The Final Ring

Igni watched the rain pelt the streets. Silent lighting forked the distant sky, refracted and split by the great glass towers reaching up into the swollen clouds. He could barely see through the rain slick window, the oily muck from above had smeared itself across the glass. The rain was getting worse. Ancient drains and sink aways were blocked by the falling decay, the city was a flood with the toxic rain. The procession would only whittle away what life remained away. It was little more then a tomb. Not that it bothered him greatly, he didn't mind the rain. It had stopped hurting him long ago, he knew others wouldn't be as lucky. He didn't care for them, just acknowledged their pathetic existence, he knew he wasn't any better but at least the rain wouldn't kill him.

The soft glow of the ghost within his room lit his dark purple skin grey in the dark of the room. His glowing veins remained their deep blue, bold maps to his body lining the roads within him. People moved too and from, scenes changed on the box ghost. It's dead echo flickering to grey and black before returning to a picture. The old world. The haunting memories centuries old, he didn't know how they worked. A wretched magic bound to the place as it was broken during the fold. A prison to the unlucky within. He was one of them, born amongst the rain, he was the only one of his kind. She had risen him, but she had left him to his fate here. The forged, he couldn't remember her true name or face, the rain had stolen them from him. His gift was a twisted one. But those years ago she had placed it upon his lips, before leaving him. Slowly he placed his fingers against his lips feeling the cracked dry things, gentle he licked them prodding for splits upon his skin.

His saliva stung salty and warm, he longed for some respite. She had touched them before they had been worn by the rain. Gently he played with his lips, the faint memory of her bestowing fluttered free from his mind's grasp, leaving only wispy strands of a rainy night and his corpse.  The Revenant, the others had called him that, a corpse haunted by it's previous owner. His soft white skin had drunk in the rain like any others skin would, but he did not perish. His body drank it deep and made it his own. The sourness was within him. Her magic gently cradled by his toxic frame an orb of rich blue light covered but not hidden by his rain drunk skin. The strength flowed through his tainted frame. The ghost danced before him as he hummed a quiet tune. The day was upon him, but he didn't want to get up. Shifting from his pile of blankets his body ached unwilling to support him.

Standing he moaned as his body woke up. His room lay in the same grey as his skin. lttered about were old clothes and displaced tools and weapons. Finally out of his clothen nest shivers assaulted him as the cold caressed him. Hurriedly he searched through his piles of dirty clothes before climbing into a familiar worn set, the wicked fingers of the wind stabbed at him as he pulled on his large hooded coat. The thing must have been made for an extremely large man as he could easily wear his backpack underneath. Without the pack it dragged along the floor of his room. Shuffling over to his pack, the padded lining of the coat did wonders warming him back up. The soft crackle of the ghost sung to him as he checked and packed it. The ghost was square shaped with a thin body, its wide foot spread out holding it aloft by a stem like leg. Multiple voices sung through it as Igni slid his backpack in up under his cloak finally  securing the strap across his chest.

Standing up he scanned the small concrete room, besides the ghost and his pile of bedding it was empty. Contemplating whether or not to take his bedding with him Igni decided to leave it. He had tired of the decaying land. The forged had headed north, towards the towers and the inner rings. He had only learned of it from the words of the market keepers, he didn't put much weight in it's credibility. But it was his only track, his hunt would begin. A single memory clung to his mind. It was her voice, two words whispered agasint the harsh rain. "Find me." The last few months from the outer ring had been haunted by her. A ghostly voice hurrying him along, eager for him to wake and continue on his way. The sudden dreamless night reinforced his decision to follow her, even with what little she left to chase. Her absence was enough to lead the way.
The Gate was the only path beyond the maze of glass towers. The dregs that squalered about spoke of untainted rings beyond those towers. Vapid foul things, desperate to survive and thrive. Igni thought little of them.

Igni ignored the promise of gold and untouched land, he focused on the monstrosities rumoured to devour those who try and cross the boundary. From the tales he knew many of the humans had tried, throwing themselves against the tower's glass walls and dead steps. He wasn't too fond of fighting but he was sure he could protect himself enough to make it. Not much could hurt him. As he walked the tip tap of metal on stone echoed down the empty hallway. The grey concrete below felt cold to the touch. Flexing his feet, he dug his toes in as he walked, the rough surface quickly began to form small spiderweb like cracks under the pressure he exerted. Standing in the doorless doorway igni looked out into the lightning lit streets. Helaora the world's waste. Dregs whispered the prison's name as if another ring lay further beyond them. But they were the end. A rotten foundation of the world. The nameless dead lay paving her roads. He would not become one. She had chosen him, he would find her. Stepping out into the sour rain, the lashing wind reached him. Settling into the torrent igni set of at a sleepy walk, bare feet steady in the thick sludge way.

The raging storm thrashed around him as he steadily ran through the swollen streets, corpses swam the vibrant streams. Countless whole and unwhole cadavers on their way to his home. The End, all would find there way there. Another brick packed tightly together, the soft becoming their own cement binding them in their place. She had found him, she would have been spoiled for choice. What legends lay as great bricks for the rings. She had chosen him. A child, a dead child long bloated by the vile water. The deep violet wine that drowned this ring. The thunderless lightning lit up the wine drunk world, the roaring rain was the only sound, his wet footsteps and steady breathing were eclipsed by the barrage of wine. Pausing he crouched, the torrent continued as he listened intently. Filtering past the background noise igni searched. The faint singing world was distant and far, nothing else lingered around him. Such an intense storm must have driven the sane into shelter and the insane to the end.

Good, Igni thought to himself before standing back up, he had no time for distractions. Glancing around the slick city streets tinged an odd sensation within him. He would miss the place, for some reason the retched prison held a place in him. Shaking the thoughts free from his mind he focused, he would take Helaora with him into the new rings. A ghost of the end chasing a ghost of his mind. The thought of her not existing wasn't lost on him. He had seen many humans fall to the wine and go mad, talking to ghosts, eating themselves and all manner of vile acts.  Acts he would carry with him, etched into his mind. He had watched them perched up high, a lowly bird gazing down on the worms dancing below in the violet river. No birds lived in helaora. Only the tales of them, maybe he was a dragon. Humans claimed they could fly like birds, scaled grand birds spouting flame and lighting from their jaws. Those damned stories had done more to him and his imagination then the rain could. He doubted he was mad. But he had tried to spit his vile wine as a brilliant gout to match the motif of those tales.

