by Heath Pfaff
"I'm sorry I yelled at you." She said quietly, and then a bit more loudly. "It was wrong of me to treat you like that."
Crow just shrugged and smiled. "Heartache can make anyone irrational. Things are going to be alright."
Haley wasn't sure if she agreed, but she nodded anyway. "I hope so."
"At the very least, they can't ..." Crow began but something caught Haley's ear and she held up a hand to gesture for silence.
"Do you hear that?" She whispered after a moment.
Merrick nodded. "Something’s coming."
***
Kassa sat down at Xan's side with just a small space between them. "Haley believes she is in love with you." The watch captain spoke plainly, and Xan flinched at her nonchalant delivery of the theory.
The assassin shook his head. "She's too young to be in love, and I'm not the sort of person people fall in love with."
Kassa chuckled. "A young lady is never too young to be in love Xan, and for Haley you're the perfect person to thrust her adoration upon. You saved her life when she was cold and alone, and offered your hand in friendship when others wouldn't have even looked her in the eyes. You shared your skills with her, and you don't see her scars first. You are the only man she has ever trusted since she was scarred, so of course she loves you."
Xandrith squirmed in his seat and looked uncomfortable. "Well, she's made a mistake. She's just a little girl. I care about her, but not like that. Kassa, I can't see her like that."
"She knows that, or at least she knows that now. This outburst was her attempt to make you see her as a woman and not just a little girl, and you responded by comparing her to your little sister." Kassa smacked Xan in the back of the head with an open palm. It wasn't hard, but it rattled the assassin's brains for a second. "That wasn't very smooth."
Xandrith frowned. "I'm not really very good with people. I'm usually killing them. What was I supposed to say to her? I can't just pretend to feel the way she does to make her happy." The assassin locked his jaw in consternation.
"No, that wouldn't have been good either. This was all going to come to a head at some point, but I wish it hadn't been in such a dangerous place. It’s probably better that she knows where you stand. I am afraid, though, that this encounter may cause us more trouble than it normally would." Kassa reply was cryptic, but Xan had a good idea what she meant.
"Haley isn't on our side anymore, and I've just pushed away the last chance I had to bring her back." Xan said the words but he could hardly believe them as he did so. "She's with Crow now, and that means she has sided with the Trolls."
Kassa nodded. "I don't think it's quite that simple, but that is similar to the conclusion I've drawn myself. I think when she saw us close together … I think it was the final push of separation she needed. I think that's what initially triggered her into accepting the blade. We don't know what that damned axe is telling her, but it's obviously working to break our group apart. I think it's succeeding. Crow, Marrick, doesn't even really need to work against us."
"I could break the bond." Xandrith spoke quietly as though someone might overhear him, though it seemed that no one was around. With Crow's talents, however, that didn't really guarantee privacy. "It's not a complicated process once it’s known."
"What does that do to the person who is suddenly severed from their connection?" Kassa's question was one that had echoed through Xan's mind for some time. He'd never had a chance to test what severing a bond with a bound weapon could do, and there was no information on that subject floating around in his head. His encyclopedic knowledge of spells told him that it would be dangerous and there was a likelihood that those forcefully severed might die.
"It's dangerous." Xan replied hesitantly. "I don't know everything, but it could kill or drive the severed person mad. It all depends on how deeply the weapon is bound into their body and mind."
"And you could do that to Haley?" Kassa seemed surprised.
Xan closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, but I could try it on Crow."
"Xan!" Kassa snapped. "He's just a boy. He doesn't deserve to suffer because of his cursed weapon anymore than Haley does." When Xandrith met the captain's eyes he could see her shock and anger reflected back at him. He had to look away lest he get lost in that reproachful look.
"I'm sorry." The words weren't easy to speak. He wasn't sure if he really was regretful. The boy Crow agitated him. The logical part of his mind knew his dislike was irrational, but the instinctual and aggressive part of him wouldn't be quieted. That part of him wanted Crow removed from the world.
