Welcome to the afterlife... Kinda...

[Taloc]

And now you witness the price of disobedience. The cost of challenging a god.

Taloc Sa’Koro blinks once, twice, not believing what he’s seeing. It’s impossible… Just a moment ago he was… but now… Something felt strange though, like a sticky wetness and it seemed to have soaked through his sleeves. Looking down at his hands he sees a red so dark it might as well be black in the flickering light of the fire. This is a color and feeling he knows… Blood. However, that doesn’t explain. Wait… Fire…?

Another piece clicks into place and he looks up at the burning remains of Koro. His life, his home, his people. The dead and the dying lie strewn throughout the streets, their eyes, even in death, stare at him. Confusion, betrayal, disbelief… It just couldn’t be… No outsider has the skill or knowledge to do anything like this. Not even close. Whoever did this was exceptionally skilled as well… Many of these veteran death-dealers went down without a fight, and all of them appear to be looking not only at him, but drilling into his soul. Bloody hell - those eyes...

Taking a step back under the weight of their dead stares, he trips, landing hard but not feeling it as he saw what it was that caught his foot. The silken raven hair, the obsidian black eyes now glazed over, the flawless face of his wife looking back at him, a black hilted dagger still lodged in her chest. “N-no… Please no. Anything… Anything but this…”

His hands slowly reach forward, terrified of confirming what he’s seeing, but it can’t be denied… The black hilt is that of Woe, and Ire lies not far away its curved blade a mocking smile. Both blades laughing at him, relishing in the slaughter of all that he knew and loved. He silently clutches his wife to his chest, tears streaming down his face as the slow realization hits him.

'I did this...'

Reaching forward once more he grips the hilt of Woe. It had been his partner for many long years… It will see his final job complete as well.

“If you can’t defend your own, be sure to avenge them.” Taloc says softly. Without another word, he plunges the blade into his chest, feeling the hematosis poison seep into his veins. Through burning tears he looks down for the last time at his wife, his love, his life and the world slowly goes black…



Almost instantly the pain vanishes and sensation of gravity vanishes leaving him with the uncomfortable feeling floating in the midst of nothingness. Out of the darkness the silhouette of Omni appears… Tentatively Taloc tries moving, but to no avail, clearly this intends to be a one sided meeting since even the simple action of speaking seems to be unavailable to him. Still… If this is the afterlife, it’s a lot better than some of the possibilities he had heard of… And then Omni began speaking, making it rather clear that this wasn’t death. He went from complacent to madness in a mere moment, rage roaring through him.

‘How dare he deny me the death I deserve!’

The thought rockets through Taloc’s mind as he’s held in place. The fact that the reason is because this figure, this ‘God’ of the Omniverse, finds him interesting only makes matters worse. He strains against his binds, pushing with all the will he can muster to get at this figure, though it is all for naught. Still it continues its explanation, as if it’s not clear how upset Taloc is. Then again, being unable to move makes it rather difficult to express emotion. Maybe Omni really isn’t aware…

And then it brings out this orb, Omnilium it calls it, going on to explain more as if there was any choice but to listen... Finally, just as it was seeming to wrap up it’s speech, it added one final tid bit.

“Do not fear death. For as long as you interest me, you will be reborn.”

Adding insult to injury, Omni just outright said that death isn’t permanent here. That he’ll just keep coming back, again and again and again. Why?



As the darkness fades, Taloc finally finds himself able to move again and a single question rips through his lips. He yells at the top of his lungs, trying to bring the accursed god back, “WHY? Why won’t you just let me die?”

Silence. “Of course he wouldn’t answer. Why would he? If he wanted to have a full discussion he would’ve just let me do so earlier, now wouldn’t he?” Taloc mumbles to himself softly. “So now what do I do? Go on about my life after what I did… No. Maybe he was bluffing. Just like…”

Taloc holds a hand up to his head as a sudden pain shoots through. Something is missing. Just like who? It makes no sense… Why can’t I remember something like...

It was only then that he realized he was still wearing the clothes from the village. From the slaughter. His weapons, now sheathed strangely, hang behind his waist like always, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice, but the clothes. God the clothes… Torn in several places and still dripping blood from the sleeves, sheer revulsion rockets through him. His friends, his family… Dripping onto the paving stones... Only now did he notice the sound of running water. The large stone fountain shooting streams up into fanciful arcs in stark contrast of the bleached white of this place he is in.

