Fractured – Chapter 17
Something was definitely happening directly above us. I looked up, shielding my eyes from falling dirt and debris. "What the hell was that?"
"I don't know," Cardinal frowned.
We braced ourselves for another violent shake, but there was nothing. Cardinal and I looked at each other. "Could it have been…?" I gestured vaguely back at Eugeo's cell.
"Ridiculous," Cardinal snapped. "Those restraints are inscribed with the highest level of sacred arts. They will keep him submissive until Selka returns."
"Does he really need all of them?" I ask warily.
Cardinal blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "Of course. Need I remind you of what he is capable of, what he has done, and what he plans to do."
"I am aware," I reply irritably. Although it was hard to think like that, especially after what we'd shared moments ago. Reliving it in my head made me hard again, and I wanted more than anything to get back to him. I even took a step towards Eugeo's cell, my body already overriding my brain. "It's just…"
"Kneel!" Cardinal commanded sharply.
Though startled by her direct order, I dropped immediately.
"Now sit back," she further instructed. "Then look up at me."
My golden eyes met up with her caramel-colored ones. She brushed a hand along my forehead, my dark bangs sliding to one side. "Hmm…" Her fingers danced along my skin and I could feel myself starting to squirm under her direct gaze. It felt strange when she touched me there, and honestly, I didn't like it. "We do not have time for hesitation…" she narrowed her eyes, "…nor personal pursuits."
I returned her imposing gaze with a dark one of my own. "Yes, my lady."
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"So, what do we do now?" Jink grumbled as he sat down next to Selka. The pair were perched on the stairs outside of Iskahn's Obsidian Tower.
"We can't go back without the Netherbane candle. Without it we can't get Synthesis Zero's soul out of Eugeo's body," Selka said anxiously.
Jink leaned back thoughtfully and looked up at the sky. "Playing nice and using force were a bust. "So…" he smiled deviously, then leaned in to whisper into Selka's ear. "Why not simply steal it?"
"What?" came Selka's shocked response. "No!"
Jink frowned. "Do you have any other ideas?"
"Um, well," Selka furred her brow. She could think of nothing, and she knew they were running out of time. "Fine," she agreed, though grudgingly. "But we should return it once we're done."
"Sure, whatever," Jink shrugged. "What does this candle look like anyway?"
"It's definitely unique, especially since it has twenty-one wicks."
"Twenty-one?" Jink raised a brow. "That seems a bit of an overkill."
"There's a reason. The sacred arts recited with it needs to be concluded as the last wick is lit," Selka explained. "The color is black, which is used for banishing evil and destroying negative energies. The size is tall, yet thick, in order to accommodate all the wicks. It's made of beeswax, to increase the potency of the sacred arts."
"I get the general idea," Jink rose to his feet. "Any idea where he'd keep something like that?"
"Well, when we mentioned the candle, Iskahn's eyes briefly flicked over to a corridor to the left of his throne," Selka noted.
"Works for me," Jink rolled his shoulders. "Let's go."
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"Come, we must go topside," said Cardinal.
I picked her up in my arms bridle style as we headed up the steps from the prison cells.
Cardinal pointed with her staff, "Down this corridor first." We turned, until she gestured again at a small room to our left. Inside it was a strange box sitting on a pedestal. The screen was blank, other than a blinking cursor. Sighing in relief, Cardinal was glad that Asuna had made it out. Quickly, she took the box off the pedestal, and encased it in a protective layer of sacred arts. "This is very important," she told me sharply. "It must stay intact." Leaving the room, we headed up more stairs and out to the surface.
"Look at that," Cardinal pointed to a large crater. Wisps of smoke trailed upwards and the ground was still lit with embers. I set her down on her feet, my eyes never leaving the sky.
"Dragonfire." I set my mouth into a grim line.
"Kirito!" Leina called. "It's from Kazunei, Renly's dragon. He fired at the Cathedral."
Hearing my name called, I looked over my shoulder to see three women and two dragons heading towards us.
Amayori landed first, lowering her body to allow Leina and Alice to dismount.
"Has my sister returned?" Alice asked coolly, with a hint of worry.
"Not yet, I'm afraid," Cardinal replied briskly.