Humans barely survived exposure to his powers. He should have let them tell him more stories before engulfing them in his foamy death. It was no fire, but killed as quickly as the fabled flame. Tender frames quickly fell to him, bone and meat tenderised as they contorted around him. Binding agony seeping into their souls. His thoughts danced through his past as he leapt from building to building. The heavy roofed ran steady as waterfalls fell to the swampy paths below. Reaching and leaping Igni clambered on his way towards the market. Sole had claimed to know the way to the gate, igni had never bothered to ask. But today he would know. No matter what. Sole had pointed to the mangled corpses making their way to the end. Mangled and rotten lumps sailing the corpse ships home. He claimed they were great races and creatures, noble and tainted. Collosal and minute. Each unusual warp and bend of meat, claimed by his knowledge of the rings that delivered their dead. Horned, legged and eyed. His hunger had driven him to occasionally eat a few of the passing travelers, they had no use for what was left.

He would help himself but preferred the warm and living. The rooters and floats were a more appetising offer. They could do away with a human but he was not human. He preyed on them the apex predator of this off land. With him gone who knew what would happen, his jagged path would soon be forgotten with his passing. Igni sighed. His thoughts were awake. The possibilities swarming. Pushing his thoughts away igni sped up powerfully kicking off and hurdling through the rain before landing and kicking off again the howling of the passing wind deafened the eager thoughts unwilling to disperse. Crumbling towers and brick houses lay below him an city. A hive of countless paths and crossings stretched out to the horizon. Behind him lay the end, he could sense it and raced away from to where it sat. Before the glass towers scraping the sky, almost as if they too desperately wanted to escape, hoping to reach past the purple clouds above.

He had awoken nestled deep in his grave, the long dead rested around him. The cold wine had gently tapped him awake, the distant sky grey stared down at new born child. He had climbed out, her handholds had been out of reach, so he made his own. His small dark hands dug into the compact wall. Harrow and drawn faces blankly gazed at him as he climbed, his elbows and knees held strong thought out his accent. The worlds lost greated him warmly, thoughtless smilles and eager eyes drove him onward as the grey plane above grew. His tiny limbs quickly ached and moaned, so many years of restful slumber disrupted by cold rain and deep breaths. A woman's voice tender, loving and absent. Clambering out of his grave brought only another hurdle. His body waned and buckled under him, desperate to embrace death again. Unsteadily he had crawled  along the wall to the edge. Nothing lay before him. The wall was shear and straight, the stacked forgotten never crossing onto the edge, pressing against it but never crossing into the nothing. Watching it chilled even the memory of her. She had seen it too and she had done it to see him. Propping himself up he gazed out into the edge, chills shook him as he stared. Bringing his knees too his chest he shuffled closer to the edge, his body roiled.

Heat raised in his face as he pushed his feet over the edge. They sunk into the edge matching it as if they weren't there. His bold veins stayed. Roots reaching deep into the edge. Fear. He could feel it building inside, like the sour liquid that had built up from an age within the world's cellar. He watched them until he could bare it no more. Since that day he had scoured the land. Fighting against life each step. His body longed for the hole that had cradled him for so long, but he would strive on. Death was inescapable, he would find his way back to her warm womb eventually. She would embrace all, even stone and earth would perish and return to her. The market's ramshackled wall was bare as igni landed infront of the metal gate, the old roads ran fast as improtue rivers swelled. Walking too the patchy wall igni climbed over effortlessly. The ragged stalls were bare, most of the humans would have fled to empty towers to escape the approaching flood. The storm was only intensifying. Even the ring didn't want him to leave, a dry chuckle escaped his lips as he stalked through the small collection of shacks.

Nestled deep between the rusty heep sat a large tent. He led on pushing past folds of the old cloth that led into sole's tent. Sole sat facing a small girl, his child, Igni never cared to remember her name, the little runt spent most of her time inside the tent. Content on reading her books as the world outside carried on without her. Her blue eyes stared up at him singing out in fear and surprise. The man turned to face him, a half gagged turn, the wound was clear before igni saw it. Savage and deep, a sword wound. Igni was shocked, not many of the floppers around would carry a weapon, let alone use it on another. Especially not Sole. Igni couldn't help but looked shocked too. "Hurts like a fucker" Sole harshly coughed, blood trickled from his lips before being smeared by an already coated hand. Igni was speachless. The man had always been in a fine and chipper mood when they met. Mentoring and suggestive words always followed the boy. The man insisted on talking, even when igni gave no response. The man had told him much, some igni would believe and others he couldn't. The man had always been there. "How can I help you boy?" Sole smiled forcefully, his greying skin too similar to those on their way in the street, his eyes were barely open.

The girl's soft face was red with tears. Sitting next to him she was dressed. Igni had never seen her in the Roamer's typical garb. Heavy thick clothes to hold off the falling taint. Her little face searching for another option. "I knew it would come to this eventually..." Sole sighed give the small girl a sorrowful glance. "The gate, where is it?" Igni asked forcing his voice to harden against the scene. Nodding his head slowly Sole smiled glancing up. "I'll tell you but take her with you" The girl's mouth dropped and words silently danced on her lips. His time was short, Igni could see it on him. Sole's journey was about to begin.  "Take her away from here, through the gate" the corpse coughed barely looking up. "She knows the way" Sole spoke, glancing up the pale man's eyes were closed, a gentle smile on his lips. The soft release of his last breath brought silence to the room. Even the rain outside faded away into a blissful moment of nothingness. As his spirit passed the torrential buzz lingered back into existence only joined by the girl's whimpers. She looked to be about ten, The same age sole had insisted he was when they'd met, she was only slightly younger.

