On Death's Honor

Chapter 10: Like a Bat Out of Hell

I knew I was leaving my sword behind, but I didn't have time to retrieve it. Not because I was concerned about the doorway closing too soon, but because the howls that were quick to bounce through the mines suddenly quieted.

It was never good when the howls and screams of predators went still. They were close, and as I'd told Bogdan, I wasn't interested in using more dark magic tonight.

The gods knew I had enough tainted blood in me to fill a rich man's greed ten times over.

I'll come back for the sword, I promised myself. I'd have to, if I ever hoped to stand my own against anything otherworldly.

So now here I was, sporting a dress that was a little better than a burlap sack and a mismatched cloak - barefooted. I had my satchel on me - it was as worn by time as everything else - and a blade tucked away in a makeshift sheathe on the inside of my cloak. Other than that, I was completely defenseless.

"Bogdan, you're a fucking nuisance," I grumbled as I walked through the wayfolds, keeping my eyes alert on our surroundings. We were walking on a cracked, falling apart bridge made of rock not found on the waking world. Hundreds and thousands of feet below us, rivers of a grayish liquid swirled. Hundreds and thousands of feet above us hung dark, glowing red tendrils of something that closely resembled torn tendons, but I tried not to think about that. Shadowy creatures flew around us, eying us with their strange amber eyes before disappearing in the thick clouds surrounding us.

But they wouldn't hurt me. Not while I'm alive. I just needed to make sure not to piss off any of the things lurking beneath us.

Behind me, Bogdan scoffed.

"Is that so?"

"You left my sword in the mines." I stepped over a large, crumbled piece of stone, careful not to lose my balance. There were no rails on the bridge, and sometimes it swayed with the same motions one would expect on a ship at sea. I did not feel like taking a dive in Hollow-infested waters.

"You hit me with said sword," Bogdan reminded.

"Because you were being a nuisance."

"Pardon me," he apologized with no small amount of sarcasm. "I didn't realize warning you of the people who want to kill you was considered a grievance."

I peered over the bridge, searching for a piece of dried land. If I'm not careful, I could cross my way straight into the underworld - hence, why it was advised to use a guide when crossing the wayfolds.

"Do you know where you're going?" Bogdan continued. I stopped, momentarily confused. I knew where I was going, and so did he. In fact, I was confident that I knew more of the wayfolds than most Steppers from all the times I've had to traverse through here, and they were native to this realm. Glancing over at him, I saw he had his arms across his chest. He quickly looked away upon meeting my gaze. Okay, enough was enough.

"What's wrong with you?" Then, when he narrowed his eyes, I elaborated before he could come up with a snarky reply. "You didn't show up tonight to help me. Something's bothering you."

"So she does have a brain."

"Yes, and an incredible urge to seek more ruwelt if you don't tell me what the hell has you pissing in the wayfolds."

He curled his lips. My threat was an empty one, and he knew it.

"Let's save it for when we are in a better place, yes?" He suggested, pointedly looking around as if to prove his point - which only left me more confused. There wasn't much in the wayfolds that could prove a problem, unless we happen to bump into other people trying to use them. Ironically, the majority of threats we faced on land wouldn't follow us here due to how close we were to the underworld.