Chapter 5: She Hated Seafood

"A noble soul run through and through.

Into ashes of hell you walk,

Not enough time to say adieu.

No return once you pass the hawk.

Unwitting soul, blackness shall cleave,

Four shall enter. One shall leave.

"Repeating, over and over, amidst the darkness of this space. No light shall enter here. No mortal man can enter here, in the domain of gods and demons. Trapped within this space, it waits. Why? I do not know. Sealed by ancients, reviled by ancestors. His power is beyond boundaries, His hatred beyond knowing.

"Even lying outside fate, one cannot avoid this meeting. On days when worlds end, when lives vanish in instants, all will become silent. The world's breath bated in fear, though their knowledge is unburdened by the nature of the end.

"You worry, you pace within your own mind, fearful of what destiny has in store for you. I can see it now, I can see the blood that soaks you. I can see the horror of what was supposed to happen, of how you could have prevented it.

"You will try to struggle, but nothing can prevent His rise. Destiny has spoken, the clock approaches its final knell. This is but the first step to the last, the beginning of the end of times. Your mistakes shall cause it.

"Wield the blade betraying truth yourself. Do not let another take it, for it signals the end. A curse will reveal all to you, and death awaits you should you fail.

"Your descent to save them will not save you, and when will fails, your sword shall murder. You are pursued by two, your quest no long clear. Without the cursed blade, you cannot avoid destiny's call. Fate will make you wish for the times before, when your innocence was whole, your hands free of the blood of friends and more."

ooo

A face... amongst the whiteness. I can't see, everything is too bright. What is happening? Where is anything?

No... the blackness again. Why did it torment me so?

ooo

"Fear sustains Him, for what can keep a man awake at night more than knowing his death? What can drive him to change, to inspire or to destroy than the knowledge that one day he will be forgotten by all, his impact on the world negligible in the long run of eternity.

"He calls to power, He draws it towards Him, but now He is pursued. He will be awakened, but not of his volition. Destiny will not let the sleeping darkness lie.

"For every candle, there is a shadow. For every shadow, there is something hidden, something unknown. He embodies this, He understands this. He calls upon the power of the blackness itself to keep Himself sleeping, but a force that cannot be stopped comes swiftly to His deathbed. He will rise again, willing or not, and He shall end you."

ooo

Dark hair... blue eyes. Why was this vision tormenting me so? Go away, hooded man, please. Let me die in peace.

ooo

"You will soon be outside fate, but the cost will be beyond your knowing. You will forever regret what you will do, but it must be done.

"He shall rise, you shall fall. But who will you take with you?

"I envy your strength, but I pity your fate.

"I am so... so sorry."

ooo

Wet. Everything was wet, sticking to his clothes, his hair... His everything. He couldn't even open his eyes, they were too crusted shut. He moaned, rolling over, feeling the water compensate around him as he splashed onto his back. He breathed deeply, deliriously pulling himself away from the water.

He breathed.

Matthew breathed again, just to make sure. His mind was fuzzy, going through the throws of reentering consciousness, but he knew something was wrong. He was supposed to be dead, though he couldn't remember why.

He was alive.

Matthew grunted through the pain of opening his eyes, breaking the salt barrier that had formed there. Bright light shot down from above, blinding him for a second as he turned away. Matthew sat up slowly, casting his head about in an effort to understand what had happened.

If not for the wreckage, he would have thought he was in heaven, with the beach, bright sun and warm ocean greeting him. But all around him was the remains of giant ships, small ones, or just scraps of wood that had washed ashore. The wreckage lay all across a beach that seemed to have no end, stretching on in either direction for some unseen distance.

The adept stood, wincing as the sand trapped within his clothes scraped at the rashes that had formed there. Looking about and seeing no one, Matthew slowly stripped off his clothes, shaking each piece out so as to remove all the sand. When he redressed he only felt slightly better, but it was a start.

