He clutched at my wrist for a moment, his expression stern, before letting out a breath. “Don’t go too far.” He said. “If anything happens, we will need you here.” I nodded. No promises though. I thought to myself internally, feeling the slightest hint of guilt for Cale. He’ll make it if anything happens… I thought to myself, eyeing the other guards in the room. I’m sure…

Following her is difficult, the corridors wind and twist almost nonsensically, she seems to hide from me as I go, winding deeper and deeper into the complex. The centre of this place lights up as I Delve, so bright I can’t believe I’d never seen it while Delving in the city itself. It’s seeped straight into the walls of this place, the very foundation… I thought to myself, mystified.

Blinding as it was, it showed me the layout of the building, letting me take shortcuts to move ever closer. The further she moved in the less she seemed to notice me, barely reacting unless there was only a single wall between us. We soon reached what looked like an atrium, nested into the centre of the building. All the runes tied into this one, all perfectly, precisely placed.

I paused as she ran through the atrium onto the other side. Delving told me the whole place pulsed with energy. I wasn’t going to risk anything when it came to magic I didn’t understand. Heavy footfalls came from behind me, and I turned, alarmed, as several primitive tower shields rushed towards me. Oh screw me. I thought, making a step forward and pulling on the tower shield. I jumped, attempting to vault myself over their heads. I barely made it, sprinting forward. Cale. I thought, with a heavy grimace. I stopped as I reached a wall where a corridor had been. What the hell is this building?

The men had discarded the shields, drawing swords and moving closer, unease reflected on their faces. “I’ve killed a lot more men than you, only challenge me if you’re willing to bet your life on the line” I said, drawing my pick. It was bravado, I hadn’t had time to do anything but create a light undergarment for this uniform, I was just as vulnerable as anyone else right now. “What are you trying to do with Oroen’s group?” I snarled.

Their faces registered confusion, and my eyes narrowed. Only me then… I thought to myself, gritting my teeth. My eyes flicked to the sides, other hallways were still available, and fighting them would serve no purpose if others converged on me, I had to escape… somehow. They saw my eyes wander for a moment, and pressed forward. I darted down to the left, down another corridor.

Delving showed me where the girl was hiding at the very least, if anyone would know how to escape… it would be her. My mind drifted to the Aen, I could use it, but in such a large city it’d be found out sooner or later. Other souls were present in my area, and a quick glance at least seemed to say that Cale and others were not under attack, but I couldn’t be sure…

I ducked through the corridors, dodging the various groups all in the hallways. None of them could talk to one another anyway, so there was no synchronicity to their patrols, no way to prevent me from passing them by entirely. In the end however I couldn’t get to her without entering the atrium, the walls and rooms all built in such a way I’d have to carve my way through several feet of stone.

[Perhaps that is the intention…] Page whispered into my mind. [A panic room, to trap something.] I nodded to myself. Something terrible… I agreed.

Even so… I didn’t have a lot of choices left to me, there was no node close to me that connected me to the room, and even if I had one, what would I have done? Tapped her shoulder? … Not a bad plan actually. I thought to myself. Except that I can’t do it… I watched the other guards. One of them was going back to the same corridor. Hmm… I thought, making my way back, an inkling of a plan forming in my head.

From everything that I could see, this was most likely a huge bloody trap, of what kind I had no idea. But maybe… we could talk… if I got some insurance… I snuck up behind the guard, tapping him on the shoulder, he spun, swinging, and I ducked under it, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. He yelped, and I pushed him into the atrium, simultaneously disarming him with my other hand. Another guard had come as well, and they moved forward as they saw me.

I parried the blade as it came, forcing the blade aside with the quillon of the sword I’d taken, my left hand shot up from under the crossed blades, catching him in the throat. He stumbled back, his arms involuntarily shrinking towards his body. I kicked the side of his knee, dropping my blade and grabbing his arm before turning to toss him in as well.

Stepping into the atrium, the door slid shut behind me. I grimaced. Well… goodbye world? I thought to myself grimly. “I want to talk. Whatever you have planned, it can’t possibly be worth offing one random guard.” I said aloud, walking over to the gate that separated me from where the girl was. “Nobody has to die.” I said, firmly.

She looked back with an unsure expression, her eyes flicked behind me for a moment. I spun, deflecting the blow from the guard, disarming him and breaking his arm with a hard twist. I shoved him back onto the ground. “Do it.” The soldier shouted. “Mother bloody abyss-spawned…” He cussed, clutching at his arm. “We cannot let a demon into our home without retaliation…”

I arched an eyebrow. “A demon?” I gave a grim smile. “One would think you would all dispense with the damn metaphors at this stage…” I turned to the girl, she looked torn. “Whatever it is you’re trying to do, it can’t be worth it if you’re hesitating so much.” I said, trying to make my voice soothing, calm. Her eyes met mine, and she pressed onto a glowing rune, shaking her head fiercely.