"You're not alright, are you?" Kassa asked, and Xan could tell by the tone of her voice that she was really worried. "That thing with Crow earlier, that wasn't just a case of you losing your temper."
Xan kept his eyes closed. He was afraid to look at Kassa again. "These changes to my skin, the black streaks, they're not only skin deep. I'm changing inside too. It's becoming increasingly difficult to feel remorse or regret. Anger and rage excite me. I want to feel that tide of uncontrollable fire rushing through my body. It feels wonderful Kassa, like I'm unstoppable. I know that it's wrong. I know the violent urges are brought on by the rising of my troll nature, but sometimes it's difficult to find the line between what I was and what I'm becoming. The only thing that keeps me moving forward is knowing that I only have to go a little further. My goal is just inside these walls." Xandrith wrapped on the metal wall with his knuckles.
"You're not going to lose yourself, Xandrith." Kassa's voice was surprisingly intense. "You need to think beyond these walls and beyond this place. Once we're done here you need to help us all get away, and have you thought about what is beyond all of this for us?"
Xandrith opened his eyes and looked back at his companion. "For us?" He echoed the words like a trained bird, uncomprehending of what they meant.
"For you and me, Xan. You have to know how I feel about you by now. I care about you, and I don't want you to talk like this is the end of the line. It's not. We're going to free this pig-fucker from his box, and then we're going to go have a life together. I don't care if Haley comes with us, but you and me, Xan. We're going to go someplace and build a home together. Then we're going to forget any of this mess ever happened. You're never going to draw on your magic again or pick up a knife that you're not using to cut your food, and I'm going to stop dreaming about the eternal blackness of death. Maybe we'll have a couple children. I know we're not young, but there is time."
Xandrith found himself smiling and, for a change, it was an honest expression. "I've never thought that far ahead, but that sounds kind of nice. Do you really want to spend that much time with me, though? I'm not a very nice person."
"I could do worse than the guy who fought to save the entire world." Kassa smiled and leaned against Xan's shoulder.
Xandrith shook his head. "When you say it like that, you make it sound like I'm some kind of hero. I'm not. There are a lot of great people out there who would have tried to do the same if in my position. No one wants to see their world die. I'm just the unlucky idiot who drew the short straw."
Kassa laughed quietly. "Do you really believe that?"
Xan quirked an eyebrow at Kassa. "Of course I do."
"You're the most naive killer I've ever known, Xan. It's actually kind of sweet." She reached up and turned his face so that they were only inches apart. It took only a slight forward motion to bring their lips together. She was warmer than Xan had imagined, softer than he could have guessed. The kiss was a gesture so very gentle and sincere that it seemed like a fragment of a dream cast into the torrid riptide of a fearsome nightmare. The moment passed quickly, and Xan found himself clinging to it like a drowning man will cling to anything that floats.
"That was very nice." Xan said quietly. They were words that were far too weak to encapsulate what the simple gesture meant to Xandrith as a human being. In that moment he had felt more human than he had since he'd shredded his own being to restore Kassa to life.
"Kassa, I want you to know ..." Whatever words may have come next, Xandrith never got to speak them.
"Do you hear that?!" Kassa asked as she came to her feet, her hands going to her hips to grab knives that she didn't actually wear. For Xan it was like watching a shadow of himself. It was strangely unsettling. The same sound that had alerted Kassa finally reached Xan's ears, and with a sudden rush the reality of the world snapped back into focus for the assassin. The memory of that gentle kiss was dashed against the rocks of impending doom.
The sound of people running through the woods in their direction brought Xandrith to his feet. He had nowhere to reach for magic yet. He wasn't going to drain Kassa, and he couldn't be certain who was running towards them. He reached out with his magical senses and he quickly found the creatures that had been stalking him and his companions for days. They were rushing towards the wall in about the same direction the crashing through the woods was sounding. Worse though, Xandrith could feel other pulses in the woods, low magic-emitting traces all converging towards the clearing. All of these realizations struck within a second and before either of them could actually see the figures running in the woods.
