2. Deadlands

Year 749; Day 103

Aurora's Valley

Worthless, a waste of time, a futile effort. These are the first thoughts that plague my mind as I sit on top of the hill, reading every detail of Recidivus Animus. This tome only describes things I already know. The soul, once released from the human body in death, drifts to Eternity for permanent rest. Those who abandon Eternity become foul demons that know how to do nothing but murder. When a soul is lost, it can never be returned. The last one feels like a knife thrust into my heart. I know to continue on, even though it is thought impossible by everyone in this day and age. No, what angers me is that I went through hell and back to get something that does not have the information I seek. I glance over at Alastair, who is sitting a distance away from me, his hood covering his eyes as he lies on the grass, arms crossed, sulking. He appears to be watching the sunrise over the rolling hills of the valley. I think he is uninterested by it. I had won our verbal battle last night, forcing him to understand that once the bond is created, it cannot be broken. Defeated, he had chosen to follow, though he seemed upset to be leaving the citadel. Frankly, I was just relieved to leave that horrible place.

"You seem to not know what to make of this boy, Alia."

I nod, though I still am frustrated that she refers to me as a child and him as a boy. We are adults, but I realize I have much to learn. Kali is also older and thus, considerably wiser than me and Alastair.

"He appears to be one of them on the outside, but I can tell there is more of him that he is not willing to show on the inside."

"Indeed there is more to him than meets the eye. I have noticed that you have recognized him."

So she had noticed. Well, it is to be expected considering I had found him familiar. Though our bond allows her to read my thoughts and discern my feelings, I can hide some things from her. I cannot place where I have met him, or who he is exactly, so I decide to lie to her. It is something I rarely do, since I trust Kali with many of my secrets, but this is a topic I would prefer to keep to myself.

"I must have mistaken him for someone else. They look so much alike."

She is already curious, and I am not surprised by the skepticism she now has towards me. I know she does not believe me, as I am not the best liar. For now, I will keep this a secret until I can remember who he really is, if I even know him at all. I begin to feel an ounce of guilt at forcing him to come with us. It is clear that he does not wish to be chained to me or Kali. I am not too thrilled about it either, so I shall take it as a learning experience, a chance to see how the other side lives.

I set Recidivus Animus on the grassy hill next to me, wishing it contained the things I need to know. I do not want to live my entire life an empty being. I spent years like this, trying to find a way to be a normal human being again, despite the claims that it is impossible. Kali seems to have faith in me; for a beast she has a good heart. I also wish to help her, as I can tell she has been through much hardship, even though she tries to conceal it. I know not what to do now. Alastair seems to be of little help to us.

"Why not ask him? He belonged to them, after all. Perhaps they share this information with their affiliates."

I smirk, wondering if this is the reason why she extended the bond to include him. I wonder if he can hear our thoughts, since he is now a part of the bond. We both call out to him through the mental bond, but he does not react. It must only affect me and Kali. So I have to communicate with him out loud. I move closer to him and sit on the grass next to him. He looks at me quickly, and then returns his gaze to the sky.

"So, the sunrise is beautiful, right?" I say, referring to my own opinion of it. Both the sunrise and sunset are beautiful from the valley. I often come to watch it and reflect on things past.

"Not especially," he says plainly. I sigh; there really is no trying to get to know him. Most people enjoy the sunset; but then again, he has been hanging around demons. I think he senses my unease and adds, "The moon looks much better from here."

I am a little shocked at what he said. So demons do take time to appreciate things.

"You've been here before?" I say, turning to stare at him.

He nods, and sits up straight. "You see that lake, at the bottom of the valley?" He points, and I nod. "The full moon makes it sparkle like the most beautiful of gems."

"So, that's why you come here? I thought I was the only one." Other people often go to the ocean. I saw him break a slight smile.

"I guess you aren't," he comments. Kali is getting impatient with me. She wants to see me collect answers, not to converse casually. I decide to change the topic, even though I am enjoying this conversation. Never have I met another person who shares my interest in the valley.

