"My foolish boy," she continued, gingerly touching her own face. "I don't blame you for these. Whatever happened to you, it wasn't the real you that I fought. You might be a bit tougher than the young man I had to lead around by the nose a few seasons ago, but you are NOT the compassionless shell that caused me harm."
"Even if you don't think it was me controlling my body--"
"Let me make something perfectly clear. You have my trust, Ean Sangrave. Something rarely given by my kind and many others that live in the Abyss. Part of that trust comes from the understanding that you would never try to force me to do anything I would not be willing to do, or hurt me simply because I do not follow what you say." Her voice took on the heat of anger that was mirrored in the flames of the emotion coming through their bond. "If you had struck me for either of those reasons, there would be no forgiveness. To hold my trust and then do those things . . . well, let us just say if that were to happen and I felt like it was the real you doing them, you would see what my kind is truly capable of doing. And I would make sure to keep you alive long enough to experience every painful detail."
"Even so," Ean said, trying not to picture the horrible things she could do to him. "How do you know that wasn't the real me? How do you know that isn't what I'm becoming?"
Azalea's expression relaxed and she gave him a smile full of warmth.
"Because, my little master, I know you better than you probably know yourself. Not even including what I get through our bond, I know every little quirk, every small twitch of your body and what it means. I could pick out the smell of your emotions in a room of a hundred people. Do you doubt that?"
"No, if you say it is true, I believe you."
"You believe me because I say it or because you still hold this needless guilt? The truth."
"Maybe a little of both."
"Then you are only partially a fool. Whatever happened to you, it wasn't the real you that roughed me up. When we fought, you had no emotion, no scent. It was if everything about you had been wiped clean. I just kept hoping I’d find some part of you."
"But I was still there. Like a rat in a trap. I could see everything, feel everything, but I could do nothing to stop myself from hurting you."
"So you admit you had no control but yet you still blame yourself?"
"It was my body."
"Do you know how stupid you sound?"
"Wait a moment . . . "
"Let me ask you this: If I used my charms to convince a weak man to murder someone else, who would you blame? The man that committed the murder or myself?"
"Well . . . "
"Be honest, Ean. I'll know if you're not."
"I would blame you."
"Then how could I blame yourself for what happened?"
"Well . . . "
"Well, well, well, well. Is that the only word you know? Can we be done with this foolishness? Just admit I'm right so we can move on."
Ean could think of no other argument to make. It didn't erase his guilt and it certainly didn't alleviate his fear that it had been the real him that had hurt her, but it did make him feel a little better about what had happened.
"You're right, Azalea, and I'm wrong."
"Good!" She clapped her hands together and put a little skip into her step. "Now stop being foolish and create that barrier or whatever it is you do so that we can travel without feeling like death."
"I don't think I trust--"
"Who is right?"
"Fine, but if something goes wrong, just remember who pushed me into doing this."
Ean opened himself up just enough that the barest trickle of Abyssmal energy started to fill his body. Instantly, the pressure from the Plague grew, as if it knew pure energy was entering the world and was jealous of it. When Ean felt comfortable enough with the energy he held, he channeled it outwards in every direction. Or he tried. The little amount he held created a bubble barely large enough to contain his torso. With a controlled effort, Ean let a little more energy enter his body and extended the sphere of energy even more.
He continued this process until his protective bubble was large enough to encompass himself, Azalea, and most of the cart. The horse, Dao, and Zin continued to walk just outside of the bubble. As he moved, the vegetation they passed over began to wither and die just as it had before.
"That's so much better," Azalea said with a content sigh. "See? No major catastrophe. You're just fine."
"What's better?" Zin said from in front of them.
"Oh, nothing you should worry your little imp mind over," Azalea quipped.
Giving her a suspicious look, Zin glanced around until his eyes caught sight of the dying grass. He barked a happy laugh as the realization of what was happening hit him, and he left Dao's side to enter the sphere. Once inside, he gave a contented sigh similar to the one Azalea had given just a few moments before. The whole exchange made Ean smile.