Leina approached me, her steps purposeful. Saying nothing, she simply slid her hands into mine, our fingers entwining. She leaned in to give me a soft kiss on my cheek, then gave my hands a quick, reassuring squeeze. I was surprised at her informality, but oddly, it didn't bother me. In fact, it felt strangely comforting.
Meanwhile, Fanatio was hovering on her own dragon, looking very concerned at the smoldering ground. "How can this be? We are not allowed to attack the Cathedral." She looked at Cardinal. "Or the acting Pontifex."
Looking up at Fanatio, Cardinal said, "Have one of your Whirling Blades scout after that beast. Find out where it's hiding."
"He is most likely being controlled," Alice frowned.
"Synthesis Zero is contained," Cardinal clipped.
"But…" Alice began again.
"As for now," Cardinal cut in tersely, "I will arrange for lesser knights to keep an eye out for any more trouble. The rest of you are to remain here, inside the Cathedral and rest. You are no good to me in your exhausted conditions."
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Inside the Cathedral, Fanatio, Leina, Alice, and I took to our rooms. After a brief respite, we would gather back together to discuss our next move. We'd already seen the lesser knights go off on patrol and the Whirling Blades head off to search the skies. As much as Alice wanted to send someone after Selka, Cardinal said they had none to spare and she should trust in her sister.
Leina was in her room first, changing into her night clothes. She sat down on the bed, and sighed. Subconsciously, her hand went to her belly. It was still flat and toned, but in a few months, that would change.
"Leina?" Fanatio called from outside her door.
Leina's hands went abruptly to her sides.
Poking her head in Fanatio said, "Mind if I come in for a second?"
"Not at all," Liena replied smoothy.
The older woman walked in and sat down next to Leina on the bed. She didn't say anything, just gave a knowing smile.
"What?" Leina tried to act nonchalant.
Fanatio's eyes shone mischievously as she said, "The other girls are going to be jealous."
Leina's eyes darted quickly away. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you do," Fanatio raised a brow when, once again, Leina found herself touching her stomach.
"I know it's terrible timing," Leina moaned.
"It's not like you can plan these things," Fanatio tsked. "Have you said anything yet?"
"With the way he is now…," Leina began hesitantly. "I don't think he'd react well…"
Outside the door, Alice heard the exchange and knew exactly what they were talking about. She frowned, then paled. Oh god, what if something similar happened to her? After Eugeo's assault, it was certainly a possibility. Her hand went to her own belly. She shook her head, then headed to her room.
Across the way and further down the hall, I had just taken off my armor and laid down on my bed. Above me, a clock had pinged into my field of vision showing me thirty-six hours. Thirty-six hours to what, I didn't know. In fact, I didn't know much, other than my sword skills, sacred arts, and whatever the Pontifex wanted me to do. Then there was Eugeo…
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Iskahn stared at the infamous Netherbane Candle, slowly turning it in his hands. He'd heard the stories about it and honestly, he didn't want to think about the thing actually going into effect. He carefully put it back inside its cabinet, closing the double doors and clicking the heavy lock into place. He chanted out a few quick words, then turned and left the room.
"Now's our chance," said Jink, slipping inside, Selka close behind. The two had donned cloaks and kept their heads low, silently sneaking through the castle's corridors.
"I feel bad about those guards," Selka said guiltily.
"Why? All you did was put them to sleep," Jink shrugged. "Better than they deserved if you ask me."
"We made it in without incident, so let's just do this already," Selka said hurriedly. She studied the cabinet, her brow furring. "Something's been cast on this cabinet so we need to be…" Crash! "…careful," she winced.
Jink's fist had gone through the cabinet. An alarm was set off, a loud ringing echoing through the room and out into the hallway. Footsteps were heard coming down the hall. "Come on, come on," he muttered. His hand fumbled around the cabinet, searching for the candle.
"Hurry, hurry," Selka said nervously.
"Got it!" Jink smirked, his hand closing in on the intended item. He yanked it from the cabinet then threw the candle into the knapsack he had slung around his shoulder.
"Let's go," Selka hissed, and together they turned, only to find Iskahn standing in the entryway. He loomed before them, arms crossed, a severe frown across his face.
