Pleated blasphemy

chapter 23

Chapter 23

Grey

She turned to the Marid before the Ghoul's body hit the floor, the guy stumbled back. He hit the floor ass first. She took her sweet time in taking steps toward him. And he used that to recover from the shock and make a run for the exit. She sprinted after him.

There are many types of hunters. I prefer to go straight for the throat especially when I have to save time. She doesn't seem to care about that. Rather, she looked like the type who enjoyed playing and toeing with their prey- even if it means allowing more time for the toxins to take root in her body.

I ran after them. The place was a confusing mess of a labyrinth and my only guide was the sounds of heavy footsteps running away. Good thing the halfling was as graceful as buffalo in heat. And Shroud, well she was a wisp of a breeze- silent like a heart that has stopped beating.

Far ahead, a noise came. It felt like a skirmish. As if Shroud had walked right into a group of the pirates. Sounds of swords clashing against swords ricocheted from the stones. I ran faster. The sounds belong to a group. My most inner self rebel against exposing any part of myself... My true self. But she was injured. And I still needed her. And I know when to bend my own rules.

I arrived at the scene not too late. The place was at a crossroads. Five paths lead from it in different directions. The previous group that had turned the map into the card was all here- Teaming against her. Shroud seems to be struggling with holding her end. The human guy was throwing all sorts of spells at her. She only used simple deflection spells while focusing mainly on the sword fight.

For the love of all that's holy, turn already woman!

I wanted to scream at her but there was no time for that I drew my sword and plunged it straight into the human witch's back.

Shroud shot me a quick look not taking her attention off the other attackers. She tried to keep the attackers and me both on one side, tried to keep her back to the wall but she was surrounded. She thought I was going to try and kill her as well. I paused at the thought. The idea of killing her was not as enticing as it was once. I don't know why. Not that it would change anything. She will come in my way and I will end her. That's just how I roll. Besides, if anyone could understand that it would be her. She too would go to unimaginable lengths to get what she wants.

I didn't stop after killing the witch, I jumped into the fray head-on. Some of the attackers came at me leaving her. She was fending off three and I was engaged with 2 when another group stumbled upon us.

No human, all halflings.

That was not good. Shroud shot me a quick look. She seems to have accepted me as a temporary aid. No, she has not. She never will. But the act of it was not bad. She could use me now in getting out of here and later she could deal with me. After all, dealing with one halfling is better than dealing with the bunch coming at us.

Somehow we have found our way to each other. Back to back, we stood in that dark corridor fending off a group of magical creatures from all races. They used their unholy strengths, powers and weapons against us. They were good. They were seasoned warriors toughened by the oceans and the sea, by years of training and hardships.

A great warrior knows when to back down.

"Which route, right or left? ", She asked.

I smiled as I ducked from the vicious blow of the Nasnas. For someone with a half body, it sure hit hard.

"Tired already?", I asked as my sword severed the single leg of the Nasnas. It fell to the ground letting out a scream of pure agony. Its deformed half body was writhing on the ground. I kicked it to clear my way to the next attacker. Shroud plunged her sword into the writhing injured Nasnas, cutting its screams and agony short.

"- Or the centre one? We were brought in canoes blindfolded...", She said panting and totally ignoring my question. "- the river will take us outside...", She threw a knife at an attacker who was aiming an arrow at her chest. It struck home right in that attacker's throat. Gurgling and grabbing at it with blood-drenched hands, it fell to its doom. She was already done with another one before this one could hit the floor ", What about you? Know any other way out?",

I gave the Nasnas's dead body a puzzled look, I should have been the one ending its agony as I was the one who brought it upon.

‌How I painted myself in shades of sainthood... how well she adorned those cloaks of devils. But what were we underneath? What would we become when we got off that stage...that play? Who was the Saint and who was the devil among us? Would our roles ever end? Or would we forever play behind these masks of false civility ?

" The river is too plain in sight they would hunt us down in minutes. We have to lose them in the maze.", I answered while engaging the ghoul in front of me.

"-Just a right place to be the ghouls' meal", She muttered.

" Don't tell me you hate narrow places... I thought we have good memories in some of them",

She let out a pained laugh. It was short. Too short, like a rare ray of sun that has somehow by some miracle succeeded in penetrating the ever grey skies of Khiljia.

"You... Okay", I asked, as our backs collided. I gave her a sidelong glance. Her breathing was laboured. A fine shin of perspiration coated her skin.

She didn't answer because at that very moment another group stumbled out from one of the corridors. They were all panting some of them even collided with the ones who have stopped at seeing us.

"The Captain is injured by that actor bitch and you guys are busy here!",

" There is chaos in there",

"They got an Ifrit",

The distraction was only for a matter of seconds but we didn't hesitate. Making a run for the nearest exit without any care where it would lead us, me and Shroud plunged into a dark labyrinth of unknown mysteries and ancient monsters.