Chapter 276


    BOOK III - ORDER AND CHAOS


    VOLUME XII - HARBINGER OF CHAOS, CRADLE OF ORDER


    CHAPTER 276


    HANNAH (II)


    Chirps of birds adjoined with the sounds of a rapid stream and bustling leafs to cradle the hands of the nature, painting an idyllic scenery one would only evere across in utopian paintings . Yet, it lived, barred in the tall fences spanning on for miles in each direction . Pathsy carved out in-between like a guiding hand for all those who may wish to gaze upon the wonders, sides adorned with throny roses and flourishing, white gardenias .


    At night, fireflies would join the nature to light it up likenterns, their warm, orange glow washing over every inch of a very concealed garden . During the day, the sun would st its rays across, feeding it whole .


    Chirpy, jovialughter echoed out from the small paradise’s center where a rapid stream converged into a roundabout, spinning into a spiral before exiting on the other end like a waterfall . Above the spiral rose a spire stacked with gems, acting as a centerpiece of the entire disy . By its edge, dipping her toes into the chilly water, was a young, crimson-haired girl, seemingly no older than nine-ten .


    Her emerald-green eyes shone as brightly as any of the gems on top of the spire, her colorful dress matching the marvelous garden around her . Dimples adorned her cheeks stretched out into an innocent smile, her hair waving down her back freely much like the waterfall on the other end . Score of small, transparent fish nibbled at her toes, tickling her as sheughed .


    World around appeared beyond innocent, as though carved out from a dreamer’s dream . The little girl suddenly raised her head up and saw the branches on the tree across from her scuffle, her smile widening . Jumping up, she raced around and leapt over the stream in a single jump, racing over toward the tree and climbing it as though she’d done so thousands of times before .


    Reaching the top quickly, she reached her rather skinny arm over through the branches and grabbed at something fluffy . Pulling back, a white-haired creature appeared in front of her, reminiscent of a rabbit save for the horns instead of ears .


    "Hehe, caught you again!" she eximed throughughter, settling herself on a thick branch of the tree and hugging the animal tightly . "You’re really bad at this, you know? By now you should have figured to hide better . "


    "Kur-kurr! Kur!" the small animal cried out in a high tone .


    "What do you mean I’m cheating?!" the little girl puffed her cheek, angrily staring at the animal . "Just because you suck at hiding doesn’t mean you can use me of cheating!"


    " . . kur, kurr . . . "


    "That’s right, own up to your suckiness, he he . "


    "Hannah?" a voice that quickly put a frown on the little girl’s face adjoined the other sounds the little paradise made . "I know you’re here . "


    " . . . over here mom . " the little girl sighed as she let go of the rabbit-like animal, jumping off the tree and racing to the other end of the stream where two women soon joined her -- one she knew and another she didn’t . The former was her mother, bearing simrly crimson hair with a pair of ck eyes instead, tall and as beautiful as any other woman the little girl had seen -- except the woman standing right next to her .


    "Hey, look how dirty you’ve be," her mother sighed lowly, waving her hand gently and sending a gust of wind over at Hannah, cleaning her up in one fell swoop . "I told you that if you are going to y here, you need to be careful! Besides, shouldn’t you be training with Maestro right now?"


    "He told me to ’be one with the world’," Hannah said, avoiding her mother’s gaze . "I’m doing exactly that . "


    " . . . right . Of course you are . " the woman chuckled bitterly, turning toward the one standing next to her . "I’m so sorry, she can be a bit mischievous . Come here Hannah and meet your new Big Sister . Her name’s Eos," she added as Hannah walked up to the golden-haired woman of unparalleled beauty who was currently smiling gently and warmly . "And she’s just like you -- a Bearer . Can you guess which one?"


    " . . . of Light?" Hannah probed .


    "Very good," Eos chuckled, crouching down and caressing Hannah’s hair gently . "You are quite clever . "


    "I will leave you two to it, Lady Eos . If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call on me . "


    "Don’t worry Lady Eona," Eos said, smiling . "I have a feeling Hannah and I will get along just fine . "


    "Very well . Hannah, behave yourself properly, alright?"


    " . . . yes, Mother . " Hannah nodded meekly as her mother kissed her temple before leaving . Turning toward Eos, she quizzically looked at the tall woman, wondering whether she would ever be so beautiful . "You’re pretty . "


    "Ha ha, thank you very much . You are far prettier than me, though . " Eos said, grabbing Hannah’s hand and leading her toward the center spire . "All women in your family are . That beautiful hair of yours . . . puts many of us to shame . "


    "But you hair is golden," Hannah said . "Like the sun . Sun is far prettier than blood . "


    " . . . why blood?" Eos asked .


