An Asnean Odyssey: Bastien

Sixteen

Liet awoke to find that Skye had crawled onto the floor with him. Her arms were wrapped around his body, with one hand on his stomach and the other on his chest. He could feel her breasts pressed up against his back, and her bra was a lot less bothersome than it had been in the Beaumont. He gently lifted her arm off of his body and stood up to put his clothes on. As he got dressed, he noticed that Gage had pushed the beds together and was sprawled across both of them. After Liet had finished buttoning up his shirt, he bent down and placed the blanket over Skye, before heading up the stairs onto the balcony. He leaned over the railing, looking out at the city, occasionally gazing up at the sky as he waited for the others to awaken. Liet had become somewhat accustomed to the perpetual darkness.

“How’s your face?” Skye asked as she leaned against the railing beside Liet.

“Still beautiful,” Liet smiled. “To be honest, I was kind of hoping it was just a dream.”

Skye responded with silence. She lifted her hand to his face and brushed a cluster of hair away from Liet’s face, then traced his wound with her finger. Liet’s face twisted a bit, as the cut was still sensitive.

“How’s it look?” Liet asked.

“It looks...rugged...” Skye responded. “It’s not going to heal up very well. Are you sure you don’t want me to put some synthetic on it?”

“I’m certain,” Liet said as he turned for the stairs.

“Where are you going?”

“I want to get a look at my face, see how rugged it is,” Liet smiled.

“Nuh uh,” Skye pulled Liet back up the stairs. “You’re not waking up Gage. I’ve got some stuff I need to tell you before we leave.”

“Ah...yeah...I’m sorry for ru-” Liet tried to apologize.

“Here,” Skye said as she slipped her locket over her head. Before handing it to Liet, she pressed a button on its side, popping it open to reveal a small mirror. “You can use this.”

“You’ve got a mirror in your locket?” Liet asked as he examined his reflection. The cut had disappeared and his face was extremely pale, with what appeared to be blood spilling out of his lips.

“It’s not a mirror. It’s a portal to your world,” Skye corrected. “It emits a small amount of light, but it can still be used as a mirror.”

“I look like shit,” Liet bluntly stated.

“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad.”

“I’m practically a ghost and I’m coughing up blood.”

“What...?” Skye was confused.

“This isn’t my reflection. It’s like I’m looking at myself moments after...”

“Hmm...You can never see yourself, only your reflection...” Skye thought to herself aloud. “No one on this side has ever been to your world and back. Actually, to be honest, I’m pretty sure you’re the first person to ever cross over. The reason I see myself when I look into it is probably because I’d be the same as I am now if I went to your world.”

“I’m not going to get to look at myself until Gage wakes up, am I?” Liet sighed.

“Sorry,” Skye apologized. “I guess I just assumed it functioned like a mirror.”

“Why do you have this, anyway?” Liet asked as he handed back the pendant.

“It was a gift from my mother,” Skye said quietly as she stared into the reflective surface for a moment before snapping the pendant shut. She slipped the chain back around her neck and tucked the pendant into her shirt.

“Is she...?” Liet tried to be subtle.

“She died a few days after I was born. My father was...a criminal...when I was a few weeks old, I was branded with the mark of shame...” Skye rolled up the sleeve on her left arm, revealing a red and black circular tattoo which covered most of her forearm, with the sharp edges located just below her wrist. “Leinhardt took me in. He raised me, taught me everything he knew, and provided me with the means to further my education. I decided to repay him by working for him as a scientist. When he died and Oscar took over, I continued working in the castle. But...Oscar has different ideals than Leinhardt had. He was only interested in things that would benefit himself. When I told him that I no longer wanted to work for him, he became outraged and told me that I wasn’t allowed to leave the lab any more. So, I took most of my research materials and some of the things I had created, and I left.”

“Is that why Gage was worried that the guards had recognized you?” Liet asked.

“Yeah...Liet...There’s something...”

“Skye...”

“You were one of my research materials...” Skye’s voice began to shake as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. “We were going to try to bring someone over...from your side...We wanted to bring someone here before we went there...but then you...and Oscar decided to cut the project...I couldn’t just let you die...”

“Skye...” Liet embraced her in his arms, her tears soaking into his chest.

“I wasn’t going to tell you...” Skye cried into his chest. “I wasn’t going to tell you...”

“It’s alright,” Liet wiped away Skye’s tears as he looked into her eyes, which were shifting between deep blue and purple. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You saved my life...”

“I didn’t tell you everything...” Skye sniffed.