'Water.'

Without thought he jumps into the fountain and begins ripping off his clothes, determined to get the gore off of his body as fast as possible. In his desperation he breaks the buckle on his belt, leaving his blades to fall into quickly reddening waters surrounding him. With a splash, Ire and Woe sink to the bottom, sheathes and all, causing him to pause a moment. Standing there, half naked, he looks down at his bare torso. Not even a mark where Woe had pierced him... The rest of the scars remained, but it was as if his weapons, his partners, had never tasted his flesh. Slowly, he bends down and grips the hilt of Ire, pulling the darkened steel short sword from its sheath, examining it closely. The damascus weave of the blade seemed to be dancing with rolling waves, giving the illusion that they were moving as it caught the strange source-less light of this realm.

Changing his grip ever so slightly and applying pressure to different areas on the hilt, the pattern on the blade changes, or at least it was supposed to. He knew the different grip combinations of Ire and Woe extremely well, his life tended to depend on it after all. Why isn’t hematosis activating? After a good minute of different combinations he is clearly growing more frustrated, practically glaring down at Ire. Over a dozen different combinations are put in several times over to no effect, until the last… The damascus weave shifts, the waves seeming to stretch and elongate until they take on the form of lightning striking down towards the tip.

“At least the paralysis works,” he mutters quietly. "But this certainly makes things a bit more difficult..."

Slowly he reaches down and retrieves Woe from the fountain as well, the darkened metal weaves appearing to smile at his touch. Laying them down on the stone rim surrounding the decorative pool he removes the blood stained pants and sits down, water coming up to his chest. Cold, especially so in certain areas, but far better then being covered in… He shivers at the thought and eyes his weapons once more, contemplating.

[Dust]

The shadows were few and far between in the world of pure white scenery that was known by all of them as The Nexus. For those taught to hide in them and not be seen, it was highly inconvenient for Hayaidesu. She was a woman of the ways of silence and death. She was also a woman of speed and constant movement to fulfill any minor task bestowed on her, as well as the simple task of travel. She didn’t need the cover of night to vanish in the eyes of those who watched her.

She was speeding through the miles that made up the Nexus’s solid flawless floor. She could have skated how quickly her steps flooded over the surface. It was as still as a pond before you instinctively tossed a stone in to disturb the calm. Unlike the stone, her swift movement didn’t seem to even bother anyone, no matter how much she weaved through the tightly packed secondaries in some areas. Most people only felt the breeze of her wake rustling their sleeves.

Hayaidesu merely was passing through but caught the sound of a horrible scream.

She was blessed with speed, but could not help her curiosity.

In the growing crowd that began to form around the well spoken of fountain appeared a woman with dark magenta hair coiled up perfectly behind her head to resist ensnaring and which limited the possibility of being followed. Her mask covered the lower half of her face, it was traditionally black and reached down to her top which was dark rose and deep pink. The top itself was semi-traditional in the fact that it overlapped across her stomach, tied off at the waist, and had a fanning sleeve. But only one sleeve was there, and long black thin material covered her arms down to her knuckles. Tight black leggings ran down o her knees where fishnet stocking overlapped by solid leather boots covered the spaces between. Her upper face was loosely hidden beneath the thick bangs that hung low and into her face. Behind were magical purple eyes that sought out the reason for the crowd.

There, in the fountain, a man sat naked, staring into the blade he held, tapping at the handle like a flute...

Interesting was the word that came to her mind.

[Taloc]

A few minutes pass in silence as he stares at the blackened steel.

