Welcome to Gaia! ::

Castor's eyes hadn'ty missed the sight of those who'd returned covered in wounds- it was too often that it was happening. To many were going out in teams just to come back as single man units. Some full teams weren't even coming back at all. Most when they came back looked like they had made less progress than anything- but they were alive.

It was more than enough.

His own gloves were bloody and his arms had flecks of brown falling off here and there. his boots had soaked in the blood from where he'd been that day. "The same as usual." He said, looking to Celsus. "Managed to get a captain and their lieutenant. No youma on the north side though- dusted a few on the west edge however." His tiara was dull, as if the energy drain had taken a wear to the very metal.

"The war keeps itself alive and we attempt to survive it." Finally, he sighed, arms crossing. "You'll be getting reports of malnourishment and a higher rate of fatigue soon. They've increased sanctions on the city."

"Sorry." He muttered realizing that he probably wasn't being the most hospitable towards the knight. "Just a bit worn." It was a poor excuse for his manners, but it held true- he was worn and it showed. He was either fighting, making the rounds at the camps, or resting while hiding his civilian self from prying eyes.

Elzo had to be dead for Marlo to live in the city. Just until the time was right- if ever.

"Try to see if we can't get something from the outside versus the city itself. I'd rather not have to take to theft from the trucks going into the city, but if it comes to that-" He'd do it. "They listen to healers more than they listen to fighters. Killers." He grined, looking at the man, unashamed and near prideful of that fact.

"Yes actually. They're upping donation requirements. No ideas how it's going to pan out, but we might get an influx of families fleeing with children. My guess is the young will start to be hit harder with the demand strain. It might mean more youma or more officers. Either way we're going to need to be more alert. Any time they gather energy it's nothing good for us."

He shrugged. "What's the moral like post battle? Most of the ones coming back look more worn than normal and i'm starting to worry about their mental states."

He shrugged, opting to turn his gaze at a woman who was staring at him. As soon as he did, she shuffled along. You didn't want Castor's attention unless you planned to engage him over something.

"I don't know why I ever expect anything different- but there it is. The news will just make it worse." He looked back to where the injured were being held and reached over to pat Celsus's arm. "Walk with me for a while. I'd rather not have our words heard by those who should not have to hear them."

It was a brisk pace he set, and as he moved people moved out of his way. Castor was used to such treatment, he was used to such reactions. He'd grown to embrace them and life with them.
Once far enough away, and few around them he finally asked- "How many do you think will attempt to take their own lives?"

It wasn't what Castor had wanted to hear, but he'd expected something along those lines.Things were getting worse day by day, and soon enough there would be few of the lower senshi and knights who were able to keep up their guards mentally. Morality and spirit were two things that Chaos did so love to break.

Castor had walked the line long enough to know that the scales very well just might tip for him one day as well.

His eyes followed Celsus's line of sight, noting how they moved. Low, eyes cast down. Life was being drained from them, and it wasn't even feeding Chaos. It was just the spirit of war.

"Thought so." He might have not been the most sensitive senshi, but he did notice, he did remember faces of those who fought, and those who simply vanished. "There will be more- the key is catching them before they take the final steps and throw away their lives."

He looked at the healer eyes purposely distant.

"We can't stop them, but at the very least we might give their deaths purpose." It was better to die fighting then die by one's own hand. "We can't afford to waste anything- even our lives."

"We send them to die Celsus." He spoke with detachment, with no emotion. A flat despondency and apathy.

"We send them to areas of high youma, of many agents, and have them kill themselves before they can be corrupted or devoured. We send them to take their own lives unknowingly." He did not stop. "The more it looks like they went down in battle the better. Suicide will make others lose hope. Death in battle at least, can make them fight a little longer sometimes, thinking they must do so as to not have let others have died in vain."

Castor looked back at the people.
"Do you think me a monster for saying it, or for knowing that is holds truth?"

There was no compromise with Castor. There had never been compromise.

Castor disagreed, but then, he was one who tended to disagree with things on the premise of just being disagreeable.

"Blood is more than on our hands Celsus. It stains a hell of a lot more than that." A final glance to those passing and he let himself sigh. There would be more deaths in the coming days. Soon enough, these deaths would be forgotten, the tolls of war making all things seem fleeting.

"I was once a great Prince- but that was a lifetime ago." A world away. "I am all that remains, and perhaps, that is the greatest tragedy we face. This is our end for when no host for us senshi remain..."

He turned, wings folded behind him. When the last human was gone, when Chaos had drained the world dry, so the senshi would remain in the cauldron- fated to wait until they could be reborn again.

"Yet. Not yet. Ponder what that means Celsus." He sighed, begining his walk 'home'.

"All things die eventually. It just is a matter of when."