2364 days had passed since his awakening, days and nights were warped so low on the Ring's. But Sole had insisted he was in his early years. Six years from the day she had found him, it hadn't been long after that he had met Solenarius the First. Scavenging some long flooded ruin close to the end. He was around her height then. Short and naked. She was lucky. The child's whimpers did little to settle his light heart. The oddit sat inside him. He was sad the man he had known for so long had died. He didn't even say good bye. Igni was surprised with himself, he found himself being caught unaware too often recently. "Let's be on our way." He said quietly to the girl. She was clinging to the corpse, desperately trying to squeeze life back into him. Her response was to only hug Sole harder, cherry red eyes bold against her pale face. The place was bare they had taken anything of worth, before or after putting a hole in Sole, it wasn't clear. If only he had reached sooner. Thoughts flooded his mind. He wasn't responsible but the bitter loss stung more knowing he couldn't have helped. Moments passed as igni awkwardly stood over the pair. He glanced between the odd rusted cabinet to smashed ghosts.

All the while the girl wept. Moments stretched longer as a stiffness climbed through him, the girls racked cries shifted into heavy quiet sobs. All the while he watched. The girl was carrying her own small back pack, a few survival utilities strapped too it or dangling loose. On the child's bed sat an massive etched tome. A book, paper and words. Knowledge and strength, Sole had insisted that they were true value and eclipsed all else. While bandits would kill and steal gold and food, knowledge remained untouched, waiting for the strong to reach out, a claim beyond the limits of others. The book would be worth a fortune to the right tribe, but who needs paper and secrets while you starve. Little did the book do to help against the tainted land. Dreams for dead fools and lonely girls. "We should be going" Igni added again, sighing and shifting his weight once again. "OK.." The girl mumbled into her father's tear sodden coat. Slowly she pulled away, the body began to shift but Igni reached it in time, he held Sole up. Igni only nodded at the girl as she turned and began pocketing a few unnoteworthy items. Resting the man back in his large chair igni quickly felt through his pockets.

The Raiders had already cleaned him out, but his necklace sat against his chest. An old Burrower's tooth and bone fashioned into a charm. Slipping it free with his harsh, sharp hands igni delicately held the small trinket. The day they had met, it was under soft rain that rustled though a fallen tower. A Burrower had almost had Sole in it's jaws, but Sole had run into a very hungry young man. If the creature hadn't been on his tail Igni might have eaten him, but the fates aligned and the Burrow would not see another day. It felt almost like a life time had passed. Sole was old now, six years did wonders on a body. He had been her size once but now towered over her, in six years would she match him?. He doubted it, she wouldn't live six years. Not here. The girl turned to face him, the old tomb barely contained under one arm. " I'm ready" she mumbled, desperate to not look at her father. Swiftly he knelt by the girl. She barely registered him as his blade like fingers delicately slid the necklace around her neck. She would carry his memory now. He hoped it would make her strong. Wordlessly he stood and left the tent. The small girl exited after him momentarily, face shield in place, the little roamer appeared ready to explore.

He had worn the same set as a boy, Sole had insisted despite the months he'd spent naked in the rain. "Lead the way little one" Igni spoke motioning towards the gate. Even if she was crying, the rain drowned all noise. Her slow steps weighed by the passing of Sole was apparent. The girl lingered unsure if not to leave or stay. Each step tore her apart. He couldn't relate. But he did feel sad for her, his measure was hard to compare to their kind. He wasn't emotionless, just lacking maybe, underdeveloped even. He didn't see it as an issue. From his experience humans swished and swayed pulled about by the tether of their emotions. Sole would tell great stories of humans and their love and hatred for one another. Even with such a short life on the ring Igni had seen them chase and fight for such emotions. Young lovers succumbing to the taint together, hands clenched  and swollen. Blind and mad, but in love. Together for some reason, driven by a bond forged so strongly even the taint could not pry them apart. But the wasting of their minds just could have taken their ability to part. Igni couldn't speak as if he knew but his thoughts were far from fact, he silently reassured himself those were the only options.

The girl did not stop, not once did she falter and turn forlornly back to the market she once called home. Steadfast she led him out through the winding streets. Occasionally they would avoid sunken roads turned sewers, he wouldn't have needed too but for her sake he let her meander on her way. It saved him the effort of having to comfort her himself. Sole had pestered him throughout his boyhood, after saving the young explorer Igni had spent many months journeying with him across sodden cities. The Volna Divide and other forgotten tombs. Many days were spent exploring the greatest towers of all sorts. Corpse reaching out the earth interrupting the marshy rivers that snaked their way too the edge. Sole had even suggested travelling beyond, even after witnessing it he would occasionally try and persuade Igni to accompany him. Igni would refuse, what ever brain meat would make the sane fear that place, had been carved out of Sole an age before they had met. The human always insisted on continuing on, no matter how perilous things could get. He lived as if his body was stronger then their bodies combined, all he had to do was follow his mind and all would be fine.
Igni had to admit to himself the only times he had ever thought for his life or felt truly worried was with Sole. The prospect of crossing the edge, even with Sole had scared him enough to have lost sleep.

Erie voices and feelings lingered at the edge. Things he could not understand. Sole barely blinked climbing the tower of N'fal to find the gate inwards even now the memory installed the weakness in his solid knees. The thin railings scraping the clouds had shook and screamed in the stormy wind threatening to break free under the pair's grasp. The highest point within Helaora. Sole had been sure they'd find the gate, but the place was a bust, fool's tales and misplaced wails haunted the corpse tower. Stuffed full of malevolent ghosts. His days with sole were the only memories between the blankness of his time alone. One day he returned and found his friend had found an new accomplice. Zsóka, she had been even smaller then. Too shy to leave her father's side. He doubted if she  remembered him, it had been a while ago. Had she always been at home waiting for her father to return, while they adventured in the dead world. She would have been a babe, to small to remember such things. Nursed by whatever midwife Sole could find. Igni had never pried into the man's business, he didn't care to ask. Such things put no weight on him.