‘I don’t feel any different, but this area is unlike anything I’ve ever heard of before.’ He gently shakes his head, not much seeming to add up. ‘What reason would he have to lie though… Is it even a he? I guess that doesn’t much matter. Damn it! I don’t have enough information…’

Taloc stands up and walks over towards the center of the fountain, letting the cascading water run down his body. Reaching up, he starts scrubbing his hair turning the water a dull red as the last vestiges of blood wash free. With a soft sigh, he opens his eyes, actually looking at the fountain for the first time. Along the raised basin, conveniently just above his head, there are a series of murals etched into the stone. Like scrollwork, they stretch on depicting a wide variety of scenes. A young boy with no face, dressed like a courier and standing over the body of an ornately armoured soldier. That same faceless boy being chased by a mounted soldier with a crossbow. A bolt sticking out of the boys back as he looks up at the soldier, knocking another bolt. A faceless girl holding a knife helping the boy stand back up, the soldier dead in the background…

Taloc’s eyes go wide as he continues scanning the fountain, bits and pieces of memory clicking back into place. To the left, a faceless man dropping down on a merchant. The right, a faceless man poisoning a stew. Hundreds of different scenes etched into the fountain, all depicting the faceless man, and often the woman as well, performing countless deeds of death.

Gently, he reaches forward and traces the lines of the faceless woman, thankful that the water is hiding the burning tears running down his face. She had been there since the beginning… Ever since the first mission…

With a shake of his head, Taloc splashes some water up into his face and turns away. Now isn’t the time to get lost in the past. Looking down at the bloodied clothes floating in the fountain, he grimaces, the thought of putting them back on was more than he could handle right now. Better to just forget about them for now.

‘So now what do I do?’ he thinks sourly. ‘I’m in a strange world with nothing but a pair of blades… Hell, I’d sooner go out in the buff than put those clothes back on… Wait a minute… What did that Omni guy say? Something about what you most desire…?’

Holding a hand out towards the outer edge of the fountain, he focuses, intent on a new set of clothing. Much to his surprise, a bubble of rainbow light forms over the spot he was focusing on. Assuming it was working, he continued the process, concentrating on a new cloak, tunic… Hell, pants would be amazing right about now… Time ticks by with little changing until, at last, the cocoon of pulsating rainbow light fades to reveal a cloak of a deep forest brown and scarf to match. A tunic and pants of a faded mottled black lie beside the cloak, folded neatly with a series of straps and sheathes piled on top. The simple darkened leather boots rounded out the new outfit rather well considering what little he was working on so far.

“Well he was telling the truth about that at least. Guess there’s no reason to doubt the rest either,” Taloc says softly as he steps out of the fountain.

Quickly and efficiently, he dons the clothes and settles the sheathes into place across his body. Taking up Ire and Woe, he stows them safely out of sight along his back, hilts on either side of his waist and ready to be drawn at a moments notice. A quick stretch left, then right, followed by two quick jumps, and he nods, satisfied that everything is settled and concealed. At least for the passerby glance. If this is anything like home, his eyes would give him away sooner or later, even if the blades don’t, and he doesn’t have anyone watching his back here…

He scans the growing crowd and raises the scarf to cover half his face. Too many eyes. Too many people have seen his face, he would have to lay low for a while, but that is far easier said than done. This place is new, no hideouts, no one to call in a favor, no way to readily disappear. His scan of the crowd stops as he notices a girl in the back, face half covered and dressed in a way that doesn’t hinder movement. The way she held herself was all he needed and before he even realized it, he flashed a simple handsign, crooking his first two fingers slightly and touching his thumb to his ring finger. This universal sign was known throughout his realm, inviting a quiet place to talk between two of the faceless.

Only after did he realize that this wasn’t exactly his realm anymore… So, he made eye contact and did a quick head motion off towards a gateway on his left. Not the most subtle move, but he didn’t exactly have a lot of options, and he needed a way to disappear, to work, to learn.

‘Hell,’ he thinks grimly. ‘Maybe I’ll even find a way to die…’

Slipping through the crowd with a practiced ease, Taloc makes his way towards the gate, a smoking mass of rock and granite by the look of things. He’d give her thirty minutes. After that, well... He’s no worse off than he was before. Would just have to rely on a bit of luck to get by for a while…

[Dust]

Hayaidesu had wondered why the new Prime had picked her out of a crowd until she realized he was gearing up much like she'd been. Perhaps he thought they were friends in some kinship. She was surprised to find herself somewhat drawn to him in the same way though. Part of her knew she should continue on with her work, hide away the thoughts and leave him behind like most distractions in life. However, the idea of crossing an ocean didn't suit her, especially since there was no way to pinpoint which island her target was on. Her master's interest in the subject wasn't all that grand either. Maybe for once in her life she could afford a distraction.