"So how long have you been affiliated with Oblivion?" I try not to sound hateful; just a casual question.

He frowns and looks at the ground. "A while; maybe several years. How long have you been chained to that thing?"

Taken aback, I reply, "Kali is not a thing; she's a person. I've known her for…about four years or so."

He smirks at how offended I am by his reference to Kali as a thing. But she was once a person, who lived lives like we did. She simply refuses to tell me how she became what she is. I wish she would tell me; she must have had an interesting life. Moving on, I inquire, "Do they share with you anything about the soul?"

He appears curious when I ask, staring at me with such an expression. "A significant amount; but I'm sure they are things you already know."

I frown, mentally swearing. Why can I not find the information I seek? He continues, "Why don't you release me, and maybe I can gather information from one of the superiors?"

Both I and Kali start to laugh; as if we would let him go! The bond cannot be broken once it has been linked.

"You seriously think we would release you? She sees you as useful, though I cannot image why. I simply consider you a threat," I say.

He sighs, as though he knew all along getting me to release him would take quite a bit more effort than that. "Then what do you plan to do?"

I ponder the thought, actually not knowing who to go to. "I refuse to return to the citadel. My identity is now known there. I cannot go back."

He nods, as if he respects my decision. "Perhaps, there is someone who can help."

I sit up, staring at him with excited eyes. "Who?"

"He's an extremely old demon. He doesn't move anymore, and the weakness that comes with his age causes him to be useless to the cause. He lives in the Deadlands, just outside the Circle." The Black Circle, commonly known as just the Circle, is a system of villages that, when gazed at from above, appears in a circular shape. Each village is adjacent to two others, and each one makes up a fourth of the Circle. Imagine a pie cut into fourths; the entire system appears as such. It is named the Black Circle because of how close it is to the citadel.

Outside the Circle, is the land that separates the citadel from civilization, named the Terra-Everto Deadlands. Existing around the Circle, it was once a vast field, with trees springing up here and there, beautiful wildflowers hiding in the short grass, and it was such a peaceful environment that calmed the mind. The lands to the west are simply called Terra-Everto, after the name of our simple continent. They still are a vast plain, with dirt trade paths that lead to the port many miles away. To the east is where the trouble lies. "Deadlands" was added to the title because that is virtually what they are. The plant life is dying, the air reeks of decaying flesh, and in the distance is the ugly citadel. No one ventures there; in fact it is the law of the continent that passage there is forbidden. They simply want to prevent any more villagers from being hurt. We believe that the decay is caused by the presence of not only demons, but of the souls of the dead who manage to escape being devoured.

We walk silently most of the way. It is a short journey; you can even see the thick fog that layers the Deadlands from the top of the valley. Alastair has pulled his hood over his head again, hiding most of him underneath the black cloth. I ask him what the demon's name is; he claims to not remember. That must have been the only time we spoke. The tension between us is so awkward that I wish I could force Kali to break the chain and let him go, just so I can be away from him.

As soon as we set foot on the soil of the Deadlands, I press my hand against my nose, wearing an expression of disgust. It smells of flesh decaying off the bodies of the dead, human and demon alike. A pile of skulls, human in appearance, lie underneath a dead tree. Red bloodstains coat the ground, the trees, everything. Occasionally, we come across black blood stains, the blood of demons. I try to gain satisfaction that some demons were put to justice. I shudder when my eyes move to a body with flesh still on it, though parts have fallen off. I quickly look away. My foot nearly steps on human remains and I let out a sort of squeal, and jump away from it, nearly crashing into Alastair. He catches me and stands me upright. My face flushes and I quickly apologize.

"Watch where you step," he scolds, and continues walking, without even looking at me. I feel embarrassed for reasons I can't explain. Kali's laugh echoes in my mind.

