regnavitque iter rex, yamiojo

4.

He felt like throwing up, and he felt dead, which was tragically hilarious considering his present situation. He could barely make out what was happening. It was all too rushed. After the bright flash of light, he had felt extremely disoriented, and now too, the dizziness lingered. 

He forced himself to focus. He was leaning against Sebastian as he dragged him forward. They were in some sort of a hallway. It stretched on till as far as he could see, which was not a lot. The corridor was dimly lit by lanterns, the soft yellow light of burning wicks illuminating their path and casting long shadows. They passed numerous rooms, all distinctly peculiar. 

Some had dark wooden doors with elaborate inscriptions while some had smooth steel guarding the rooms. Some of them radiated heat, and there were a few which chilled him to the bones. He was mildly panicking, too tired to do much. They had been walking for at least ten minutes since he had gained consciousness. 

He peered at the walls. As all the objects in that unusual place, the walls were strange too. Bricks protruded in some places and others endured some not so small craters. It was as if someone had started to haphazardly put this place together and then forgotten about it till someone with a wholly different vision had come along. 

He could recognize hints of different cultures that he had studied so long ago. The place, whatever it was, looked like an amalgamation of many different things but it somehow worked well together, and he thought it was like a compact world, like an old book containing countless stories from around the globe had come to life with all the places being reflected by the architecture and the slight nods to various cultures in the inscriptions and decorations. He was educated enough to recognize the changing languages as they moved along the hallway. 

He noticed how the languages and the inscriptions had a growing ancient air to them as they progressed. The atmosphere itself changed. Anticipation hung in the air around him, but he felt himself worsening. He was slowly losing his resolve to stay aware of his surroundings. Everything appeared darker and blurred now. The world seemed to carry weight, but he felt light as a feather.

He vaguely descried the door they stopped at. It appeared to be pure black obsidian. He caught their reflection and felt revulsion uncoiling in his mind. He was weak, a timid looking mess. He was bloody and bruised and he could barely make out his features. Next to him Sebastian looked like a man out of a dream. He was pristine. His dark hair perfectly swept back and his clothes had not even a speck of dirt. Maybe he was not seeing clearly. He, battered and bloody, was wrapped against his body and yet his clothes were immaculate as if being kept clean magically. But that was foolish, magic did not exist. 

Or did it? His mind questioned back. The sparks flowing from Sebastian's fingers flashed in his mind but he was too tired to even think about it. So he sought to clear his mind. The pain was unbearable.  And then he was blinded by light again. Could people die of abrupt and extreme changes in lighting? He sure felt insane. 

When things came into focus again, he was coughing up blood for the millionth time that day. He was tired. When the girl, Alexandra, saw him in his miserable condition, her face morphed into an expression of shock. 

"You," she said vehemently with her finger pointing and marching nearer to Sebastian, "couldn't even heal him properly? Honestly, I cannot deal with you. Zephyr is going to be so upset." Her eyes were blazing. 

Sebastian did not answer, and simply laid him down. He was losing awareness but he could feel a cool touch roam his body, as if the ocean waves were pulling him under. It was forceful but somehow felt cleansing.  

And then everything became clearer and sharper. He could make out Sebastian cocking his head at Alexandra. And he thought to himself, what a lovely bastard. He tried moving his head, then his arms, and then  his legs and promptly felt the invisible ropes binding him. 

He gathered enough energy to speak, "Hey...?"

Both of them whirled to look at him. Alexandra with a concerned look and Sebastian with an eyebrow raised. 

"Could you possibly untie me?" He forced out with effort. 

Alexandra, to her credit, looked appalled, then turned to Sebastian with an admonishing glare, "You bound the poor guy? Quite frankly, you really are terrible, and we need him as an ally not as a prisoner who turns on us!"  

"Splendid job, darling. Why do you not start shouting all our strategies from the Hochtower? Would that not suffice? Perhaps you should go whisper it in the ears of our enemies? Maybe you'll get your satisfaction then, and that attention you crave so much." He said giving her a patronizing glance. 

He could not help but find that idea funny. He could barely manage five words and this guy thought he was dangerous. 

So naturally, he had to provoke him, "Really, Sebastian--?" He managed to cough out before Sebastian had interrupted him with a snarl, "Sebastian? Who do you think you are? Don't you even dare call--" 

"Knock it off. You have been acting awfully daft since this mission started, and trust me, I am not above burning off those gorgeous locks of yours. So think again if you want to annoy me." Alexandra threatened him. 

"And no one would put it past me to drown you with your own saliva if you dared. Also, could you stop interrupting me? It is very unbecoming of you." He stared her down. 

"Demand only the respect that you can return yourself. Untie him. We both know you cannot harm either of us." She said with an overly cheerful smile. 

"That is indeed correct. You, Sebastian, cannot harm either of your two companions. I would suggest that you stop making empty threats. I am thoroughly disappointed. You, on the other hand, Alexandra, need not gloat. Pride possesses the potential to destroy both of you. Tread carefully." A deep, gravelly voice boomed and a tall man appeared in the room.  

He looked at the three of them and smiled, "Well, hello, how are we today?"