Chapter 12
Rahne had run into more soldiers, but she had been able to outrun them. She curses herself for dropping the kusari gama, at least she had a weapon then. She'd been wandering through this maze for a good part of the day. The only difference between night and day here was that she could see better in the day.
Rahne peeks around a corner. There was no one there. Rahne ducks back behind the corner, her braid swinging with the motion. She’d already run into that creep, Zanaton. She still couldn’t believe he was the same age as herself; he was so cruel and sadistic. He probably would have killed her had Guardian not frightened him off.
Rahne smiles at her name for the ghost. She had managed to lure it out of him that he had been a great warrior-turned warlord-turned monk. He had called himself "one of the guardians of the mortal world" or at least he had been.
She didn’t know which way to go. The past few times she had tried to get him to talk, she hadn’t gotten any response.
"Guardian . . .?" Rahne whispers to the air.
(right. and all clear.)
Rahne sets off down the tunnel, sticking close to the walls; wary of every shadow. "What were you doing? You were gone a while."
(zanaton won’t be bothering anyone anymore. i suggest you leave it at that.)
Rahne grimaces, forcing herself to remember that he had killed all those people - that he had tried to kill her. She still didn’t like the thought of killing, but she guesses that it had to be done.
(i must leave you for a time, again.) The ghost tells her. (follow the wind, it leads to the exit. i think.)
"Oh, thanks for the confidence builder." Rahne snaps, trudging down the hall, alone again.
____
Back down the hall, a figure who had been Zanaton begins to reawaken for the first time in years. Sensations flood his every pore as he comes back to consciousness, but he doesn’t bother to put up any guards. It feels like water for someone who’s crossed a desert. He drinks in the feel of the rough, cold stone, and the sounds of dripping water. His mind reaches out as his crippled telepathic abilities begin to heal themselves and revealing the psychic peace and quiet of an empty cavern. Why was he here? He can’t remember. He remembers a pretty girl. She reminded him of the princesses in the legends his father used to tell him. What was her name? A random word floats to mind: Rain. He smiles, he liked running around in a warm rainstorms, it was fun letting it wash all over you. But why is this so wrong . . .
Alexander sits bolt upright, remembering what had almost happened. He glances up and down the hallway. No one was there anymore. Alex climbs painfully to his feet. He stretches, grimacing at how many places hurt. ‘That idiot pissed off people left an’ right, and let them take it out on a disposable body. Mine.’ Why the devil did he hurt down there? ‘When did that happen?’ He wonders, fighting the urge to press a hand over the ferocious ache coming from his genitals. Then he remembers.
He opens his pants and removes the offending body armor that Rain had so graciously kicked and that Zanaton had funneled the pain it caused right into him. He tosses it in disgust over the edge of a nearby walkway.
As Alexander fastens his pants once again, he wrinkles his nose at how sweaty and overall nasty he smells. The lord obviously didn’t bother to bathe much. He runs a hand through his hair in his old gesture, and stops at the revolting feel of his hair. He pulls one absurdly long lock of hair to look at, and stops.
"HE COLORED IT USING GREASE!!" Alexander growls in disbelief. But he had a feeling it was only a recent measure to hide the true color. . . It would have been jet black under Zanaton's total control.
He shucks the coat off and uses it to wipe some of the grease out of his hair. The shirt that had been underneath it was a "decent" white. ‘Disregarding the stains is the only way you can think of this as a decently clean shirt.’ He thinks in disgust, wondering how the other lords he knew Zanaton hung around with had been able to stand him.
Alexander gives up, vowing to bathe the first chance he gets. He begins to backtrack down the passageway, and comes across a kusari gama. He picks it up and checks the weight and heft; it wasn’t the type that you could accurately throw, but he’d rather have a weapon than go without.
He suddenly stops, remembering. He pulls something out of his pocket. It was irreparably stained now, but it was the patch that girl had given him. Rain. He extends a telepathic probe to figure out where she is. He realizes where he is. Netherworld.
‘Oh Gods!! Rain! Don’t go that way!!!!!’ Alex tears down the passageway, following the residue of her presence.
Memory takes over, and he realizes how deep they’re both in. Cale let him come with him here only once. And once was more than he had ever needed.
As he rounds a corner he sees her duck down another passage; trying to get away from another band of soldiers.
"NO!!" Alexander cries out, chasing after her. That hallway was one big trap!
Alexander throws caution to the wind and dives down the passage after her. She continues to run for a ways, then the ground drops out from under her.
The redhead grabs a spear on the fly as it shoots from the wall-trap. He dives down the trapdoor after her.
Rahne hits frigid water; the impact disorienting her.
Something whips out and snags her ankle, dragging her deeper. Rahne fights, trying to break free. She hadn't gotten a decent breath. She'd drown if she didn't get free and quick!
A spear narrowly misses her ankle, severing whatever has her ankle. A firm, but gentle arm wraps around her waist in a tight grip. Strong legs brush and bump hers; propelling them up.
Blackness closes on her vision as her air runs out.
She awakens a short time later; vomiting up water and shivering convulsively. When she’s finished, a finger jabs down her throat; she gags then vomits again. Then those same hands offer her a canteen of some liquid - fresh water from the taste as she washes her mouth out.
("Sorry about that, but that pool was salt water, Rain. That much salt in your system would have poisoned you.") A soft voice says in her head.
(i told you i’d help you every way i can.) Guardian tells her smugly.
The strong arms pull her close, shifting her so she’s facing up. Rahne shuts her eyes and leans her head against the person’s chest. Her rescuer’s shivering too; both of them were dangerously close to hypothermia.
Rahne opens her eyes and looks into a face from her living nightmare.
Zanaton’s face.
The girl screams, her throat feeling raw; she fights his grip, trying to get away.
"Rain! Shhh! It’s me!" Zanaton’s face yells, imprisoning her flailing hands against her chest. Startled, Rahne stops struggling. "(Zanaton isn’t here anymore, Rahne! It’s only me!)"
He hugs her closer, sharing his body’s warmth with her. His long hair was now running into brackish dark pools on the stones, leaving dirty red hair and redder eyebrows. His slanted eyes that had been a chilly shade of ice-blue, are now a rich and warm emerald green; though painfully young looking and frightened. . . Even his face looks different, more human. His features look a little gaunt, though, as if he hasn’t been eating well.
"Who are you, then?" She whispers, silently realizing that he’s been speaking inside her mind. She felt so tired . . . Rahne shakes off the cold’s spell and looks back up at him.
("Alexander.") His hand brushes the mess of wet bangs from her face. ("Rest, now. You’re safe.")
There’s so many questions she wants to ask him; but she relaxes and practices some meditation. After a long time, he looks around exaggeratedly.
("There wouldn’t happen to be showers for this oversized swimming pool, I suppose?")
"You’re a goofy barbarian, you know that, Alex?" She rasps from his chest, looking a little better thanks to the rest. "Were - were you the one who helped me when they went after Yuli?"
Alex’s face goes a little sad, as if he was remembering a bad memory. "I...I was kidnapped from my parents when I was his age . . . I never allowed him to kill or harm the children. The others always did that . . ."
They both go silent, resting. Both of them were slowly getting warm from sharing each other’s warmth, but Alex begins to entertain the idea of a fire. There’s plenty of wood down here from spears that fell down from above. Maybe later.
Rahne falls asleep, finally warm enough to let herself. Alex leans against the wall and lets his psionic sense wander.
‘Maybe I can find some help . . .'