“I don’t care,” Liet squeezed Skye even tighter. “Better late than never, right?”

Skye and Liet stood silently for a while holding each other, waiting for Gage to awaken. After Skye had calmed down, she looked back at Liet and said, “Sylvan worked in the lab with me as well. We joined the rebellion a little bit after Oscar became the king. Sylvan spent more time there than I did though, since he was just an assistant.”

“Skye, I need you to tell me something...” Liet’s voice was filled with seriousness. “Why do you want me to kill Oscar?”

“I... He’s not fit to be a king...” Skye began. “He only thinks of himself, not of his subjects.”

“Do you plan to take his place?”

“No... I think the people should choose their leader. I’m not of royal blood anyways.”

“Thanks...” Liet said softly.

“For what?”

“For being honest,” Liet replied. Gage came strolling up the stairs and put his arm over Liet’s shoulder.

“I almost thought you guys left without me,” Gage yawned.

“Do you really think we hate you that much?” Liet joked.

“I thought you guys loved me!” A huge smile stretched across Gage’s face showing off his collection of gold and white teeth.

“Love isn’t quite the word I’d use,” Skye mumbled.

“You’re a cold one,” Gage replied, his smile fading.

“When will we be seeing the king?” Liet interrupted.

“I’m not seeing the king,” Gage quickly replied.

“Er...neither am I,” Skye said.

“Okay, when am I going to see the king?” Liet corrected himself.

Skye looked at her watch and said, “It’s still pretty early. Including the time it’s going to take to eat, we’ve still got a couple hours.”

“Can I go back to sleep then?” Gage asked.

“You can do whatever you want,” Skye replied.

“That doesn’t sound very convincing,” Gage sighed as he headed down the stairs. Liet followed after Gage, with Skye close behind.

“Hey Skye,” Liet began. “Have you ever heard of someone with a pure white eye that has a scar around the outside of it?”

“Hmm, I can’t say I have,” Skye replied. Gage’s attention suddenly became focused on Liet.

“Where did you hear about it?” Gage asked.

“Oh, the guard that saved me was talking about it while we walked back here,” Liet lied.

“I’ve heard a rumor...” Gage began. “Or a myth, I suppose. Apparently, it’s a pirate’s ultimate dream. You get that baby, and you can see the gold shining through pockets, your fingers become nimble enough to take a man’s underwear and he’d be none the wiser.”

“Why would you want someone’s underwear?” Liet inquired

“You wouldn’t. It was an example. Although some people pay top dollar for underwear. Another way of putting it would be that it hones your reflexes and gives you supernatural vision,” Gage restated. “But there’s a catch. This thing’s alive.”

“What?” Liet fell back onto the bed in shock.

“Ah...Like a parasite...” Skye said to herself, suddenly fascinated by Gage’s tale.

“Yes, exactly,” Gage looked at Skye. “But there’s only one in existence. Since there’s only one, the only way to acquire it is to pry it from the previous owner’s skull.”

“That’s horrible...” Skye quietly said.

“That’s not even the best part,” Gage smiled maniacally. “He’s got to be alive when you do it.”

Skye recoiled in disgust, collapsing onto the bed opposite Liet.

“Then, once you’ve got it out of the poor bastard, you’ve got to get your own eye out,” Gage continued, his smile still persisting. “But you’ve got to make sure you’ve got the right one. If you try to stick it in the left eye, it won’t attach properly and you’ll be stuck with a half functioning eye thing.”

“Why are you smiling?” Skye asked, looking at Gage with distaste.

“It’s a myth,” Gage bluntly stated. “A ghost story. Not true.”

“Are you sure it’s not real? You seemed pretty enthusiastic about it,” Liet questioned.

“Is Dargus Oxum real?” Gage asked sarcastically. Liet and Skye looked at him with blank stares. “Dargus Oxum? The ghost demon that eats little pirates for breakfast if they go pillaging after sunrise?”

“I feel like the sunrise is more of a myth than Gardus Awesome,” Liet said after a moment of silence.

“It’s Dargus Oxum!” Gage started to get defensive. “And he’s more of a myth than you’ll ever be!”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Skye pointed out.

“Gah! Forget it! Let’s just get something to eat!” Gage stormed out of the room while Liet and Skye laughed openly behind him. The group waved at the lady behind the desk as they left, who gave no response. The streets were a lot emptier compared to the previous day.

“Where are we going to eat?” Liet asked.

“We’ll probably stop by a street vendor and grab something to go.”

“I thought you said we had time to kill.”

