Surrender (Book 1 of The Baneseeker Project)

Chapter 7 - The Assistant

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Lost in thoughts and unable to stop the guilt, Lyna made her way toward the inn. She did not understand why she felt this way. She did not own Onthar or Argon anything. The first saved her when she did not ask for it and the second taught her skills she never wanted to learn. They had imposed themselves on her life, back then, and again now... now that the end was so close.

She hated the feelings of guilt, because they made her doubt the path that she had chosen. And yet, there was no other way. She couldn't see any other way.

The thought of feeling nothing, of not existing anymore, of letting everything go... that thought alone called to her. She wanted the peace. She needed it.

Once again, time was slowed around her and she let it go, suddenly, rashly, and her head spun as she came back to normality. The power was controlling her. It was now to the point where she called upon it without thinking about it.

It could not go on. She had to put an end to her madness.

When she entered the inn, Lyna noticed that the owner was not at her usual table. It was not a surprise as it was the middle of the night. Yet, the room wasn't empty. The young man who had told her where Onthar and Argon were staying sat alone at the same table. He was spinning a copper coin in front of him, completely oblivious to her presence.

She ignored him and made her way to her room.

Just before entering, she murmured a few words, calling upon the Arcanes and setting an alarm in the passageway. Anyone walking toward her room would set off the veil, which would alert her of their presence.

Once in the room, she made her way to the corner between the tiny table and the bed. She reached down and grabbed the invisible bag that hung there. At her touch, it appeared. She passed the bag's strap over her shoulder and secured the bag itself to her belt with a string.

She then glanced out of the window, toward the deep woods of Sij and noticed that a series of lights seemed to be congregating together, pivoting in a circle. She made her way to the window and stared at the dark jungle, expecting the manifestation to dissipate. It didn't. In fact, she realized that there was nothing chaotic about the lights' movements.

Lyna stretched time and was instantly assailed by a deep sensation of revulsion. Some force, possibly the lights, was pushing back against her, directly at her. She persevered and slowed time further. The sensation grew, and grew, until Lyna felt nauseated by it.

And then, she thought she could here their wails and lamentations. She had not been certain it would work this far out. If anything, she had not expected anything to happen, but...

Go away!

The words were like a slap in the face and Lyna receded into her room, loosing her grip on time. The world around was back to normal. The wails were gone. And this far from the window, she could not see the lights anymore. Only the tip of the jade spire was now visible.

Lyna hesitated, at a complete lost. She pondered what had just happened. She thought about what she had planned on doing; of walking into the Territories of Sij and giving herself to them.

And came to a sudden decision.

"I'm sorry," she said.

She had had doubts... After looking upon the woods for herself, after seeing the tortured soul, after what Eva had told her, and after inspecting the arch, she had started doubting being capable of simply strolling in.

And now, the souls there did not want her.

Go away, they had said.

Which is exactly what she intended to do. As her doubts had grown, she had rethought her plan and found another path. Initially, giving herself to Sij had felt right. This second alternative seemed even more appropriate, given everything that had happen.