“Mghere mnm mygh?”
“Pardon?” Cecelia smirked at the Marked’s attempt at speaking with an immense amount of satisfaction.
“Do you have to be so snide, Cecelia? We wanted information once he woke up, so let’s just get it over with.” My mind felt like it was still being rattled by an adolescent attempting to discern their holiday gifts. The conversation I had with Cecelia had me considering a multitude of possibilities. Could I trust her? I certainly wanted to, given everything she has done to help me so far. But a part of my heart wouldn’t stop nagging me that there was something unspoken between us. What veiled epiphany sat between us in our relationship that neither of us were brave enough to reveal?
“Ugh, fine.” Cecelia moved over to the Marked man and dropped into a crouch to meet his face. We had him propped up against one of the walls of the room.
“Listen up, cornrows. I’m gonna set some ground rules for you. If you wanna go and break any of them, I’ve got a very hungry Deathless that’ll make short work of you.” The Marked moved his head in my direction. I’m sure he was having a very strange experience right now. He was not wearing a blindfold due to my spell, but was certainly still blind. I wondered if not having anything covering his eyes was irritating him, not that I cared if it was. I gave a half-hearted wave towards him, unsure if that was something he could see or not.
“We’ve already got you in magical restraints, so save yourself some effort and don’t bother. When I remove the rope from your mouth, you’d better not scream or it’ll be the last noise you make. We’ve just got a couple questions. You answer them, and we’ll see about letting you go. Sounds good?”
The Marked sat silently for a few moments before giving a resigned “Mgh” and a nod. Cecelia pulled the rope in his mouth down to his neck, allowing him to speak. A tense few moments went by where Cecelia and I were prepared to make a move should he scream for help. Thankfully it wasn’t necessary as he spoke in a calm voice.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance, Life Hunter. You might not get another.”
“Oh my gods, do you hear that, bandit?”
I looked at Cecelia with confusion. I knew this was probably some sort of trick or joke, and I was waiting for the pin to drop.
“That’s the sound of me shaking in my boots! This guy is real scary, maybe we just run away now before it’s too late!” Cecelia feigned a panic, going so far over the top that I was worried she’d hurt herself coming down. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh while watching her spiteful, long winded insult towards the man. Eventually, she dropped the act and returned to the usual cold collected tone.
“Cut the dramatics, Marked, I just want your information, I don’t need your self centered pledge to get revenge on me.”
He furrowed his brow, still looking down towards the ground. I suspected he didn’t need to ‘face’ towards someone to be looking at them.
“What are your questions?”
“Well, the one on everyone’s mind is why the Empire is so interested in one specific Deathless. What’s so special about them?” Cecelia pointed towards me. I noted the pronoun usage she had decided on. Was she trying to hide information from the Marked?
“That beast is the first artificially made Deathless. I know the two of you are already aware of that.”
“Sure. But how do you know, how does the Empire know?”
No answer.
“The only way you make it out of this alive is if you answer our questions.” I spoke up from behind Cecelia when it was clear he was refusing to answer.
“My life for the Empire. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Spoken like a true Marked, eh cornrows? A little eager to throw your life away, no?”
“It is not my life to throw away. It is the Empire’s.”
Was he serious? I looked to Cecelia to gauge if this was normal behavior for a Marked to demonstrate, but she looked completely unphased. I felt a queasy sort of dread fill my stomach from hearing his words. It was like I was listening to a robot more than I was a person.
“Figured. Since you don’t plan on participating in our show and tell activity, we’re going to hold on to you for a while. I’m sure you’re aware of how magically capable Deathless are. We’ll have bandit here whittle away at your memories with magic until you’ve got no more secrets to give. After that, well, I guess you’re just an afternoon snack.”
Cecelia had to be bluffing. Surely she knew I was brand new to magic. Mind magic was one of the more advanced sects of magic. I had to believe she knew what she was doing, so I made no indication of doubt.
“I’d say you’ve got a choice to leave our group outside of a digestive tract if you told us what we want to know, but I think we both know that you’re not gonna take that option.” I had to give it to Cecelia, she sure knew how to be a scary woman when she needed to. There was no indication of uncertainty in her fake smile, just a cunning mastermind attempting to box in her prey.
“The Deathless is but a child in that form, it’ll take ages for it to learn magic of that nature. I’ll take my chances.”
“It?” I asked with an agitated huff.