“We’re going to go look at the castle,” Skye said cheerfully.

“Uh...Why?” Liet asked as the group walked through the streets.

“Why not? It’s where we need to be, and it’s something to do.”

“I guess...”

“Was there something else you wanted to do?” Skye asked.

“Well, no. It just sounds kind of boring...” Liet replied, causing Gage to smirk.

“Can you handle yourself on your own, Skye?” Gage asked.

“Of course I can. I’ve got...I’ve got...I can...Yeah,” Skye seemed a bit flustered.

“I’ll take Liet around and show him a good time after we eat,” Gage smiled. “A couple hours, right?”

“Exactly two hours.” Skye suddenly became concerned. “Where are you taking him?”

“We’re just going to go for a stroll,” Gage smiled. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”

“If you let anything happen to him, I’ll eat your eyeballs,” Skye threatened as the trio approached a small cart on the sidewalk. The cart was yellowish with faded red letters painted lazily on the side. Flames were erupting out of the bottom of the cart, some dripping onto the pavement and slithering off into the cracks. The man behind the cart was a rather fat gentleman with a fine mustache who was wearing a white apron that covered most of his clothes. He had large ears on the side of his head which sagged down to his shoulders.

“Can I eat this stuff? I mean, won’t I have to chew it?” Liet asked.

“It’s street food, everyone chews it,” Skye replied.

“Think he’ll have eggs?” Liet asked, causing him to receive a quick elbow to the gut from Skye.

“I’m...not hungry...” Gage backed away from the cart as Liet and Skye made their orders.

“Two bon bons, please,” Skye smiled at the man behind the cart.

“That’s a very nice mustache you have, sir,” Liet stated.

“Moostohsh,” the fat man corrected Liet. He spoke in a strange manner. “If yowah going to compliment a mahn’s moostohsh, at leasht pronounce it properly.”

“Moo...stohsh...” Liet tried to replicate the man’s strange way of speaking.

“Buahahaha,” the man bellowed as he handed Liet a weird ball of dough. “Heyah, this one’s on me.”

“Uh...thanks...” Liet replied.

“Thaht’ll be three coppah coins, miss,” the man said as he handed Skye a ball of dough.

“Nice moostohsh,” Skye smiled.

“Fowah.”

“But...but...He...” Skye began to argue with the man behind the cart. Gage grabbed Liet’s arm and pulled him into the alley, nearly knocking the ball of dough out of his hands.

“Come on, try to keep up!” Gage shouted as he ran off down the alley.

Liet sprinted after him, nearly tripping over his own feet a couple of times. After a few minutes of running, Liet rounded a corner and slammed face first into Gage’s chest, knocking himself to the ground.

“Come on, get up,” Gage was completely unfazed by the collision.

“What’s the point of this?” Liet asked as he sat on the ground struggling to catch his breath.

“I don’t want Skye to see us.”

“Why?”

“Because then she’ll start asking questions and just get all nosy, like she always is,” Gage made little gestures with his hands in an attempt to mock Skye, but it ended up just looking like he was swatting at something.

“What exactly are we doing?” Liet asked as he rose to his feet.

“Ah ha!” Gage extended his arms. “Hold onto my arms. No, wait...you might fall...just...hold on tight, alright?”

“Wouldn’t a piggyback be better?”

“What?”

“You’ve never had a piggyback before?”

“No, I don’t even...what?”

“Oh, here, let me show you,” a smile crawled across Liet’s face. He jumped behind Gage and folded his arms by his sides. “Alright, you’re going to have to hold onto my legs.”

“Uh, o-okay,” Gage nervously agreed. Liet put his hands on Gage’s shoulders and boosted himself onto his back, wrapping his arms around Gage’s chest. Gage let out a groan of discomfort as Liet mounted him. “You owe me some.... of that bon bon...”

“Come on Gage, I thought you were Mr. Buff Pirate.”

“I’ve never -Hrngh- tried this before, alright?” Gage gasped. “And you’re a lot heavier than you look. Just...hold on.”

“Maybe you’re a lot weaker than you look,” Liet joked.

Gage took a bite out of Liet’s bon bon and bent his legs a bit, jumping into the air shortly after. The two of them hovered for a moment, their hair had fanned out, almost as though they were underwater. Soon after, Gage planted his feet against the wall of the alley and began to sprint up it, launching himself off once he reached the top. The two of them slowly glided through the air towards a building that rose up higher than the rest. Liet closed his eyes as they neared the walls of the building. Gage’s feet softly made contact with the building and he began to sprint upwards. Once he met the corner of the roof, he leaped into the air, but wound up throwing himself off balance causing the pair to crash into the roof of the building.