Alastair leads us to an enormous tree, with a trunk almost the size of a small shack. The trunk is twisted, and the wood is beginning to rot, but it is in relatively good condition. The branches lack leaves, but I expect that. Inside the trunk is a hollowed out area, which would make good shelter for a person hiding from something. It is dark inside, so I move a bit closer to get a better look. Piercing red eyes come up to meet mine and once again I let out a short, soft scream and hide behind Alastair. What is with me these days? Perhaps traveling to the citadel has made me too high strung.

Alastair removes his hood and watches the demon carefully. "It is I, Alastair, thirtieth apprentice to General Ahriman." Was this the person speaking to Alastair when I heard them conversing in the citadel? I'm surprised at how he said thirtieth. How many apprentices does this man have!?

I watch as the demon moves about inside the tree, a black mass with glistening red eyes. I wish he would show himself so I can see what he looks like. When he speaks, his voices sounds very deep and rough, and it occasionally cracks, as though he has a sore throat.

"Ah, the human child. What business does Ahriman have with me?"

Alastair stares into his eyes, surely and confidently. He has dealt with this creature before. "I do not bear a message from my master. I come seeking your aid."

The demon laughs loudly, making Alastair grit his teeth. "I am not useful boy, you know that." This time, the creature steps out into the light, slowly for he is elderly. I am so sickened by the sight of him that I grasp tightly onto Alastair's cloak and hide myself behind him so I do not have to look at it. The demon's head is hairless, with extreme wrinkles covering his entire head. Dirt is plastered onto his face, and his skin is very jaundiced. His eyes are bloodshot, his red pupils still filled with life. He has many arms; I count about ten, five on each side. His fingernails are yellow and untrimmed. He wears no shirt, so we can clearly see his skin that clings to his malnourished body. He is so skinny he looks like a moving skeleton. He has three legs; it appears as though he once had four, but one was sliced off. The wound is scarred and infected, as though no one bothered to treat it. Alastair does not flinch at the sight of the creature.

"I see you are not alone, child," the monster points out.

I look up, my blonde locks falling over my face. I quickly push them back, warily watching the demon. "Who…what are you?" I whisper, huddled against Alastair.

"I am a demon, no more, no less. I was stripped of my name and my title when I became too weak to fight."

"It's alright Alia; he won't hurt you. He can't hurt you," Alastair says, apparently trying to comfort me.

"He is right, child. I have lost all of my strength. Now tell me: who are you?"

I slowly reveal myself from behind Alastair, reluctantly moving out into the open. "I am Alia, a warrior from the Circle."

"Ah, but child you are more than that. I smell the scent of the Great Beast Kali on you." I flinch when he mentions her. I have to start expecting that people will know who she is; after all, she is a famous demon; perhaps the most feared. The demon continues, "Alas, I do not know much about her, or the soul. I imagine that is what you both are after. We nod in unison. "I know of one person who knows more about the soul than any creature alive."

"Who?" I demand. Kali perks up when she hears his statement.

"He goes by the name Drago Rector. I know not what kind of life he leads nowadays, but we were once fellow warriors in that very citadel. I wonder what changed his mind about Oblivion."

"So he is a demon?" Alastair inquires, though I am sure he already knows the answer to that.

The creature nods. "I believe he moved southward when he left. He had a bizarre fascination with the human world."

I smile, though I am unable to believe I just required the help of a demon. Before I can open my mouth to stutter a 'thank you', I hear an earsplitting screech come from above us. The three of us look up to see an aerial demon heading straight for us, beak-shaped mouth opened to give out a warning call.

"They've found us," I comment, my hand already at the hilt of my sword. Alastair makes no move. An entire flock of flying demons lands on the ground around us. They have humanoid bodies, with wings instead of arms, and birds' talons for feet. Their heads are shaped like birds, with dull, black beaks. Black feathers with grey tips cover their entire bodies. They are huge, a head taller than me. The demon has crawled back into his hole in the tree, not wanting to meddle in this affair I guess. It's interesting how he took ages to climb out of that hole, but only a few seconds to move back in. I draw my twin blades, pointing them at my targets. I refuse to be taken prisoner by them.

