RE: Monarch

Chapter 80: Sanctum V

Bellarex had selected the cot between us, Jorra and I set on either end as sort of an unspoken rule. She could take care of herself, but I understood why things had gone in this direction. Better to be safe than sorry.

Jorra was in the process of unpacking his bag when I stopped him, shook my head.

I was hoping to get everything set before dinner, he said, and as if on cue his stomach rumbled mournfully.

Trust me, I kept my voice low, I dont think well be here for that long.

Did you know this was going to happen? Bell asked. She was watching me from where shed perched on her cot, bag left unopened, and I couldnt help but feel evaluated. I shared an uncomfortable look with Jorra. Im not stupid, just not rude enough to ask. The way the two of you talk sometimes makes it obvious. She pointed at me. Hes a seer, or a dream-spinner, or something of the sort.

I sighed. So much for limiting the spread of that particular bit of information. Its not consistent. Sometimes I get early warnings, is all. Its not something we can rely on, and it doesnt happen every time. Bell opened her mouth, and I held up a hand to silence the dozens of questions that were about to come firing out. Ill tell you more later.

Looking around us to check that no one was paying too much attention, I summoned Vogrin. To my surprise, he did not manifest himself in the traditional manner. I almost thought the summoning had failed before I noticed an infernal with strangely pale skin standing next to the tent wall, a strap of cloth tied around his eyes.

Jorra followed my eye-line and jumped. Holy shit.

You wanted to avoid drawing attention to me. Vogrin said, his voice dry.

Do you think he can break through the barrier? Bell asked, shifting to face the new arrival.

I cannot, Vogrin said. Even if I was still connected to my prior benefactor. I suspect he intends to use me to contact the outside world.

I frowned. Vogrin had done this before. Predicted what Id say before I said it. Wed need to talk at some point if he was just excellent at extrapolating from limited information, or if he was psychically reading me. The latter would present a serious problem. For now, I let it go.

Can you get a message out? To him? I was hesitant to refer to Ozra by name.

I am capable of it, yes, though it will take some time. The question is whether I will.

Will you, then? I asked, irritated.

Vogrins head tilted towards Bell and Jorra, who looked lost, then to me. My position is a tenuous one I would prefer not to worsen. If we have definitive confirmation that she is here, then I am happy to take steps towards contacting our mutual friend. But so far, we have nothing. No confirmation that your Thoth is actually within the sanctum herself. Just the briefest impression an arch-mage. Vogrin frowned. An especially powerful one, but an arch-mage just the same.

So if Cairn gets confirmation his friend is here, that will solve the problem? Bell asked, happily taking the vague hypothetical in stride.

Jorra was not so practical. He leaned over to whisper in my ear. The hells did you do? Befriend a fiend?

I kept my reaction in check. Fine. We keep an eye out for Thoth. How long will it take to get backup?

Vogrin put a hand to his chin. The sanctum creates communication issues. Theres a reason the leadership hasnt already called upstairs for aid. There are... He paused, as if deciding how much to divulge, asmodials within the sanctum itself. Allied forces with alternate means of communicating with leadership. But getting to them will not be easy.

Where are they? I asked. Some part of me already knew the answer, the image of the warring demons in the abyss flashing in my mind from that lunch with Ephira, so long ago,

The shallows, he answered, confirming my fears.

Wait. Jorra paced back and forth for a second. How long will it take them to realize that were stuck down here and cut off?

There are primary expeditions every month, Bell said, Smaller groups coming and going every couple of weeks.

Meaning, in the best case, youre looking at fourteen days of being stuck down here before someone upstairs takes notice. Vogrin said. It did not escape me how he had not lumped himself in with the rest of us.

Thats not so bad, Bell said, looking around for affirmation.

I disagreed. There was a lot someone as powerful and resourceful as Thoth could do with only a few days. Not to mention, if this was her, it was the closest wed ever come to direct confrontation. She graduated from haunting the fringes to direct sabotage. But why?

If shes here, I said, thoughts formulating as I spoke them aloud. Shes here for a reason. Theres something shes aiming for, a primary target.

You think the barrier is a misdirect, Vogrin said. He sounded vaguely impressed, albeit slightly condescending.

It would fit what I know about her, I said, which isnt much. But think about it. The presence of the barrier will draw infernals in the outskirts closer to the heart.