“We made it, that’s what counts, right?” Gage laughed.

“How’d you do that?” Liet asked as he examined his bon bon. Surprisingly, it managed to survive the tumble unscathed. Liet tried to take a bite out of the bon bon, but it resisted, its texture was chewy, almost rubbery, like a marshmallow. Once he managed to tear a piece off, it became soft and fluffy in his mouth. It tasted a lot like a sweet roll, but with a bitter aftertaste.

“Serena and I did some fooling around last night, figured we’d see just what we could do,” Gage replied as he pulled Serena out of a small pocket hidden beneath his overcoat.

“That’s why you wanted a balcony, huh,” Liet thought aloud. “Can you fly with that thi-er...with Serena’s help?”

“We can hover just fine,” Gage stroked Serena’s orb gently. “But without some form of propulsion, all we can do is hover.”

“Couldn’t you just flap your arms?” Liet made large sweeping gestures with his arms.

“Do you know how stupid that would look?” Gage pointed out. “Besides, I tried it. It doesn’t work.”

“I bet Skye could whip up something for you,” Liet said as he handed the last piece of his bon bon to Gage.

You can’t tell Skye about this,” Gage spewed crumbs everywhere as he chewed the lump of dough.

“Why not?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

“From Skye?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t see why not,” Liet hesitantly replied.

“I need your word that you won’t tell her,” Gage extended his empty hand.

“You have my word,” Liet said as he slapped Gage’s hand. “I won’t tell Skye.”

“What the hell was that?”

“I thought...you wanted a high five...” Liet stuttered in his confusion.

“I was hoping for a handshake...but I guess that’s alright,” Gage smiled as he looked at his hand. “I’ve never had someone do that to me before.”

“I find it hard to believe that no one high fives around here,” Liet thought aloud.

“Have you ever wondered why...” Gage paused for a moment as though he were contemplating his decision. “Why I called her Serena?”

“Not really...” Liet replied. “Skye calls her car Susan.”

“Yeah, well she’s...Skye...” Gage smirked a bit. “Serena’s my wife.”

“I didn’t think pirates had wives.”

“Everyone needs someone to comfort them every now and then,” Gage’s voice became softer than usual. “She’s dead now.”

“I’m sor-”

“No, don’t apologize,” Gage stopped Liet. “She was a pirate too. But she was...greedy, I suppose. She was afraid of losing me, that I’d die trying to get the big haul.”

“That eye thing?”

Gage laughed softly and pointed to his eye patch. “Yeah.”

“Can I see it...?” Liet asked curiously.

“You’ll see it one day, but that day is not today,” Gage replied. “Do you know how gravitation spheres are made?”

“N-”

“Of course you don’t,” Gage allowed himself to smirk for a second before his face returned to its solemn state. “I don’t even think Skye would know. There’s a laboratory hidden in the ocean.”

“Underwater...?”

“Yup. Well...maybe not anymore,” Gage corrected himself. “There was a whole city down there. Mostly criminals hiding from their pursuers, but there were a few diamonds among the coal. They started up a lab, got the scumbags to steal whatever they needed and in return, they gave the pirates some fancy gear. Serena was one of their regulars.”

“Did you live there?”

“Something like that...” Gage recalled. “One day these guys show up and start spouting off about eternal life. Serena decides to buy into it.”

“I guess it didn’t work out too well, huh...” Liet quietly commented.

“They tell us to meet ’em in their lab at midnight. When we get there, they bash our heads in, knock us out cold. When I come to, I’m tied up and Serena’s in some kind of tube thing. The creeps are all laughing and praising each other as I just sit there,” A tear began to drip down Gage’s cheek. “They flip a switch and poof. She’s gone.”

“It’s not your fault...” Liet tried to console Gage.

“You’re damn right it’s my fault! I didn’t try to stop her! I couldn’t do shit!” Gage slammed his fist into the roof, leaving a large crater. “I couldn’t save her...”

Liet wasn’t sure what to say. He just sat in silence as tears poured out of Gage’s eye.

“I can still hear her,” Gage sniffed.

“What...?”

“I try to ignore her when I’m around you guys...but she gets really pissed off,” Gage managed a weak laugh between sobs. He reached out and placed Serena into Liet’s palm, folding his fingers around her and holding his hand shut. “I’ve been ignoring her this whole time...”