The soldier nodded grimly. “Nem’s ieschi guide me. Without fear I will give what is needed.” He looks at me in the eye, with a steely gaze. The other isn’t holding out as well, he bangs at the gate, yelling for someone to open it, pressing against the gaps in the door, as though they were solid. I reach out myself, feeling at the gate between me and the girl. It was more metal lengths wound into shape, the spaces should be empty, but something stayed my hand.

I grimace, flicking out the Aen. Delving shows the runes begin to distort as though through a heat haze, lighting up, a hum entering my mind that leaves as I stop. The Aen flares to life. “I don’t care to be here when whatever you’ve done occurs.” I said, raising my arm. “And you are going to answer my damn questions.” I snarl. Swinging it against the door.

She flinches backwards, but the blade stops short. I arch an eyebrow. Way to ruin the moment. I thought to myself. Delving showed the aether dissipating as it struck, I pressed the tip against the wall, pushing it into it. From behind the soldier tackled me in the chest. I push out my left elbow, using that to brace myself against the blow. “Admirable… but misplaced.” I snarl. “Though I suppose we’re all going to die anyway, so what matters if I push you ahead of the queue.”

As I move to clip his arm with the Aen, the runes discharge, and a kaleidoscope of colours passes through my vision from my Delved vision, mana reduced to a roiling seething mass of every kind, before snapping back again. The girl doubles over, clutching at her stomach and her mouth, while I squeeze my eyes shut. What the hell… The man behind me falls entirely limp, and the blade in my hands fades away, the runes completely washed away by the sheer intensity of the torrent. I flip it in my hand. Gaven is going to kill me… I thought to myself.

Nothing else lives within the atrium, the girl at least, seems only sick, probably from the magic itself. I push on the gate, easily opening it this time. “I’m just as surprised as you are.” I said, crossing my arms across my chest. “So… what the hell were you people trying to accomplish?”

“What are you…” She asked, between ragged gasps of air. In another situation, from another perspective, I might have felt sorry for her, but this wasn’t that time.

I stepped forward, drawing a dagger from my chest. I held it up, pointing it at her, and running my thoughts aloud since she didn’t seem able to speak plainly. “Two men died in what appears to be a superweapon, and it seems like everyone else has been rendered… incapacitated. This was obviously an attack aimed at me, have to wonder why. First let’s start with single word answers, like ‘Who built this?’” I asked, letting an edge creep into my voice.

“Aerathi…” She said, still looking on the verge of puking her guts out.

I cocked my head. The Aerathi? “Why? No one needs an execution chamber this big…” I said. “And it hardly fits their image as benevolent protectors.” I said, my eyebrows drawing together as I swapped to an icepick grip for my dagger. “Ah… the war… but why build it here…” She stared at me confused, unwilling or unable to answer. “Considering the scale of it and the mobility it’s pretty much useless as a weapon, immobility is also a problem. A proof of concept? Practically the nuclear option though at that point.” I said, the last sentence spoken under my breath in English.

“Then it becomes a question of how you decided that I was one of the Edratchi…” I said, turning around to look at the atrium, a few guards had begun to trickle into the atrium, making their way towards me. I raised my voice. “You can either back out or I’ll make you, and none of you are capable of putting up any resistance against me as you are.” Most of them stopped, a few practically falling to their knees. “Wonder what it’d do to the Edratchi themselves…” I whispered under my breath, turning back to the girl. “Well?”

[If I may…] Page said. [I believe she is a Sensitive.] I cocked my head. [What else separates you from another except the lack of a soul? What could possibly lead them to think you were a demon?]

And yet the others called me Seraph… I thought to myself. Of course… I realized. It’s because I could use Aether weapons, their hallmark. “You’ve never met an Edratchi before have you? Not like they’d risk Sensitives on the battlefield, scarce as they are.” I said with a sigh, sheathing my dagger. “I’m leaving, by this point it should be damn obvious that I’m not an Edratchi, since I survived a weapon meant for them. If either of us have any luck we’ll never meet again. Open the gate, or I’ll just force my way out one way or another…” I said, a menacing undertone to my voice.

She reached over to press a button, and I made my way back down the corridors. Gods, I’m lucky she swallowed that bluff… no way I would have known what to press otherwise… The Aen had been wiped completely clean, in fact, the only thing unaffected at this point was my body, and the Liaen. I contemplated seeking out Cale, but decided against it. If Fonxe had been informed of her plan, my appearance would cause too many immediate problems. I instead left through the front gates, feigning illness, and made for the inn.