THE LAST SHADOWBEAST

CH12: Pretty Paradox

ASIN.

I PULL THE SHROUD BACK OVER ERYX'S BLANK FACE.

I struggle to feel the ful weight of grief, and it only makes the guilt weight heavier. It's been so long since the death of loved ones had lost the sharpness it comes cutting one's heart with.
These heart and skin had grown callous from handling blades and corpses.  I guess, it is the tragedy of being a Hunter, you only grow less of a human and more of a god by the day, and it's such a terrible thing to be
Stepping back, the readjusted drap comes fully in sight.
The resaty Republic's flag. In striking contrast with the blackness of its whole, cradled between the pleading hands under it and Nymera's sword curving like a dom over it, the large scarlet disk in its center seems to glare at me. The Blood Moon under which I was born, the one painted red by Ziell's anger at Her son's offense and Nymera's desperate prayer.
The next blood moon is in a couple of months, there is so much that needs to be sorted by then in order to prevent a possible disaster.
"Asin?"
A gentle tag of my shoulder wakes me from my daze.
Jord peers at my face , concern lining hers.
"Is everything okay? "
. "Everything is fine, well figuratively speaking at least. "I rub my forehead. "I just have a lot on my mind. "
She falls silent, her gaze skimming through the length of the corpse led before us in an oval, silver coffin.
Jord raises a fist in front of her face, and closing her eyes, she murmurs a Towagian prayer.
Of all the realms, the Starless One, Sea of the Souls is the most honored and mystified by her people, wise choice when death has been the only constant certainty of their world for the last few centuries, partially because of us Resatians, mostly because of their and our refusal to put behind the bitter common past.
Once finished, she turns around as if inspecting for nosy glances before looking up at me.
"We need to talk. "

Eryx's body disappears under a heavy, engraved lid that got draped in his bloodline armory in preparation for its transportation.
"They will be looking for us soon. "
I peer at the process over the staircase's rail on top of which we are standing, merging with the shadows of the Tower's great pillars.
"I won't take long. "
She crosses her arms.
"Tiam said that you're going to Masol. "
"I am. "
Where is she getting with this?
"Take Drystan with you, and watch her closely."
I shake my head.
"Look,Jord we already-"
"I know, I was wrong about her, and I'm sorry, but this is important Asin, she is not simply the sole survivor, she knew the Regulator won't close the Breach, or rather her friend did just after touching one of those crystals. "
I frown.
"Wait, did you say sole survivor? "
How come the files didn't mention that?
Jord sighs.
"See? There's so much we don't know about her, and I don't mean this in a bad way, I think that she might actually be helpful. "
She steps closer, lowering her voice.
"She awakened because of that crystal, and she's been changing ever since. Maybe... "
She runs her gloved palm over her arms.
"Maybe They aren't as dead as we like to believe, maybe a plot of some kind is in action."
This is making me rethink my whole conversation with The Sealord. Have I unknowingly played by this ploy while conversing with her? If She was somewhat powerful she wouldn't have resorted to such twisted methods to get to Saida and wouldn't have given up so much information for it, talking to me was already a great risk to whatever secret she may have, considering that she can't lie. No, it can't be.
"But why wait till now if They've always been able to make a move? "
"What if they weren't ? What if they just awakened thanks to...something that has changed."
"Then we must find out what it is. "
***
"You came. "
Neith leans against my car with one hand into her pocket.
Her slander silhouette is highlighted by the warp top and the pair of equally white flare pants. She still looked like a knife though, one with a neater new hilt, certainly, but deadly nonetheless.
It's something I can't grasp about her, about the jabbed edges of her body and temper, about the quirky appeal of her clearly off traits and the cunning shine of her eyes that's definitely singular to blades, all warning me that I'll get cut was I to actually grasp it.
"Of course I did. "
Neith Drystan looks at me with those wide and terrific, golden eyes. she detached herself from the pristine crowd around her with the nonchalance of her stance, expressing no fear, reverence or envy toward those overpowered members of the Tower.