Selka clasped her hands together and begged, "Please, we don't have much time."
Iskahn ran a hand through his blonde spiky hair. There must be a serious issue for outsiders to come asking for the candle, then actually have the nerve to steal it.
Iskahn tossed a sealed scroll towards Selka, then deadpanned, "Don't make me regret this."
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A few hours later, I, Leina, Fanatio, Alice, and Cardinal gathered in the conference room on the first floor. We had barely sat down when thunder boomed, followed by heavy rain hitting the walls of the Cathedral. In addition, Kazunei was firing off more dragonfire attacks, which were much more aggressive than earlier.
"Why can't your Whirling Blades stop Renly's dragon?" Cardinal snapped at Fanatio, slamming her staff down. "It's just one beast!"
"They are doing their best, I assure you," Fanatio grit out defensively. "It is not easy with the storm. Plus, from what Alice and Leina have told me, Kazunei has been…altered."
The ground shook again, the walls of the Cathedral shaking severely, even its special sacred arts had trouble keeping up with the self-repairs.
Once everyone had regained their footing, Leina piped up, "The ground is weakening. Perhaps we should move Eugeo…"
I was glad someone had spoken up about him. I had a feeling if it was me, Cardinal would not have been too pleased.
"He's not going anywhere," Cardinal deadpanned.
"I believe the point of this mission was not to let him die," Alice raised a brow.
"Alice!" Ronye burst into the room, waving a letter in her hand. "Word from your sister."
The blonde knight jumped up, snatching the paper from Ronye's hand. Her eyes quickly scanned over the letter. "Thank goodness. She successfully retrieved the candle and is on her way back as we speak."
I think that's the first time I saw Alice's features soften. I gave her a moment and glanced outside, noticing the rain had now turned to sleet and ice. What was already on the ground seemed to be reforming itself into a replica of Renly's dragon, made completely of ice. Crap!
"Brace yourself!" I shouted.
The ice beast roared, snaping its tail against the Cathedral with a heavy thud. It bellowed and reared back, sending dragonfire, or rather, dragonice, through the streets of Centoria. The townsfolk cried out with terrified screams.
"I'll get Tiese and we'll help evacuate the city," said Ronye, already exiting the room.
"He's behind this, I just know it," Cardinal snarled. "The question is, how?" Her eyes narrowed, then widened when they landed on me. "How could I have missed the obvious."
Leina, Alice, and Fanatio all shared a confused look with one another, then turned as one to look at me.
"What?" I shrugged.
"You three deal with the dragons, I need to have a private word with Kirito," Cardinal said, barely containing her fury.
Once the women had left, Cardinal slapped me hard against the wall with her staff, pinning me there. "The restraints make it impossible for him to use any sacred arts or abilities. Therefore, he needs to draw power from somewhere else or rather…" she shoved me further into the wall, "someone."
"No. It wasn't like that," I countered. Thinking back to what we'd shared, I added defiantly, "It can't be."
"He used you, plain and simple," Cardinal hissed. "What's worse? You let him." Releasing me from the wall, she turned angrily away from me. "Now we need to clean up your mess." As she was about to exit the room, she turned back slightly, deadpanning, "Your little stunt could cost this world everything."
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I took a step to follow Cardinal, then stopped. I ran a hand through my dark hair in frustration. Gritting my teeth, I decided to head back down to the prison cells. I couldn't focus on the battle at hand until I I figured out what was going on with Eugeo. As I headed back underground and down the various stairwells, I finally reached the one I was looking for. I strode up to Eugeo's cell and placed my hands on the bars. "Tell me the truth," I growled.
"What?" Eugeo's green eyes looked out at me.
I struck the bars with my fist. "Did you play me for a fool?"
"Not exactly." A slow smile spread across Eugeo's lips, fangs glinting in the faint torchlight. "Although he didn't use you…I did."
Synthesis Zero. I frowned.