But now she was here and Sole was gone. Her father left her to his care, he hadn't had much choice. Just luck, Sole had claimed they were lucky whenever fatal mishaps and accidents hadn't claimed their lives. It seemed Sole hadn't been lucky enough to be here with the child. Leaving her to igni was no luck. Not for the girl or him. The gate. She would be waiting for him past it, he would see the girl through but he had no claim to do more. The trade had been established, the route set in motion and once they had both reached the destination he would be free of the runt. The hours dragged by carried by rancid winds. Deeper and deeper she led until the streets crumbled and cracked into nothing but paths carved out of the rotten soil, ruins rested against one another far above blocking out the cloud pregnant sky. Ankle deep water raced down their path, eager too pull them into the increasing darkness. "How far left" Igni asked curtly, the pace she set was begging to wear on him. The strong urge hadn't returned but he could almost feel it nipping at his heels. The girl didn't respond, just kept splashing her way down the path. Igni was  impressed with how long she had kept her footing, but it wasn't long until a misplaced foot resulted with her vanishing out of sight. Only the sound of her splashing could be heard, at least she wasn't screaming Igni thought to himself.

Letting his feet be snatched from him, Igni began sliding after the girl. The dark world whipped passed seamlessly if not for the howling wind, the steepness only increased, soon it felt as if he was falling. Any sense or direction lost as a sharp turn sent him spiraling through the air. Gravity the world force gripped him tightly as she howled madly carrying him into the depths. Moments of free fall ended as he collided with a hard slap against some liquid. Sinking quickly Igni kicked off and began trying break the surface. The damned liquid burned against his skin, an unrelenting annoyance sprung about him. Gasping in surprise as he broke the surface, igni quickly thrashed to the edge of the pool. The carven was lit by a faint blue glow, water worms clung above illumanting it enough for him too see. Quickly pulling himself from the blasted water he quickly set about undressing. Bloody water igni thought to himself, humans like Sole and the girl needed it to live. Great rusted machines would milk the clear stuff from the rivers of rain. The Humans dependence on it had surprised him the first time he witnessed men killing men for it. The water did him no good, nothing more then a minor nuisance he didn't need to drink it like them. What ever was in it left his skin pale and irritable longer then any over exposer to the rain could. Stepping out of his small circle of wet clothes Igni scanned his surroundings, the itchy feeling danced along him desperate to steal his attention.

Squinting into the dim area around him, he couldn't spot the girl. Thoughts of her not being able to swim flickered through his mind. If she had drowned he thought he would have noticed her splashing. The irony of a human dying in abundance of something they desperately needed to survive wasn't lost on him. He almost chuckled. With the girl out of sight worry had begun to spring within him, a tiny flower of despair. He hoped he wasn't trapped down here. "Zsóka! Where are you?" Igni called out, his voice echoing around the cavern. The fluffy light emitting worms wiggled momentarily before settling with the silence as it returned. "Over here" a soft sheepish voice replied. Turning to face the shadowclad direction of her voice he saw her. Facing away from him she was almost unnoticeable. She was only a few feet away. "Are you OK?" Igni inquired to the girl's back. The soft sound of water pouring into the pool was the only noise as another moment of silence stretched between them. "You're naked" the girl mumbled the words seeming almost strained. Igni nodded his head along to the fact. Of course he was naked, his clothes were wet with blasted water. "That is true" Igni replied nonchalantly while looking on his nakedness. "The water hurts, it irrates my skim a great deal." The fact was a plain as life, he just had to accept it. The thick and thin blue veins glowed brightly, out matching the worms above. His wine stained skin barely visible. "Put clothes on then" the young girl hissed annoyance bold and clear to the day.

Igni thought he looked like a set of floating roots. Humans were a fickle bunch and easy to upset, sighing he rooted through his bag and produced a set of overalls. Hopefully it would suffice and the girl might face him. The rough material of his pack had kept the water out, igni was quite proud of it's effective ness as he slid into the dry underwear. The overalls weren't particularly comfortable so he tied the upper part around his waist. It should cover him enough for the girl not to die of embarrassment. Hopefully she would be able to stand his bare chest. "I am dressed" Igni replied while throwing his wet clothes aside. Giving into a abrupt urge he left the large coat behind. The path they were on would not need it. He was sure, some how he knew, they were beyond turning back. He had never felt closer to her in all his life. Shattered memories of her kneeling above him, hidden but seen. Igni floated in the fleeting memory, nails dug in tightly gripping ever desperate to hold on. Just enough to glimpse her free from the clinging shadows. "Are you dressed yet?" The girl asked sound almost as annoyed as before. A sadness lingered fueling her irritability. The following days would be hard for the both of them. "I am, can you find the way from here?" Looking over to the girl igni saw a slim crystalline light floating around the girl.

A rich blue too match his veins shone around her, she had the large book open in the palms of both hands, the pages flickered back and forth as the light shimmered above. She was Embraced, Lekkbi had place a boon upon the child. Igni was impressed. He could only stare at the bright light while the girl went about speaking the light. It was clear Sole had kept more then one secret from him. Igni couldn't help grinning, words rolled from her mouth. Nonsensical noises he couldn't understand, the light grew and bent. The coarse angles of the shape twisted as it grew. Soon a net of crossing strands of light floated above her, illuminating the rocky cavern's wall surrounded them. The pool of water was sitting under a small hole, the one they had fallen through. Standing before the girl was a foreboding structure. A gateway, Smooth and sharp corners protruding in formations from the rough walls. The delicate looking architecture stabbed out with fierce angles all mashed together. Blossoming out from the wall the carved doorway towered up to the cavern's ceiling. A thin tall path was visible but the harsh angles erupted from within increasing it's size as it spread out to meet them. The gap looked just large enough for them to squeeze through. The sheer angles caught the light and cast unnerving geometric shadows. Walking along side Zsóka he noticed the girl's unfazed face.