They make the first move. One lunges towards me, talons sharp as a knife ready to pierce my heart. I am quicker though, and I slice off its wing with my blade. It howls in fury, and slices for my head. I duck, and accidentally lose my balance, causing me to roll backwards in an awkward somersault, landing on my back. I use my feet to propel myself upward, kicking a demon in the stomach in the process. Two come at me at once, so I slice at them each with my two swords. One is slashed across the chest, leaving a puddle of thick, inky blood, and another is scratched across the side of its face, letting out a cry of agony. Satisfied with my victory, ready to combat another one, I prepare to lunge for the next demon when I am struck down by something hard. I land face-first in the dirt. I lift myself up, sputtering as I try to get soil out of my mouth. Alastair is standing above me, sword pointed at me.

He must have hit me with the hilt of his sword, seeing as I have no serious wound inflicted by a blade. I climb up, my swords ready to fight him. Before I can ask why he is pointing his weapon at me, I remember he was affiliated with them, not me. He would never willingly be my ally.

"You have the information you seek, Alia, so let me free. Break this chain so I can leave," he says, his eyes staring directly into mine.

"I told you, I can't break it! Once it is linked, it can't be removed!" He frowns, his gaze turning into a glare.

"Then I will defeat you to remove it." He lunged forward, his sword slicing thin air. I thank Eternity for my agility. I dodge another swing he takes a me, and a use my blade to slice at his arm again, reopening the wound. He grits his teeth in pain, letting out a hiss of air. He is still clumsy when he can't use his good arm. I use my foot to kick him in the stomach, and he lands on the ground, stunned. I point both blades at his chest, where his heart is.

"Please Alastair; I don't want to fight you!" I say. He rolls over and gets up, swinging his blade at me once again. The blade tip scratches my hand, leaving a thin line of blood. I lunge forward and use both hilts to knock him off balance. He catches himself, giving me an opportunity to slice his side. His blood soaks his clothes almost instantly. He still tries to attack, and uses the last of his strength to kick me in the stomach, sending me flying backwards into the dirt. A large cloud of dust fills the air upon impact. I cough as the dusty air tries to fill my lungs. My stomach hurts now, and I struggle to get up, groaning when I sit up straight because the pain is intense. I sheathe my blades as I watch Alastair.

He uses his sword to stay upright, the blade stuck into the ground. His blood drips onto the ground, adding to the ancient stains. He is breathing heavily, trying to not succumb to the pain. His strength fails him, however, and he falls to the ground, landing in the pool of his own blood. Worried, I crawl over to him, body's lower half not wanting to move. "Alastair?" I say softly, gently touching his arm with my hand.

He jerks it away, angrily saying, "Go away."

"You know I can't. The chain, remember?"

He frowns, trying to get up, and failing miserably. I feel guilty just looking at him. "Why did you do this to me Alia? I should have just let you leave the citadel."

I wanted to tell him to blame Kali, not me, but it is my fault that he is lying in his own blood right now. I rip off a part of his shirt sleeve and use it to bandage his injured arm. I use a separate piece of cloth torn from my own clothing to wipe the blood away. Finding my own strength, I manage to get up despite my sore muscles protesting. I use whatever I have available to me to stop the bleeding from the wound in his side, and then help him sit up. I rest him against a tree, away from the demons. That thing frightens me. I use fallen branches to make a fire, for it is getting dark. The sun is still high in the sky, just beginning its descent, but the thick fog blocks out the sun's magnificent light. Once I make sure Alastair is resting and the fire is going, I treat my own wounds. My hand is bleeding profusely, so I tear the cloth off of my other shirt sleeve to stanch the bleeding and use it as a makeshift bandage. I take this time to examine my other injuries, noticing that my upper arm has a large bruise forming. I most likely have one on my stomach as well. I lie on the ground, staring into the flames, contemplating what I will do next. I will most likely move southward, as the demon specified, and I wish to get there by tomorrow. But Alastair is injured, and by my hand too, so I feel obligated to care for him and slowly make our way towards the south. I remove my armor so I am more comfortable. I curl up with my knees touching my chin, my hair sprawled out every which way on the dusty ground, and my eyes grow heavy. The fire is so warm, and so comforting that I close my eyes and try to relax.