There was another violent cracks snaked along the ceiling, walls, and ground. I steadied myself by driving my sword into the ground and spreading my feet to help keep my balance. My ears picked up a loud, rumbling sound coming from behind me. It grew louder and louder, and I pressed myself up against the bars of Eugeo's cell to avoid the giant pile of rocks, dirt, and debris that now filled the stairwell. Waving away the dust that lingered in the air, I could finally see the severity of my situation. There was no way I could go back the way I'd come. "Great," I muttered. I looked back at Eugeo who was covered in dust and dirt, his scared green eyes roving across the ceiling. I couldn't blame him, being buried alive wasn't my idea of a good time either.
"Kirito? Kirito!" came Leina's faint frantic voice.
"Leina?" I rushed over the pile of rubble, my hands patting all over the rock pile. I'd barely started when the pile shifted, causing more rocks and dirt to topple down.
"Are you alright?" she called out.
"Yeah," I coughed out as more dust was kicked up into the air.
"Kirito, listen to me," came Cardinal's stern voice. "First, I want to say you're an idiot for going down there alone with all the damage that is happening on the surface."
I frowned. Seriously, a lecture, now?
"Secondly, narrow passages were built throughout the underground to aid those trapped just as you are. They are not the most…" she hesitated, "…comfortable routes, but you can get through them and back up to the surface."
"I can handle it," I said flatly.
"As for Eugeo," Cardinal warned from the other side. "The key you have not only opens his cell door, but will also remove his restraints. However, in order to keep Synthesis Zero dormant, you must make sure the restraints are reapplied once the chains are pulled out from them."
I could barely hear some paper rustling on the other side of the rubble wall. "Once you enter the passage, it should take you out into the forest, which is where we'll set up the separation ritual. I, along with Selka and Alice, will meet you there."
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Stepping up to Eugeo's cell, I pulled the key from my pocket, and put it inside the lock. I turned it, and with a satisfying click, the door swung open.
Eugeo looked from the ceiling to me, eyeing me warily.
Stepping inside, I crouched down next to him, took his chin in my hand, locking our gazes onto each other. "Just so we're clear," I said, "You are still a prisoner. As such, you will follow any command I issue to you."
Eugeo's eyes narrowed, then he very subtly nodded his head.
Reaching for the restraints on his left wrist first, the manacles lit up, the smell of burning flesh piercing my nose. I wasted no time in unlocking it, his arm dropping limply to his side. I pulled the chains with the iron thorns from them, leaving just the manacle itself. I could feel the power of incarnation within these restraints and I wasn't even sure I could break out of them. Giving his wrist a moment to air out, I then repeated the process with his right hand, placing them on the floor next to me. Eugeo sighed softly, just having this short reprieve. I reached around him, undoing the locks that were around his ankles as well.
I sat back, then took Eugeo's wrists in my own hands where I could see the damaged flesh from the manacles. I brought his wrists up to my lips, where I gently kissed each one, never breaking eye contact with him. Just that simple gesture had me thinking how much I wanted more. My eye twitched seeing blue tendrils starting to pulse more brightly now across Eugeo's skin. I knew that Synthesis Zero was trying to regain control. Quickly, I snapped the manacles back around Eugeo's wrists per Cardinal's instructions.
That left only the iron collar he wore, which was connected to a large ring on the floor. My hands went around his neck, my fingers searching for the lock, but there was nothing. Cardinal must have some special sacred arts on here and only she could undo it. She probably did that on purpose knowing how much I suck at using arts. So instead, I went to the loop on the ground and found a lock there. I clicked it open, then withdrew the chain from it, tossing it on the pile.
Eugeo stood shakily to his feet, and was watching me suspiciously.
I rose to stand beside him, then went to exit the cell. Outside of it, I took hold of the torch that was held in the accompanying sconce, then looked back over my shoulder. "Move, criminal."
"Must you call me that," Eugeo's eyes narrowed. He ducked out of the cell with me, just barely before everything shook violently again. This time, the ceiling in his cell cracked so badly it caved in on itself, flooding with stones, rocks, and dirt. Seconds later, another tremor left the hallway looking very similar to that of the staircase and Eugeo's cell, except now we were left complete darkness.
There was no chance of using sacred power down here as Solus's light could never reach these depths. I had to do this the traditional way. I knelt down carefully, one hand still on the unlit torch. My other hand felt around in the darkness. Gah! You'd think with all the rubble there'd be something I could use here.