Little Crow emerged from the trees first, dragging Haley behind him. He flung her towards Kassa and Xan as he broke the tree line. "They're coming!" He shouted, drawing his blade and spinning to face those in pursuit.
His words had barely cleared his lips when the first attacker tore through the tree line. It wore a tattered black cloak, but that couldn't hide the fact that the thing wearing the cloak was only barely humanoid. It ran on four metallic legs that sprung from a poorly reconstructed human torso. Bone and once living organs were haphazardly held in place by steel struts connecting the living pieces to the metal. It moved with more fluidity than the similar creatures Xandrith had encountered before. The Drayid were improving their designs, or at least their mastery over the stolen bodies. Either way it wasn't going to make the situation any easier to cope with. The assassin cursed himself for letting his attention stray. He shouldn't have been caught off guard. He should have been ready when they attacked.
Haley was regaining her feet and had drawn the knife she wore at her hip in one hand, her axe in the other. Kassa was charging the first metallic creature to enter the clearing and Little Crow popped out of existence as fast as he'd entered the clearing, vanishing before Xan's eyes as though he'd never been there at all. Xandrith could only guess that he was using one of his blade-gifted powers. He didn't particularly have time to worry about it just then. The creature of metal and flesh tore into the clearing on the attack. It didn't even hesitate as it lashed out at Kassa with a long blade it bore in its right hand. Xandrith felt more than saw the pulse of energy that crackled from the beast's left hand. Xan grabbed at the creature's life energy and pulled, drawing its power into himself. The ripple of deadly energy that had been aimed at Kassa fizzled out before it could hit her and she seemed unaffected by what remained of the attack as it washed over her. She drove her blade home through the Drayid's torso, rupturing the living carcass and sending a gush of thick, black, and oily blood pouring from the massive gash.
Another figure broke into the clearing and Xandrith immediately reached for it and grabbed at its life force. Magical energy coursed through Xan's body demanding to be formed and released, but he knew that he didn't dare let it go in the form of an attack when what he really wanted was to open the Tesserect passage. As his companions fought for their lives, Xan forced himself to turn his back to them and the chaos erupting behind him. He needed to focus. He was going to perform a spell he'd never done before, and if he didn't get it right he could kill them all. The assassin gathered the forces he'd stolen to himself and then dove deep into the well of knowledge hidden within his mind.
Hundreds of thousands of spells and glyphs floated through his inner vision, but he knew which ones he was looking for. He'd already found them buried deep within the part of his mind that held the darkest and most forbidden magics. The spell for the Tesserect passage began to take form as the seals necessary for its binding carved themselves into Xandrith's thoughts as though they were being etched into his flesh. There were numerous variables and conditions necessary to properly craft the passage, and Xandrith didn't know what they all meant. He tried to let instinct guide his crafting, but it all seemed alien and strange.
As the final seal began to take form a terrible coldness swept through Xandrith's body. It welled up from the center of his mind and spreading out in a wave. He didn't know what caused it or why it happened, but he knew beyond any doubt that the feeling of dread that was filling him was the exact reason the Tesserect passages were forbidden magic. He was tapping something very dangerous and using it for a purpose that it was not meant for. He reached out with his right hand and touched the solid wall in front of him. It wavered as though he'd put his hand into a pool of water, and then a gray passageway formed in front of him. It looked like the hallways of a house except that all the walls, the floor, and ceiling were the same exact shade of gray with no clear markings to distinguish any surface from another. That sense of impending dread flooded through him again as Xan looked into his creation. Should he really lead the others through this place?
He looked back over his shoulder to see the others locked in a state of fearsome combat. There were four of the metal creatures in the clearing, though two of them seemed to be moving lethargically. Those must have been the ones drained by Xan's magical theft. It was clear his friends were in trouble, they were pulling back as they fought. Though the Drayid were taking hits, they weren't stopping in their constant assault. Wounds that would have killed a mortal creature were doing little to slow them down.