 She was expecting this, a tinge worry crept up Igni's spine. Sole had held back plenty. "This is the way?" Igni asked gently pressuring the girl for an answer. She nodded curtly before replying. "There is no going back once we've passed through" she took a short pause before looking up to him and continuing. Her soft eyes were hard, he could see her father briefly in them. He hadn't noticed until now, she'd changed out of her Roamer's garb. He had barely avoided tripping over them in his hurry to talk to her. Glancing around again Igni's worry grew, the uneven rocky floor wasn't as natural as he had original thought. Clothes heaped together and pushed aside had been settled upon by dust. Casting the soft damp piles into natural formations. "The clothes..." Igni added monotony in an attempt to hide his surprise and confusion. "You didn't think we were the first did you?" The girl asked almost saddened by the question, she had sniffled while her page turning had slowed. Another memory seeping thought. She had put the thoughts to the back of her mind admirably. Igni was sure she hadn't let her affect her on the journey, but finally here he could see the loss on her soft human face. The child's lips quivered, her breaths sharp and uneven, a soft hollow sound escaped her lips. Tiny tears climbed down her dust feathered face, two slick streaks carving a path. Igni said nothing. Stepping past the manmade stones, he approached the gateway. Triangles, Sole had called the three pointed shapes that. Climbing out to greet him the fierce imposing mass of triangles, all spread out eagerly trying to escape one another. Where a large triangle rose many small would protrude around and about it.

Almost waiting for their turn to push past and jut out and taste the world. The gap wasn't as small as he initially thought. The triangles greedily spread out. Except where the path wiggled it's way deeper into the mess. There was always enough room to pass, no matter how close it looked one side would give and space was found. Beginning his side stepped advance Igni ignored the following girl's weeping. Deep sobs hounded him nipping his heals and driving him further into the crevice. Soon there was only triangles. Long pointing arms reaching towards the pair from all angles. The child's light clipped through the carved stone, casting dizzying shadows constantly as arms and hands of the triangles slid through it. The dusty squeeze dragged on, Igni had lost track of time, everything looked the same. Having his body at such an awkward angles had stiffened it that even slightly moving his head caused twinges of pain and discomfort. The girls soft whimpers were surely of pain, physical and emotional. She bumped into him, her head facing the way they had come. He glimpsed her tweaking muscles, aching and snapping in resistance. The shapes gave little room to maneuver, the heat was noticeable even to him.

 The girl was coated in dust, igni knew she couldn't continue much longer. "Let's take a break" the girl mumbled out before slumping back against two of the angles. Her light had begun to waver, steadily through their crawl it had dimmed to a low orange glow. The links had loosened and only four interlinked rings hovered above them. Leaning against the uncomfortable wall behind him Igni sighed loudly. The wall gave little respite but he valued it. It had been a while since he last felt such discomfort, not since roaming the plains with Sole had he suffered such. He couldn't help grinning. Every attempt to settle was met by another uncomfortable point. Not since Dwlmû tower had his muscles ached so, hours were spent in that skeletal tower with Sole. Every second of the climb promising only death if they fell, yet Sole led on. Out pacing the young blue veined boy, not even the howling wind could quell the man's words of encouragement and jest. "Just don't look down!" Sole insisted his head turned to Igni, the lighting lit face grinned madly. The wind roared desperate to rip them free and show them how to fly. The cold rusted metal ached and moaned, threatening to break free and cast him down into the ruins below. From hand hold to foot hold, ancient windows to the skeletal body of a once glass giant. Stripped bare only the metal bones remained.

Then the light went out. With a blink the world was gone. Zsóka gasped before the noise of flipping pages could be heard. Igni wondered if she was counting the pages, surely she couldn't count them as fast as the pages turned. Resting his head back he glimpsed something odd. A faint flicker of something. Again it appeared far above them, an odd thing. Igni hummed loudly in throught. It looked almost like a light. "What is it?" A voice asked over the flicking pages. "I'm not sure" Igni replied squinting at the thing above. "What?" Zsóka replied her pages stopping their journey. "Above us?" igni replied shifting for a better view. "No" the voice replied. Silence followed. Igni was frozen, the voice had come from behind him. "Who is there?" Zsóka asked. Her voice crawling out from in front of him to the thing behind. It only laughed, a giggle of sorts, low gutteral and dragged out. It felt close but far. "It's behind me" both declared as Igni heard shuffling movement around him. Shifting himself he turned to face the unknown voice. His hands forming fists Igni was ready to fight, he hoped the girl had a weapon. "We are everywhere" the voice said, it came from in front of him. As if it was right in front of him, waving his hand it met nothing. "Oh balls" Igni mumbled. What ever this thing was it only would cause trouble. "Balls indeed" sole chuckled before a light flickered into life behind him. The voice wasn't Sole's, it was the girl's. Spoken through gritted teeth. Nothing but the shadows of protruding triangles sat before him. Twisting he saw it.

A ghost unwilling to leave the somewhat living would along. The metal monstrosity had a three fingered hand pinning the girl just out of view in the depths of a corner. It's thin metallic body wound about the shapes, glittering silver in the light. Lunging he fiercely slashed at the pinning appendage, his other hand reaching to punch the tube like body. Registering his fast movements the ghost tried to react. A dark claw separated the thing's arm while his heavy fist smashed it away from them. The ghost rattled its way out of their small circle of light, the loud clangs of metal on stone suggested it had been knocked far back. "We are everything" the voice howled a mix of unknown angry voices shouting in unison. Bloody arrogant ghost didn't know it's place. The girl seemed unharmed, she only gave him a quick nod while coughing. The loud echoes of the ghost clambering it's way up bounced down to them. "Bloody ghost" Igni said looking up towards where it had sounded like it had gone. The girl nodded again, her small hands were rubbing her neck. A deep purple mark snaked around it, patterned too match the metallic limb resting severed between her legs. Triangles laid upon triangles. "We have to go up" the girl croacked quitly, she grimaced as her throat worked. "Seems so, that thing is likely this place's guardian" Igni summarised while looking the girl over. She looked the same, if not for the bruising and a grogginess in her eyes. "Are you OK?" Igni asked politely. He was sure the girl would begin to cry, humans were emotional and even he got emotional when confronted by his own mortality. Maybe she thought she would return to he farther.

