestia glanced at him, and for the first time in her life she felt pity for a Venandi. “We’ll figure it out, Hadrian. I promise.”

She faced Eleonora.

“What’s your deal?”

Hestia stilled.

Everything seemed to still, actually, become nothing.

Hestia glared at Eleonora, willing herself to stop from charging at her. “How. How do you know who I am? No one does.”

No one.

She had covered her tracks, made sure no one would know, so how did..?

Marcus glanced between Eleonora and Hestia. “What? What does she mean ‘Queen’?”

“It’s nothing. She’s speaking nonsense.” Hestia quickly assured.

“NO.” Marcus said, a wave of consciousness coming over him suddenly.

He looked at Hestia and he whispered. “If she kills Cas, then we are done for. There is no possibility of stopping her, no matter how cliche that sounds.”

He turned to look at her. “You want to help us? Help us find out what the hell is Illusium doing, and THEN, we’ll talk.”

“What are you DOING?” Hadrian yelled, grabbing Marcus’s shoulders. “Are you stupid?”

Hestia motioned with her hands, using her magic to move Hadrian back from Marcus. “Let him do it. He has more experience with Ace and her family than we do after all.”

Than SHE did.

And that kinda hurt.