"Retreat, through the passage!" Xandrith yelled. They could stay and die, or chance the Tesserect passages. The options weren't ideal, but they were what they were. The fight was too heavy for anyone to simply make a break for it. Xandrith grabbed for more magical power, leaching from one of the creatures he hadn't yet tapped since that was less burdensome for him than completely draining one of the partially spent creatures. He wound the power through himself and wove it into a wall of force. With the right finesse these walls could be used to build barriers that would keep enemies at bay, but Xandrith lacked finesse. He threw his wall down between his companions and the enemies and then pushed out with all the magical force he could muster. Their attackers were thrown backwards a few feet, and Xan took the opportunity to get his friends moving.
"Let's go, through the passage!" He called again, and this time Kassa and Haley came running. Little Crow appeared a moment a later, following behind the women. The Drayid were not far behind. They'd been knocked back, but they recovered quickly. Xandrith backed through the opening of the Tesserect passage and in doing so he pushed Crow in. Crow seemed to have stopped momentarily at the entrance. As soon as they were through, Xan closed the first gate and suddenly everything was absolutely silent but for the sounds of Xan and his friends’ slight movements and breathing.
Xan turned to face the others and they were all looking at him with expressions mixed of fear, relief, and growing anxiety. Xan spoke quickly. "Walk forward down the passage and don't look back. Keep moving forward no matter what happens. If the passage turns or splits, pick a direction and keep walking. Don't stop, and don't look back. Absolutely, under no circumstances, walk back down the passage the way we've come. Got it?"
There were nods and looks of growing concern. It was far from encouraging.
"Then move!" Xan said as he pushed Crow forward. The others began to move, walking down the strange gray corridor. There was enough room to walk two abreast comfortably and so they did. Haley and Kassa were in the lead, and Xan walked next to Crow. They'd gone nearly twenty feet when Xan caught Crow looking back over his shoulder. He smacked the young man on the arm. "Stop it."
Crow's head snapped forward. He looked troubled. "The pathway behind us keeps changing, and I think I saw something back there."
Xandrith nodded. "This place doesn't work like our world. Don't look back there anymore."
"What happens if I do?" Crow asked, a question born of either his rebellious nature or some morbid curiosity.
"I don't know, but it probably won't be pleasant." Xandrith answered.
"This reminds me of walking through the glimmer mist." Haley said softly.
Xandrith shook his head, a shiver running down his spine. He'd been trapped in the Fae mists for a long while, lost in the maze of madness and monsters that had a strong and terrible animosity for humans. He’d been lost in the mists when they had swallowed him up the night he'd split himself apart and brought Kassa back from the edge of darkness. He'd wandered through the fancy and chaos of that world for what felt like ages before he'd discovered that he could shape the paths he wanted, to some degree, with the sheer force of his magic will. The Fae world itself was a source of life and power. He'd only needed to understand that in order to take advantage of it. These shifting, grey, and seemingly lifeless corridors were something else entirely.
The Fae world had been confusing and nightmarish, but it had never seemed unnaturally malevolent. If it was hostile it was because Xandrith hadn't belonged there. The gray corridors of the Tesserect passage were different. Whatever madness Tesserect had tapped into was actively dangerous. The world of gray wasn't a natural place. It was like the web of some ancient, evil spider. The plain walls, branching corridors, and eerie sourceless sounds that erupted from the silence, all seemed as though they'd been designed to catch the unwary. The Fae mists had been a place not meant for humans to pass, but the Tesserect passages were just the opposite. They felt as though they'd been built specifically to lure humans foolish enough to allow their curiosity to draw them in. What harm could come of empty halls? To Xan it wasn't a question of whether or not someone had designed the passageways as a trap. That was only too clear. The only questions that remained were what had built the web of halls, and what was it that it wanted with those it trapped? These were questions Xan had no desire to answer.