Beyond the Void

Chapter 30, Do not chain him to your heart

of Sin 12 - The first Voidstone is created, but quickly discarded as it is imperfect.

An excerpt from the diary of Pia...

AERIN

One moon and two tens since the Mark of the Other One blossomed.

The bitch was right there. Every other evening, like a fanatic, the inhuman bastard wandered all over Ironcourt. What was she thinking? That all of this would belong to her kind once again. Just try it, I will tear you into pieces!

Each time, Aerin took the time to follow that Alyar. She stood there, the bitch that murdered Will, stood in the upper city, on the same overlook where Will and Aerin had gathered right before they found the cathedral in the deep and the way to that dreaded house.

Aerin observed her from afar, looking at how the Alyar moved, where she went when not in her compound. All to be prepared once she had the full strength to confront the bitch.

However, her thoughts were interrupted. The freakish elf disappeared behind a corner, and Aerin had not noticed when or where the murderer had gone from there. Her concentration kept slipping, she kept losing herself in memories and what-ifs. What did that thing seek in this city? What was she thinking?

Should she stop for tonight? Her mind felt stuffy and slow. Each day was a fragmented blur of moments, no actual memories. Aerin made her way down the street to the overlook where the elf had been.

If she wanted to, she could easily find the freak's tracks and follow her further. Her eyes kept darting around the overlook. Her mind was clouded and she could not focus on what she wanted to. Scattered thoughts kept bothering her.

She jumped when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Quickly she regained her composure, grabbed the hand, and tried to toss the offender onto the ledge of the overlook.

Yet she was the one who found herself clinging onto the hand that had grabbed her, dangling uncomfortably over the handrail of the overlook.

"When will you wake up Aerin? You are one of my best snatches. Only a few moons ago I couldn't approach you like this!" Garret hauled her harshly back onto the overlook. Then gave her a good punch to the side. "Wake up!" He barked.

Aerin reeled sideways and stumbled into a pile of snow. His words and treatment of her had made her furious.

She tried to shake loose from the snow and charge at Garret, but the grey-haired man had already grabbed her front and threw her like a doll down the street.

Aerin landed painfully and slid a good way down some stairs. She tasted blood in her mouth. The next moment someone picked her up and held her. Garret had brought friends.

"Come on, don't let him do this to you." Aerin recognised the voice. Sonera. She let her go and pushed Aerin towards Garret. Aerin stumbled and fell again.

"What happened to you?" Garret barked.

Another set of boots entered Aerin's vision, but she did not want to raise her gaze. She did not want to see who had been brought along to witness her state.

Most of all, she did not want to see that self-assured spark in Garret's brown eyes. She could already imagine the man in spite of not having seen him for tens. Tangled hair, the man never brushed his beard, he never buttoned his shirts properly. Everything looked sloppy on him.