The world slams into me like a horse kick, full of electricity and energy. Everything as far as the eye can reach are flat landscapes without a single hill. No trees, no houses. Just parched land as straight and flat as an ocean surface. The only thing that stands out are the large rocks in a round grassy field far off in the distance. I don't need to ask Sixxteen to know that's where we're heading.
We're inside of what looks like a shallow cave, I can still see the dark, almost black cloud covering the entire sky. The rain pours down over the parched, barren land. Cracks covers the ground in a similar way to the crevices on Sixxteen's face.
My entire soul shake as the sky rumbles. Sixxteen takes a few steps forward and looks out on the barren ground. He waves me forward.
"We're going there," he says and points at the stones, "it's not as easy as it looks. We cannot just walk there."
"I had my suspicions," I mumble as I stare at the dark sky.
Sixxteen places his hands over each other but leaves a small space. A blue orb is created between, he carefully removes the hand on the top and throws the orb towards the ground that isn't protected by the shallow cave.
Once the orb reaches the ground, there is only a brief moment until lightning hits, powerful enough that it feels like the entire ground is shaking. All that is left of the orb is smoking ash that quickly dissolves in the rain. The smell of something that tenses my entire body makes its way to my nostrils. I've never felt that smell before, but I know it's what the creature mentioned as fading. A soul's death, as Nine had explained.
It's so intrusive and pungent that it makes me cough. Sixxteen doesn't cough, but his entire face is furrowed by the burning feeling that must have settled in both our noses. He takes a step closer to the storm; my legs feel paralyzed.
"If the lightning hits any of us, the same thing will happen," he doesn't sound affected by it, "literal ash in the wind... or rain in this case."
"Okay, so how do we reach the stones?"
"We run."
"Run?!" I stare at him with widen eyes. "Are you out of your mind? There has to be a better way to reach it!"
"Can you fly?"
I grimace.
"If you cannot fly, you got to run. When your big feet touch the ground the lightning will search for the disturbed spot, so don't stop running until you're in the circle of grass."
I look out over the flat, creviced ground and swallow. "Any more of your useful advice?"
He shrugs. "Don't get hit."
"Easier said than done," I mutter.
Sixxteen doesn't hesitate as he starts running into the rain. The lightning strikes the ground a few centimeters away from him and the same smell of fading forces itself into my nose.
I take a deep breath and shut out my thoughts, make my entire mind empty and when I once again find the hollow place within me I run.
The first lightning that strikes is so close that I can feel how devastating it is. It leaves a burning taste and smell, making it feel like my entire throat and nose is covered in acid.
For each strike I feel it. The smell and the feeling of the rain covering me, it clings to my body and clothes. It leaves a layer of electricity and energy on top of my wet skin.
Everything. I can feel everything.
Another lightning strike close enough that I lose my balance. I know that if I make the same mistake again it could be my last. Sixxteen is faster than I thought, compared to me they're barely able to keep up with him.
The smell burst through once again, a burning sensation touches my tongue. I want to vomit and spit. My back burns as another lightning strike behind me. I'm close now. Sixxteen is almost there, just a few more meters.
My hair has gotten stuck in my face, the burning taste in my mouth mixes with a sweet metallic one that makes me want to gag.
Sixxteen reaches the circle of stone where grass is growing. He watches me from a safe distance.
I try to ignore the sound of the lightning and the burning feeling on my back, and when I'm close enough I throw myself into the circle and land on my stomach. I cough and gag, my entire mouth and nose feels acidic.
"Hell," I mutter and breathe in the smell of the wet grass.
Sixxteen slowly claps and I don't have the energy to even look at him when he approaches me.
"Good that you're in one piece," I can see his stupid grin without looking at him, "I would hate if I had to go back to Azor and ask for another soul wanderer."
I sit up on the grass. The rain has soaked through my clothes and clings to my skin. The electricity still lays above my body.
"What now?" I cough. "I want this over with."
Sixxteen crouches down next to me, and extends his hand. I glare at him while wrinkling my nose.