“Let me offer you a deal, Life Hunter. The other Marked will find me soon, and when she does, your group will be short work for us. If by some miracle you survive the two of us, the Empire will simply send more of us until that beast is captured. You can die in your feeble attempt at grasping for power, or you can let me go. I can easily spin a story that the three of you were unwilling puppets in the beast's desperate fight for survival.”
I shouldn’t be surprised that a Marked has such vile views about me. But it really started to put into perspective how demons, and Deathless by extension were viewed in Varenthell. The very words he used could have come out of my mouth even a week ago.
“Thanks for the offer, cornrows, but I think we’ll take the choice where we dive into your head and pull out whatever we want. Sounds good?”
“Take all the time you please. You aren’t safe anywhere.”
The Marked went quiet after that, and the three of us simply sat in a stewing silence. I had a number of questions that wandered through the streets of my mind, but with how unresponsive his answers had been up to now, I was not incredibly keen on asking them.
Instead, I had been talking to Lilith.
‘You would need to have an incredible stroke of dumb luck, or a natural born talent that, pardon if this sounds rude, I don’t think a person like you would have.’
We were discussing the likelihood that I would be able to learn mind magic well enough to be able to infiltrate the memories of the man to pull the answers we needed from him.
‘Perhaps if you are able to retain the Marked man in your group as Cecelia mentioned, we could work towards it. But having a captive Marked with us is a liability.’
We already have one of the Marked captured, how dangerous could the other one be on her own? If she wanted to attack us in the town of Thrum, she would be outnumbered four to one. She was powerful, certainly, but I doubted she was that dangerous.
‘In my experience, it is never wise to underestimate a Marked. They have an unbreakable loyalty to the Empire, and I have seen them sacrifice innocent people to meet their ends. In their minds, no sacrifice is too much for the greater good of the Empire.’
I didn’t like the sound of that.
An odd series of knocks came from the door. The rhythm was so bizarre that I didn’t think to question who it was. I opened the door to exactly who I thought it was. Phern. She and Sebil walked into the room and set down their equipment on one of the small tables pushed up against a wall.
“Got what you need?” Cecelia asked.
“Mostly. There were a few items that I figured were long shots when we started looking. It should be enough to make a prototype of my inventions. A proof of concept if you will.” Sebil had already begun to unpack the materials that he fetched from the market. I had very little idea of what each object was, ranging from seemingly random bolts and screws to larger metal shapes that looked like they belonged in a child's toy chest.
“They didn’t sell any moss, but I got the other three!” Phern seemed cheerful despite her 75% success rate. I wondered why she ever imagined they would sell moss in a market in the first place. That wasn’t something people just sold… was it?
“Which one of you dressed me up like the compiled sketches of all bandits mashed into one?” The Marked spat, seemingly waiting to launch the insult until all of us were together in one room. I moved to one of the pillows on the bed and shoved my face into, screaming a muffled symphony of embarrassment into the soft cushion. I couldn’t believe that even the Marked was joining in on making fun of my disguise. It was just the first thing that came to my mind!
It seems the Marked saw my reaction. Or… sensed it? Still wasn’t sure how his vision worked. “It seems I have my answer. I’m only more confident in your lack of magical capabilities. The other Marked will be here shortly, and the 3 of you will be dead by sunrise all because you wish to protect a wild animal.”
“I take it you’ve been talking to him, loves?”
“Sure have. Cornrows has been stubborn as you can expect for a Marked.” Cecelia sighed.
I was surprised to see Sebil move to the Marked man, crouching down to be face to face with him in a similar fashion to Cecelia. He spoke in a calm tone, Phern, Cecelia, and I all watching in confusion.
“My name is Sebil Partillo. May I ask yours?”
“Lucas.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lucas. Apologies for sending an uncomfortable jolt through you earlier. I needed to save my friend. You would do the same for an ally, would you not?”
“Naturally.”
“Then I hope there is no bad blood between the two of us. I understand you have a mission to uphold. I knew a Marked once, so I understand that you either complete your mission, or you die trying.”
Though Lucas did not speak in response, it was clear that Sebil was correct in his assessment. I stood by cautiously in wait, completely unsure of what Sebil was trying to do.
“How much thought have you given to your mission, Lucas? Is it something worth dying for?”
“Of course the Empire is worth dying for.”
“You are certain this is for the good of the Empire?”
