Chapter 305 - Through the Western Gatehouse

Sharp!

A single thought filled Char Char’s mind as she dodged the surprise attack from the robed servant girl. Even with the heightened reflexes from her rebel pathway she barely managed to twist her torso to the side to avoid the strike. The servant’s outstretched hand was like an eagle’s talon, aimed straight for her heart as if she were trying to rip it out.

Char Char dodged two more attacks in rapid succession before she managed to find a split second to frantically draw her sword. The edge of the blade shone with a silver light as she slashed it diagonally upward directly out of the sheath.

The servant’s left arm went flying, severed below the elbow.

A split second later Char Char felt the servant’s fingers gripping at her neck. Even as blood splattered out of her arm the girl continued her attack with an emotionless expression, as if she hadn’t even registered the damage.

Char Char hadn’t been expecting the instant follow up. She panicked, grasping the choking hand at the wrist with her left hand as she slashed her sword down down with her right. The spiritual blade lost its shimmer as she lost her focus, turning it into a regular sword.

A bloody gash appeared on the servant’s shoulder, but the blade didn’t follow through.

Char Char gasped for breath as the girl’s grip tightened on her throat. Her eyes bulged as she frantically hacked at the servant’s shoulder. The flesh between the girl’s neck and shoulder was mangled and gushing with blood from the clumsy, desperate slashes.

They stumbled out into the sunlight as Char Char was pushed backward into the courtyard. They stumbled off the steps, falling to the floor in a pool of blood. The girl retained a death grip on Char Char’s neck as the Exalted girl began pushing at the girl’s face with her left hand in desperation.

She felt the world start to spin, her mouth was open, her tongue reflexively sticking out as she choked for breath. Lying on her back she didn’t have the room to swing her sword anymore, she could only press it against the girl’s neck.

The blade’s edge shone with silver as she activated it with a final instinctual flare of her spirituality. It sliced through the servant’s neck and the top of her shoulder like butter, bisecting the girl’s upper torso.

The servant’s body fell away.

Char Char dropped the blade, gripping the blood-slicked arm that still remained attached to her neck and ripping it off her.

She gasped for breath, tears streaming out of her eyes. Hoarse coughs intermingled with hyperventilation as she scrambled away from the body on her hands and knees.

She fell to her side, her eyes turning to look at the body, where a bright red pool of blood was forming under it. She didn’t take her eyes off it as she found herself sobbing in shock, rubbing her neck with her bloody hands.

As her breathing calmed down she pushed herself to her feet, scrambling unelegantly to her dropped blade across the blood splattered stone. After retrieving it she backed away toward the gatehouse, baring the sword toward the corpse even as she stepped out of the sunlight.

The terrifying experience was unlike any of her previous battles or encounters. The image of the servant’s blank, glazed over eyes burned into her mind.

As she recollected her senses Char Char realized that the girl was not particularly strong or fast. The hand that gripped at her neck had not crushed her windpipe, though the servant’s nails had left claw-like punctures. The girl’s attack had been fierce and relentless, using every fiber in her being to kill Char Char.

All without a hint of aggression or emotion.

The cold nature of the attack had thrown Char Char off. She couldn’t rely on her intuition to read the girl’s intent, she had to rely completely on her reactions.

Even then she was taken off guard.

She had trained seriously with Firuzeh for the past two months, but it was only two months. In the heat of that frantic battle she had forgotten everything she learned. Only her Exalted reflexes and Hakuya’s blade had saved her.

Char Char’s expression darkened as her breathing finally calmed down.

Without a doubt, Firuzeh, Corbin and the innocents who lived in the estate were in trouble. The thought that perhaps she was the only one who had been left behind ran through her head once more.

“I need to get help…” Char Char muttered to herself.

She quickly turned, running to the gate.

As she crossed a certain line on the ground she suddenly heard a sound from behind her.

The torso and lower body of the servant girl were flailing on the floor, as if it were trying to walk or stand. Lacking its right shoulder and head, it seemed unable to get its bearings. However even as Char Char watched in horror the legs and stub of its left arm began to crawl toward her.

Char Char rushed out of the gate without looking back.

~

Earlier that morning before the break of dawn, Firuzeh woke at her normal time.

Even though her spiritual intuition hadn’t triggered she immediately felt something was wrong.

There are no birds chirping. Firuzeh realized. There’s no sound of wind or insects outside.

She touched the crystal that hung from her neck, transmitting her thoughts, “Something is wrong.”

The entity inside her normally slept, conserving His energy. He woke to her words. After a moment His powerful voice with a deep timbre sounded in her mind with a thoughtful tone, “I have lost contact with my other bodies.”

