Глава 13

Ten minutes, that's my limit.

Get as much intel on that thing as you can.

I bypass several Sarkaz blocking my way, shadows entwining their ankles.

I leap up, climbing the nerve clusters of this terrifying creature, the slippery feeling making me slightly sick.

Is this a Feranmut? I've never seen one before.

Show me the secrets hiding in your mind.

This isn't a good section to walk on.

My luck has been pretty bad lately, always ending up in the body of some kind of monster. Last time it was the revenant, this time it's whatever this is.

Ugh, I hope I don't have to jump off it this time.

These 'nails' piercing its spine must be some kind of witchcraft device.

Are those nerve clusters trembling? Does this thing still have a will of its own?

She's here!

Ugh, how are they so quick? They climb up the skeleton in hot pursuit.

The sinews between the bones become something like a ladder for them, with the splinters of fallen bone serving as their weapons.

Hm, they know war. Ulšulah's trained a real elite unit.

But they could stand to work in some variety.

All they've got on me is numbers—

A foreboding instinct pops into my head and I instinctively dodge to the side.

A huge cluster of nerves comes crashing down, and the bone fragments I have been standing on shatter and crumble.

It's so hard on itself.

Hmph, looks like every bone fragment, every bundle of sinew here could be a deadly weapon. That's a pain.

The nerve cluster wraps around again. I sink my dagger into it so hard that it recoils violently, carrying me high into the air.

Alright, so it has the most basic of reflexes.

Good enough. There's a cabin up ahead.

Right there!

With all my might, I grab the dangling bundle of nerves and leap away.

*cough*, *cough* *cough*!

Dust everywhere... from wind-weathered bone.

This should be the center.

Hm, no clear interface. Is it driven purely by witchcraft?

A willing slave? Or a marionette controlled by strings?

Hmmm...

You dodged my Arts, Ines. That should've gone right through your heart.

You still haven't fixed that old habit of yours, your casting always deviates a little to the left.

Lucky I've been on the bad end of that enough times.

Hmph...

You in a hurry? Did Hoederer make a fool out of you?

It's fragile, isn't it? Not as honest as it seems.

You're welcome to guess.

If we get the chance, I'd really like to hear about those three deaths you mentioned. Must be a thrilling story.

You wanna try once?

No, I'd rather us live.

If you can make it through the chaos and live on, that is.

A tremendous force flips me over, the nerve bundle sweeps away, trying to tug me with it. The Feranmut is gradually swinging its body.

They've built a lot of cabins here.

And the thing tends to drift in the space.

What if the Feranmut wanders when I'm not in one of the cabins?

I really don't want to find out.

I'm not Hoederer, I'm not into becoming history.

Shadows, like blades, sweep through the hall of bone.

Save what's left of your dignity, Ines, there's no point.

Your shadows can't protect you from the might of a Feranmut.

Weathered bone dust takes flight again, filling my vision.

Thanks for the reminder.

Hoederer—!

Oftentimes, even I have to admit that Hoederer makes a pretty good partner.

I'm actually glad we didn't betray each other. It's hard to find a Sarkaz like him.

The past was tough, and the future's gonna be tough too.

The dim firelight rises with the dust, twisting.

His figure emerges from the embers, sparks in the wind singe his cloak and my hair.

And sometimes... only sometimes... I'm willing to tolerate his obnoxious Arts.

We're well past the age when we can talk about friendship.

But I'd rather live in a future Kazdel that keeps the 'silly' naivety we always laughed at.

The turbulence is intensifying.

I grab his hand.

Sigh...

I forgot to tell you, Hoederer. General Manfred gave me your book.

It's pretty good, I have to admit.

You gathered up the bits and pieces, arranging them in chronological order, thinking you found the thread.

But you've been running all this time. Do you plan to do this forever?

Drop it, Ulšulah, time to say goodbye.

Hoederer, you're jumping with me this time.

Don't get swept away by the turbulence of history. Never forget the present... the life that you're living.

You're the boss.

Boiling shadows point the way for us, scorched dust carrying us along.

The illusions shift before our eyes.

When I'm falling fast enough, I suddenly realize that history really does look pretty fragile and hypocritical.

I see a vast, and familiar battlefield. One of the war zones from Kazdel, where the flames are still burning.

I recall the past. Hoederer always wanted to steer clear of the war that tore apart his people. I force myself to turn my head, while he's single-mindedly focused on finding a suitable landing zone.

Run away from the war? Heh.

We weren't at Babel when Her Highness came under attack. We could have left Kazdel straight away. Why did we go back for W?

Why join Reunion? Why lay low in Londinium all this time?

What is Hoederer fighting for anyway?

What am I... fighting for?

We break through the earth, the illusions vanish, and we see what was always there.

He grabs my arm, telling me to be ready.

Arts envelop us and my vision clears. Shadows rise from the ground.

Maybe we stopped running a long time ago.