Matthew reached for the Sol Blade, but it was gone. He winced, fearing what would happen should the blade fall into the wrong hands. Still, that was the least of his worries at this point in time. He'd find the Sol Blade in time.

Now he needed to find out where he was. If he was alive, maybe there were others that survived the maelstrom. Eoleo... Sveta... Were they alive?

After briefly deciding which direction to take, Matthew shot to his right, running across the sand as he searched the wreckage for any signs of life. He ran for a few minutes, carefully observing his surroundings.

Hearing a clamor coming from one large piece of destroyed ship, Matthew raced towards it, anxious to see if there were any other survivors. As he rounded the corner, he gasped at what he saw.

Easton lay half-buried in rubble, his face bruised and bloody, one arm at an ungodly angle. Matthew swore, running to his side, but winced as he realized that the man was dying.

"You... you're... alive." Easton coughed out, blood dribbling from his mouth. Matthew resisted the urge to look away, instead crouching by the dying man's side. "Blimy... I thought... I was the last one to die..."

"You aren't dead yet, Easton." Matthew struggled to smile. "You'll be fine, I'm sure."

"Spare me... the lies." Easton coughed again, this time viciously, his entire body wracking with pain. "I know how you... adepts are. You can't... heal a fatal wound... without killing yourself. Don't bother with... a sea dog like me."

"But if I can find someone else, maybe..." Matthew cut himself off, knowing it was futile. Easton was already shaking his head. The earth adept struggled to hold back his tears as Easton just smiled emptily up at the sky.

"Don't worry... 'bout me, boy." Easton looked at him, his eyes pained and losing their luster. "I've killed... more people... than I can count. My life has been... one mistake after another. One bad decision... after... another."

"That doesn't mean you should die here!" Matthew shouted. Easton still just smiled. "I can do something! I can heal you!"

"But you can't... save me." Matthew looked in horror as Easton's body grew more relaxed, his mind's grip on muscles starting to cease. "Tell Eoleo... it was damn good fun."

And he was gone, his head lying backwards in the sand, eyes staring blankly up at the sun. Matthew closed Easton's eyes, trying to stop himself from thinking of the fate of the rest of the crew. Any of them could have met similar fates. Even Sveta... or Eoleo. What if they were lying on a beach somewhere, alone and dying?

The thought was unpleasant, but it put wind beneath Matthew's feet. He took off down the beach with a renewed vigor, determined to find some other survivor, someone that was still alive. If he couldn't... then what could he hope for?

Then came a glimpse of lavender hair.

Matthew pivoted on his feet, staring out at rocks off shore of the beach. A piece of boat hull lay atop the rock, with a trail of lavender showing from underneath.

"Sveta!" Matthew shouted, sprinting into the water, overbalancing and still running. He tore through the water, dragging himself onto the rocks to the hull. He grabbed the bottom and, heaving mightily, raised it just enough to see under.

There she was.

Covered in blood.

Matthew strained against the weight of the hull, fighting against its weight before finally throwing it forward, rolling it off of the rock. He crouched by Sveta, almost afraid to touch her for fear that he'd somehow hurt her.

"Sveta!" Matthew didn't see any immediate wound, but she wasn't moving and her clothes were stained brown from dried blood. He felt for her pulse, sighing in relief when he noticed she was still alive.

She stirred, her eyes opening ever so slightly, staring directly at Matthew. She didn't even show a hint of recognition, her words coming with near silence and a shallow voice.

"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." He could barely hear her, but the words chilled him to the bone. Matthew stared in shock as her lips moved again. "People to whom nothing has ever happened cannot understand the unimportance of events."

And then her eyes closed, unconscious again. Getting over his shock-induced paralysis, Matthew carefully lifted her, making sure he kept her head steady, just in case. He climbed down from the rocks, ever careful so that he did not fall and get Sveta hurt.

"Funny how you keep winding up in my arms." Matthew smiled softly at the unconscious girl. She was breathing quietly, her ears twitching every so often. So very... peaceful. He hadn't seen her this calm or, dare he say, at peace for a long time.

