“I suppose it is my turn then, isn’t it?” I don’t answer affirmatively instantly. My distrust of strangers, especially women doesn’t let me. Though Meera might believe that Romy’s influence means I’m safe, I have no such assurances about her. As a matter of fact, considering she doesn’t even like Romy, should I really be trusting her at all? Though I know I need sleep, I decide to wait one more day. Getting up, I rub my eyes. I’m tired, but at least some of my mana has recovered. Reaching into the future again, I reactivate Foresight. “I’ll sleep later. Let’s get a move on. We’ve been in one place for too long.”

“Suit yourself.” Meera takes the lead since she’s freshly rested. “Do you want to hunt today? I feel rested enough to take out some trash.” Her broken canine glints with a savage edge as she curls up her lip. However, I shake my head. She takes one look at me and laughs, “Hah, you should just rest. As tired as you are, you’re useless.”

“I’ll rest when it’s necessary.” I waste a few words. “But what’s the point in taking out weaker candidates? They’re just going to get knocked out later. Unless there’s a group stage where numbers matter?” That thought is a little worrying. I hadn’t considered that. If it’s not one on one combat…I mean Romy did make it sound like it was some sort of massive battle royale when she talked about the Sect. Maybe…?

“Heh. No, this is the last true stage where you can team up with others. After this, the shallow bonds of friendship and loyalty will not mean much…” Meera’s voice is dark. “Regardless, it’s wise to take care of loose ends early. My master always did say a careless assassination is a failed one.” At this, the atmosphere turns a bit awkward. We walk out onto the pillars. The land outside the plateau is a strange one. Multiple levels of verticality exist, with the rock formations taking on a sort of mushroom like shape with a thin, tall, stalk and a wide umbrella-like top. Thus, it’s possible to fight at ground level, underneath the shade, on the pillars which are recessed with numerous ledges and caves, and if you don’t mind being spotted by others, even in the world above.

I wonder if anyone is really going to go all the way up though. There’s no cover, because all the rock formations are pretty much the same height. You’d be asking for trouble then. I guess only that James guy is probably cocky enough to do that.

We wander on the mid-level the “stalks” so to speak of the rock pillars. Leaping from one ledge to another, or at times, crossing down to the ground level to make it to the next one, we progress slowly. After a while, I feel a little safer, having wandered far enough from our spot last night. My goal was just to make sure no one was setting up an ambush while we were stationary. But if anyone was following us, I think we would have noticed them by now. I stop behind Meera.

“Let’s rest here.” I point to another cave, this one deeper than the other one. It has a key feature which will come in handy if I want to sleep tonight. Namely, it starts out wide, but then the tunnel bends around a corner and narrows, forming a makeshift second chamber. If I go there, and have Meera stand guard around the corner, I can at the very least, set up some sort of booby trap to let me know if anyone comes.

“Tired, huh?” Meera doesn’t argue and we enter the cave. For a while, I go to the back, and scout things out. It’s not much to see. The white-rock which makes up most of the Cliffs of Sisyphus is stained a bit yellow here, but otherwise it’s the same as anywhere else. The back chamber is exactly what I wanted. Out of sight so no one can see me sleeping, with a narrow entrance. Yea…this is the place.

“Strange, we haven’t seen anyone all day.” I mention to her as I think about getting some sleep. “We’ve been ambushed multiple times a day, but suddenly there’s nothing.” Musing to myself, I look out the wider main cave. All I see is the shade from the “caps” of the rock pillars. It’s starting to make me nervous. Or maybe it’s just because I haven’t slept in so long.

“The people who were ambushing us before were weaklings.” Meera dismisses my worries. “They’ve either been eliminated or realized their place by now…that’s what they get. Who do they think they are? Coming to our Sect and trying to take over our trials. They deserve to be taught a lesson.” She gives an evil chuckle that shouldn’t come out of a kid. Perhaps in any other place, from any other child’s mouth, I would believe it’s just false bravado from a youthful soul. However, here in the Rainstopper Sect, after seeing what she almost did to Number 93, I get the distinct feeling that Meera’s cockiness isn’t all an act. I think she really has killed people before.

“Mmm…I see.” Sighing as the sun begins to set, I stifle a yawn. Meera eyes me, not fooled by my act.

“You need to sleep.” She states. This time, I can’t deny it. “Go back there then. I’ll keep watch.”

“Don’t try to sneak up on me while I’m out.” I tell her and she gives me a playful smile.

“Hah, scared?”

“You’ll regret it if you do.” My warning causes her smile to fade a bit and I nod to myself approvingly. Yea, that’s right. Try anything funny, and I’ll end you. Stalking away confidently, I turn the corner without another word. It’s funny because I’m still basically right next to her. However, all I need is to break anyone’s sight lines so they can’t attack me while I’m sleeping. Immediately, I disable my Foresight and begin to chant a silent spell.