Exploration. Research gathering. Development. Its difficult to focus on any of them if your manner of leaving is thrown into question. Jorra agreed.

But it was worse than that. I struggled to put myself in Thoths mindset, thinking it through. I considered Zorros and Sirxes. Their situation. They stood to lose more than most. The closer they came to their twentieth year, the closer they came to being stuck in the sanctum forever. For the rest of us, the barrier represented a mild inconvenience. For them, it was life or death.

It dawned on me then, what Id do if I was Thoth. The actions Id take to create the most chaos in the shortest span of time.

We need to leave- I was interrupted as another voice boomed out from everywhere at once.

Children of the sanctum. Congratulations. You have the unique opportunity to rectify the sins of your fathers.

The ringing in my ears returned. She was here.

----

I wandered into the center of the heart, whipping around, looking for the source of the noise. Jorra and Bell trailed after me. The infernals around us were murmuring in panic, also looking for the source of the sound. Thoths pronouncement continued, condescending and simmering with barely withheld glee.

In their infinite wisdom, your parents and elders have seen fit to nourish the predator in your ranks. There is a wolf among you. A human.

Countless eyes turned to me.

Do not misunderstand. This human is not one of your ilk, no matter what you have heard, no matter what he has promised. He has talent for manipulating others, for bringing them into the fold, only to send them through the meat grinder that are his plans and machinations. He speaks beautiful words. Promises to bear the light. But in the end, he will bring only darkness.

There was some confusion at that. The crowds focus tightened in on me, becoming almost smothering. I caught Bells hand before she could draw her sword, shook my head at Jorra before he could summon. Whatever we did, it was important to avoid playing into whatever Thoth was pushing, and preparing to fight would only add to the us-versus-them narrative.

More relevant, he is the reason for your current situation. You might have noticed that you are now cutoff from the outside world. That is his fault. Had he never set foot in this place, I would have left you all alone. But as he has been allowed to continue, to pillage your secrets, to further his lies, I must act.

The crowd seemed to be growing. There were hundreds of them, absent a speaker to look at, now almost entirely focused on me.

I started to speak, to yell. If Thoth wanted a public debate, that was one battlefield I might be able to match her on. But as I spoke, my voice died in my throat, that strange buzzing that had taken me when I faced off against her the first time. My eyes widened in realization. She was close by. She had to be. I stared at Vogrin and pointed to my throat, hoping that he would pick up on the signal and understand what it meant. He winked out of existence immediately, startling a few infernals who were close enough to see him disappear.

The pretender is not an ally. He is not to be sympathized with. He is too weak a leader to face the trials ahead, and will be crushed under the weight once it becomes too much, too hard. Nor is he a child. He is a demon, who will toy with you until you are no longer of use, then throw you away.

A twinkling at the edge of the heart caught my eye. Vogrin, summoning me. I channeled mana into the inscriptions in my ankles, my thighs, and my muscles tightened until it was almost too much, until they threatened to tear, to overwhelm my very core.

Then, I flew.

Everything around me seemed to stand still. Even with the mana saturation of the sanctum, I had depleted my stores, leaving the others behind. If there was even the smallest chance, I needed to take it. I weaved my way through the crowd before anyone could react. A few hands reached to stop me but bounced off.

Faster. I sprinted towards the winking light, out into the blue expanse beyond. Everything began to ache. There was a snapping sound and my leg nearly gave out, my body overcome with pain. But I recovered. Focused. One step at a time, keeping rhythm, keeping step.

The solution is simple enough. Kill him. Bring his head to the heart. Until then, you will be trapped. Cut off from your friends, your loved ones. All you have to do is excise the parasite in your midst.

And there it was. All the motivation in the world for the most experienced members of the sanctum to be aiming for me from day one. The chaos that would serve as Thoths grand distraction.

The ringing in my ear grew louder. I had mere seconds to plan out what I was going to do before I rounded the corner and saw her there, speaking into a glowing yellow construct on her hand, smiling.

Thoth looked surprised. Though only for a moment. I was again, taken aback by how she looked; a thin, gaunt form accented by the tight leathers. Then her yellow eye shined and her black aura came forth like a gale. She opened her arms to me as if to gather me into an embrace.

Rage coursed through me, unseating the momentary intimidation Id felt only a moment before. She had no idea what Id lived through, what Id experienced. Thoth, like so many others, was underestimating me.