The light floating above casting them into shadows. "I'm fine, let's climb" the girl replied, the desperation to hide her pain heavy in her voice. The climb was relatively easy, the angles gave a number of foot holds and edges too grip. The hardest part was waiting for Zsóka to keep up. The girl had insisted she'd climb herself, even when he offered to carry her, she had relented. The triangles were practically steps. But Igni had been preoccupied with listening for any sign or sight of the Ghost. He swore he had heard angry distant voices and the sounds of metal lumbering about. Zsóka had failed to notice them, but Igni was sure he was hearing correctly. Helping the girl with the last few steps, the pair stood on a flat smooth stone plateau. The cavern opened up into a larger cave, the ring of light not reaching the far corners. After a brief moment to catch her breath Zsóka spoke "I can sense it, let's go" igni blinked and scanned the area oblivious to what the girl had noticed, they hadn't even moved far from the edge. "Sense what?" Igni asked pausing before following the girl. She set a steady pace, her short legs suddenly reinvigorated. "Can't you sense it?" She said hurriedly, her pace increasing to almost a jog. Igni's long strides could match her but worry had sprouted again. What was this girl on about. Sense what, what could she know? Igni's thoughts lingered on the ghost. "Where are we going?" The darkness outside the ring had increased, somehow it seemed darker then before, unnaturally dark. "The gate" the girl replied almost as one word.

Having enough of the girls sudden change igni grabbed her firmly on the shoulder. "What's going on!" He asked harshly, she tried to wiggle out of his grip but his other hand found under her arm and he lifted her off the ground. Her little legs kicked air. She was silent. "We should rest" Igni spoke, he listened intently for any reply. Only her short quick breaths could be heard. "Good idea" he answered himself before setting the girl down. She stood there looking away from him, he was sure she was in a mood. Emotion bold and clear, anger or annoyance. Most probably sorrow. She would not find solace in the gate, finding it would change nothing. Sighing he sat down of the ground, with all the commotion he hadn't noticed the floor was warm to the touch. Sole and him had found a cave like this before, he had fallen asleep on the warm floor embraced in a winding tale of a lonely king told by the child's father. "Sit and rest" igni said to the back of the girl's head, she didn't turn but she sat knees to her chest facing the way she had led. The whimpering returned. Hours counted by as the girl fell silent, until she curled up on the floor sleeping on her book. Igni listened, her soft breathing quickly faded as his eyes closed and focused. He could sense something not far ahead, the hum of old life. The unlife that pulsed through the ghosts strewn across the blasted land. Opening his eyes Igni thought too himself. There was no reason to rush into worry and planning. The girl slept, his time was before him and willing to bend to his will. Focusing he drove the darkness within him, blue veins throbbing Igni prepared for what would come.

He molded the rancid wine, shaping it with her light into fierce claws, muscles drowned in the heavy liquid twisting and straining into the dark steal coating his skin. His fingers honed and bent to his will, long wicked claws grew to a razors edge, his knuckles swelling with the taint within him. Her strength and his entwined like tender lovers. He felt closer to her then ever before. The rarity of him depending on her gifts were occasional. All had been with Sole, all expect one, the child had earned herself a place along side her father. She was quite the explorer already, who knew what she'll discover past all this death. Igni couldn't help smiling at the small sleeper, such a short time together and he'd seen her father many times over. The next few hours passed with only the whispered words of dream speak. Igni ignored such harrowed words, no armor of his, or her's could fend off such Savage wounds. Such emotion, igni hoped she would be fine. But the time had come, with a few soft grunts the girl sat up. Rubbing at her sleepful eyes she spoke. "How long was I asleep?" The words came unhindered by emotion. The clarity of waking yet to be stained by her memories. He caught the shift in her. The realisation returned and she sunk into herself once again. "Long enough, we should be on our way" igni replied to the slumping girl. Continuing on the cavern slid unnaturally into a smooth boxed tunnel. White carved stone walls shone in the light, great landscapes and scenes lay around them.

Men and strange shapes stood about the rolling hills, strange things sprouted from the ground giant mushrooms or a sort. "Animals and trees" the girl gasped shocked. She quickly ran to the grand engravings, her small fingers tracing the dusty display. "Such animals.. And trees!" The girl spoke happiness resurfacing, her fingers danced from shape to large mushroom. "The other Ring's, they have these things?" Igni responded inquisitively, his own claws tracing the animal shape. Four legged and a small cloud for a body, the bizarre thing stood beside the man. "Of course!" The girl insisted as if she really knew. The cloud creature did not look threatening, a burrower would have done away with it easily, the man and the tree too. Igni glaced at the surroundings. More men and animals lined the walls, different shaped mushrooms and creatures dotted about. Every few meters  the marking changed to just animals or trees. Zsóka eagerly pointed out anything noticeable, horned men, crawling things with faces. The girl listed names as she pointed but igni didn't pay much attention. He could sense the hum easier now.
Onwards they went until the walls changed to an more familiar landscape, huge burrowers broke the uneven ground while men hid in tall rain pelted ruins. Throughout their walk the girl said nothing about their home. The briefest of the murals, he could see the great wall just at the edge of her light. Then he saw it, right as his interest had almost perished with such a familiar sight.

