Aegis let out a breath and prepared himself. "The Ashen chapel was once a beautiful monument of the Pitt."
He rubbed his palms as the coldness brushed his skin. "Citizens of the Pitt showed their gratitude to the Arch Devil Vorax— the lord of hunger, greed, and glory."
"Every single creature in Inanitas— Fiends, cambions, and corrupted paid tribute with gold to the Arch Devil for granting them life and ambition."
The champion leaned in as Aegis continued.
"Until it was sieged. A draconic prince. He invaded inanitas." before he could finish the word—
"Aberration…"
A chill ran down Aegis's spine. The cold breath brushed his ear as he felt a presence behind him.
Aegis slowly turned, shrugging off the Eldari's gaze.
A test.
Aegis treated this as his training. With all of his willpower, he decided to sit instead of sprinting away.
Aegis's red pupils soon landed on the wall behind him, his gaze darted left and right, but he couldn't see anything. The fog around them carried a faint green tint. Aegis was sure the fog was colourless a few moments ago.
The night felt colder than usual. Slowly, he turned back.
However, the stranger's gaze pierced him.
A knot formed in Aegis's stomach as the warm gaze of the stranger was sharp. It pierced him like two daggers.
Aegis was ready to face the unknown force. But what will he do if he angers the Eldari? Aegis was careful, and he took each step to appear respectful.
What?
Aegis raised his eyebrow in confusion. A moment later, apart from Eldari's gaze, he could notice the fog growing thick. The green tint in it now painted the fog in faint green.
Aegis swallowed and felt a dry knot in his throat. The fear had slowly crept into his heart as he gently waved his hand. He hoped the stranger would react.
But the stranger's gaze was fixed on him. His Emerald eyes grew pale as his knuckles whitened.
Aegis widened his eyes in realisation. The stranger was not looking at him. His gaze was fixed on something that loomed behind him.
Aegis replayed the past few minutes, and nothing wrong appeared in his mind.
Except.
The world he heard,
Aberration.
Aegis now looked at the Eldari, if his gaze was not fixed on him. Then it was fixed on the presence behind me. Aegis focused on the Eldari's gaze, and the gladiator in front of him could help Aegis.
Interesting.
Gold was the obvious, but if the stranger could feel the presence.
He might have answers.
Aegis approached the Eldari and gently rested his hand on the Eldari's palm. He gave a firm shake. "Sir?"
The stranger did not react.
Instead, his jaw tightened.
Aegis shook the stranger's arm, "SIR!"
The stranger's body flinched as he turned his face toward Aegis, and the emerald green colour returned to his eyes.
Two crescents loomed above them, casting a faint blue light. Silence surrounded them as no words were exchanged. Aegis's gaze darted across the alley.
Silence swallowed the alley.
The stray hounds stopped barking.
Aegis's fingers curled into his palms. Even though his act was still holding, he felt the fear.
"Let's leave, sir!"
The stranger nodded, and both of them got out of the alley.
Aegis felt the hard road as he followed the stranger, and it was littered with makeshift torches and lantern stands. Most of them were broken. He looked at the huts and their lack of golden laqure. In fact, in his heart, he never wished to come here again. His gaze swept the familiar area. It lacked the metal fences, the structured alleys. Most importantly, hordes of tiny insects flew everywhere.
Aegis rubbed his arms as bloodsuckers kept biting him. His arms moved in the air as he tried to swat them away. Each one of their bites felt like a tiny needle puncturing his skin. His face contorted with frustration.
Filthy pests.
The words escaped the stranger's lips. "Continue."
Aegis was startled, and he nodded a moment later. "They say, after the war. The city, it was a graveyard. Anyone who entered did not return. In the city, Green fire burned everywhere. But it was strange. Skilled infernal mages failed to define."
Aegis spoke as the cold breeze brushed his skin.
The stranger swatted a few bloodsuckers. " What happened next?"
"I don't know, sir…" Aegis exhaled and continued, "No fiend or corrupted will speak more than that."
The stranger turned his head toward Aegis, "Why?"
"Because for fiends, it was humiliation." Aegis looked back at the stranger. " Cambions only arrived later, so nobody here knows."
The stranger gave Aegis a strip of cloth to cover his arms for now.
Aegis took it and bowed, "Thank you, sir."
After a moment of silence, the stranger turned toward Aegis. " Did any fiend or cambion go there recently?"
Aegis returned his gaze "No…there is no way to get into the city."
The stranger shook his head.
Aegis whispered. "However, there is an unknown entrance…"
The stranger halted as the words reached him.
