[Severed Divinity] 81. No Path Forward

Isen sat down in a dangerously comfortable chair next to the row of pill furnaces. It was a testament to how far ahead Lumina Eldrassin was that nothing there called to him. It was all worthless at his current skill level, probably in part because he was a cultivator and Lumina a mage.

He was tempted to nab one of the pill furnaces anyway, but they were all large and bulky. Inconvenient and unnecessary, plus they were all likely more valuable than he could hold onto. There was a reason he never revealed the Shard of Erasmus.

He turned when he heard the shuffling of cloth and the smooth whisper of metal. Allezin and Welco had left the barrier.

“Ready to go?” Isen asked.

Welco crossed his arms. “Will you lead us out?”

“Do you trust me?”

They both gave him dubious looks.

“Enough,” Welco grudgingly replied. He nudged Allezin.

“I trust you.” The warrior didn’t sound so sure.

Not the best vote of confidence, Isen thought as he reached the threshold, which was still open. “Come. Time is of the essence.”

His sense of foreboding only mounted as the seconds ticked on. The tier threes seemed blissfully unaware that they were under time pressure, following behind Isen without palpable urgency.

It didn’t actually matter, since to Isen’s chagrin he was the limiting factor, even with him using shadow step whenever he could. Welco had manifested a horse-like shadow puppet that he rode, while Allezin was a blur when he exerted himself.

“Welco, please take me up,” Isen said. He could ride on Allezin, but then he’d worry about going too fast for the mage.

Welco rode his steed next to Isen, who jumped up, landing just in front of the elf’s seat. He grasped the shadow construct’s neck. Shadows snaked forth, securing Isen’s legs and waist. He breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Can I guide it?”

Suddenly, a pair of reins manifested, coiling around Isen’s hands.

The group’s travel speed doubled. In less than a minute, they reached the lift. They returned to the main level.

A jolt of danger lanced through Isen as the lift doors slid open.

“Someone’s here,” Isen whispered, absently palming the Shard of Erasmus. “Not literally in this corridor, but on this level. We should cloak ourselves and head for the exit as quickly as we can.”

For a moment, worry washed over Isen that they wouldn’t believe him. He felt immediate relief when Allezin’s armor turned invisible.

“Welco, jump on my back,” the warrior urged. “Isen, up front.”

Welco looked like he wanted to argue, but he covered himself in inky darkness and wrapped his arms around Allezin’s neck. Isen cast shadow cloak and latched his arms over Welco’s, his head just below Allezin’s chin.

On silent steps, unhindered by his unwieldy burden, Allezin stalked forward.

Isen quickly realized the issue with the arrangement—his vision was obscured by Allezin’s chest, and he was facing backwards. He knew that wouldn’t be enough to stymie the sixth sense, but he was loath to give away even more of his secrets. So far, whenever he’d navigated them, he’d always been able to see where he was going. Navigating while blind was on a different order of difficulty, or so Isen assumed.

Maybe it didn’t matter given all the improbable feats he’d already pulled off.

“Let me guide you,” Isen said. “I’ll shift my arms to tell you how to go.”

The warrior grunted his understanding. It took a few seconds for Allezin to adjust to Isen’s guiding nudges, but once he did, they moved swiftly through the halls.

The sense of danger kept increasing. He was with two tier threes, but he felt the opposite of safe. What could threaten them like this? What could make him feel like all the world was closing around them?

He wanted it to be multiple tier threes, but he feared it was something worse. A god, he thought with a shudder, his heart pounding. A tier four.

But not here, not yet, he realized. If a divine core stage cultivator were with them now, Isen would feel far more than just crushing danger. Isen had assumed the threat was with them inside the palace corridors because of its potency; what if it was waiting for them outside?

The worst part was not knowing. He didn’t know what to do—run, or stop and prepare?

In the end, there was only one option that would make a difference against a god.

Allezin ran as fast as he could.

***

Allezin had been skeptical when Isen expressed his intention to guide him as he ran through the corridors. First, and most obviously, Isen couldn’t see the hallway. Second, the boy shouldn’t have the perception and reaction speed to allow Allezin to move at full speed. Allezin would need to slow his pace for Isen to have any chance of success.