The moment his fingers were wrapped around Serena, Liet’s mind seemed to release all thoughts and he felt as though he could just drift away into nothingness. He could hear the sound of a gentle breeze blowing through the rooftops, fluttering into his ears, almost like a whisper. “I think I can hear her...”

A tiny smile peeked out of Gage’s lips. “She didn’t say much, did she?”

“It was just a whisper...I couldn’t understand what she said.”

“That’s how it was for me at first, just whispers...” Gage had started to regain his composure. “But then she grew on me, I suppose. Now I can hear her as though she’s right next to me.”

“Did they make any more of those spheres?” Liet asked. Gage uncurled his fingers and took Serena back.

“I killed them. All of them.”

“I... How’d they attack your ship then?”

“It’s possible someone got their hands on their research...maybe rebuilt the city...” Gage pushed the thoughts from his mind. “You’re all I’ve got left, Liet. You, Skye, Serena...my crew is dead...there’s one other person I need to check on...but...aside from him, you guys are all I have.”

“Gage...”

“Do you know why I’m telling you this?”

“No...”

“I have to leave soon...”

“Why...?”

“Think about it. The people that destroyed my ship are going to find that my body’s not in the wreckage. Where’s the first place they’ll look?”

“Asnea...”

“Exactly. I’m putting you in danger.”

“But...if you just told Skye...”

“No. You guys have your own problems.”

“Alright...” Liet reluctantly agreed.

“Grab on,” Gage commanded as he stood up and wiped the moisture from his cheek. “We’ve got to get back to Skye.”

Liet silently climbed onto Gage’s back and the pair began leaping across the rooftops towards a large castle near the center of the city.

“Hey Gage, do you mind if I ask you something?”

“-Ngh- No, go ahead,” Gage struggled to reply.

“That eye can see stuff through pockets, right?”

“Yes,” Gage exhaled.

“What’s in Skye’s front pocket?” Liet asked. Gage stopped on a rooftop to catch his breath.

“I don’t know,” Gage replied.

“I thought you co-”

“Every time I look at her chest my head begins to throb. It’s like she’s got the world in her pocket and I’m trying to fit that into my mind. Not that I look at her chest often. I’m more of a leg man, myself,” Gage explained. “Oh, come on, I was only joking!”

“W-wha?” Liet was confused.

“Haha, looks like no sleep tonight,” Gage said with a huge grin as he got ready to leap towards the next building. “Serena’s really pissed now.”

“Sorry I brought it up,” Liet apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been ignoring -Hngh- her for too long. I deserve it,” Gage wheezed. “I just wish she’d give me the silent treatment instead.”

Liet smirked for a moment before Gage dropped down into an alleyway.

“We’ll walk from here,” Gage stated. “The castle is at the end of this alley. Skye’s probably somewhere around there.”

Liet followed Gage as they paced through the empty alleyway. As soon as they emerged into the streets, Skye began shouting at them.

“Where the hell have you guys been? Do you know how late you are?”

“We’re not late,” Gage answered. “And I’ve just been showing Liet the sights.”

“Liet, you’re not hurt, are you?” Skye rushed towards Liet and began inspecting his body.

“I-I’m fine. Gage took care of me,” Liet nervously replied.

“Pfft, right.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Gage became defensive.

“Can you guys just show me where I’m supposed to talk to Oscar?” Liet asked.

“Go through that gate and you’ll enter the courtyard. From there, it’s a straight shot to the castle,” Skye said, pointing to a massive gate similar to the one at the entrance to the city. “Once you’re inside, someone will lead you to the audience chamber. Simply walk up to him and start talking. Unless there’s a line, then you’ll have to wait.”

“Who are those guys?” Liet asked, pointing to a pair of soldiers a little bit taller than Gage who were standing on either side of the large doors. They were dressed in tight fitting solid green armor, from head to toe. The only parts of their bodies which were visible were their eyes through a small crack in their ferocious helmets. The air around them seemed to glow with an intense aura.

“Oh uh...They’re teslaguards...” Skye said slowly. “Just...try to avoid them. If they speak with you, give them direct answers. They don’t mess around.”

“O-oh...great...” Liet lost a bit of confidence as he began to walk towards the behemoths. “I guess I’ll see you guys in a bit.”

“Good luck!” Skye and Gage both shouted in unison before returning to their argument.

Liet tried to act casual as he strolled up to the gate. The teslaguards stood motionless, hands fastened to their sides. A soft crackling noise could be heard beneath their metallic breathing as Liet passed through the gate.

