Cerberus Rex, Nameless

Into The Hatch, 24

Silas stood in the center of the Cerulean Hatch. His palms lay open in front of him. He looked down at the beads of light manifesting in a swirl within them and closed his eyes. He thought of Feri's description. Asinis as a woman. It'd taken some imagination at first, but with Feri's help, he'd managed it. The light reacted to his thoughts and swirled out of his hand. He followed. They bobbed at first. Moving slowly and bouncing between people. Then Silas saw a young woman propped by a wall. She wore a brown, tattered trench coat, and a green knitted scarf fraying in several places. She tucked her nose in it and watched a fire dancer. Silas stared. Asinis had a handsome face, and so did the girl but... her skin was blue, and her hair an even brighter orange than Asinis's. They said she disguised herself to look like him, but she hadn't gotten it quite right. Her eyes, also wrong, flashed like a yellow moon toward him. She blinked, realized he was staring, and backed away. He followed. He'd watched the wolves hunt. He knew how to lead her in the direction he wanted her to go. She knew she was prey and did exactly as he hoped, each of his purposeful movements guiding her without her knowing until she spotted Feri, undisguised in front of her.

Silas sensed Gunilla tremble like a fawn who realized she'd walked into a trap. He felt sorry for her, but he couldn't afford sympathy to stop him. He promised to end the threat facing Waywin and magic. Maybe they could let her go once they'd solved everything. Even as he tried to comfort himself with this thought, he knew it unlikely. He didn't know much about civilization, but his first experience had taught him that people were suspicious and unlikely to favor those they presumed guilty.

Mr. Noarwin was the next to reveal himself. Silas could hear her rapid breathing, the palpitations of her heart. She steered away from Mr. Noarwin, not running but frantic nonetheless. She passed someone dressed in gold, and then their party steered her toward Asinis. She froze. Her eyes turned to saucers. That's when she ran.

"Enora!" Asinis shouted.

Silas's lights danced around her flapping hair. She jumped over a gnome crawling around for the money he'd spilled and stumbled. She righted herself and started in a direction they didn't want her to go. Silas searched for the others. Asinis and Feri dashed to block her. Where had Mr. Noarwin gone?

Gunilla's direction changed. The vein in her neck bulged, and her body stiffened. She ran toward the alley, and the group gathered at the mouth of it where Mr. Noarwin had told them to steer her. She stood in the middle of it facing Mr. Noarwin holding aloft a flowery sword. It emitted a soft, bell-like hum. She panted. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She clamped her eyes shut, grunted. Then, gathering her will, she raised her arms and threw them down to her sides. The enchantment, which had forced her toward Mr. Noarwin, broke. She turned around, and Dar stepped in her way. She gasped, stumbling backward as he loomed over her.

"Moth..." His voice remained gentle as he reached for her.

Her chest beat in sporadic breaths. She gawked at Dar's hand and screamed, "Afonlas!"

Silas recognized the hiss under Mr. Noarwin's breath as a curse. Then, a figure appeared behind Gunilla. He set a hand on her back, and they disappeared.

Silas blinked, wondering if he saw right. But when he next opened his eyes, his surroundings looked unfamiliar. They were no longer in the Cerulean Hatch. He glanced over his shoulder at where the festival should be blooming, but nothing save a black wall greeted him. He glanced at Feri, Asinis, and Dar next to him. They looked as confused as he did. Then he turned to Mr. Noarwin who sheathed his sword and cursed.

"Dammit! They were allies after all," he said. "And Afonlas transported us--where are we!" he shouted, angrily spinning in the black-walled, dome-shaped room.

"Mr. Noarwin—what happened?" Feri asked.

"That was Arch-Mage Afonlas," Mr. Noarwin said marching through the stone chamber toward them. "He was posing as a shopkeeper using the alias Mr. Afon. I recognized him, but I didn't think he would be involved with a supposed cult member trying to monopolize magic."

"Could he be a part of it?" Asinis asked.

"If he's power-hungry, certainly, but most of his type don't involve themselves with fanatic groups or people in general," Mr. Noarwin said.

"But he's involved with our query, which has put us here," Silas said.

"Which is—" Feri pressed.

"Where do archmages send their enemies?" Mr. Noarwin asked Asinis.

Asinis swallowed. "Dungeon towers."

"Dar." Silas went to the stone golem who'd frozen in place since teleporting. "Are you alright?"

Dar blinked and then looked at him. He made a small sound, his tone indicating worry.

"It will be alright." Silas put a hand on his arm. "We'll protect you."

Dar looked down at him and then shuffled so he hovered over Silas protectively. Silas looked around from under him. He caught Mr. Noarwin's smile and Asinis and Feri's curiosity. Then, they heard a low moan at the other side of the round chamber. Dar reached out his arm toward Mr. Noarwin and made a calling sound. Mr. Noarwin heeded it and found a spot beside Silas.

"Come on you two," he called to Feri and Asinis. "We're about to find out how to get out of here."

Silas stepped back to make room for them under Dar's shadow. He didn't sense The Soul Protector, which meant he'd been left on his own for the first time since leaving Waywin. He glanced at his companions and took a breath. Not alone. He would trust his friends, and he would protect them. No matter what.