She vanished into the crowd, dipping low and hiding her brightly colored hair from the endless light.

It took her a moment, but she silently stepped up to Taloc. Her feet didn't make a noise on the endless solid tile despite how her cloth shoes appeared. She didn't say anything to him, just waited for him.

He bowed his head slightly in silence to her, expecting her to say something to him first.

She did not.

They stood in a small silence for a while, not so much awkward as it was respectful and knowing. They understood a lot about each other at that point. Mostly that neither one liked to talk very much. But like her feet, Hayaidesu’s mind raced just as fast and just as silently.

“Hayaidesu.” She finally said, starting off small.

“Taloc Sa’Koro.” He stated, factly.

“You must be new around here.” She commented.

“Is it that obvious?” His words only hinted at the surprise he felt, but the fact he’d committed public nudity came to mind.

“No. You just look lost.”

“I am.” Taloc agreed.

Their conversation was hushed and gentle, but he was looking around just as paranoid as he sounded.

“What kind of work do you like to do?” Hayaidesu asked, looking about too.

Seeing no one around, he casually shrugs. "I kill people. Usually the type of people no one else can get to."

"You want to head to Ashen Steppes or Coruscant."

Talco raised his brow, his question written on his face.

Not one to waste time on idle chit-chat. "Ashen Steppes has the Ashen Blades, a group of hired killers. Coruscant is... Well, Coruscant. Between the Empire needing bodies stronger than the average Stormtrooper to deal with the growing population of Primes and the growing population of Primes and growing number of Crimes... Well, you get the picture."

"Assume I know half of what you just said. Which is more discreet? I need information, not attention."

"I'd head to the Blades. Their leader is a bit flashy, but they are professional and you'd get a lot more out of them if you want attention. I personally don't know a lot about them."

Taloc nods, running a finger across a mask at his waist. "And what of you? Where do you... Work?"

He thought he saw her crack a smile. "I'm just a simple messenger."

"And you're satisfied with that?"

“Not really, but I don’t think I’d be much of use as anything else. My prime summoned me for my quickness.”

"Summoned? Prime? So, what does that make you? And if you want more from life, why settle on what someone else wants?"

“You really are new around here, aren’t you?” She asked her rhetorical question before lifting her arm swiftly in the direction of the Ashen Steppes. “That way, Mr. Fountain Fresh Prime.”

"Did I say something peculiar?" He says softly, looking at the arch. A glance back at her and he raises an eyebrow once more. "There's nothing here."

"See those dots?" She asked, skipping his earlier questions. "Those are gates. That one." She jabbed at it again. "Is Ashen Steepes. One who looks for trouble will find it."

Taloc considered arguing with her for the sake of information but looked down her arm just the same as the dot. “That one?”

“That one.”

He nodded affirmatively and then took a few steps that way before turning around, not willing to let it go. “If one is not a prime, then what are you?”

As she spoke, the magentas and purples of her costume suddenly stood out a lot more than they may have normally. “There are two kinds of colors. Primary and Secondary. If you are Blue and my Prime is Red, then I am purple.”

That was a mouthful to try to chew through… But Taloc was hit by the taste. And he didn’t like it. “That doesn’t make you any less of a person.” He commented.

“Depends on who you ask,” Hayaidesu said without an ounce of emotion either way.

“Will you come with me?” Taloc asked, the words bursting out from his mouth before he even thought about them. He quickly thought of a reason to why he’d need help. “Be nice to have someone to explain things.”

Taloc was sure that wasn’t going to work, but he kept that ounce of hope that she’d pity a man that shared the same mannerism and apparently professionalism as her. He watched as she subtly shifted her weight from escape to accompany. A smile, hidden by his cloth, came to the fresh Prime and he let her lead the way.

[Taloc]

The slight shifting in her stance was all Taloc needed for an answer. An ally was much needed right now, even one with so many unknowns. Still, how she held herself spoke volumes to one who knew what to look for, and perhaps the idea of a “master” who thought so little of her left her with enough malcontent to jump ship. Hell, just the thought of it was enough for him…

“So, does this… Master… of yours have a name?” Taloc asks.