Two figures. One small and gold, crudely carved the child held a great book. The other was taller, a dark body laced with light, unreadable script lay across him. He could only stare, before them lay a triangle sitting on it's head and beyond the oddity was the gate. A tall rectangle it climbed to match the height of the towers above. "What?" The girl asked stunned "That seems to be us" Igni replied nonchalantly, trying to feign calm."but how? How is that possible?" The girl snapped. Igni only chuckled, how? he thought to himself. Flexing his hand, he pointed too the interlocking lights above. "How?" He asked gesturing with his beastly claws. "How?" He asked the girl again. "Our knowledge is limited, the ways are not ours to pick, what's possible is bound by the fates and the world. We cannot know it all... It's better too not. Don't let it bother you." Igni spoke Sole's words alone. Nothing more nothing less, if her father wasn't here to tell her of the world. Then he'd try his best to be responsible. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! Even if our knowledge is limited why would we give up! Just because it's hard to understand?" The short girl scolded him, her brow creased in frustration. She let out a huff and crossed her arms, clearly awaiting a response. Igni could only gawk, a soft shocked noise escaped his lips as confusion blossomed. "It's just.." Igni stammered before she interrupted him. "I don't think you should be the one to speak  of knowledge... That cloud creature is a sheeps and it produces wool." The girl fired back in defiance.

A smug grin spread across her face under that golden fringe. The pair stood in silence, Zsóka eyed him eagerly for a response. The fierceness within her wasn't from sole, that was for sure, who was the girl's mother?. Igni wondered. The time he spent traveling alone might have been enough for a woman to pop a child out. But sole had never spoken of women in too much detail  he insisted a true man learns to keep lover's words too himself. Igni had never given it much thought. "We should be going" Zsóka said while turning and strutting down the corridor. The engraving had somehow given her some hope or boon, Igni was lost on what fes the girl. Sole had said their emotions were a field of traps, it was best to step carefully around the femeinate. Trailing after the girl, they soon reached a large room. The white walls had fallen back far out of the reach of her light, but above blue orbs began to glow at their entrance. The hum was surrounding them. "It's here" Igni spoke as the white box the stood in shifted into clarity under the blue tint. "I know" Zsóka replied her book already flipping through pages. "We are everywhere!" The voices screamed, the fierce shriek echoed around the room. Raising his fists Igni prepared to do war. The guardian would hold nothing back to stop them. He'd be sure to rekill the ancient spirit. The walls creaked and moaned a striffled song of protest, then the wall folded. The once white wall fell away into nothingness as it climbed through. Silver metal arms and legs lined the long body, the thing drank in the blue light and began an unnatural charge. Unrehymically the legs wrenched it forward, throwing itself at them.

Unknown words were spoken next to him as Zsóka spread her arms wide to either side of her. Her book levitated before her twisted to face the incoming threat. The flickering pages raced back and forth. The voices roared in unison as it tilted, forward a lumber hulk of scrap, a torrent of lost words flowed from her lips as she rose from the ground matching his height. Zsóka spoke the last word and erupted gold lighting sprung from her hands. Stabbing knives of light halted the thing's charge briefly dancing about it's body. The great metal worm kept on, more legs and body climbed from the darkness. The book shook and bent, Zsóka roared to match the squealing metal, ancient words escaping his understanding before a deafening high pitched noise followed. The lighting forking from her hands bent and hardened into beams of pure golden light, the spell burnt lines through his vision, quickly it became a dimensionless   streak switching from gold to white to black. The thing's screaming was drowned out by the shrieking of the beams. Before the beam had even reached the worm it's body had been blasted apart by some invisible force. The beams passed through the silver worm unhindered by it's bulbous plated body. The folded wall behind bucked as it ate the blast hungrily. quickly it shattered and severed what was remaing within the fold. The smell of burning was strong in the air, but little to almost no smoke was visible. Dropping to her feet silently Zsóka turned to face him. Her arms where torn and bloody, great long spiraling strips of exposed muscle glistened in the dim light. She spoke wordlessly, eyes locked on his, fear sang in them. "I can't hear you" Igni said against the ringing in his ears. She gestured frantically pointing at the massive gouge through the Silver worm's remains.

Bent and smashed metal fell away as a figure rose from the corpse. A figure was a stretch. An single ovoid body floated free towards them a pyramid hovered above it the point facing towards the body. As it floated onwards slim worm like limbs sprouted from the body. Zsoka had fallen too her knees nursing her torn arms. Kicking off the ground hard, Igni charged, the ghost expected it. The arms thinned into reaching spears. The first few lanced at where he had been only moments before, the ghost could not keep up with his advance, dodging the lashing and stabbing tendrils was easy. He was upon it before it even acknowledged him, crouching low he lent into it and suddenly extending his body while driving both fists into the center of the shape. In a flash he spun again  hooking the ghost as it flew back, snapping his heel into it's side he sent it smashing into the white wall. He was on it again, leg high his heel axed down into it's stumbling body. Unrelenting blows rained down, his fists would erode all that stood before him. The ringing subsided and was replace by the howling of wind as he chased the fleeing ghost, driving it to the ground he wailed on it. The thing would not get a chance the escape. The ovoid was broken, prices desperately floated back together trying to regenerate itself, digging his fingers in deep he tore the loose scales free and cast them across the Hall. "Mercy!" It spoke, the words came from the pyramid atop it's head. Igni  only watched the still thing, he was waiting, watching for any sign of hostility. The thing had begged, he was sure it had spoke. Stepping close he placed his foot on the the things pyramid head. "Mercy! Please!" The shape begged as his foot rested against it. The voices spoke in unison. Glancing over the girl sat watching him, she seemed half asleep. Reaching down he grabbed the spirit, a outburst of mercies pleaded as he lifted it up. His foot held the ovoid body down until it twitch and shook no more. "Mercy! Mercy!" The old thing pleaded as he strode towards the wounded girl. She was breathing, that spell must have exhausted her and damaged her arms. The price was high for her magic.