The torch then abruptly lit in front of me, and I could see Eugeo holding two smooth stones in his hands.
"Impressive," I said, quickly adding, "For a criminal." Looking around, the prison cell area was beyond repair. Dirt, rocks, stones, and debris had buried nearly everything. It looked like we truly were trapped. I felt my heart racing and I could feel panic rising within me. I didn't want to die in here, not like this.
"Kirito," Eugeo said to me, pointing over to the bars on the floor.
The grate! We both scooted over to it, each of us attempting to pull or push on the bars that criss-crossed the opening. Although the tremors had loosened the bars, we needed more pressure. Both of us sat back on our butts and began to knock at it with our feet. After a few swift kicks, the bars fell into the rushing water below. We both looked over the edge, and I placed the torch as far inside as I could. The tunnel was definitely man-made with its curved walls and ceiling. The depth of the water was hard to judge until we actually got in. "I'm going in first," I said. I handed Eugeo the torch then slid into the grate opening, my boots hitting the stony ground with a thud. Once I stood up, the water was nearly waist high and it was freezing. I was guessing this was one of the ways to deter escapees. I had my armor, plus a few layers of clothing, but Eugeo, all he had was bandages wrapped around his waist and a pair of pants. He wouldn't last long, even if he is partial to ice elements. Cardinal had said he wasn't to die so I reached over to my shoulder and undid my cape. Tossing it up to him, I said, "Wrap this around yourself."
Eugeo nodded his thanks, trading the torch for the fabric and covered himself with it as best he could. I backed away, holding the torch aloft as he slid down and landed next to me, hissing as he hit the cold water. I could see his breath coming out in small puffs as I'm sure mine was. I glanced back and forth, wondering which way to go.
"Water flows down due to gravity," said Eugeo, his teeth chattering. "If we go against the current, we should be heading up towards the surface."
I handed Eugeo the torch. There wasn't much heat, but it was better than nothing. "Let's go."
We slowly trudged along in the water, Eugeo in front of me. The tunnel began to narrow, our heads nearly brushing against the curved ceiling. The current itself wasn't much to worry about, but the water and air temperatures were dank and dropping, and we were both shivering as we moved along. The torch provided little light, but maybe that was for the best. I could hear the skittering of feet, and honestly, I didn't want to know what it belonged to. We walked in silence for the most part, until something brushed against the back of my legs, then bit me in the back of my knee. My leg then buckled. Reaching for something to help keep my balance, I latched onto Eugeo's shoulder. I pulled him backwards into me, and we both toppled into the water. The torch was flung from Eugeo's hand, where it landed in the water with a loud hiss before sinking. Darkness enveloped us once again.
"Are you alright?" Eugeo asked, his voice echoing through the tunnel.
"My leg, it's numb. I can barely stand on it," I said angrily.
"I have an idea," Eugeo murmured. A few seconds later, his manacles began to glow, giving us a chance to see briefly. Whatever bit me seemed to have scurried away leaving no trace to what it actually was. All that remained was us in the ever-narrowing tunnel. "Seriously," Eugeo laughed softly. "You're always getting into trouble." He lifted my arm around his shoulder, and pulled me to my feet. "Come on. I bet once we start moving, you'll get some feeling back." We shuffled along, the way lighted by the soft glow of the runes on Eugeo's cuffs. I looked at him, his hair damp and dripping with water. His face was strained and I could see a tiny fang from his gritted teeth. His green eyes slid over to mine, and he caught me staring back at him. "Don't worry, I won't let Synthesis Zero out. But if I give him enough of a chance, he tries, and that causes the runes to light up. They help light our way, and keep Synthesis Zero dormant."
We continued on in companiable silence without further incident. Taking careful steps, we were able to navigate an incline in the tunnel and found ourselves bathed in the most glorious moonlight I'd even seen. Though we were barred from it with another grate. I put my arm out between the bars, thankful for the warmth of the night air. My fingers wrapped around the bars and gave it a quick shake. It was definitely loose. Nodding to each other, we both leaned heavily against it, and sent it tumbling into the river beyond. After that, we were only met with the sound of the river.