Matthew set her down on the sand once he reached the beach, contemplating what he was going to do now. He cautiously looked her over, trying to find the source of the blood. To his surprise, she seemed mostly unharmed, if not slightly beat up from the water. Like Matthew, there was also a gratuitous amount of sand in her clothes, though he'd let her deal with that when she awoke.

"Now what do I do?" Matthew lay back on the sand, next to Sveta. He still hadn't found his Sol Blade or Eoleo, and if he was going to find out where he was, he'd need to explore the jungle that pervaded the place past the beach. The was a mountain beyond the trees, one that stretched far into the sky, its peak blue and mostly covered in clouds.

Matthew stood suddenly, an anxious feeling clawing at his stomach. A surprised feeling of anxiety bloomed within him as he thought of the mountain. He didn't understand why, but he couldn't help but feel like there was something behind him.

He spun around, but saw nothing. Aside from the wreckage, Sveta and the trees, there was nothing around him for miles, it seemed. But that did nothing to ease this spectacular fear, so illogical and implacable.

The Earth Adept swore, wishing he had the Sol Blade. If he just had a weapon he'd be able to calm himself, but... Mathew kept spinning around before putting his back to the ocean. If anything was going to attack him it would be from the forest in front of him.

Or so he thought.

By the time he had noticed anything was amiss, the tentacle had already ensnared both his legs, dragging Matthew backwards into the ocean. He instinctively grabbed onto the sand, but couldn't get a strong grip, his lifelines breaking away easily as he was dragged towards the water. He flipped around, wrapping his arms around a rock and kicking wildly. When he finally got a look at the creature, he nearly lost his grip in surprise.

An oversized octopus was all it was, really. Matthew would have found it amusing if not for the fact that it was absolutely enormous. The size of Eoleo's ship or bigger at least.

It wasn't without strength, either. Matthew could feel the rock he was gripping start to move, despite being buried deep. He fortified the sand around it with psynergy, drawing upon his power to control earth to condense the sand around the rock, but it would only buy him a few minutes at most.

If his legs even lasted that long.

"Sveta!" Matthew shouted. He needed her to get out of there, but she was too far gone into unconsciousness. She couldn't even hear him. If only he had the Sol Blade...

Matthew looked back at the creature, knowing that he had to let go or risk losing his legs to the mighty octopus. Seeing no other option, he took a deep breath.

And let go.

ooo

"Sveta!"

Matthew...?

I cannot see. Why can't I see you?

What happened...? Why am I...?

Where are you!

"Sveta!" No... please... stop shouting. I cannot think for the noise. I hear...

And why should I save him?

Why would I say that?

He deserves to die. He killed Volechek.

But I love him!

Do I really? What defines my attraction to Matthew? Passing infatuation based on mutual appreciation of those involved? It faded when Volechek died, and I know it. Any interest that I still have puts Volechek's memory to shame.

I couldn't hurt him. I can't blame him!
But I do.

Why?

Volechek was everything. He was the guide of my people, the pillar of strength for all. Belinsk was managing the war with Bilibin. Despite our losses, we persevered. Thanks to the actions of my 'friends', Belinsk is no longer capable of defending itself. Its army is decimated, its government is in shambles and we are open to renewed attack by both Sana and Bilibin. Without a capable, charismatic ruler, Morgal will fall.

Matthew didn't cause that intentionally! He was a victim of circumstance!

He must be held accountable. He has to die for his crimes against my people.

I can't let that happen. I want to blame him. That would be so much easier to just embrace that Matthew needs to suffer. I can't... I just can't do it. When our souls merged, I saw his regret, his pain. His darkest secrets became known to me, his every experience, his every thought. To know someone so intimately... it just never happens like that. I can tell without a shadow of a doubt that Matthew does not deserve to be hurt.

In the end, you will be sorry.

I'll deal with the future when it comes.

ooo

Matthew felt himself drawn under water, his back dragged against rocks and sand, threatening to expel the precious air he had stored within his lungs. He fought against the pull, beating at the tentacle with rocks, but to no avail.

