Chapter 33 Dio’s Journal - Entry 205
Finally, we’re making progress again. I’ve been consistent with my entries in this journal, and we’ve been meeting with Malam every evening to practice magic. Even better, we're making significant progress on the weather work, which will eventually support our cause and create the storm we need.
I’ve also started taking Reem out boxing during the day while the others are locked in that room with their books. In doing so, we’ve been getting to know each other better.
When I first asked him, he declined, but the next day he asked about it, and I made the offer again.
This time, he took me up on it. He hasn’t done anything like this before.
His hands are too important to risk since he plays the banjo and other instruments.
He seems to be enjoying learning the basics, including the footwork and is clearly more confident as he’s gotten stronger.
It’s also been good to get to know him better.
He even shared a bit about why he got into the magic work and met Malam.
It turns out that one of his siblings was mistreated by the government and ended up taking her own life.
He went through a dark period and then threw himself into music while he dug into the information behind her death.
As he did so, he met the previous lead singer, who was involved with an anti-government group. The rest, as they say, is history.
In spending all this time with Reem boxing, I’ve also been able to avoid the girl, so things are looking up.
Truly, though, much of our progress is thanks to Lent and Fem.
While Lent was already good at researching to find more of the information we need to practice this esoteric magic, together they’ve made exponential progress.
They’re also managing to distract the girl with mundane tasks and have her locked up with them all day, every day, so it’s doing double duty.
Hopefully, Fem isn’t also falling for her, or she’s going to create strife right here in our home. If that happens, I’ve decided I’m out. A man can only take so much.
They’ve been trying to give her some credit for their findings, but I can see through it.
It’s benevolent of them, but dishonest. At some point, I’ll put my foot down and call them out.
However, it does seem to be soothing Malam to think that his pet is helping, so I’m not in a hurry to do that right now.
I also haven’t seen any sign of the damned sword since we got home. At this point, I’m guessing Malam may have taken it from her, which is for the best. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d think she hallucinated the whole thing.
Of course, there is always a dark side, and currently, that is the news.
It makes me that much more thankful we’re making so much progress because things continue to get worse.
On top of all the other ongoing shit, the illness that’s caused by the pollution is continuing to claim more lives.
Plus, we also have some sort of toxic creature in the storm grates that’s attacking carriage horses.
At first, the creatures were only attacking horses at rest, but there have been two carriage accidents this week where they’ve attacked while moving.
It’s only a matter of time before the beasts start attacking humans.
The government officials, who are complete scum, have decided to put additional armed guards on the streets.
Of course, that’s only a temporary solution.
The real answer is figuring out the weather and getting the storm drains serving their purpose again so they're less friendly to these beasts.
I could go on about politics and the evil in this world all day. At any rate, it's a good thing we’re making more progress with our weather work.