Eugeo helped me to the edge and we stepped out, grateful at least to be on dry land. The light from the moon was plenty to see by, and Eugeo happily stopped giving Synthesis Zero any hope of getting free. He set me down, and I went to flex my leg. Some of the feeling seemed to come back and I sighed in relief. Some type of temporary paralysis then. "Thank the goddesses…"
Eugeo lay down next to me, his eyes closed. "I'm glad you're okay, Kirito."
"Well, if you consider being cold, wet, and tired okay, well, I'm feeling great," I reply cheekily. I sober quickly, looking down at Eugeo. "You could have left me back there," I began. "Escaped…"
"And go where?" Eugeo sighed. He looked sleepily up at the sky. "The sky is so beautiful tonight. It reminds me of your sword…"
"My sword huh?" I glanced where it sat at my hip. "That's right, you named it, didn't you?" I murmured. A flicker of a memory flashed through my mind, but it was gone before I could process it, though it left me feeling warm and happy.
Suddenly, Eugeo's body began to shiver uncontrollably. Dammit. I knew this would happen. I carefully shifted over and went to remove my wet cape from him. His bandages were soaked through, the linens outstretched. Using my sword, I cut them away from his chest wound, surprised to see it had practically healed already. What didn't heal was the heavy scar around his middle, which pulsed along with the blue rose tattoo on his chest. I went to touch it, my hand pulling away at how cold his body was. I knew it was hypothermia setting in and I started to panic. I had nothing warm to cover him with, so I used the only thing I could. After removing my own wet armor and tunic, I lay down next to Eugeo. Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled him close, sharing with him what little body heat I had to give. I soon found myself stroking Eugeo's damp flaxen-colored hair, the motion comforting to me. I relaxed a little, hearing the soft breaths of Eugeo as he fell into a rhythmic sleep, his tremors lessening. Glancing above us, I could see a canopy of trees. Hopefully this was the forest that Cardinal had told me about. I hoped for the best as exhaustion overtook me.
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I could hear the birds already chirping signaling Solus was on its way up. "Morning, already?" I mumbled. I was flat on my back, arms outstretched to either side.
"Not quite," Eugeo replied softly.
I felt him climb on top of me and moaned softly, feeling warm hands slide up and down my exposed sides. I could feel the calluses along his fingers, but they didn't bother me. Hell, I had my own, comes with the territory when you wield a sword. Cracking open one eye, I said, "I trust you're feeling better?"
"Much," Eugeo replied, his mouth dipping down to drop kisses along my jawline and neck. He stopped at my adam's apple, where he sucked hard for a moment. He then continued down to my collar bone, tracing along the edges with his lips and tongue. Dropping further, his teeth grazed my chest and I could feel the nick of his fangs against my skin.
I placed my arm across his shoulders, my fingers casually playing with the flaxen hair at the nape of his neck. It was nearly dry, its soft, natural waves returning. That is, until I hit the collar around his neck. We both tensed up, reminded of our current situation.
Eugeo sighed, pulling back. His green eyes looked down at my golden ones, his hand coming up to gently brush at my dark locks. "I want to thank you for saving me," he began.
"Saving you? Is that what you think it was?" I replied, raising a brow.
Eugeo's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess. It was your mission to keep me alive."
I stared at him for a moment, then slowly reached my hands up to cup his face. Pulling him down towards me, I brushed my lips against his and kissed him, hard. We stayed that way for a beat until I let him go, my arms outstretched to either side as they fell to the ground. "Think that was part of my mission?" I narrowed my eyes back at him.
"Thirty-three!" came a stern command to our right.
My eyes slid over to where I took in the sight of Cardinal, Alice, and Selka all staring at us like we were specimens under a microscope. Eugeo didn't seem to care for an audience either.
"For the sake of Stacia, put something on," Cardinal muttered.
Eugeo and I looked at each other. We had forgotten that we were currently in the buck, as it were. Reaching out quickly, we grabbed our dried clothes, shimmying back into them.
"I hope you didn't let him take anything from you this time," Cardinal ground out.
Shit. Did saliva count? I kept my mouth shut just to be safe.
"So, um…" Selka began, her cheeks bright red. "Shall we start the ritual…"
End Chapter 17