He felt his lungs begin to burn, the first signal of oxygen deprivation. He didn't have time. He swam with the tentacle, hoping he'd reach the creature faster. He tried to ignore the absolute monstrous size of the thing, but he couldn't halt his fear.

The creature was a good thirty feet from the shore, nestling amongst spires of rock reaching to the surface, perfectly camouflaged with its black skin. Around him fish scattered as the octopus, the obvious king of the sea, took in its prey. Desperately looking about, Matthew caught sight of something gold on the edge of his vision, near the surface of a spire of rock, but it was gone when he looked again.

How hadn't he seen this thing? Unless he had mistaken its dark skin as rocks... Damn it all. He had to be more attentive in the future. Provided he even had one, that is. He saw the looming mass above him, the tentacles slowly dragging him towards the mouth. He grabbed two rocks sinking downwards, disturbed by the movement of the giant creature.

This was his chance.

Tentacles enveloping him, Matthew let himself be sucked into the mouth. For a moment, he could see, then all went dark as the mouth closed. Matthew floated there, suspended in the trapped water for a moment, his breath reserves running out, his lungs screaming for air.

He had to be careful, Matthew knew. He pointed the rocks in the direction that he believed was the brain of the mighty creature and, hoping, he called upon his latent powers of psynergy, channeling what he could manage into the two stones in his hands.

They vibrated as Matthew felt himself start to get sucked back. The monster was swallowing! He forced more power into the stones, as much as he could manage without passing out, before releasing.

The two stones shot upwards, tearing through the walls of the octopus's mouth, imbedding itself somewhere in its head. The monster shuddered before lying still, falling to the bottom of the bay. Matthew felt the creature hit bottom, its mouth opening ever-so-slightly. His lungs next to bursting, Matthew swam out, through the field of razor-sharp teeth that made up its maw, and up towards the surface.

He swam upwards, so close, so delectably close to the surface. Five feet, three feet, one foot... And then he felt something wrap around his ankle. Matthew looked down quickly, thrashing upwards as a lone tentacle slowly pulled him down. Exasperated, his vision blackening around the edges, Matthew reached down, clawing at the tentacles with what little nails he had.

Movement becoming lethargic, thinking becoming delirious, Matthew knew he needed to get to the surface, fast. He would fall unconscious and die at this rate. He tugged furiously, but even weakened as it was, the octopus still held fast. As he descended, Matthew grabbed at a rock spire near him, furiously trying to reach the surface only three feet away.

Another glint of gold, Matthew looked up. Jutting from a rock spire just under the surface of the water lay the Sol Blade, imbedded into the rock. The Earth Adept reached for it desperately, kicking his legs for added emphasis. He was just a little bit too far away...

He heaved, putting the last of his strength into resisting the tentacle. With one final effort, he grabbed the Sol Blade, drawing it quickly and slicing below him, severing the tentacle. It flew away into the darkness below, spewing blood everywhere. Free, Matthew threw himself upwards, breaking the surface of the water and finally breathing.

His head went light from the sudden intake of the much needed oxygen, the blackness receding from his eyes slowly. Rejoicing in the sunlight, Matthew stood atop the rock spire, jutting just above the surface of the water, admiring his surroundings just for a moment.

Until he turned around.

The octopus reared its massive head above the water, tentacles flailing wildly around it. Matthew could see the one tentacle he had chopped at held close to the octopus's head, as if it was being nursed.

Matthew readied his sword, staring into the creature's eyes as he waited for it to make its move. It simply stared at him, an easily apparent rage just under the surface of its skin.

"C'mon, beastie." Matthew smirked. "Come and get me! I cut off one of your tentacles, so what're you going to do now!"

"Don't!" Matthew turned, his shock turning to surprise as he saw Sveta stand on a rock pillar a distance away, staring at the octopus. The creature focused on her, its tentacles moving about her as if about to strike. "If you make it even more angry, it'll kill both of us for sure. Let me talk to it."

