Gone

Cole's eyes seemed distant and hard. His hands gripped the pencil as though he were trying to strangle it. His breathing was deliberate, like he was trying to hold back a chest full of frustration.

He no longer smiled when he looked at Sage. Instead he looked...confused. A little disgusted. A look that sent daggers of ice into Sage's heart. She knew that these were her final hours with her love. Her final minutes, perhaps. And yet she stayed by his side instead of obeying her strong urge to escape.

It seemed as though the only thing holding Cole together was that paper: the song that he claimed he was writing to express his love for her. And his hand was slowing. There was no doubt in Sage's mind that his passion was waning. Soon there would be nothing left of him but an empty husk; a creature unable to act of his own free will, let alone remember that he used to feel affection for the woman who sat beside him.

There would be nothing in his heart but animalistic lust and an innate desire to obey every order Overlord gave him, no matter how cruel or repugnant.

Chedva yowled suddenly, causing Sage to jump. Cole's eyebrow twitched.

"Are you hungry?" Sage drank deeply from a canteen beside her, then opened the front of her dress. Chedva cried again, turning her head away, refusing her mother's breast.

Sage stroked the infant's hair- black and soft, like her father's- and kissed her forehead. Chedva resisted, wiggling as though she intended to remove herself from her mother's arms.

"You want your daddy," Sage whispered, eyes watering. I know. I miss him too, pyerna. She closed her eyes, holding Chedva close. The infant finally calmed down, reducing her cries to feeble whimpers, nuzzling Sage's neck.

I will have to leave today, Sage decided. When our next meal comes and the door opens, I will run like Cole wanted. I-

Gentle hands took Chedva from her, and she looked up.

Cole set Chedva on his lap and held out his fingers for her, letting her squeeze them with tiny, meaty fists. Her green eyes reflected Cole's stony features like polished emeralds. She cooed at him, smiling a gummy smile.

Cole smiled back.

The sight nearly caused Sage to melt into a blubbering, teary mess. But she reined herself in, not willing to let her last sight of Cole- the real Cole- pass her by in a wet and blurry flash.

"It's done," Cole whispered hoarsely. "I finished it."

"What? The song?" Sage asked.

Cole nodded.

"I wish I could hear it," Sage said.

"You will," Cole assured her. "Take the book. Ask someone in Ninjago to play it for you." He paused, seeming to push against some great barrier in his mind, and swallowed. "I...love you, Sage."

Chedva babble and spat, pulling her father's fingers into her drooling mouth.

"So that is it?" Sage asked. "You are leaving me, and you expect me to just...live my life without you? You want me to go to Ninjago, and live among your strange people with their strange ways, acting as though you do not matter to me?"

Cole did not answer.

Sage cupped his face in both her hands and kissed his lips.

He did not kiss her back.

Sage eventually pulled away, despairing at his distant expression.

How much strength did it take, I wonder, to tell me what he just did? Cole must have been teetering on the brink the whole conversation, struggling to maintain a feeble hold on his sanity.

And now he was gone. Really and truly gone, forever. Maybe she should have felt more emotional about it, but at the moment she was too afraid of the implications: the deed was done, and Cole was wholly under Overlord's control. Now it was only a matter of time before Overlord killed her and Chedva.

I must go, she told herself, taking Chedva from Cole's arms as carefully as possible. The infant loudly proclaimed her disapproval of the situation, trying to get back to her daddy.

Sage's heart pounded fearfully in her chest as she took up the staff paper and hid it in her dress. Overlord may come soon to take Cole away. I cannot be around for that. She placed a final kiss on Cole's cold temple, not wanting to let go.

"Thank you, Coleman," she murmured tearfully, running a hand through his hair. "I am so sorry that I caused this. I love you."

And now, to wait for the door to open again for her escape.

Overlord sat on his bed examining Cole's Blade as Nephilim entered the room.

Raindancer, it was called, a Blade with a large, translucent white gem in its pommel. A dangerous gem. An ironic one, too, considering Cole's current position. Oh, if only he had known this Blade's potential, he thought with a chuckle. He would not have given it up so easily.

"Father," Nephilim said, holding out a small stack of papers as she approached the bed, "if you're done, we need to talk."