    " . . . that’s what other kids call me," Hannah said, jumping onto the edged tform of the roundabout, bncing herself . "Blood-haired Maiden . I’ve heard even some Servants call me that . "


    " . . . they are just jealous," Eos said, holding back a pained smile . "That their hair isn’t as pretty . "


    " . . . I guess . " Hannah mumbled dismissively, dancing around the edge as Eos sat down next to the stream, observing her .


    "How do you get along with your Writ?" she asked .


    "Astrum?" Hannah stopped, ncing at Eos . "She’s . . . boring . "


    "She?" Eos arched brow .


    "She told me to call her that," Hannah shrugged . "Something about rting more to me than the previous Bearer . "


    " . . . Andis . . . ah, he was a bit aggressive . " Eos chuckled . "She taught you anything?" she decided to y along .


    " . . . a lot of things," Hannah’s gaze turned strange for a moment, but Eos ignored it . "I learned a lot more from her than any of my tutors . "


    "I imagine you did . "


    "What about you? Do you get along with yours?" Hannah asked .


    "Very much so . " Eos replied . "Is there something you don’t understand?"


    " . . . not a lot," Hannah said, smiling faintly . "Mostly about the E--khm, the seventh one . " Eos frowned . "Astrum . . . doesn’t like talking much about him, and she still hasn’t shown me any Record with them involved . "


    " . . . you are still far too young," Eos sighed, smiling faintly . "But, if you’d like to know something, feel free to ask me . "


    " . . . are . . . are they really as terrifying as I’ve read?" Hannah asked, sitting down on the edge, dipping her feet into the water yet again . "In the books, I mean . "


    " . . . they are," Eos said . "Actually, they are far more terrifying than words can ever describe . "


    "How so?" Hannah asked with interest .


    "Because they are driven by something the rest of us have long since evolved past," Eos said . "By animalistic anger, bloodlust and fear . They can never be reasoned with because they never listen to reason . With them . . . it’s always their way, and no other way . "


    " . . . I’ve also read they’re quite dangerous," Hannah said, lowering her head . "That the rest of us usually have to pair up to fight them . "


    " . . . it’s the advantage of being driven by madness," Eos said . "Acting like cornered beasts at all times . They care for no one and nothing, just for sowing chaos wherever they tread . This means that, unlike us, when they fight, they care little over dragging innocent into the fray and destroying the world . "


    " . . . that’s scary . "


    "It is," Eos nodded, chuckling . "But you have nothing to worry about . I’ll always be right there to protect you, against him . . . and everyone else . "


    "Heh, thank you . " Hannah chuckling, her cheeks blushing faintly .


    "Always," Eos said, smiling and getting up . "I’ll have to go and settle into my new home and you can continue to y here . We’ll meet for dinner and talk more, alright?"


    "Of course, Big Sister Eos . " Hannah nodded .


    "I like the sound of that . " in a sh of brilliant light, Eos disappeared, leaving behind the still-smiling Hannah; that smile, however, quickly vanished, reced by a gaze of distrust and anger .


    "She’s just like the rest," Hannah said coldly . "Lying, selling stories like a filthy merchant . "


    " . . . reign it in a bit there, little soldier . " a robotic voice echoed inside her head . "You’re going to get us made, and it’s not the time yet . "


    "When’s it going to be the time?" Hannah sighed, sitting down . "You convinced me to do this, but then forced me to stay here . Do you know how suffocating it is? How painful it is to listen to my own Mother and Father spouting lies every day?"


    "Patience," the robotic voice replied . "What can we do right now? A new Empyrean is yet to even be born, and even if he has, we first have to examine his qualifications . Until then, just pretend to be your average, cheerful and curious girl . "


    " . . . I’ve a feeling this new bitch will drag me all over the world," Hannah muttered after a short silence . "And I will not have fun doing it . "


    "It’s your chance to learn how they create the reality you were born into," the robotic voice said . "Both the beautiful and terrifying side of it . "


    " . . . I would have ended up just the same, huh?" Hannah said .


    "I doubt it," the robotic voice seemed to chuckle, rather awkwardly at that though . "If I were like the other Writs, I doubt the two of us would get along . You like to challenge authority, after all . "


    "I just don’t like being lied to . Ah, whatever . I guess I’ll go back to my room and y with dolls or something until the dinner . Ataxia, Ataxia, Ataxia, wherever you may be, just hurry the hell up already . . . "