The enormous castle stood before him. The courtyard was lined with statues as he approached the giant doors leading inside. Once he had pushed his way through the doors, he was led up a set of spiraling stairs and through a maze of corridors until he reached a large chamber. Giant, dark gray stone pillars rose up to the ceiling in a broken line along either side of the room. The walls were decorated with enormous windows which seemed to radiate color, painting a picture of a valiant knight above the center of the room. Directly below sat an ominous man, dressed in bright red garments. A shimmering golden mask covered the top left half of his face, while the bottom left half of the mask looked as though it had been shattered and the fragments were frozen in the air. The man was sitting with one leg resting upon the other, and his head propped up on his hand. Beside him stood another man, tall and ominous, who wore a simple purple outfit. His onyx hair hung down to his chest. Liet walked cautiously up to the end of a long line of people who had gathered in front of the man.

As Liet waited for the line to shorten and his turn to come, he examined the room a bit more. In the shadows beside each pillar, a teslaguard stood patiently, unmoving, waiting for something to draw its attention. The chair the man was sitting in was a multicolored pillar, with two large, cupped hands holding him upright. One hand was an ominous ebony, the other an awe-inspiring ivory. The backrest of the chair was fashioned out of countless miniature scale-like objects carved from the same stones as the hands. The alternating colors seemed to have no definitive pattern.

“Next,” A soft male voice called out, signaling Liet to step forward.

“I was just wondering...” Liet began. “I mean, I’ve never seen the sun before, but I’ve heard about what it was like. So, I guess I was just wondering why you don’t give us some light every now and then...”

The man in the chair looked up at Liet. His visible eye was a brilliant green color in contrast to the dark green, almost black, hair that just barely tickled his shoulders. “Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are just...absolutely flawless?”

“Er, no,” Liet responded. The man’s voice was soft and soothing, echoing through Liet’s mind, making him feel like he was in a dream. “Thanks though, sir.”

“Please, call me Oscar,” The man waved his free hand in the air. “Now then, it’s quite costly to keep Shefira operating. If these people were a little more willing, I might be able to give them what they want.”

“But-” Liet began, before he was swiftly cut off.

“There is no but. Why should I have to pay for their precious sunlight?” Oscar’s voice became sharp. “Now leave me, I have others to speak with.”

With that, Liet turned and began to head back towards the door he had entered from. As he was halfway to the door, Oscar called out to him.

“Boy,” Oscar’s voice seemed a bit sweeter than before. “Why don’t you come back over here. I think I may have ended our little chat a bit prematurely.”

Liet turned around to see one of the guards from the city gate standing at Oscar’s side. Slowly, he began to walk toward Oscar, his heart pounding through his chest. He stopped in front of Oscar, his knees practically collapsing under the weight of his body.

“You wouldn’t happen to know a young woman by the name of Skye Curiousitas, would you?”

“N-no,” Liet stuttered.

“You aren’t lying now, are you? It would be very unfortunate if you were,” Liet could see a fierce smile below the mask. “Skye is a very, very dangerous woman. She’d just as soon kill you as she would befriend you. The only reason you’re still alive is because you’ve got something she wants. Look, why don’t you follow this fine gentleman here, and we’ll have a nice chat later.”

The guard beside Oscar turned around, walking towards the far end of the chamber. Liet followed the guard, not knowing what else to do. As he followed the guard, he noticed Guy leaning against the farthest pillar on the opposite side of a teslaguard. His arms were folded on his chest and a huge grin was plastered on his face as he stared directly at Liet.

Suddenly, the guard stopped, causing Liet to stop as well. He waited for a moment, expecting the guard to do something. After a few seconds, he noticed that one of the guard’s legs was in the air as though he was walking. Liet tapped the guard on the shoulder. When he received no response, he walked around to the front of the guard. The guard’s eyes were wide open, but he still didn’t move. Liet noticed that Oscar was behind the guard as well. An ebony dagger with an ivory hilt was gripped tightly in his hand, ready to thrust into the empty space behind the guard. Liet walked up to Oscar, examining him closely. The man was frozen, along with the guard. Liet pried the knife from Oscar’s fingers and held it in his hand. The blade seemed to suffocate the air around it, draining it of light, giving it a darkened, shadowy appearance. As he held the dagger, it felt as though his life was being sucked from him, leaving him with almost no energy. Liet raised his hands in the air as he tried to drop the dagger only to realize that his hands had begun to evaporate into the air. The evaporation began to spread to his arms and legs, working its way up his torso. Liet tried to scream as the world began to melt, leaving nothing but darkness.