The boy and I stood before the blind man, and both of us seemed to be confused.
I still couldn't understand. Even though he lacked eyes, somehow this old man could see me. And his hearing was on another level. Through his limited senses he could understand me when I spoke.
Aris looked just as confused. "That shouldn't be possible. It's just a sword. How could it have consciousness?"
Before any of us could answer, a howl bit through the silence.
The old man hit his cane against the floor. "Go down the stairs in the back room. It will lead to a tunnel outside of the city."
"What about you, Cale?" Aris asked, clenching her jaw. She was obviously in pain. Her clothes were burnt, and her posture was slumped. Whatever fight she had been in was enough to wear her down.
The blind man, Cale, smiled. "I can deal with whatever comes my way. The most important thing is to get this boy and that sword away from the city. Follow the tunnels until you see the light. Only then will you be safe."
"Why can't you come with us?" I asked.
The blind man took a moment, then sighed. "I cannot understand your foreign language, sword. But I do understand your fear. You will make your escape. I will deal with this thing that is hunting you. Now, do you all want to keep asking questions or get out of here?'
Aris didn't respond, only nodding. She started forward, past Cale and into the only available door.
The boy and I followed.
Inside was a narrow set of stairs that swallowed not only light but sound.
We had to trust him. He was our only chance at survival. And we had to trust Aris. Without people like them, the boy would have died and my cycle would have restarted much earlier.
The boy took in a deep breath as Aris started down the dark staircase.
"Is this gonna work, Sword?" He asked softly.
Honestly, I had no clue. But part of my job was to inspire confidence for my wielders. And I would do just that.
"Yes," I responded. "Follow Aris. We're gonna get to safety."
*******
The door closed behind us silently.
The stairs swallowed us like a beast taking in its first meal in days.
Unironically, that had been one of my experiences. Nearly a century ago, a dragon had eaten both me and my wielder in just one bite.
The second my blade touched the flaming acid in its stomach, I had respawned in the field.
My wielder had not.
The darkness around us was terrifying.
For some reason, the noise of the Slums had died down around us. The screams had disappeared.
The Aether that usually buzzed faintly through the air was now muted, dulled to a whisper. Whatever Cale had built this place with, it smothered the world outside of it.
Our descent came to an abrupt end with the stairs stopping at a stone platform.
Aris used a hand to guide her along a wall, following all the twists and turns of the tunnel.
It had to be cold down here as both Aris and the boy were shivering within minutes.
That was one of the few things I didn't miss as a mortal. The way the cold gnawed at you until your fingers felt numb and useless. The involuntary shaking as the body panicked, desperately trying to generate warmth it no longer had. The slow, creeping fear that if you stopped moving, even for a moment, you might not start again.
"Looks like the tunnel is coming to an end," Aris said, her voice echoing off the tunnel's walls.
We had travelled in near silence for over an hour now. In that silence we'd listened for anything following us, but we only ever heard the sounds of Aris and the boy's footsteps.
Whatever the blind man's plan was it seemed to have worked.
Aris was right. I could see light from the moon not far ahead, and the wind was whistling past now.
It was a very small opening, one that could be mistaken for an animal's shelter. Aris barely squeezed through, though the boy had no trouble with it.
Outside, the air was fresh. There was no smell of rot or smoke like in the slums.
The boy drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, like he hadn't realized how badly he needed it until now.
Behind us, nearly a kilometer away, the city burned. From here, the slums were nothing more than a jagged glow of fire and smoke against the night.
We had escaped.
At least, that's what it felt like.
But as the wind brushed over my blade and we watched the burning city, one thought settled heavily in my mind.
Escape was only the beginning.