I dove forwards, expending the last of the mana within my inscriptions, closing the distance in seconds. I unsheathed my sword and ignited it, driving it downward in an overhanded arc, the violet fire so bright it left an after-image in my vision.

She blocked the strike with a single dagger, her mouth twisted into a sneer. But I was already rotating, leveraging myself, spinning, trying to shroud my next movement in a whirlwind of motion before I came up again, under her guard, driving my dagger towards her face.

Thoth caught it with her free hand. The blade was stopped between her thumb and two fingers, millimeters from her face.

No. Not millimeters. A single drop of blood trickled down from her cheek where the knife had been stopped. Her smile slackened, slightly.

Enough.

The sword-breaker shattered between her fingers. Before the fragments had even hit the ground, her fist blurred. I didnt feel the impact at first. It was like I was a puppet, and someone had cut every string except for the one that held my head, sending my body drunkenly pirouetting into the grass.

My jaw felt like it was on fire. In the disorientation, through blurred eyes, I found myself almost offended by the blas nature of the blow. A simple extension of her arm. No wind up. No visible effort. A carefree jab that sent me careening to the ground.

But Id nicked her. That meant

Her boot came into focus. She crouched down to look at me, grabbing a fistful of my hair.

The more things change, the more they stay the same, Thoth leered down at me. Well, thats not your fault, I suppose. Ill do you a favor. It might be time to expand your repertoire, little prince. Poison is so predictable.

It had been a long shot. Id only half expected to get as far as I had. But still, as she cast a sickly green light, and I watched the clear fluid trail away from her in a weightless stream, I couldnt help but feel angry.

Doesnt this all feel so delightfully familiar. Thoth said. You, at my mercy, once again.

Cairn! Someone called my name. Thoth stood up casually, peeked around the rise.

Your friends are coming. Those poor saps you always seem to pull into your orbit. We should let them know what theyre signing up for. Which one of them should I kill? She asked me, as casually as someone might inquire between two sets of clothing.

Fuck you. I prepared to trigger the kill switch.

Thoth slapped me across the face, dismantling my concentration, and leaned down to whisper in my ear. No. Ive already done enough. Ill let you bear that weight. Youll get them killed by the end of this. Or youll make them into monsters. Slaughterers of their friends and loved ones. Turning friend against friend. Family against family. Something you do all too well.

I wanted to ask why. To demand an explanation. But I knew I wouldnt get an answer. It had finally become clear that Thoth wasnt a person. She was a force of nature that had to be stopped by any means necessary.

She stepped away from me. A single tendril of her white hair had slipped in front of her face and stuck to her forehead. She was covered in sweat. Was she sick? A latent effect of the poison, maybe?

A follower of mine will be hunting you. He does not share my patience, nor my proclivities. Be on your guard. It was a warning. Another contradiction. Why? Some sort of internal power play?

Thoth reached beside her, and tore a hole in the air, establishing a portal. She smiled that haunting smile and stepped through, portal and monster disappearing just as Jorra crested the rock, panting heavily. Spotting no danger, he sagged against the alcove, catching his breath.

Okay. So youve clearly been sandbagging during training He panted out, likely referring to catch and capture drills wed been running. It wasnt entirely true. Id pushed myself hard with them, but never to the limit. Inscription magic wasnt something I wanted to push to the breaking point, until I had a better grasp on my soul, not unless it was for something like this.

Bellarex sprinted passed us, throwing me a cursory glance, then spreading out to check the perimeter, face impassive, fully in the moment.

Vogrin reappeared. His jaw worked silently before he spoke. She is magnificent, he finally said.

You caught all that? I muttered.

Every word. Our benefactor will be what are you doing?

I leafed through the cerulean grass on my hands and knees. My jaw ached with the effort. One by one I found the pieces of my broken dagger. There was a sudden sense of loss, as I realized, with my new sword, this was the last piece of equipment Id selected with Cephur. But it was not a sacrifice in vain. There was enough of it left attached to the hilt to serve in an emergency, but I would need to replace it soon. The point of the blade was nowhere to be found. But the middle section, the section that had cut Thoths cheek, was what I wanted.

I raised it up to the strange, eternal ambient light of the sanctum. A pinprick of red had dried to the dull, dark blade. Grimly, I held it out to Vogrin. Can you track her with this?

He smiled wickedly. I believe that will suffice.

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