"Back when I lived here, I wandered the sewers, and I stumbled upon a tunnel. It was strange. Fog swallowed it." Aegis exhaled.
The stranger looked around, and the shacks made with rubble and wood now dominated his sight. A few stray hounds lay on the cold stone. The streets were empty, and a few shacks emitted faint light from inside. "No cambion stays up this late…" The stranger's focus shifted. " They say strange apparitions wander."
"Let's go." The stranger moved forward.
…
Aegis followed him behind, "Sir?"
The stranger did not reply; instead, he glanced at Aegis. " Pardon me for my interest, can I know why you are asking this?" Aegis curled his fingers into his palm.
The stranger shook his head." Not now…the less you know the better."
"Oh…" Aegis stayed silent.
As they were about to leave the slums, fog surrounded them. But it was different; it was thick, unlike the fog that crept through the streets. Soon, a faint hiss was audible; it felt too unnatural for a beast.
CLANK
Two metal cans rolled across the road, and the cans spewed out smoke. It swallowed them both.
"Kluck, Bandits!" Aegis whispered. A hand touched his shoulder and pulled him in; it was the stranger's. Aegis's heart pounded as the stranger's eyes swept the area.
I have a champion beside me; I shouldn't be afraid.
For a moment, Aegis felt calm, but it did not last long. As Aegis touched the stranger's back, he realised he didn't carry his slender sword. Sweat rolled across his face. However, the stranger was calm.
Is this it? Aegis's eyes widened as his hands trembled.
Soon, a voice reached them. It was old and cranky. "What do we have here?" The smoke around them spread as four figures flew down from the nearby buildings. Their wings flapped, and smoke flew toward Aegis and the stranger.
"Isn't that the new champion?" A fiend pointed its claws toward the stranger. "He is unarmed too…" A low snarl escaped. Both of them carried daggers.
"It's been a long time since I ate an Eldari…" A fiend with a bastard sword added.
"What about the slave?" the bandit with the spear pointed it at Aegis. Fiends loved instilling fear in their prey; The excitement showed in their grins.
However, before they could continue. "Leave us", the stranger addressed the bandits.
All four of them laughed in unison as they circled Aegis and the stranger. "Leave a prey, just like that?"
"A prey cannot demand," one of them continued.
Aegis squinted his eyes; all four of them bore hard leather tunics. Perfect for banditry. The one with the spear stood near Aegis.
"You see, I wagered on disembowelling you." A voice spoke behind him as his claws snapped. He recognised that voice; it was the fiend from the arena.
"I'll get a fat pouch of coins if I keep my word." He continued.
"He is not part of this," the stranger's voice grew colder.
"Leave? How can I leave such a good-looking slave?" An excited rumble escaped his fangs. "We will kill you first, and then have our way with the boy." Aegis's breath turned shallow, his heart beat faster than it should, and at any moment, he could faint.
"Duck", the stranger whispered.
The shadow in front of him lunged. Aegis dropped, raising his arms over his head. Growls vibrated above his head. His eyes shut close as the steel rang.
SLASH, THUD.
Shadows in front of him fell. The growls around him stopped, and the silence swallowed them. A faint wheeze echoed; it did not belong to an Eldari.
Aegis rose slowly. The four fiends that surrounded them now lay on the stone pavement. The fiend who threatened them now had a hole in his throat, and the shadow that lunged at him lay pinned by its own broken spear. The others' throats were slit.
There were no screams, no limbs scattered, no sand soaked in blood. Instead, the glow in their eyes and mouth died down. He turned around only to see an Eldari looming behind him; both his hands were too clean for the chaos.
Four fiends? Moments ago, they laughed. Aegis did not blink.
The stranger sheathed his weapons and turned toward Aegis. He knelt. His hands checked Aegis's body, his eyes examined each part. The stranger's thumb brushed blood off his cheek; it was not his. Only after confirming Aegis was unharmed, his shoulder lowered. A heavy breath escaped his lips.
Soon, they left the southern part and were about to reach the tavern.
"T-Thank you, sir," Aegis bowed, but this time, it looked different. His feet turned away from the stranger as he was about to leave.
"Ananke, that is my name", words reached his ears. He turned around to see the stranger carrying a faint smile. A name? But I am a slave…
"Aegis, take care of yourself." Ananke bowed and turned to leave.
"Ananke," Aegis muttered. For the first time that night, six silver did not feel like the only path forward.
"WAIT!" he paced toward Ananke.
Aegis knelt as he struggled to steady his breath. "I know the slums better than anyone. Pay me coin, and I'll be your ears—and your way to the Ashen Chapel."