There is no pain like that of a mystery unsolved, a secret gnawing at your very soul can be as venomous as a viper's kiss. And oftentimes far more deadly.
Forty seven days Hayate sat in the cold lightless cells of Dour’s Keep waiting for the hangman to tie the noose. And after forty seven days the boy soldier was tired of fighting, he was tired of the world of men he lived in. He was tired of all the blood and wasteful loss of life that beseeched this realm. But most of all he was tired of living, his entire world had become as bleak as the wet stone cell he rotted in. The only comfort he felt during his time incarcerated was knowing his end would soon be here and he would once again be with his brothers, something he wished for since he first lost them fifteen years earlier.
As time moved on and his final hour drew near Hayate was saved thanks to the combined efforts of Vaan Osiris and Hayate’s students leaving him free once more. Though his freedom came with a terrible cost, his face was known far and wide, the common people of Corone hated his name and cursed the would be usurper. Hayate may have given up the darkness of Dour but lives in a world he is no longer welcome in, trading in the four wall that he thought would be his tomb for an open oblivion of harassment and uncertainty. His days were spent running and hiding as he fought against returning to the only city on the continent he was still welcomed, oh how he hated Whitevale.
It wouldn’t be accurate to call Whitevale a city any longer though. The war had taken everything from the Castigars, and even their allies from across the sea had stopped trade for fear of Corone levying unfathomable taxes on them. Veritas was nowhere to be seen and Shinsou had taken some time to mend his relationship with Philomel, leaving the outpost in the hands of the next ranking general. And for what it’s worth even if he was an absolutely perfect leader the ashen sky above killed all moral for the recovering army as the toiled away trying to recover.
He first noticed the sorry state of Whitevale at the front gate which was utterly abandoned, presumably having its troops stationed elsewhere but leaving the city entrance exposed. Maybe there was some precautionary measures in place in the event of retaliation but their hidden location and other pressing matters kept Radasanth at bay, or at least that’s what Hayate though as he leisurely strolled into town without anyone giving him a second glance. The streets were next to desolate other than a handful of citizens going about their day, picking up the slack that the Brotherhood left behind in their haste.
It didn’t take long for the cloaked figure to make his way to the medical building near the center of town. He hasn’t ever been one to worry about his own health but it’s been a while since he was last checked out by a physician, particularly he wanted to know if there were any complications with his prosthetic. It could prove to be valuable knowing how his body was responding to the foreign object attached to his shoulder but more than that Hayate needed a moment to be taken care of. And for as well intentioned he was to get checked up on the moment he pushed the front door of the medical wing open he saw someone he never imagined he would see again.
“Felicity?!†Her name slipped through his faded smile, he was astonished to see the young redhead in Whitevale. “Is that really you standing right in front of me?†He finished as he lifted off his hood showing his scared but familiar face. It had been nearly a year since the twos last meeting in Radasanth and ever since the boy shinobi had always wondered what happened to her.
