The Hunters (First Draft)

Chapter 32 : The Seal of Wisdom and Ignorance

Marius, Lamora, and Kai'shin, arrived at the tower and looked up at the looming structure its slender, straight form extended upward appearing as though to carve a wound of black into the sky. Marius sighed and began walking around the base of the monstrosity before them.

“Will you two keep an eye out for the enemy?” he asked while Lamora looked at him curiously.

“We can help you.” said Lamora,

“While I would appreciate that its not something you can help with believe me I wouldn't want something I thought to be a hallucination to be one of you. I can't afford that right now.” Marius interjected.

Looking over every inch of the black surface, Marius slid his claws along the outer walls of the pillar until he stopped and looked at an odd luminous image shining a blood red in the obsidian wall. It had three triangular shapes pointing up with a spiral in the middle while a fourth triangle was placed on the right side pointing up and curving to the left. A red light lit up and swallowed Marius as he was pulled into the towering pillar of obsidian. Kai'shin and Lamora both blinked for a moment.

“I've never seen that looking from the outside before.” Kai'shin stated.

“I really don't give two dead rats what you have or haven't seen of this before. I don't like the position I've been put in.” Lamora replied.

“Because you love him? Didn't we have a discussion similar to this before?” Kai'shin continued.

Lamora glared at Kai'shin, “If I do what business is it of yours?”

“It's my business to make sure we succeed in our plan without him finding out crucial information before he is ready.”

“And what if I tell him? I can tell him everything.”

“So you would tell him about all those different and very interesting secrets he doesn't know about? Or maybe I should tell him those and see how long it is before he loses any feeling for you at all.” Kai'shin's shone a green hue as Lamora looked down her voice falling silent.

“Fine.” she said in a stern hateful voice, “I'll keep my mouth shut if you will.”

“Good girl, this is for the greater good.” Kai'shin stated.

“I don't think I care about the greater good anymore.” she responded.

“Are you letting your judgment become clouded by your feelings?” Kai'shin said as he walked around her to look at her face. “I have never thought so low of you as I do now.” he continued as he stared at her.

She glared at him, knowing at the moment she needed him around but his continued arrogance infuriated her. She would have loved nothing more at that time that to run her blade through his throat, though it would have made little difference in the end. He was correct and she knew it. “How high or low your regard is for me is no longer of any importance to me.” she stated simply.

“And what about Shakrun? He was killed by the hunters, don't you still want revenge for what happened to him and your race?” Kai'shin taunted.

“Marius had nothing to do with what happened back then, and I will not hold a grudge against him for something he didn't do.” she replied.

“Oh I see,” Kai'shin replied in a surprisingly soft tone, “I'm glad you don't blame him for something he didn't have any part of.”

Lamora raise her glaring hateful eyes at Kai'shin, “When this is all over you and I will have a lot to talk about.”

Inside the tower Marius stood, looking around the darkness waiting for his eyes to adjust once they did he noticed two stairwells one going up the tower and the other going down under the ground. Both sets of steps outlined the walls of the structure while the center was a deep massive pit of blackness. He wondered if there would be more visions as there had been before, and if so who would they would be of. Marius walked over to the edge of the pit looking down into the blackness. A sense of fear and despair could be felt from the black abyss below while from above a sense of safety and warmth trickled down from the tip of the spire. Opening his wings Marius considered what would be the best option for what he wanted to do. Looking up he decided to fly to the warm light that shone from the top of the spire like a star in the night. Flapping his wings he began to fly toward the top, with an almost scoffing huff at how easy this was going to be.