With a sigh Overlord slid the Blade back into its four-inch sheath. He stood and took up Nephilim's papers "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Father." She waited a moment for Overlord to skim her papers- inventory numbers, mostly- then spoke. "Your Dark Knight finally turned."

"Oh?" Overlord raised his eyes from the extensive list, smiling. "Are you sure?"

"I saw him through a crack in the door as I passed a few minutes ago. He is ready for your command."

"Wonderful." Overlord returned Nephilim's papers to her. "Make sure his door is not opened until I arrive. We don't want Hagar trying to escape again."

"Yes, Father." She waited expectantly for another long stretch.

Overlord took a deep breath, restraining his impatience. She's a talented girl. If only she weren't so high-maintenance. "Marvelous job with those numbers, Neph." He kissed her forehead. "You're very helpful."

"Thank you, Father." Nephilim hugged him with both arms warmly. "Do you need anything else before I take a rest?"

"No." Overlord patted her back and extricated himself from her embrace. "Go and eat. Have a few hours of free time before resuming your evening work."

He put a hand on the door. "I'm going to Sanguine. Neph, darling, after your break, please go aboveground and check in with the midwives. I heard there were three more births today-"

"Four, Father," Nephilim corrected.

"Ah. Four. Well then. If you would please name and register them later, I would be grateful. I'm swamped today."

"Yes, Father." Nephilim stood on her toes and pecked Overlord's cheek.

Overlord opened the door for her, and they parted ways in the hall.

It's a shame that Kyle divulged my secrets, he thought, smoothing his hair as he began his short walk to the next room, where Sanguine waited. All the time and effort I spared to break Sanguine has been for naught.

He lifted the latch to Sanguine's door and entered, lips curving into a subtle smile. The pleasure he has given me, however, is priceless.

The exertion from being out in the rain burying Kyle had caused Jay's fever to spike. He spent the rest of the day asleep, and most of the next day as well. He only had small windows of lucidity every few hours, in which he insisted on taking care of his stupid pet, Momo.

Pixal watched as Jay set aside a rag soaked with warn hrymerv milk and laid down on his pillow. The pup- who had regained its strength, to a degree- tumbled out of Jay's cupped hand and scooted across the pillow with its front paws, snuffling and squeaking until it found Jay's face. It stretched, yawned, and plopped down on the pillow against Jay's warm skin. They were both asleep in seconds.

"It's so silly it's almost cute," Pixal said to Merv, who sat beside her in a twin tiny chair.

Merv nodded. "It's good for him, though," she said. "Having a companion that needs such constant care. It will help him recover."

"How will a pet help Jay's fever go away?" Pixal asked.

"Not the fever," Merv explained. "His...depression. He feels useless, so if he succeeds in raising this pup, he may begin to return to normal." There was eagerness in her eyes. Anticipation. Hope. But also a touch of worry. "I just hope that the pup survives."

"Oh, so now you've been taken captive by its wet-nosed charms?" Pixal snorted.

"No. I think it's ugly. I just mean that if Jay's efforts aren't enough, and Momo doesn't make it..."

"...Jay might lose himself completely," Pixal finished. She nodded. "I see what you mean. So what should we do?"

Merv shrugged. "There isn't much we can do, except observe and hope for the best."

"Yeah," Pixal agreed.

They watched Jay and Momo in silence for a while. Both sleepers were still and quiet, chests rising and falling steadily as they breathed.

"I'm concerned about Jay's sickness," Pixal said at last. "What if it is meant to kill him? He doesn't seem to be getting much better."

"It's only been two days," Merv said. "And his body is weak. It could take several weeks for him to recover."

"We don't have several weeks!"

"I know," Merv sighed. "Of course, I could speed up the process with some medicine. But he won't take anything through the mouth."

Stupid boy. He's going to kill himself if he doesn't eat soon. Pixal leaned back in her chair, going over their options in her head. Letting him sleep off the illness for half a month wasn't an option. He wasn't taking anything orally, either. And that left Pixal with only two more options: carry Jay to Prince Wu's hut and see if the old man could smack some sense into Jay, or...

Hmm.

Pixal summoned her eagle and gave it a set of instructions.

We'll get you fixed up yet, Jay Walker, Pixal thought with a slight smile. Just a few more hours. Hang in there.