Chapter 33 - Arriving

  Alex stares at his hands. The skin has an ashen pallor that makes him think of a corpse. He looks at his clothes. He remembers wearing a tan shirt and bluejeans, but now the cloth of both almost appears a uniform dull grey. Faded. The weight of the word really settles in on him. Panic starts to set in, a tremble creeps into Alex’s hands and he has to lean on Hara in order to stay upright.

  Before Alex’s fragile state can fully shatter, Corvus shifts his guise to the humanoid office-clerk again. The demon rests a hand on Alex’s shoulder and speaks softly. “We are mere hours away from New Europa. Once we arrive, there are services you may use to gain some time. As distasteful as such establishments may be, profiting on others misfortune, I must admit they serve a vital role in Hell’s economies.”

  The human looks up at Corvus, eyes still a bit wild with the barely contained panic. “What do you mean?” He asks with a quiver in his voice. At this rate, Alex feels like he’ll reach the edge of the city and that’s where he’ll disappear. Dissolution. Never before had the threat felt so tangible.

  Corvus gives him a reassuring smile and pats his shoulder. “Yes, your condition is looking grim. However, you are not in immediate danger. Once we arrive, I will direct you to a business that will provide what you need.” He says, then gestures in the direction they’ve been traveling. “Right now though, time is the enemy, and we should continue.”

  Hara noses into Alex’s hip. Despite being awakened with the first threshold, Hara doesn’t understand Animus. She’d heard Alex and Corvus talk about it, but her child-like mentality hadn’t quite connected the concept to her ‘little fire’ she held inside. She unknowingly held a source of power that would restore Alex.

  Looking down at his hound friend, Alex smiles softly. “I’ll be alright Hara. We just gotta make it a bit further and find the place Corvus is talking about.” He reassures her. Then he catches Corvus looking at Hara too, the demon’s expression giving Alex a clue as to what was going through his head.

  “It would be a simp-”

  “NO.” The single harshly barked interruption cuts Corvus off mid-word. All of Alex’s attention focused squarely on the demon in his human-like guise. “I’ve thought about that already. I refuse to use someone I care about like that. She’s my friend, not a fucking piggy-bank.” Corvus tips his head, giving Alex a questioning quirk of his brow, prompting the human to continue. “That was given to her by someone that loved her. They sacrificed everything so she could keep going.”

  “Yes, however, you could easily give it right back.” Corvus says, trying to use as placating a tone as he can muster.

  Alex just shakes his head. “It would be wrong, Corvus. Even if she willingly offered it. It. Would. Be. Wrong.” He says, conviction hardening his words. Something inside Alex’s soul flickers, as if a piece of his core nature shifted to fit a little better.

  The demon looks like he’s about to try and convince Alex further, but instead, Corvus nods. “Very well then, I will not suggest it again.”

  Hara looks between the pair. Alex looks like he’s ready to fight. Body tense, fists clenched, and squared up to Corvus as if to lunge. Hara doesn’t understand why her friends would fight each other. But something had made Alex very mad. She thinks they were talking about her. Using something from her to help Alex. “If Hara can help Alex, Hara want help.” She says softly, startling Alex out of his focus.

  When he looks down at the hound, Alex sees her earnest expression and the concern in her amethyst eyes. “I know Hara.” He says, voice softening as he reaches to rub her head. “You are helping a lot. You’ve already saved me twice. I can handle this part. We’ve just gotta make it to the city.” He says, then turns back to Corvus. “I will handle this part.”

  Hara lets out a little whine, uncertain why Alex is unwilling to let her help if she can. But one thing the hound does understand is the need for a packmate to prove their strength, prove that they can hunt and fight. Prove that they won’t be a burden on their pack. Perhaps that’s why Alex says no. She nuzzles into Alex’s hand and nods. “Then Hara keep helping how Hara has been.”

  Corvus assesses the pair. It might have been a quirk of fate that brought them together, but Alex and Hara’s bond continues to strengthen. Both look out for the other, both are fiercely loyal to their friends. The moment makes the old demon feel the weight of eons spent in near solitude. He had allies, colleagues, peers, but scant few that he would have considered a friend.

  The demon returns to his bird guise and launches back into the air. “With that settled, time is of the essence.” He urges. “Alex, do not attempt to use abilities other than the Intent-movement with conjoined activation. We can not risk you burning too much more of your dwindling time.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Alex winces, even thinking about using up more of his time causes a visceral revulsion. “You said we’re only a couple hours from the city’s edge, right?” He asks, trying to shake off that feeling.

  Corvus nods and caws softly. “Correct. Once we clear the forest, we will have one tunnel to traverse, and then New Europa will be in sight.”

  Reluctantly, Alex sets off again, his two companions lending him their power with the conjoined activation so that Alex isn’t using up any more of his spirit. Hara at his side, Corvus flapping over his shoulder. Once more the world around them is reduced to white and red blurs, the group moving in zigzagging lines between the trees.