"Thank goodness," Zin said. Grabbing the side of the cart, he climbed up and inside. "I was worried we would go the whole rest of the trip with the Plague beating us around."
"Our fearless leader just needed a little encouragement," Azalea replied. "And needed to be convinced he wasn't some insane tyrant."
"Ah. So we can finally talk about what happened?"
"We already did, imp." Azalea's eyes narrowed and her words came out in almost a growl. "Ean and I discussed how it wasn't his fault. Took me a little bit to verbally beat it into his brain, but now it’s settled. We don't need to keep bringing it up."
"Of course we do! If Auz can just take control of Ean like that--"
"Wait, what?" Ean cut in.
"Auz. You said it was Auz just before you passed out."
"That would make sense," Azalea replied. "If the thing is already in your head, what's to say it couldn't take control of your body?"
"No, it wasn't Auz," Ean said with a shake of his head.
"Are we going to waste more time disagreeing with me?" Azalea asked. "Or can we just jump ahead to where you admit I'm right. Again."
"Not this time, Azalea. It wasn't Auz that was in control."
"How do you know?" both Zin and Azalea asked in union. They shot each other annoyed glances.
"I know, because it was Auz that brought me back. He fought and drove away . . . whatever had taken over my body. I could hear it arguing with whatever had control of me but couldn't make out what it said. When Auz finally won, I gained control of my body right before I passed out."
"Then what in the Abyss had control over you?" Azalea asked.
"I have no idea."
"Does Auz know?"
A wave of embarrassment washed over Ean. "I . . . didn't think to ask."
Auz does not know what happened to Ean.
"Do you have any ideas?" Ean felt a bit self-conscious talking to thin air, but it was better than standing mutely by while he had the conversation in his head. At least Zin and Azalea understood what was happening that way.
Auz has lots of ideas. They do not relate to what happened.
"I heard you talking to what had control of me. What did it say?"
Ignored Auz. Rude.
"But you were able to get rid of it?"
No. Suppressed.
A shiver ran down Ean's spine. "So it’s still in me somewhere?"
Yes.
"Wonderful." Ean turned his attention to his friends. "Apparently whatever it was, is still somewhere inside me."
"That's a horrifying thought," Zin said. "So it could come out at any time?"
"I hope not. If that was true, I feel like it would have surfaced sooner. During my fight with Sadiek where I practically died, or either time I've faced a Seeker, would have been opportune times for it to come out."
"Maybe it wasn't there before."
"Or maybe it was because this time you actually died," Azalea added. "Auz said you were immortal after all. Maybe this is what happens when you get to the edge of death."
"Is that true, Auz?"
Ther
e was a long pause.
Auz does not know.
"Well, Auz doesn't know, but it's as good a theory as I can come up with."
"Agreed." Zin sat back in the cart and rubbed at his eyes. "So we have the constant threat of you losing control to add to our list of concerns."
"I don't think it's much of a concern," Azalea replied with a shrug. "If whatever it is comes out when Ean dies, we just have to do a better job of keeping him safe."
"That's not as easy as it sounds," Zin quipped. "We’ve visited one populated area since we came into these lands and Ean got his throat cut. Even though Ean's been summoned to meet The Silent King, we still have to worry about the town folk of Ulundkin, and now Driavarage as well, trying to kill us before we get there."
"True. Our little Ean might be this powerful, Abyss-infused creature, but when it comes to an actual fight, he is still pretty useless."
"In my defense," Ean said while pointing a finger at Zin, "those battles involved a Fortralam and a Seeker. I was the one that pushed the Fortralam back through the Scar. And the Seeker was a highly trained warrior. Even if I had years of training, not getting myself impaled on her sword is an accomplishment in itself."
"Except," Zin replied, "it was Azalea that actually took her down."