She couldn't see him. Only briefly he would appear and deliver devastating blows too the gate guardian. He was mostly a blur, at times it look as if the Guardian was fighting nothing at all. Many times had the shape slashed and thrashed trying to strike the glowing man. Rarely did it hit, when it did the unfazed man pummeled it more. Long jagged claws had claimed most of the shell's arms, they twitched about on the floor eager to join the savage beatdown. Kicks, punches and slashes left the ancient thing in ruin. The ruin of a ruin. Once it could not float any more he let it lie still. Over it he stood. She gritted her teeth as the waves of pain flooded back into her mind. Watching the astounding battle had distracted her, but now the ringing and aching returned. Speaking the words of Nfaolg the book slid it's way back to her, it diligently flicked to the page containing healing. She didn't have the strength to read it. She wanted to sleep again, the floor had become quite warm after her spell had dispersed. She felt herself slipping. When she awoke her arms where bandaged, great bindings climbed from her hands up past her elbows. "That price wasn't worth paying" the man spoke monotone he sat in the dark across from her. "I already regret it" she replied trying to move her arms without the searing  pain overwhelming her. Spending a drop of mana on casting the light spiralled back into existence above her. The man's glowing eyes watched her, his pulsing blue light shone dully. "We should be going, I think I can sense..." She was interrupted by the sudden appearance  of a flipped pyramid.

The ghost spoke in unison voice gleefully proclaiming "Greetings!" The floating shape hovered above the dark man. The girl's mouth was agape, reaching deep she grabbed at her empty stores of mana but found nothing substantial enough to form a bolt, her book barely shook. Static built around her before dispersing. The corpse machine floated about, watching her with eyeless sight. The man did nothing.  "You're are correct! Igninarius the First, this is the child." The voices splutter out joyfully. "With the gate unlocked, my watch shall end!" The shaped hummed. The man stood not speaking, he only gestured with his hand for her to follow. The bloody ghost, what was going on? Why hadn't he destroyed it. She said nothing and followed, the ghost didn't shut up. "The time has come, We are so excited. If we had only known! Many come to steal and strip us. Finally free! Thank you! We thank you!" What the hell was it talking about. The man led on through winding corridors seemingly knowing the right direction at every turn. All the corridors looked alike. "Don't thank us yet, the gate has yet to be unlocked. Once the way is passable, we will see too your problem, do not forget the promise you made me triangle!" The man spoke bitterly to the pyramid. "We are an inverse pyramid! From one point we spiral out together! The great Waiters!" the pyramid spoke almost chastising the man. The low light of the corridors grew as they approached another great hall.

Before them in the lit grand hall. Stood a tall and slim rectangle, the thing was a strange shade of white. "The gate?" She asked almost freezing in place as the pair walked towards the ancient obelisk. "Yes, child this is the path onto the realms of Cilicht." The brilliant structure stretched high above her. "How do we unlock it?" The man asked eyeing the shape. "We do not know..." The shape replied. The man looked at her incredulously. "She did not use.." The shape begun before he interrupted it. "Enough! That will not help us." Zsóka didn't understand them. They were at the gate. All they needed to do was push. The shape only hummed in response. Taking the incitive she strode over to the great thing and placed her hand upon it. It felt brittle and porous. The surface was almost bone like. Trepidly she flowed a drop of mana into the hungry lock. Twisting and warping she sensed her mana interact with the bone. Slowly it sparked and spread. She sensed her mana spreading throught the lock, steadily unbinding massive knots holding their realm in place. The ground shook and rumbled as the side she face shone a brilliant gold. "Just a drop! It only needs a drop!" she shouted, the pain spreading in her arms stopped her from jumping up and down. The man and the pyramid watched her, eyeless state and blue glare. "We are amazed!" The voices roared as the little shape flew in circles. "The bargain is sealed dark one, you will aid us yes?" The shape insisted in multiple voices while flying laps around the blank faced man. "We will see..." he mumbled as he closed the gap. "Just a drop!" She reminded him as he reach out tentatively with his claw. Almost cautious. She felt a chuckle shake her belly, but forgot it as the gold split.

Deep dark purple sprouted forth, his lock's crushed quicker then hers were undone. A flood of wine stained one half of the bone obelisk. The colour's twisted and mixed dancing back and forth like the static on the ghost's littering the Helaora. The colours spiralled and split and reformed until the colours faded to a polished grey. The bone canvas warped and folded into itself bridging the gap between the realms. She sensed it. The way was passable. "We have done it!" The voices joyously professed, while the ghost did laps of the gate. "Can you sense it! The path is forming, great gold and void bricks pave our path to unspoiled realms! There is so much to learn" the pyramid trumpeted at the pair of them. She could feel it, slow but steadily she felt her Mana stretch out towards something far and unknown. "Now to resolve our deal" the ghost spoke the voices all seriousness. "Lead the way triangle..." the man spoke nonchalantly, his glowing eyes deep in thought. The pyramid hovered for a moment, was the shape shocked? Had it expected a betrayal. Soon enough it wordlessly led on. "Why are you helping it?" She asked the man as he turned to follow. He glanced back, a blank as usually look answered. His eyes spoke of disappointment. "We are helping them" he spoke before turning. She followed, why would they help the thing that had attacked them! Her thoughts where annoyed by the sudden change in plan. It was only the guardian, if he won't destroy it she would. Smiling smugly she nodded to herself.

The Nest, the pyramid had pronounced as they entered. They could only fit a few feet inside. Tall long tightly packed shelves lined the room. Zsóka could see the shelves trailing into the dark distance. Nestled together where small rectangle boxes, they were made of the same bone like material as the gate. "Here we rest!" It spoke flying over countless small carved boxes. "Just a drop!" The pyramid chimed mimicking her earlier tone. "What is this?" She asked the floating shape. It hovered until facing her at eye level. "This is our Nest, we rest here waiting until the gate is unbound. Our fates are entwined with those who find the path to the heart of the Ring's. She spoke of it. We listened! We will follow her too." The pyramid said. Stepping towards her the man swatted at the spirit. "Just a drop." He spoke tapping the first box before them. The dark liquid spread, racing down the boxes, spilling from lid too lid. Tapping it as well her golden light pursued.

Once settled the realm shook, great towers crumbled and fell as the gap between the ring was undone. Unrestrained the waters flowed into the end carry more of the inner dead, but also life, tentatively life spilled into the lowest Ring of all. But still the great wall climbed  higher and higher each day.