Silence.

About what was expected. Not like he’d just go off giving out his employers information either, but a man who treats others that way often have a price along with their name… Another problem for another day. For now, that dot…

“What’s the fastest way to these, Ashen Steppes?” He glances back over his shoulder at Hayaidesu as he speaks.

“Horse, most likely.”

“Nothing faster? Hell, I can run faster than that…”

Taloc almost thought he saw a smile as she shakes her head. “Not here you can’t.”

“Right… So where do we find a horse then? Not exactly a stable at every corner in this sea of white.”

“Fountain Fresh indeed… Summon one, shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”

“Summon… Living things too? Well alright, worth a shot I guess.”

Taloc raises a hand tentatively, calling to mind one of the many mounts he had used in the past. Focusing on the image, a resplendent cocoon of rainbow light forms at his fingertips and rapidly begins expanding. Several minutes of silence pass as the light shifts and undulates across the bubble, slowly growing into the shape of the horse, until it explodes outward into a million brilliant shards of light. The shards faded into nothingness as the horse, a nondescript brown mare with several white patches across its body, rears its head and whineys. On instinct, Taloc reaches forward to soothe and quiet the animal, stroking its snout and whispering gentle words.

‘Certainly doesn’t matter any that the horse makes noise here. Not like we can hide or anything in this stark white void… Still, an ounce of caution could be the difference between life and death. Not about to grow lax now.’

Taloc frowns at that thought. ‘After all, what does it matter if I live or die? If that Omni figure is to be believed, I’ll just be brought right back. Should he be lying then I die, problem solved…’

For some reason that didn’t sit right. What kind of a death dealer would he be if he just rolled over and let some random plebeian kill him, after all… Then again, what kind of a death dealer kills his partners…

The horse nuzzles his hand breaking his train of thought. Apparently he had just been standing there staring into the void that is the nexus, his hands motionless on the horse. Sure enough, Hayaidesu was looking at him from the corner of her eye, likely wondering what kind of person she was helping if he just randomly loses all focus. Rather than meeting her gaze, Taloc reaches down to his waist and pulls free the mask resting there. Made of some kind of strange dull glass-like material, he donned the black mask with a practised ease. Turning to face her now, the eyeless mask reflected her own face back at her though none of her surroundings… Almost as if she was looking at herself wreathed in darkness.

The effect it gave was disconcerting.

"Neat mask." Her voice matching her listless face as she continued to stare. Unflinching.


Taloc turns away and climbs up onto the horse, gripping its mane with a sure hand. He shifts his weight slightly as the horse takes a few steps, clearly eager to run, but obeying the slight pressure applied to its mane and stopping. Taloc reaches down and gently rubs the neck of the beast, further soothing it, and hoping that the action would disguise his scattered thoughts.

‘What kind of person just joins up with a random stranger though? What does she get out of this? What choice do I have but to trust her for now, though… I need any and all information I can get despite the current risks. Besides, better a risk you know than one you don’t.’

“Thanks.” Taloc says softly, his voice not muffled any by the mask. “It was a specialty of my clan. We should get going.”

Bending down slightly, Taloc offers a hand to pull Hayaidesu up onto the horse which, much to his surprise, she takes without hesitation. Within a few seconds, she is resting comfortably behind him and grips a pair of his empty sheathes for stability. Glancing once over his shoulder to ensure she’s settled, and hopefully not preparing to hide a knife in his ribs, Taloc nods and gently boots the horse’s ribs.

Of all the things he was expecting… This speed was not one of them. The horse flew across the expanse of nothingness as if death itself was chasing them, and it took all his skill not to get knocked loose. Hayaidesu, on the other hand, didn’t seem all that phased by the extreme speed this horse was exhibiting.

‘Right… she did say that the horses were faster here. Wasn’t expecting this though. Hell, I can’t run half this fast…’

With a quick shake of the head, he starts timing his movements with the horse’s and rapidly regains his lost composure. While he didn’t dare look, he knew all too well that someone was grinning up a storm behind him. Better just to ignore it. Yeah...