“Yes.” Lucas spoke with unwavering determination. If sheer force of will equated to power, I felt he would never lose.
“Very well. All that I ask is that you continue to ask yourself those questions while you remain with us. It was good to speak with you, Lucas.” Sebil gave a warm smile, and moved to return towards his satchel, and the surrounding mess of gears that spilled out of it.
What an odd conversation. Sebil seemed to act with conviction, but his conversation didn’t seem to provide us with anything but the man’s name.
Around 15 minutes later, Cecelia had pulled me out into the hallway to speak away from Lucas. She had led me to the end of the hallway where a small cushioned bench sat in front of a circular window that faced out towards the front gate we had entered through. This end of the hallway reminded me of the secluded room in the library I spent so much time in at Varenthell.
“Bastard slipped up.”
“Huh?”
“When we were interrogating him, I think he revealed something unintentionally. He told me that I could die in my ‘feeble attempt at grasping for power’. Every other time I’ve been scolded for being around you in the past few days I was condemned simply for protecting a Deathless. But defending a Deathless and grasping for power don’t feel like they’re interchangeable. He must think that some sort of power can be gained from you.”
I scrunched my face up in thought. What she was saying made sense, the wording of grasping for power felt deliberate in some way. The problem was in the conclusion. I didn’t feel like I had any sort of power to grant to people.
“What power? As far as I know, I’m just the same as any other Deathless.”
‘You aren’t nearly as skilled as any other Deathless.’
“That’s the question, isn’t it. But there has to be something special about you, otherwise the empire would have gone after any random Deathless, right?”
“I suppose so.”
The two of us fell into a momentary silence. I could tell that Cecelia was having trouble deciding whether to speak up about something, the hesitation on her lips as they opened and closed.
“I-I guess maybe it’s time I told you how I found you, huh?”
“What do you mean?”
Cecelia looked at me in confusion before letting out a hearty laugh. “You didn’t think we just ran into each other by coincidence, did you? That’s adorable, but no, Phern and I got a tip about where to go.”
I wasn’t incredibly surprised about the revelation. The more I learned about Phern and Cecelia the more I began to question the cosmic coincidence of running into them.
“We were supposed to find a reincarnation of Baehevar at the church. At least, that’s what the fuckin’ prophecy told us. But I should’ve known that the old woman was a hack. You’re obviously not him. But the Empire couldn’t have known that you were just some poor scholar ripped from his life in the North. So… Phern and I decided we’d help you not get hunted. Obviously this has become a lot more now, but y’know what they say, in for a penny in for a pound, right?”
‘Baehevar…’
“Prophecy? Baehevar? I-I have so many questions now.”
“I know, I know! I knew it would complicate things when I brought it up, but I figured better now than later?”
“I guess? Gods this is all so much. Why didn’t I just stay in my dorm…”
“I can tell you more about the prophecy later, but the important part is that if some old quack had some prophecy a Deathless would awake in that church on the eve of the 20th, which you did, then it’s possible the Empire is operating under similar information. The reason that they might be sending everything they’ve got for you is because they think you’re the reincarnation of Baehevar.”
‘Impossible.’
“Baehevar was the fiend of the dead, right? Why would he be reincarnated now?”
‘He was also the original Deathless. Did your precious history books not mention that?’
No, they didn’t. Maybe people just didn’t know?
‘The academy knew better than anyone that Baehevar was first Deathless. It’s seemingly been excluded from modern knowledge.’
“No clue. But if I’m right, then we’re in more trouble than I thought. Baehevar nearly destroyed the empire during his conquest. If they thought he was truly coming back, then the Empire is under the impression you are the single greatest threat they’ve faced.”
My head was drowning in fear and paranoia. How is one usually supposed to process the information that everyone thinks they are a world ending entity reborn. I had a divinatory essay due on Tuesday! Now I was public enemy number one?! I could barely cast a fucking spell a couple hours ago, but I was being treated like a beast of destruction!
Everything felt like it was crumbling around me. There was no way I could go back to Varenthell. The academy and the Empire were so deeply intertwined that some used them interchangeably. If I walked into the academy for a soul transposition I would be killed time and time again as they attempted to destroy what they thought was a horrific threat. That meant getting my old body back was out of the question. My old life was officially dead. That thought filled me with an existential dread that I could barely even begin to process. I didn’t think I had much to live for before, but at least I wasn’t being hunted like an animal.