  Presented with a much more personal threat to his existence, the danger behind them from the Apex is almost forgotten. Jump by jump, they put more distance between them and that hazard while edging closer to New Europa and safety. But as the exit to the forest’s cavern comes into view, they’re reminded of what lies behind them. The ground trembles, sand dancing on the surface as the trees rustle and shake. The sudden disturbance almost causes Alex to stumble as he finishes a jump, but he catches himself and jumps off again, spurred forwards by a much more pressing threat.

  If collateral damage from the Apex fighting reaches this far, there’s no chance he could defend himself, so there’s no use worrying about it. Alex has to focus on the problems he has a chance of overcoming. That means pouring on the speed, hardening his resolve, and seeking whatever it is that his sense of direction is guiding him towards.

  As that last thought crosses his mind, something within Alex shifts. The tug on his sense of direction grows stronger, like a beacon flaring in the distance. In his urgent state, Alex doesn’t consciously recognize the difference. But Corvus does, though the crow says nothing about it.

  The exit of the crimson forest looms ahead of them, as one more jump brings them right to the mouth of the tunnel. Unlike most of the passageways they’d traversed before, this one is clearly artificial. The opening is cut into a grand archway, and the path through is straight and smooth. Even the walls of the tunnel are carved into decorative columns and reliefs depicting various events in the region’s history. Not that Alex and crew are even slowing down to look. With the tunnel being a clear shot straight though, Alex sets his eyes on the far opening, making his longest leap yet, the intent-movement carrying the three down the tunnel in one blur of motion.

  Landing on the other side, Alex’s sense of direction shifts subtly. And as his eyes track to the new direction, his eyes go wide. A sky. A true sky… His brain insists it’s the wrong shade of blue, but he has no memory to compare it to. There’s even a pale orange sun and clouds high above. This finally makes Alex pause, stopping to stare in awe at the view. Slowly, other details register. A too-flat horizon broken by trees, stone spires, and in the distance what could only be described as skyscrapers. New Europa. One of Hell’s major cities.

  Even at this distance, Alex can tell that even calling Last-Stop a ‘town’ compared to the city ahead of them was a poor joke. But Corvus doesn’t give him time to savor the sight.

  The demon lands on Alex’s shoulder, rustling his feathers. “As impressive as this is, we must be quick. You will have ample time to revel in the experience once we regain your lost time.” He warns, his tone leaving no room for argument.

  The surrounding area appears almost like a manicured grassland. Unlike the unruly growth of the bad-lands with the scrub-grass and savanna-like environment, the grass here is a rich emerald green and cut low into a dense carpet underfoot. Even the small groves of trees seem intentionally placed, confined to loose circles providing islands of shade in the warm sun. Questions boil up within Alex, but he keeps his curiosity in check for now, beginning the series of jumps that would take them to the city proper.

  It only takes a few leaps for the group to arrive on what appears to be a road. Paved with smooth stone blocks set into the ground, it was the first sign of proper infrastructure that Alex had seen so far. As soon as his feet touch down onto its surface, Alex gets an almost instinctive awareness that using intent-movement here will be easier. It’s as if the road itself is enhanced somehow. The effect is proven true the next moment. As Alex initiates the next step, he doesn’t feel so much as a waver from his will. No strain on his willpower at all. On top of that, the single step propels him all the way to an intersection, his foot touching down right on the edge where the two streets meet. There’s no sign of others traveling the same way, but all the same, Alex looks both ways, some ingrained habitual nudge telling him he should.

  Nearing the city proper, Alex starts to see buildings ahead, each jump taking them closer and closer. Then as Alex crosses some invisible marker, he finds his next leap cut short. The aborted intent-movement depositing him right in front of a large and decorative sign.

  “Welcome to New Europa, heart of the Aspirant subregion, Leviathan Domain.” Alex reads, then looks over at Corvus. “Leviathan Domain?” He asks, quirking a brow.

  The crow chuckles and nods. “Leviathan is one of the truly ancient Apex. They were ancient before I was even created. They might be called an Apex, same as myself or others, but it would be trivial for them to scatter us across Hell’s expanse.” He muses. “But do not fret. Leviathan is content to slumber within their personal sea for most of the time. If something were to threaten the stability of the region under their sway however… They would rouse themselves for that.”

  Alex pales, hearing Corvus just casually mention a being with that much power. “Threaten it like…” Alex swallows, “Someone kicking off another Apex war?”

  Corvus simply laughs. “Hardly, such an event would not even garner Leviathan’s notice.” Corvus preens for a moment, ruffling and smoothing down his feathers as he considers how to explain. “Disrupting the region would take multiple Apex of my generation, or another elder Apex like Levianthan, performing a concerted effort. Such undertakings require much time, many resources, and large-scale planning.”

  Alex nods, then steps around the sign. Whatever effect had stalled his movement didn’t seem to persist, and so he readies to step off again.

  “Alex,” Corvus interrupts his preparation, “Be on the lookout for a building marked with three blue flames. That will be the business we are seeking.” He says.

  The human sets off, finally within the outer-ring of buildings, finally arriving at New Europa.