"Where exactly are we going?"
Slalgulathon groaned. The floors and the ceiling were alternating places in his shifting vision and Axilis had somehow doubled the number of limbs he had. Slalgulathon paused for breath, leaning against the stone walls.
Two massive eyeballs stared worriedly at him from below accompanied by a high-pitched reply.
"Hmmm. You really are looking worse for wear. Not far to go now, though."
They were in the tunnel leading away from their hangar, Axilis leading the way confidently through the maze-like underground. Luckily, their hangar was close to the main passageway and it was only a few turns that led them to walking along it.
Almost as wide as the hangar, it was fairly deserted, though that was to be expected for this run-down part of New Ithaca. The occasional figure that they did pass hurried off as though perpetually in a state of paranoia. Well, judging by the uncleaned stains that looked suspiciously red in colour that were more common than expected, perhaps such a state was simply required.
If it was, Axilis showed no hint of it, walking forwards while humming a tune to himself. Slalgulathon, on the other hand, was barely in the right mind to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
At the moment when he thought his mind was truly about to succumb to the darkness, Axilis' cheerful voice pierced through like a ray of light.
"We've made it, Slalgy. Come sit down on the chair, we'll get you looked at."
They had arrived through a decrepit side-tunnel through a door labelled "Sanitation Office" into a small room Axilis had clearly claimed for himself. The chair he gestured to was more like a stool really, but Slalgulathon was not in a position to complain.
Collapsing into it, relief flooded his body like a physical force, letting out a deep groan.
Flicking a few switches, the lights came on with a flicker, illuminating the room with dimly. Axilis fiddled with a computer screen in the corner before turning back to Slalgulathon.
"Looks like the Zahto is almost here. The others will meet with him first, it will give them time to debrief anyways. In the meantime, lets have a look what's going on under that grey, knobbly scalp of yours."
Walking over, for the first time, he took off his glasses and set them aside. Approaching Slalgulathon, he grabbed his face with two hands and with his other two peeled open his already wide eyes.
Staring deep into the abyss of his pupils, Slalgulathon felt a drowsy feeling assault him. He heard a whisper, or maybe it was his own thoughts that spoke with Axilis' voice from within.
"Relax your mind, Slalgy. You're safe here."
Slalgulathon furrowed his brows, as if his subconscious rebelled against that statement. Slowly, though, he felt massaging tendrils take apart his mental defenses. Not in the manner of a brutal attack, but like a soothing massage.
An involuntary groan escaped his lips as it felt as though a physical weight on his shoulders was being melted away.
"Just like that."
The whisper echoed within his own mind now.
"Hmm, there's a piece of you missing. Well, two pieces in fact. I'm sure we'll be hearing the stories of those soon enough."
In Axilis vision, Slalgulathon's psyche was like a glass vase. Struck by a stone, it was a miracle it was still standing up. Hairline fractures permeated it, leaking the stuff of thoughts unfiltered into the cognitive plane.
Still, his natural defenses were fortified, the aegis of his Pact still holding strong against any who sought to exploit such a vulnerability. But at the cost of his remaining sanity.
This was not something that could be fixed, not by any psychic less than a 9th order. For Axilis, of course, all it would take was time. Time that they did not have. He hesitated, debating if Slalgulathon would consider staying for a few weeks in New Ithaca, before dismissing it.
Remarkably, some of the narrow cracks had already begun to close, psychic scar tissue beginning to form. Even for his Pact, such a rate of regeneration was abnormal. Concentrating further, Axilis refined his piercing tendrils, exploring deeper into Slalgulathon's mind.
There!
It thought it was clever. Hiding behind the void where his memories had been taken. It had taken some time, but Axilis had found it. And as he found it, he saw it.
It was-■
: : ■■■■■■■■!!!!!! : :
An unholy shriek woke Slalgulathon from his slumber. Jolting awake, the first thing he noticed was the noticeable absence of the feeling of a hot iron poker inserted through his eyeball into his skull.
The second was the writhing figure of Axilis. He jumped to his feet, grabbing the diminutive man by the shoulders to steady him.
"What happened?" he questioned urgently, but Axilis' eyes were unfocused and milky. Looking around, Slalgulathon spotted a pitcher of water. Grabbing it, he splashed it over Axilis' face.
With a gasp and a wet cough, Axilis shook his head, eyes refocusing. For a split second, they drifted to Slalgulathon's head before shrinking back in some unknown emotion.
Slalgulathon stepped backwards, speaking softly.
"You are afraid. Tell me, what did you see, old man?"
Axilis was quiet. Grabbing the pitcher from Slalgulathon, he took a few hefty gulps, before wiping his mouth and setting it down. When he replied, it was in an uncharacteristically sombre tone.
"I am old, boy. Older than even you can understand. I have known and seen things you cannot possibly imagine. And what I saw in your head there, what I sensed."
Axilis shuddered and muttered to himself in a terrified whisper.
"Fear the Dark Forest for its depths cannot be fathomed."
He grabbed Slalgulathon by the shoulders, surprising him with the strength in his short limbs, speaking frantically.
"You must not go! Do not go, Slalgulathon! Nothing lies at the end of that path but bait!"
"Calm down, old man."
Slalgulathon pried Axilis' fingers off his shoulders, wincing at the sharp pain of his fingernails digging in.
"If you've seen what I've seen, then you know I have no choice!"
Axilis slumped to the floor, his hands sliding off Slalgulathon like a puppet with its strings cut. His eyes were hollow, but a hint of fire still remained in their depths. Steeling himself, he took a shaky breath and addressed Slalgulathon properly.
"Fine then, if you are to be so obstinate. Let us take you to the Zahto so we can hear your full story. He will decide."
Slalgulathon nodded, a concerned look in his one working eye. Taking another big chug of the water and offering it to Slalgulathon, Axilis fiddled at the computer before turning to leave.
"I've let Juhto Selius know we are on our way. Come then, you wouldn't want to keep our Great Zahto waiting any longer, would you?"
Slalgulathon followed Axilis out, closing the door behind him. Leaving the so-called "Sanitation Office", Slalgulathon and Axilis ventured back out into the dimly lit winding bowels of New Ithaca.