A swirling mixture of regret pooled into every crevice of my soul. Was there something I had done to deserve this? A small part of me rejoiced at the idea that I would never have to go back to the simple life of Xavier in the academy. Was it worth living in perpetual danger to avoid that life?
“Bandit, calm down. You’re hyperventilating big time, buddy.” Cecelia smashed through my ever growing anxiety by grabbing onto my hand.
The sudden reminder of where I was only served to accentuate my primal fear. I was being hunted, we were going to have to move constantly to avoid my recurring death.
“You gotta breathe, bandit. Listen to me.” I felt Cecelia’s hand slip behind my head to pull our foreheads together. “Breathe. Repeat after me, bandit. As dirt on earth I root my heart. Let everything else go for a moment and just imagine yourself as one with the earth.”
Her words fell on deaf ears to begin with. I knew she was speaking, but I was so panicked that words sounded like hollow air. She looked me in the eyes, and for a moment, I felt like I was gone.
Vyra and I sat on her bed. I wasn’t Xavier, I was Ester. She brushed her fingers through my hair, gently pressing the hand on the back of my head to push the two of us together. I felt a steady hot breath glide across my lips, the warmth quickly fading, leaving me desperate for something to replace the warmth. Our lips met to quell the growing cold, and I felt a flame of passion ignite in the depths of my core. I remember our first kiss. I didn’t want to remember.
I was on the rickety bench in the hallway. Cecelia’s blue eyes held me firmly in place as she repeated the soothing words. Before I knew it, I was speaking them in chorus with her.
“As dirt on earth I root my heart.”
We repeated the phrase until my breathing was no longer ragged and desperate. Our foreheads remained pressed against each other for a moment longer before we both pulled away. I looked away from her, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see she did the same.
“Where did you learn that?” I spoke softly.
“My father. It calms you when you need it the most. He always said that a rational mind makes the best decision, so you should remain calm at all costs.”
“It was nice…”
“You’re free to steal it. I’m not stingy about family traditions staying mine.”
The two of us sat in front of the large circular window. The two of us stayed quiet for about 5 minutes, but I was happy. It was a pleasant calm that rarely reared its head for me. Perhaps the outside air was warming the glass we leaned against, because it felt awfully warm in the hallway. My cheeks radiated what would have been a pleasant warmth if not for my already warm body, making the heat on my face somewhat uncomfortable.
“Do you think I have a chance? Of escaping the Empire and going back to some kind of normalcy?”
“Unless you’re a gambler, I wouldn’t obsess over chances. You want it, I want it, and from the looks of it Phern and Sebil want it as well. That’s 4 people who are going to do what they can, yeah?”
I smiled. I wasn’t convinced of our chances. But she had an air of infectious confidence that seemed to shed onto me. Cecelia and I sat on the bench for a second, just staring at each other, before her face hardened suddenly.
I turned to look at what she had reacted to. Outside the window, by the front gate of Thrum, stood a familiar figure. The other Marked was down on one knee, one hand on the ground, and the other held out in front of her with a terrifying black aura.
“Fuck, she got here fast. We need to get cornrows out of here.” Cecelia shot up from the bench to start running back to our room.
“Wait! Look at what she’s doing.” Cecelia stopped and twisted around to watch the woman continue her unsettling spell. A dark energy spread from her hand on the ground, slithering back towards the gate. When it reached the entrance to the town, it began to rise, a slick curtain of dark magic spreading up and over the town. Speckles of golden magic freckled the dark globe that spread into place. In a few seconds, the swath of black and gold magic had covered the entire town like a sheet.
“...she’s locking us in.” Cecelia muttered under her breath, the confident mask she wore slipping at the edges.
‘That magic. The Marked woman is using forbidden magic. Either she’s gone rogue, or the Empire is willing to do anything it takes.’
Neither option was good for us. Regardless, a four versus one was still in our favor.
Crack
I shifted my eyes towards the source of the sound outside of the window. I saw the door to the building across the street from us break off of its hinges. Walking through the now splintered doorway was a number of otherwise unremarkable citizens of Thrum. The people stopped in the street, looking up into the window to stare at Cecelia and I in an unsettling unison. A terrible inky darkness swirled in their eyes, occasionally permeated by the rare glint of gold.
“What the fuck?!” Cecelia yelled.
So… maybe it wasn’t four versus one after all. Whoops.