"Exactly," Azalea wore a wide grin as she stared at Ean. "Our poor boy would be in serious trouble without us."
"Now you're both teaming up on me?"
Azalea let out a joyful laugh. "And you can't even handle that! You need more protection."
Agreed. Auz will help.
"Wait, what?"
"I said . . . "
"Not you, Azalea. Auz says it will help as well."
"So you even need the help of an emotional rock dozens of days away."
"Quiet. Auz, what kind of help?"
Hound.
"How can my Hound help me when--"
Ean cut off as an image flashed into his mind, overwhelming his thoughts. A complicated rune of swirling lines, jagged edges, and different symbols. Some he recognized while others were completely new. The one that was most clear to him was also inscribed onto his right arm. That one had appeared when Ean bound himself to the Hound.
"What was that?"
Hound.
"Yes, that's the symbol for the Hound. The shape is hard to distinguish among all of the other designs, but trust me, it's there, tattooed on my upper arm. What does it do?"
Summons Hound.
"You mean it summons A Hound, or MY Hound."
Summons Hound. Protects Ean.
"Ok, but--"
SUMMON. PROTECT.
The force of Auz's words shocked Ean's head. "I'll do it. I'll do it."
"Wait," Zin said. The imp moved to the side of the cart closest to Ean. "Why were you talking about your Hound?"
"Auz says there is a way to summon it here. It was very pushy about it."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Not at all. I guess we'll find out."
Kneeling to the ground, Ean placed his palm on a flat area where his bubble had wilted the grass. He pictured the rune Auz had shown him and focused his energy into his hand. The rune began to appear almost instantly, carving itself into the ground in a blaze of dark azure light. As the mass of complicated lines came to life, it also drew more and more power from Ean, who in turn had to open himself up to a larger flow of energy. The more energy he took in, the more nervous he became.
By the time the rune was completely formed, it was the size of a large barrel. Ean held on to the enormous energy that continued to feed into the rune, but did not feel even the slightest change to what he usually felt holding this much energy. That, at least, was a good sign. With the rune ready, and his nerves calm, Ean activated the rune.
The rune flared to a violet hue then seemed to shrink into the ground. A wave of dark blue smoke and haze covered the hole that it created while purple streaks of energy flashed around inside. While the portal crackled with energy, Ean began to feel a tugging inside of his body. At first he feared something was going wrong. Maybe he was losing control. Maybe the opening would warp into a Scar like it had for his Pocket. The tug grew stronger and stronger, and Ean was just about to close the portal when a familiar emotion began to flow into him.
Hunger.
Ean couldn't help but smile as he felt the primary emotion marking his Hound.
As if on cue, a shadow appeared in the haze of the portal, growing as it rose out of the hole. Its black, thick head pierced the haze first, its dark purple eyes devoid of pupils taking in everything at once. Once its eyes seemed to focus on Ean, it gave a snort from its four nose holes and its short ears perked up. The rest of its body came next, easily the size of a young bull with just as much muscle, covered in black, oily fur. The small nub of its tail wagged in the air as its body strained against the magic transporting it to them. When its clawed paws broke above the mist and the hole closed back in on itself, the Hound immediately moved to Ean's side.
Recognition and affection flowed through his bond with the Hound as the beast rubbed up against him. Ean petted his friend's soft fur and gave him a scratch behind the ears as well. He hadn't realized how much he missed his pet until it was standing in front of him. Nothing but loyalty and love reflected in its eyes and through the bond they shared. Giving its back a quick scratch, Ean used the Hound to push himself back to his feet. The Hound's massive body gave off heat that seemed to warm Ean's entire body right into his heart. The day's past troubles and worries seemed to melt away as he stood next to the beast.
"I think we're going to be alright," Ean said, letting his smile widen into a grin.
"Yes, we will," Zin replied with a roll of his eyes. "As long as you keep reminding him that I'm not a snack."