"The Stormcoin," he says.
I reach out my hand and focus on the place in my mind, when it appear in my palm Sixxteen greedily snatches it. I stand on unsteady legs; it feels like I have a fever.
"Can you open a gate in the circle?" I ask as I watch him approach one of the stones.
"No," he says and pushes the Stormcoin into one of the carved circles, "you cannot create gates inside the circle. It would be all too easy to get here if so. The guardians can be selfish with their Stormcoins."
The coin turns and the sound of stone against stone blends into the rumbling of the sky.
"So how do we get back?"
"We run," he answers. "I had hoped that Azor would get his hands on one of the soul wanderers that participate in the charging of Stormcoins. This would have been a lot easier. But what can I say? I'm not picky."
I have a hard time believing it has anything to do with him 'not being picky.'
The world shakes and a stone staircase with a platform grows out from the ground. Sixxteen takes out the coin and throws it towards me; I catch it with both my hands.
"Your turn. This part must be done by a soul wanderer."
And that is why I'm here, to do what he cannot. I stare at the stairs that leads up to a round platform, it hovers a few meters over the stones.
"How?"
He shrugs. "Stand on the platform and hold out the Stormcoin, I guess?"
"You don't know how to do it?"
"We're not exactly welcomed to watch as you people charge it, so no. I don't know exactly how it works. As far as I know, you just need to stand there with the Stormcoin. It's safe. Probably."
That's reassuring. The sky rumbles again and I cannot see a lightning hit as far as my eyes can reach. It's foolish and without a doubt dangerous. I hold tightly round the coin as I climb the stairs, for once I can actually feel it. How hard and cold it is.
When I have one more step left I stop and look out over the flat, cracked ground underneath me.
"If you could hurry up a bit, that would be perfect!" Sixxteen yells from the grassy ground behind me.
I take a deep breath and take the last step to the platform. The electricity moves around my feet and calves. I reach out my unsteady and open hands with the Stormcoin, after that I close my eyes and wait.
It lightens up and the rumble of the lightning is so loud that it feels like my ears are going to explode. The electricity moves itself down my fingers and arms; I open my eyes and stare directly at the lightning that is still in front of me like a beam of fire and ice. It moves slowly, in a similar way as the soul dust. It feels like the entire world has stopped while the Stormcoin is slowly devouring the lightning.
Once the world grows darker the Stormcoin is shining once again. It feels hot against my wet skin. I quickly head down the stairs with the coin firmly in my hand.
Sixxteen stands a few meters from the stairs with widen eyes and a slightly open mouth.
Once I reach the ground, he eagerly reaches out his open hands and blinks a few times.
"Here," I say and let go of the coin, it falls down onto his cracked palms.
He moves his fingers greedily. The smile he has looks different from the usual sharp grin.
"Finally," he mutters, tightly holding it like he's fearing it will disappear.
"You're welcome."
He nods as a thank you and observes the cave on the other side. I'm not pleased that I have to run through this world a second time.
"Once we reach the cave this part of the deal with Azor is finished." He puts down the Stormcoin in one of his pockets and pulls forward a silver dagger. Its blade is covered in beautiful but complex patterns. "He knows you've completed your part of the deal if you give him this."
"A dagger?" I ask as he holds it out.
"That was my part of my deal."
"What does he need a dagger for?"
"Haven't you understood yet? Azor has hundreds of deals with beings and soul wanderers. Often, they're connected in some way. The dagger is a part of another deal he has with someone else."
I take the dagger. It feels heavy in my hand and sends unpleasant shivers through my arm.
"And I have another advice for you."
He's not smiling anymore.
"Do not show anyone you have it. Just Azor. No soul wanderers. No guardians. To be safe, I'd go straight to him as soon as you get back to the Realm."
This feeling the dagger gives off, it cannot be any good news. I think reluctantly on my place in my mind, and when the dagger is no longer in my hand Sixxteen prepares to bolt over the cracked landscape one more time.