When I open them again, sunlight is pouring down on my face, almost blinding me when I wake. The fog has thinned, so the sun penetrates the clouds and illuminates the land. The Deadlands appear less menacing without the clouds. Alastair is sleeping, still resting against the tree, although he has slumped lower so that he is almost lying down. His tangled dark hair rests on his shoulders, glistening in the sunlight. I stare at him, and move over to check his wounds. His arm has stopped bleeding, but it left behind a nasty scratch that will most likely scar. His side has stopped bleeding, and I change the bandage so it will not get infected. As I finish wrapping up his arm, his eyes slowly open to look at me.

"Morning," I say casually, continuing my work. His dark eyes watch me tend to his injuries, his face emotionless.

"Why are you doing that?" he asks.

"What? This?" I say, holding up the strip of cloth I am using to bandage him. He nods.

"Your wounds are bad. They'll get infected if someone doesn't tend to them. Unless you want your scars to look like your demon friend's," I say, not bothering to look at him. I still shudder at the thought of that creature. I hear him chuckle softly, a smirk on his face.

"There, finished," I say. He lifts his freshly bandaged arm and tries to move it. His eyes reveal how painful it is.

"Hey, don't strain yourself. Let it heal, then use it!" I comment as I move to gather my weaponry from where I left it on the ground.

"We're going southward, towards the Dormio, aren't we?" he says. I nod, pulling on the last of my armor.

"The Dormio is the only civilization that exists in the south, and he said that Drago was fascinated with humanity, so he should be there."

The Dormio is an extension to the Black Circle; it was built mainly to deal with overcrowding. So many people lived in the Circle that it ran out of space, so the Dormio was built. It is probably the most ancient of towns that still exist today. It is divided into two levels, the Dormio and the Undergrounds. The Undergrounds is the ancient part; people stopped living there thousands of years ago; scholars believe it was due to demon infestations. The aboveground portion was built above the original city to deal with the Circle's population issue. I've been there once, when I was young. I remember it well. It is a giant slum. The streets are dirty, the fog from the Deadlands often drifts into it, and the people were so malnourished, disease-ridden, and starved of happiness. I saw not one smiling face there, no joy, no laughter. Everyone appeared so sad and hopeless. I pray that things are better now that many years have passed since I have last visited.

I grasp Alastair's hand and help him up. He clearly is in much more pain than I am. However, he can walk fine, and he appears to have regained some of his strength. "Well, let's be off then," I say. The Dormio is a half a day's walk from here. It should take us more time to get there with our wounds hindering our progress. I would like to get there before dark, knowing that the carnivorous animals hunt at night, especially in the Deadlands.

He starts walking first, as though he is suddenly eager to get moving. I follow after him, staying by his side the entire way, like a shadow, in case his injuries get the better of him. Feeling guilty again, I break the silence by saying, "I am…sorry about injuring you."

He stops suddenly and turns to stare at me. "I have you to thank for healing my wounds." He is genuinely grateful, as his eyes reveal so much about his emotions. When he looks at me, they always stare right into my own hazel ones. I swear I can feel my face flush every time he does that. After he finishes speaking, he continues moving, staring intently on the road ahead. I think I feel myself blushing, which confuses me. All I hear is Kali's cheerful laugh in the back of my mind, taking joy from my confusion. How I wish I could slap that grin off of her non-existent face.