That was what Allezin had thought as he dashed out of the lift, wracking his mind to remember the way they’d come.

He felt a kernel of anxiety in his gut as he considered the possibility of a hostile tier three cultivator in the palace. Isen was a liability as a tier two, while Welco was neutral, at best. The clan leader would probably be able to defend himself, but most mages didn’t fare well in direct confrontations with cultivators. It might be better for the mage to grab Isen and run while Allezin held off an adversary.

If there were multiple tier threes, running was the only option, but it was a poor one when there was only one place they could go—out. If this was an organized force from Dray or the Aran Empire, they’d have cultivators at the exit to catch anyone who tried to escape.

His worries took a back seat to his surprise as Isen’s hands constantly shifted over his shoulders. At first, he’d been unsure how to interpret the movements and slowed his pace. After Isen guided him through two forks in the path without issue, Allezin increased his speed.

He increased it again, and again, until he flew through the halls at top speed. Somehow, Isen’s unceasing adjustments kept pace. The boy was ready for every branching path.

When the towering palace doors finally came into view, Isen’s hands pulled back. Stop.

Allezin ducked into an ajar chamber. They were nearly there—there was only one reason to halt. The warrior’s entire body was on edge, buzzing with tension.

That was when he realized the boy pressed to his chest was shuddering.

“There’s something terrible beyond the palace doors,” Isen forced out.

He’s afraid, Allezin realized, his stomach dropping. What does it mean when the one who seems to know everything is afraid?

“Can I outrun it?” Allezin asked.

“No. Welco, do you have shadows outside, beyond the palace?”

“The queen’s wards are too strong,” the mage replied. “I can send shadows to scout through the doors.”

Isen’s face screwed up. He seemed to be contemplating the option. After a few seconds, he shook his head. “Don’t. Ugh. I hate working off such little information. So many unknowns...”

Despite himself, Allezin nearly laughed at the irony.

Isen unfastened the unassuming sheath of his dagger. He held it out to Allezin. “I need to run a test. Just... take this for a second. Don’t draw it.”

Wordlessly, Allezin received the weapon. It felt like a normal blade, heavier because of the sheath. Isen watched him intently for a few beats before snatching the weapon back and returned it to his belt.

“What was that?” Welco mouthed.

Allezin ignored him. “What should we do?”

“You two stay here, and I’ll... go on ahead,” Isen said, his words barely more than a whisper. “Use your best judgment to decide when to risk leaving this room. Don’t wait too long. I don’t know what will happen.”

Allezin shook his head. “That is an absurd suggestion.”

“This is the only way,” Isen argued, voice low and grim. “There’s no path forward where we all move together.”

“Do you hear how insane this sounds?” Allezin protested.

Isen turned to Welco. “You’ve been awfully quiet. Are you going to argue, too?”

Welco frowned. “No, I don’t think I will.”

“Femera!” Allezin seethed, teeth bared.

“Act your stage,” the mage bit back, bristling with hostility. “I know I didn’t lead any tier threes here.”

“Well I definitely didn’t—”

“Let me finish,” Welco spat. “I give no assurances regarding tier fours. None should be in the city yet, but if they’re here, now? If they’ve been waiting for this moment?”

“Then our lives are forfeit,” Allezin finished. “It’s pointless to consider.”

Welco’s finger jabbed toward Isen. “He’s a tier two. If he goes alone, he’ll pose so little of a threat, he might just be captured and interrogated. This might really be his only chance at survival.”

Allezin’s nostrils flared. What Welco suggested was impossible. The divine beast wasn’t in Eldrassin, and Devon Aran wouldn’t need to resort to tactics like this, skulking in the queen’s palace. He’d come and take what he desired, consequences—and the queen’s defenses—be damned.

“Go, then!” Allezin spat, averting his gaze. “Go, if you’re so sure.”

Isen wilted. “Be vigilant,” he said softly. He activated shadow cloak and disappeared into the corridor.