Indigo (NaNoWriMo13)

Chapter 48 - Inheritance

Take the chapter in all its unedited glory, dammit. TAKE IT. 

---

Chapter 48 - Inheritance

---

Athira crossed her legs and rested her wrists on her knees. Shift and Zoe settled uncertainly beside her, copying her position.

"I'll protect your bodies out here," said Talon. She'd given him whatever colour she could spare, but he still wasn't half his original size. "Just make it quick, I don't know how much longer before Sloth gets mad enough to move." 

Athira closed her eyes and nodded. She let her colour flow, her thoughts free, every breath drawing her deeper into her mindscape. She could have let herself go then, fall without hesitation but she had another goal.

"Azarin, he, who comes through night,"

Black colour wrapped around her. 

 "Zark'n, he, who guides the light,"

It spread to Shift, licking its way up his legs until every strand of hair was black. 

"Laris, she, who holds the gem,"

Zoe was next. She didn't move, her faith in Athira complete. 

"Rathril zi la ish varen!" 

Athira let herself fall, pulling every ounce of expended colour with her as she descended into the mindscape. 

The usual rush met her as she found herself at the top of the familiar cliff. No longer was it barren, the tree large and lush, leaves stretching every which way in the beam of sunlight. 

It took Zoe and Shift an extra second to appear beside her. Shift helped a bewildered looking Zoe up as she glanced around, trying to figure out where they were. 

The ground cracked. 

"He knows we're here," said Athira, waving them over. "Run!"

They followed her, feet pounding on the dust as Athira led them to the cliff and its drop hidden by fog. She didn't slow as the edge came beneath her feet, hoping it'd inspire the same reaction in Shift and Zoe. 

"Jump!" she ordered, bringing her hands in front of her head like she was diving, praying they'd follow. For her plan to work, her mindscape had to remain as solid as possible. Remaining on it too long disintegrated it, and she had no idea if it could hold three people for more than a few moments. 

Athira continued to fall, leaving the fog behind her. The mindscape she and Rathe shared was laid out in all its terrifying beauty. Looking at it now, she could only imagine what it'd been like for Talon when she'd merely been exposed to Sloth's essence in the Warden facility. 

Spouts of fire spat from the scorched earth, no part left untouched by Rathe's fury. The reforming pillars of rocks lay crumbled across the ground, barely able to keep their chunks together through the vibrations, let alone an upright structure. Magma dominated all except the highest points, the usually calm, glowing pools bubbling themselves into froth. 

Athira brought her legs in front of her while she fell, intending to look behind her when she heard Zoe scream.

That's one way to know she followed. 

Athira flipped around so her back was closest to the ground, getting a lock on Zoe and Shift's positions. She wasn't about to have a second Shift-in-a-building incident. This time, she'd be aware of everything. 

Shift had Zoe's hand. Both were falling feet first about twenty metres behind Athira, flailing about like they were trying to get a grip on the air and climb it.