Together, Aris, the boy, and I traveled through secret passageways, avoiding the terror that surrounded us.
People were dying every second.
Thorne's men were trying to take over the Slums.
This was exciting, at least for me. When I bonded with a wielder, which didn't happen often, the number of enemies trying to kill them escalated almost immediately.
It was a good sign. The boy was a strong contender for being my wielder. That was why things were getting difficult.
The stronger the bond between me and my wielder, the stronger the enemies. This sudden chaos in the Slums was not at all surprising to me. It meant my bond with the boy was good.
Maybe he would end up being the one who could break me free from my curse.
I snapped back to the present. Something was itching at my senses. Something close.
Its Aether was different from the others. It wasn't frantic. It was patient.
"Boy," I whispered, as the two of us followed Aris down a narrow alleyway.
"Yeah?" He asked, glancing down at me.
"We're being hunted."
"How do you know?"
"Trust me," I said, trying to expand my senses further. There definitely was something close by. Something strong. And it was following close by. Hunting us.
"Okay," the boy said uncertainly. His eyes darted around his surroundings, now paranoid from my warning. "Where is it?"
"It's closing in," I said. That was all I knew. "Keep going. Maybe we can outrun it."
Whatever was hunting us, its Aether was strong.
The boy continued forward, his legs steady and consistent. Ever since his short rest, he seemed more alive than ever.
That was good news. If we were attacked soon, he would at least have enough Aether to escape if we were threatened.
Fighting, I still wasn't sure about. We hadn't trained enough. He wasn't strong enough yet to take down multiple enemies at a time.
I also felt concerned. The two of us were following Aris blindly. Trusting her to take us to safety.
But where would we go? The Slums were supposed to be our refuge. Our escape from Thorne while the boy got stronger.
That didn't seem to be an option anymore.
A scream echoed off the walls behind us and the boy stiffened.
"Don't look back," Aris said.
"Where are you taking us?" The boy asked her, almost reading my mind. "They'll be looking for me everywhere in the city."
"I know someone who might be able to get us out of this alive," she responded. "You're gonna have to trust me."
A trickle of blood was running down the side of her face, and she was stepping with a limp in her left leg. Parts of her cloak now had burn marks across the fabric. Whatever Aris had been hunting seemed to have fought back.
We turned down yet another alleyway. This one was even darker than the others. I couldn't sense anything more than a foot in front of me.
The boy followed close to Aris, who seemed to know exactly where to go.
She must've lived down here a long time, I thought. How had a girl like her ended up here?
I wanted to trust her, but I couldn't help but wonder where she was taking us.
My question was soon answered when Aris finally came to a stop and knocked on a wooden door.
"Where are we?" The boy asked.
"A friends," Aris said. "He may be able to help us."
There was no response for a moment.
Then, after a moment, the door opened, and Aris strode in.
The boy looked down at me but said nothing.
I took one last look outside. Whatever was hunting us was closer than I liked.
Together, we stepped inside as the darkness swallowed us whole.
*******
"Close it," a voice commanded, somewhere within the darkness of the room.
The boy put a hand on the door and gave it a shove.
The door shut behind us with a dull, heavy thud.
Inside was unnaturally dark. Most people would have lit a candle or a lamp in order to see.
This was different. There didn't even seem to be windows to let the moonlight in.
I immediately disliked this place.
The boy hesitated in the doorway. I could feel his pulse through our bond. Fast but steady. Good. Fear was what sharpened the senses. Panic was what got you killed.
The boy took a few steps forward, stopping next to Aris.
"You brought company," the male voice said.
"Yes," Aris responded. "The city is under attack. Thorne."
"I noticed," the man said. "Who are these two?"
"Two?" Aris asked, confused.
"A child and a sword," the voice responded.
"Goddammit," Aris said with frustration. She turned on a gas lamp, illuminating the cramped room.
A blind man stood before us.
He was of medium height and very thin, draped in layered robes that brushed the dusty floor. His eyes were covered with a strip of pale cloth, yellowed with age. Long gray hair was tied back at his neck, and his hands rested on a wooden cane.
"Who the hell is this guy?" I asked the boy.
The man tilted his head, as if he were sensing something.
"Aris. This boy has brought something with him. Something very…loud."
Aris turned to the boy, and her eyes focused on me. She seemed confused, but something in her face also conveyed understanding.
"You're alive, aren't you?"
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. She wouldn't be able to tell either way.
Thankfully, the boy spoke for me.
"He is alive. This sword has saved my life. He speaks to me. He guides me."
"This is all new to me," the blind man said. "Most cursed objects aren't sentient like you. I can feel consciousness inside your blade. "
He didn't look at me, instead staring straight ahead.
"Can you help me?" I asked desperately. I didn't trust this old man, but I'd been searching for an answer to my curse for centuries. "I must escape this body. I want to be whole again."
The blind man shook his head. "I can sense you are pleading for something. I cannot cure you. The only way to lift your curse is to defeat the one who cast it upon you."
The one who cast this curse upon me?
I raked my thoughts for an answer.
But I couldn't remember. Whoever that person had been, they were the one responsible.
They were the one that would pay for what they did to me.