The Pillar of Enera

[Chapter 32 part 1] Light - Vanessa Goldstone

The assassin was stalking the three chimeras idling in a clearing below. They were hideous, long torsos which ended in huge eyeless rat heads and had eight clawed monkey arms attached.

These deformities didn't bother him. As with his brethren, revulsion and other emotions had been torn from him. However, the difficulty in identifying vital organs did trouble him. I suppose I'll go for the heads.

He moved silently among the leafless trees and jumped, releasing nine blades with fury. These impaled the chimeras to the ground like stakes, two in each chest and one in each head.

The assassin landed and readied his twisted dagger. Two chimeras let out screeching, squeaking howls and pried themselves from the earth. Figures, blades through the head and still not dead. He resigned himself to battle.

Minutes later, he lay against a lifeless tree. His body had been torn to shreds, his left leg gone. Making it back is impossible. Once he lost consciousness, it'd be over, which would be soon. Despite his best efforts, he was losing blood.

So here's where I die. He felt a strange satisfaction. Neutralizing these scouts had been his mission, and he'd completed it. His death would serve a purpose, and that was more than most got. It's enough, he though as the world faded.

Light opened his eyes. That dream again. He turned and gazed at the twisted dagger besides him.

"Another one?" John Lavinda asked. The man was reading a book in the nearby armchair. I don't think he's slept in the last forty eight hours.

"Yes, the assassin."

Light's eyes wandered to the three short swords on the night table. They're called Ninjatos. He'd taken them because he'd recognized them as such. His other dreams confirmed they'd been wielded by ninjas.

That first evening, when he'd woken here in the medical center, he'd been delirious. He vaguely remembered tossing and turning the entire night while John watched over him. It wasn't until morning that sanity returned.

That's when the dreams started. He'd experienced them dozens of times over the last twenty four hours. Four deaths, one for each of weapon.

"You were lucky" John commented. "From what you've described, none of the former owners died a bitter death. That's the reason you got off this lightly."

Light reflected. It's strange that worshipers of Nuzou were fighting for humanity. "Why'd the Assassins' Guild oppose Sola? Wasn't their god fighting on her side?"

"I can't say for certain since I wasn't alive back then." John said, not looking up. "But I can venture a guess. If Sola won, the guild would've ended. I presume they couldn't allow that."

Light fidgeted as he listened. He was restless, but not because of the dreams. I can handle those. It was thoughts of what he might be missing which were driving him mad.

Last night, Soul, Rose, and Free had dropped by. They hadn't said anything about the weapons. Instead, they'd described all that had transpired during the last day and a half. Swimming in the sky, witnessing the Leviathan, racing down the Wine Trench, seeing the inner earth, the burning of the worm, Lily's personal tour of the Isle, Hope's big upset win... It'd been agonizing.

Light sat up and looked down. The bed and night table had a magic circle etched around them. The symbols glowed white and pulsed with power. He knew it had saved his life, but it felt like a prison.

"How much longer must I remain?" Light asked anxiously. Emerit is giving another lesson today... Must I skip that too?

"You're free to go." John answered.