[Muddy Stone of My Endurance, Move Forth-Meld]

Putting my hands on the cold stone floor I secretly tug and pull slowly at the rock. It takes a while, my control with silent Melding is still lackluster. However, the task is simple, and soon I hollow out the ground beneath the entrance to my little bedroom. If anyone, Meera or otherwise, tries to come around the corner, their full weight will collapse the thin layer of rock I’ve left behind and send them tumbling into a shallow pit. Naturally, I don’t think my little booby trap would be able to actually hurt anyone, but the sound should wake me up. Tucking myself as far around the corner as I can to stay out of sight, I finally relax and wait for half an hour. It’s brutal, keeping watch when all I want to do is sleep, but I can’t rule out the possibility that Meera will try something. After a long time however, there’s been no noise from outside and I can’t wait any longer. I’m exhausted, but even still, the nerves from being hunted should make it difficult to go to sleep. Eventually though, my body’s desires overrule my mind and I pass into an uneasy rest…

Dreams…little voices…are they real?

Or am I imagining them?

[It’s all my fault really

You know that…right?

No…how could you…?

My waning strength.

My envious vanity.

My despising hatred.

My forgotten desire.

My lost courage.

My empty greed.

They were all-

Mine.

Mine.

Mine.

How could I have known they would endure beyond my very own soul?

Or that he would be so unwilling to let go?]

#

*Kacha*

The ground shudders as my booby trap is activated. Despite the deepness of my sleep, I’m instantly awake. Romy’s training has prepared me well for this moment. Magic comes to my mind like a second language as my dagger is already in my hands.

“W-Woah!” Meera lets out a little yelp as she dances back from the crumbling ground which now has a dark hole in it the size of her foot. “How the heck did you know this would happen?” She’s confused about the trap. Which makes sense. After all, without magic how could I have prepared the hole without falling into it myself? Still…the better question is….what’s she doing in my room?

“Why?” I say simply, my mind focusing more on magic than words. I know she’s more than she seems, even without her telling me every chance she gets. The ease with which she dispatched 93, the confidence she has, these things can’t be faked. I eye her, prepared to take her out right here and now, “Trying to catch me napping?”

“No…I was going to tell you…quietly…that there’s a group of other candidates outside.” Meera says dryly, without a hint of nervousness. She narrows her eyes, and I see that it’s still night. The moon barely provides enough light in the cave to see her expression. “I know them. They’re other members of the Rainstopper Sect. Not the trash from before. Real enemies. We need to be careful!”

A group of Rainstopper Acolytes?

Another person would have panicked in this situation. Awoken in the dead of night after three days of no sleep. However, I remember Romy’s training. It’s been beaten into my bones and soul. Instantly, my mind goes cold. Even colder than I remember it being back on Earth.

I’m all business.

“How many?” I ask.

“Don’t know.” Meera replies, her characteristic confidence slipping just a little bit before she can hide it. “But I saw Didi, Leto, and Portia. Number 7, 15, and 20. And I’m pretty sure there’s more. If you have a plan, now would be a good time to say it!” She hesitates, looking back around the corner of my “bedroom”. Evidently, we’re in a bad spot. “I don’t know why they’re ganging up on us, but I’m sure they know we’re here. They acted like they were going to pass us by, then doubled back!”

“Mmm…okay.” Now that I’m rested, suddenly, my mindset has completely switched. I’m tired of running. Tired of hiding. You want to hunt me? Gang up on me? Unknowingly, I whisper to myself, “Don’t push me…”

“What was that?” Meera hears. “Thought of a plan? Or are we doing this the stupid way?”

“The stupid way?”

“We take them head on and may the best Rainstopper win.” She grins and I have to admit, it’s tempting. “If we stay here, they’ll just wait till we’re tired and then come for us.”

“True.” I agree. Making up my mind, I get up, hopping over the hollowed-out section of floor and make my way to the main part of the cave. Peeking around the entrance, I catch a pair of eyes staring at mine from a nearby rock formation. They blink and then dart into a shadowy crevice. “They know we know.”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t poke your head out, they wouldn’t…” Meera grumbles. But I had to see it for myself. From behind me, she peeks over my shoulder outside. “I guess if you really don’t have any better ideas, I could try to parlay.”

Parlay?

Like meet them and talk?

People still say that in this world?

“Really?” I have a little smile as I duck back around the corner. “What if they just attack you?”

“Well, that was more or less my plan too. So, we’d both be thinking the same thing then.” Meera has a devilish grin on and I see the ‘S’ coming out again. “Rainstoppers don’t make peace. Only death.” She says with all the conviction of a hardened soldier and I can only liken it to one time when I talked to a group of special ops veterans in a bar. Meera has the exact same look, but somehow without any of the morality or civilization which holds people from Earth back. I may have underestimated the other candidates. But then again…they don’t know me either.

“Okay. You go out first. Draw them out. Make one fist if you think we can take them. Two if we can’t.” I draw up a plan. “Worst case, we split up and run for it. They’ll have to choose who to follow or split up themselves. It’ll confuse them.”

“Done.” Meera has a slightly shy expression as she sheathes her daggers and squares her shoulders. It’s not fear, more hesitation. “You…will come out, right? If they don’t listen? You wouldn’t leave me alone…would you?”

“Mhm.” I realize she’s looking for reassurance. “Just make sure to give the right signal. Even if we have to split, I’ll make a big distraction.” She nods and then that’s it. Before I know it, I’m sitting at the corner of the side chamber, watching Meera walk outside on her own. She holds up her hands.

“Hey, Guys! It’s me…Meera!”