"Talk to it...?" Matthew cocked an eyebrow as Sveta bowed her head to the creature, speaking some lost, guttural language. All Matthew could make out were clicks and whines, but the creature seemed to understand, its eyes darting back and forth between Sveta and Matthew as she spoke.

He then felt the cool shock of psynergy come from Sveta, barely visible lines linking her and creature. She was reading its mind. Curious at how the octopus had stopped moving, Matthew sheathed his sword.

More of the strange language from Sveta, this time accompanied by some strange barking sound. Though Matthew definitely had noticed her animal traits before, he hadn't taken any notice to them. Her clawed hands, padded feet and elongated ears, while noticeable, never seemed important to him.

But suddenly, looking at this spectacle, he realized she was more animal than he had realized. What if her lack of resistance to the thought of attacking Matthew in revenge was more because of her instincts? Her kind only came into existence thirty years before, so how could they have time to fully adapt into their new, human-like mindsets? They didn't. They compensated by making their young forsake their animal origins through the discouragement of doing anything that wasn't vaguely human-like in behavior.

Sveta, though soft-spoken and intelligent, still possessed the instincts of a feral animal, a pack animal. One that would defend its family to the death and beyond, through vengeance if it had to.

Matthew shivered. He had always considered her to be just as human as Tyrell, Karis or the others. But what if she was actually something far, far less?

He didn't have time to think about it, however. The octopus, apparently placated, if not extremely annoyed, by the spectacle in front of him, turned away, diving into the ocean with a mighty splash. It heaved its massive body underwater, vanishing from sight.

"Matthew!" Sveta shouted, hopping from one rock spire the next until she stood on one just a few feet away from him. Her eyes seemed panicked, her ears drooped in the way they got when Sveta was confused or distraught.

"I'm alive." He stated simply, unsure of what else to say. After all this time journeying with Sveta, he didn't actually know much about her. She was the Queen of Belinsk, who vanished from her throne and stowed away aboard a pirate ship to get revenge on someone who he thought she loved.

She had lavender hair. Green eyes. She hated seafood. Matthew could list random facts about Sveta all day if he had to, but did he truly know who she was? Why she followed him? The thought was worming its way to the surface, but Matthew kept rejected it. No. He had journeyed with this girl, she had saved his life countless times! He can't doubt her!

"Matthew?" She cocked her head to the side just like how she always did. Matthew turned away.

How could he trust an animal?

The thought rang out within his mind and Matthew looked back at Sveta. The earth adept was shocked at the mere mentioning of such a notion, but it was there nonetheless. Sveta, though she walked, talked and acted as a human, was just an animal.

So how could he trust her?

Sveta raised her arms to her head, as if about to mind-read him, Matthew, panicking, jumped over to her. He grabbed her arms, yanking them from her temples, harsher than he had originally intended.

"Don't." Matthew said simply, almost threateningly, holding her arms just beyond a comfortable reach for her. She squirmed in his grasp for a few moments before Matthew realized what he was doing. He started to apologize but found he couldn't.

She had tried to kill him during the attack on Eoleo's ship. What could he possibly do that would warrant an apology from him now? This was the simple truth of the matter. She was too wild, too unpredictable. He couldn't trust her.

He didn't want to feel that way, and the sudden nature of the revelation didn't help the case. Maybe he was being dramatic... but how is it dramatic not to trust someone who tried to murder you? If anything, there'd be something wrong with you if you did forgive an assailant. And here he was defending her in his mind.

And she just looked up at him, confused and waiting for an explanation, for a reason, for anything. Matthew couldn't provide. He didn't know what to think. He was disgusted, but at who and for what reason he wasn't entirely sure yet.

"Matthew...?" Matthew turned away, hopping back to his original rock spire.

He didn't dare look at her.

So, just in case none of you had noticed yet, I used two quotes from T. S. Eliot in this chapter. I'm not going to say specifically what they are, but they're there if you look. Trust me.