[Dust]

There was not leather and metal to make a noise or to hold onto the rapidly moving horse, in their silence she only heard the thunderous pawing of hooves against the hard surface that was the floor of the Nexus and some creeking of his armor. Her own outfit was mostly made of simple yet luxerious fabric. Her outfit was made of purples and violets, as were her eyes, her hair, it was a color scheme that stopped only at her skin. Her skin itself was a faint tan. It was pale in comparison to his dark clothing. Her hair was the traditional long ponytail that whipped behind them. For all the excitment of riding a horse, it was boring.

After some time, Taloc braved a new line of questions. "So can you help me understand this place a little bit more?" He asked, speaking loud and clear for her, his voice unhindered by the mask but not the noise of the world around him.

"The Nexus?" She asked, not sure what he meant until she remembered that he was still fountain fresh. "No, you mean the Omniverse."

He didn't say anything, but she swore he nodded.

"The fountain you were bathing is called the Fountain of Infinity. From my understanding its where you Primes are spit out by Omni and revive when you die."

"So he was telling the truth? I can never truly die?" Taloc explaims.

"That's not entirely true, but effectively. It takes you about seven days, no matter how you die, to revive. And always at the fountain. I've watched it happen a few times. The rumor is that unless you piss Omni off you will revive. But there are multiple groups in the omniverse that you'd think wouldn't come back but members still do." Hayaidesu explained.

"Is one of those groups being the Ashen Blades?" Taloc continued his questions.

"No." She was quick to reply.

"Why again are you pushing the Ashen Blades?" Taloc tried not to sound annoyed.

"The Ashen Blades are a group of bounty hunters. They will be helpful to you on several levels. Experience will lead to knowledge and wisdom. Knowlege will lead to more questions, wisdom will lead you knowing who you can ask and what you can ask." She leaned out to be heard better. "And the more you travel the words, the more questions will unlock, the more details you'll notice."

Taloc had to admit, she had him pretty pegged.

"What make you-"

"You just asked me to tell you more about this plan of existence." Hayaidesu stated.

He decided not to argue.

"As for my personal experience, I am of no use. I am a messenger. I avoid the scenic route, I generally am carrying sensitive information. I don't need to get lost on the way." She explained, then pulled back, apaprently that was all.

[Taloc]

Taloc was quiet for a long while after Hayaidesu finished her explanation as he filed away the information. So much and yet so little… It will be enough for now. She was right after all, the more he explores, the more he will learn.

‘Fountain of Infinity, eh… Strange that it would be so tailored to me though. If everyone came back to life… Was reborn? Spawned? No wait, respawned... Then again, revived probably would be the best word in this case, not that it matters much. If everyone was revived at this particular place, then why would it so favor one person? Either I’m special or it changes per person somehow. Better to assume the latter than give something unwanted away.’

The horse continued with its… Unnatural speed… Eating through the distance with a still barely believed pace. Thankfully, Taloc was able to time its motions enough to not feel like a fool riding now, though the lack of anything around made this kind of travel… Unnerving. No matter how much the horse ran, there was no indication that they were even going anywhere. Sure the wind was whipping across his body with enough force that Taloc had long since given up the struggle of keeping his hood in place, chalking it up as a hopeless battle. The dot was getting bigger too, if only slightly. Didn’t change the fact that the stark white void of this place, this… Nexus, could easily make you believe you were galloping in place.

‘Hell, I’d even be happy to see a rock at this point… Anything to break up the monotony. Ok… Focus. Back to the matter at hand. What was the next part?’

‘Right. Seven days. Should I be killed, or had I killed myself again, I would come back after seven days… If what she says is true, than it doesn’t much matter what I do. No reason to doubt her yet. Except…’

Taloc turns his head slightly, looking back towards Hayaidesu, and speaks loud enough to be heard clearly over the whipping wind. “Can you go over what you meant by pissing off Omni? Perhaps what that would entail, for example.”

She looks into his mask and shrugs. “Beats me. I just know it has been done before.”

“Do you know who it was?”

“Yes.”

Taloc waits a moment for her to go on… Except… she doesn’t. Slowly Taloc nods his head. “Would you care to tell me who that is?”

“Nope.”

“Any reason why?”

Hayaidesu turns away slightly, clearly closing off his line of questions. “Personal.”

“Very well.”