Chapter 30
"I'm telling you," Dao said as he poked at their campfire. "I don't care what you think, imp. Novufyr is the greatest city ever built. Some of the oldest buildings date back to hundreds of years before the Plague. It's where our ancestors"–he motioned towards Ean and then himself–"first settled and has been growing ever since. There is no way your Quo, or whatever it’s called, can be any grander or have more history than Novufyr."
Ean smiled as he listened to the man and imp arguing. It was the fifth night since they had fled from Driavarage. The third and fourth days they had continued to travel hard, taking shifts to sleep in the cart while the others led the horse and kept them moving. Having gone without incident, they had decided there was enough land between them and Driavarage that they could enjoy a little rest. Ean had shrunk their protective bubble so Dao could stay a little closer to the group without fear of what might happen. It meant Azalea and Zin had to walk closer to him if they wanted to avoid the nausea the corrupted energy of the land caused, but they had no complaints. With only a small amount of grumbling, they set up camp while it was still light enough to see and enjoyed a pleasant stew cooked by Dao, and now lounged about the fire with full bellies. A peaceful discussion about their homes quickly turned into a heated one between Zin and Dao.
"It's Quo'Li'Grun, human, and your Novufyr is like an infant compared to the age of the one city of the Abyss. Our world has been around long before you creatures even began to draw pictures in the mud."
"How would you know? You've said so yourself that there is no way for you to judge time down there, and you've only been around since before your old master created the Plague. Novufyr is said to have been founded almost a millennium before he first appeared. For all you know, your great city could have been constructed sometime in between then."
"No, no, you are twisting what I said. In the Abyss, there is no way to tell time like you do here. There is no sun or moons or any natural way to keep track of time. All of the light comes from the seventh level of the Abyss from the Great Pool. An unlimited ocean of Abyssmal energy with no end. Both Ven Khilada and Zu'ra would be like a clump of dirt compared to the size of the Great Pool. Quo'Li'Grun sits on the level ri
ght above it and is blanketed in its intense light. To create the semblance of a day and night cycle, a magical shield that blocks light surrounds the city when it is supposed to be night. So there is a way to judge time in the city."
"But it's not a natural day and night. For all you know, one of your 'days' could only be a fraction of one of ours."
"Or more likely, since the Nar'Grim are the ones that determined the length of a day in the Abyss and most creatures do not need the same amount of rest as a human, one of our days could last an entire season for all I know. But that's beside the point. Your people, at some point, started worshipping Ze'an. Ze'an created the Abyss. So both Ze'an and the Abyss were around long before your species."
"The imp makes sense," Azalea said from the other side of the fire. She was on the ground leaning back against the curled up body of Ean's Hound. "Everything we know about your world has always pointed to the fact that all of the creatures in the Abyss have been around for much longer than humans have been on this world. Just accept you're wrong."
Dao gave a shrug. "Just because you've been around longer doesn't mean you've learned how to construct a city any better than us. Or any bigger."
"You really are not picturing the size of the Abyss itself. As I said, at the center of the Abyss is the Great Pool, an area so large you could not even begin to comprehend it. Above that lies our city. I never measured it from one side to another, but just by simple comparison of its size to the Great Pool, Quo'Li'Grun could be larger than either of your lands."
"Whatever. You'll see once we reach the city how grand it really is."
"All I'll see is that your city will be like Rottwealth compared to the city of the Abyss." Zin shot a glance in Ean's direction. "No offense. I didn't mind living in your quaint little village all those years. It was a peaceful place."
"None taken," Ean replied. He had been surprised to feel a bit of annoyance at Zin's comments. Rottwealth had never been the easiest place to live in but it was his home and he felt more attached to it, now that he had started living in the mines. "I'm sure both of the cities you two were speaking about are impressive. Tell me, Dao, in terms of size, how does Novufyr compare to Lurthalan?"
Enemies and Allies (Bound to the Abyss Book 3) Page 25