“A trap?” She asked, coming to the most urgent conclusion.

“It seems that way.”

Even Rados didn’t notice it… In fact He even seems a bit surprised. Firuzeh frowned. As an Apprentice Saboteur Firuzeh was very sensitive to the plots of others, the entity living within her provided her with additional benefits. For Him not to notice and even be restricted by it meant that the source of this effect is not simple.

Firuzeh wasted no time, leaving her room immediately to head to Char Char’s room. She stepped out into the night. The sky was faintly purple, slowly brightening as the sun prepared to show itself for the day. The external hall and courtyard were empty of people.

As Firuzeh tried to cross the halfway point between her door and Char Char’s she stopped as she encountered an invisible wall. A formless pressure stopped her from moving forward. She stretched out her hand, pushing against the wall. There was no sensation that she was touching anything, she simply couldn’t move past the invisible wall.

Her eyes flickered in thought as she considered the likely domains. She took a coin from her pocket and flicked it at the wall. It stopped abruptly in mid-air and she caught it as it fell straight down.

“The wall blocks inanimate objects, it’s invisible but it’s not ‘physical’ otherwise the coin would have bounced. Even sounds seem to be blocked across the barrier.” Firuzeh touched her pendant, transmitting her thoughts through it. “My lord, could this be an illusion or a dream?”

“If it were so, I would sense it and wake you up.” The entity within her said, "I am sensitive to such methods."

“Then let’s rule out Psyche and Emotion. Spacetime is too overt, you or I would have sensed it being set up.” Firuzeh frowned. “Knowledge pathway is a possibility, as well as Order. Both deal with ‘rules’.”

“If so, I can discern it. Lend me your aether.” The voice within her commanded.

Firuzeh felt a tinge of hesitation at the request, but hid it completely. “Yes, my lord.”

She channeled her spirituality into the pendant, feeling the cool sensation as her life force was devoured through the special connection it formed between her and the symbiote within her.

In the physical world there was no change. Firuzeh simply seemed lost in thought.

However in the spiritual world a number of long-lashed eyes appeared all over her body, squirming out of her flesh and quivering as they looked around. Their blood-shot pupils shimmered in a kaleidoscope of colours, perceiving the profundities of their surroundings.

The All-Seeing Eye.

Though Firuzeh lacked the ability to see into the spiritual world, she felt the subtle effects of the ability on her body. The cold feeling spread from her fingers up through her arm and shoulder, an icy pain shot through her nervous system that she had no choice but to endure.

After a few seconds the connection was severed by Rados. The icy feeling in Firuzeh’s body was replaced by an aching, numb exhaustion.

“The floor.” The voice said simply.

Firuzeh’s gaze grew serious as she looked down. There was a slight glimmer to the grain in the wood flooring. Traces of a ritual that trickled with spiritual energy.

“There are runes across this whole estate.” The deep voice chuckled, “Heh heh heh. A Saboteur, caught in a scheme. How embarrassing.”

You missed them too. Firuzeh held her tongue. Though she could sense the presence of the aforementioned runes, she did not have the understanding of them or any idea how to deal with them. “What can we do?”

“These runes are too intricate for Order… They must be from the Knowledge Domain.” Rados grumbled in disdain, “Knowledge rules are troublesome. They are not as rigid as Order, but they also don’t break as easily—”

His thoughts cut off as another presence triggered both parties’ spiritual intuition.

“Something is coming.” Firuzeh said tensely, “We’ve taken too long.”

“This is not a foe you can fight.” Rados’ tone was urgent as well, “There is a path open in the runes to the north. Run. What are you waiting for?”

Firuzeh’s hesitation showed on her face as she glanced at Char Char’s door that was merely a few meters away.

“You don’t have time to save her.” Rados scolded, “Save yourself first! I will not have this body die for your foolishness!”

“Still—“ Firuzeh muttered, “She’s my responsibility.”

Firuzeh’s spiritual intuition flared in alarm as she heard a noise from the complex square to the south. It sounded like the slamming of a heavy wooden door.

The western gatehouse. Something has entered the complex.

“Run, girl!” Rados bellowed in her mind.

Firuzeh reached out to her hand, pressing it against the wall as she tried to locate Char Char with her spirituality.

The sound of footsteps and steel being dragged upon wood foretold the approach of an unseen enemy.

I can’t feel her presence… Char Char, if you’re there, stay hidden. I’ll be back for you!

Firuzeh channeled her powers, activating two abilities in succession.

She didn’t have time to check if they worked before she took off in a dead run to the north, away from the approaching presence.