Beyond the Void

Chapter 93, Rid me of fear

ANDARIS

Six moons since the Mark of the Other One blossomed.

Andaris strolled around the dim outskirts of the enormous plaza surrounding the Ebon Spire. Many of the buildings here were in ruins. Scaffolding and construction supplies lined the edges.

Most of his attention was caught by the overwhelming sound of breaking metal and stone. The twisted spire was being torn into strips of material which embedded itself into the plaza. An odd glow surrounded the descending voidstone, but everything else was hidden under a veil of void.

Summer nights were never this dark. Andaris could not see the others, but he knew they were there. Somewhere beneath the voidstone at the centre of this plaza. No one else held a drop of his blood. It was an odd feeling to sense your own presence apart from yourself. It felt like staring at your arms for a long time. The useless logs were there but despite the knowledge that those were your limbs, they would not move.

It was important to keep that feeling in your mind. It was important to be the arms. Not the screaming urgency that wanted the arms to move at every cost. It was important to suppress all rage and wants to run into the middle of everything. It was important to shut out the growling guardian somewhere inside him. Important to follow the edge of the plaza and keep watch of this. The puny fight of insects in the buildings surrounding the Ebon Spire was of no consequence.

Perhaps he could understand then. Andaris swore loudly. Stop thinking such nonsense, he scolded himself. He could ask the questions, but the answers would not sate him. They would undo none of it.

The rumbling stopped. The Ebon Spire had disappeared into the ground, leaving only giant tendril-like sprouts pointing towards the centre of the plaza. The second voidstone hovered there, still far above the plaza for the glow to illuminate those below it. It was quiet now.

"We know you're out there!" Someone screamed from the middle of the plaza.

Andaris allowed himself a small smirk. His legs wobbled for the tiniest of moments. His ragged breath became obvious to him and he felt the rush of adrenaline all over his body. His hands were itching to do something. Come on! Show me!

"You can't hide!" Becca's vicious voice shouted.

Andaris realised he was mumbling. "Come on. Show me. Show me. I want to know. I want to see."

Two other presences were getting closer and closer. The smell of rotting leaves accompanied by a faint bitterness told him all he needed to know.

Andaris released the lavish purple and red binding scroll from his back and placed it on the ground in front of him. He opened the scroll and let the first voidstone pour out into the world. The moment the first stone had gained all semblance, both voidstones started moving and floated into the embrace of a tendril. Andaris could not see to make sure, but there had to be nine such sprouts.

In the middle of the plaza, he could hear an unhappy commotion. "What are you playing at? Get out here where I can see you!" He could also feel disbelief mixed with rage from somewhere beyond himself.

"Outlanders! Cease! Listen to her!" Andaris did not recognise the voice. Beneath the centre the commotion got louder. Several flashes of fire briefly illuminated the disorderly group of people. The jets of fire sped blindly in all directions of the plaza.

One of Robert's fireballs was cut in half by something. New sounds of shattering stone echoed across the plaza and stopped abruptly. Voices of shock and desperation reached Andaris from the centre of the plaza. And faint footsteps came from somewhere to his right. Were they coming closer to him? No. Two beings were walking closer to the middle.