Taloc faces forward once more and was woefully disappointed to see that the dot hadn’t grown bigger… ‘Might as well be riding in circles for all the progress we seem to be making. Damn it!’

Taking a deep breath, Taloc slowly exhales, letting the burst of anger go with the wind. ‘Emotion is a liability. Let it rule you and you will be consumed by it… Bloody ashes I hated that tenant, but I can’t deny the wisdom behind it. Now… Ashen Blades. Not the first time I hooked up with a mercenary group I guess. Then again, I only joined because my contract was their boss. Still had my people to go back to though… No no no! Don’t go down that path, I need to focus!’

“Do you know who the leader of The Blades is, Hayaidesu?” Taloc calls out before quickly adding, “Their name? Perhaps how to get in contact with them?”

“Kuzuru. We are heading there now.”

“Kuzuru…” Taloc says slowly, rolling the name around on his tongue and making sure to commit it to memory. “Anything I should know about him, or any of the members?”

“Kuzuru. Prideful. Bloodthirsty. Has a tendency to show off. Same goes for the others, more or less. Don’t know much about them.”

“Sounds about par for the course… Thank you.”

He feels her move slightly, sitting this close to him and holding onto him was probably the only reason, but it felt like she shrugged her shoulders. ‘And I thought I was reserved. Hell she is making me feel like a bloody crier. Kinda makes me wonder what made her like this… Raised into it? Forced perhaps? No point in speculating. Either she’ll bring it up or she won’t, simple as that.’

‘Still… It feels as if I’m forgetting something. Like I missed some detail. Lets see here… Fountain, Nexus, fast horse, seven day revival time for… For primes.’

“Hayaidesu. You said primes revive after seven days when they are killed. What happens to the rest? To the secondaries?”

“They don’t come back.”

Taloc wasn’t sure if it was the… sheer… inequality of that fact or the emotionless tone she used saying it that bothered him more. This was a known and accepted fact here. Her tone alone was enough to make that blatantly clear. As simple and irrefutable as life and…

This is unacceptable.

Omni is no doubt to blame for this as well. This system pitting his ‘favorites’ against each other as they vye for this omnilium. If they stayed dead it would be one thing, but to be revived while the so called lesser secondaries pay the price…

‘Hell. I’ve killed for less.’

Without warning, the horse stopped dead in its tracks, throwing Taloc forward off over its head and releasing him from his thoughts. Had he just landed, that would’ve been fine, but the momentum caused him to bounce and roll a good ten feet before skidding to a stop flat on his back. Not the first time he fell off a horse. Definitely the first time he felt like a river rock skipping along the water though.

“Ow…” Taloc groans roughly, starting to climb back to his feet. “Why the hell did it…”

Directly in front of him was an absolutely massive… Gateway? Of sorts? In near overwhelming contrast to the blankness of the nexus, this smoking arch of seeming molten rock and brimstone had a strange shimmering along its inside. Easily 12 feet high and almost as much wide, the entrance gave the appearance of a cave exit, leading out into the heat haze of a volcanic  wasteland.

“We arrived.” Hayaidesu chimes in.

Despite the simple, emotionless and matter of fact way she said it, Taloc couldn’t help but get the feeling she was being smug. Letting it go, Taloc walks closer to the entrance. Less distance didn’t change the fact he wasn’t sure if there was something shimmering along the archway, or if it was just the haze that inherently came from high temperatures.

Then it hit him. It wasn’t hot. Well the gateway did give off a certain level of heat, but nothing near what it should be for what he was seeing. Whatever caused this, Omni, it was able to divide things so clearly that not even temperature would be able to get through… In spite of himself, he couldn’t help but feel a bit amazed and impressed.

“So… Do we just walk through? Or is there something we need to do first?” Taloc says, turning to look at Hayaidesu.

With a small nod, she swings her leg up and off the horse, sliding down onto the Nexus floor. “Walking works.”

Sighing softly, Taloc looks the arch over once more. His face still hidden behind the mask, he slowly reaches up and pulls his hood up. Striding forward, all of his questions and uncertainty was neatly hidden behind the faux confidence he exuded.

‘Every contract starts by leaving the village. If you don’t know where your target is, any direction is as good as the next. I guess this is my first step then.’

Taloc steps through the portal.