CHAPTER TWO [PART SEVEN]
Hell
103 Years Since the Citadel's Founding
Year of the Void-Scarring Talon, Month of the Egg.
“You should have killed them while you had the chance,” Prawx said.
They had returned without much issue to Prawx’s haven and the two remaining guardians had made sure to shore up knowing that there was a chance Gazon and his sister might choose to return. Worse yet, they might let someone else know about their failure and come back in greater numbers, though Prawx didn’t seem particularly worried about that possibility.
“I wasn’t able to. If you want to blame my inability on physical limitations or psychological limitations, that’s up to you.” I shrugged.
Prawx shook his head. “Suit yourself, but your misplaced mercy will cost you in the long run.”
“Being betrayed for being merciful isn’t such a bad way to go. What if there was a fourth of them and they sought vengeance? I wouldn’t want to deal with that. At least if these three come after me, I have the moral high ground.”
“The moral high ground tends to be worthless around here.”
“The moral high ground is why I helped Crust and got here, and helped you, and got her. Gate tells me she could’ve handled herself.”
“She could’ve. I sent those three as a test. They aren’t the first to try something like this, and they won’t be the last.”
“And if I’d been more selfish than ethical, she probably would’ve killed me along with the siblings. The moral high ground is always the best option.”
“You didn’t favor your chances,” Gate asked.
“I don’t know. There’s a look in your eyes that tells me it’s best not get on your bad side.” And I didn’t think I was wrong. I still couldn’t gauge my chances against most people, but from what I’d learned about Gate’s role here in Hell, she had to be rather capable to have survived as long as she did. It was best not to get on her bad side, particularly she had little compulsion to resist killing.
She shrugged at my assessment and turned towards Prawx. “These attacks are becoming more frequent. You’ll need to be even more careful.”
“I’ll be fine, once you’re off. It’s the havens on the rest of your route that’ll have to worry.”
“I keep expecting to run into one of the havens sacked.”
“Might not be that that awaits you. Might be one of the haven masters turning on you.”
Gate glared at the haven master. “I don’t have any doubt about the people I’ve chosen, Prawx.”
“You’ve been here long enough to know that being so trusting can be fatal.”
“You’re right. I have been here long enough, long enough to know who to trust and who not to trust. Have faith that I’m making the right decision.”
Prawx put his hands up, seeing that Gate wasn’t taking her doubt well. “It’s not that easy, Gate. If something happens to you, we’ll all suffer for it.”
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Gate said nothing for a moment, then sighed. “I hear your concerns, Prawx. I won’t let my guard down. You have my word.”
I cleared my throat. “Quite the turmoil you two are involved in. Very unfortunate, but people who do good things will always be preyed upon. That’s just how things are. You should keep doing good things, even so. Don’t let people like Gazon make you too pessimistic.”
“Your opinion wasn’t requested, Avatar.”
“Uh…” My head fell at Prawx’s snapping.
“But you did hold up your end of the deal. You’ll be permitted to remain here as long as you want.”
“Thanks,” even if you could sound a bit more grateful. “You said something about a lead before?”
“Of course, I guess there’s no reason for you to change your mind about trying to leave just yet. Well, your lead is the woman you saved.”
He gestured to Gate.
“What’s this about, Prawx?”
“He hasn’t told you? He’s trying to leave Hell.”
“We didn’t spend too much time on the subject.”
“I figured, if there was anyone who could help him, it would be you,” Prawx said, though it sounded like he was happy to wash his hands of the topic.
“Forget about escaping, Avatar. There’s no hope. You’re stuck here.”
This again.
“I’m not willing to accept it.”
“That’s not my problem. You’ll learn to accept it, sooner or later.”
“You won’t help me?”
“I’m not going to aid you in your delusions.”
“You could help me, then? If you weren’t so negative about my chances.”
She said nothing to that question. Would I have to convince everyone to give me the benefit of the doubt instead of shutting me down? I understood the hesitation, but it had quickly grown irritating.
“Gate. Give him a chance. You know it’s pointless. Let him burn himself out trying. At least when he finally realizes it’s hopeless, you’ll have a new ally. And we could always use reliable people, can’t we?”
She folded her arms, clawed finger tapping rhythmically against it before she sighed dramatically.
“The last time - and the only time - someone got close to escaping, Heaven was destroyed. Millions died. I’m as happy as anyone that that horrid place fell, but a lot of innocent people died in the process. Even if I could, or would, help you, risking destruction on that scale for one person isn’t worth it. Hell isn’t so bad, once you get used to your new normal.”
My hopes momentarily sank.
“Are you saying that that many deaths is inevitable?”
“I couldn’t be certain. But it seems almost a byproduct of the process. If you try to escape, you’re going to get a lot of people’s attention, and it won’t be pretty.”
“I’m not going to sacrifice millions of people to try and escape. If that’s the only way, then I’ll find a different one.”
She exhaled another deep breath.
“You’re going to travel with me to the next haven, and I’ll get a good measure of you. If I feel like I can trust you, I’ll do what I can to help you.”
“Hmmm…”
She glared at my underwhelming reaction. “That’s not satisfying to you?”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate your consideration, it’s just-”
“Spit it out.”
“I need to get out of here in four days. I have somewhere to be.”
“You want to escape in four days,” she said, less a question, more a disbelieving retort.
“Well, I originally had five days. But I think given I’ve got a lead already, I would say I’m already making pretty good pace, aren’t I?”
“You arrived here yesterday?” She seemed rather suspicious of that fact.
“Yeah, I landed amidst a Feasters camp. Not a very warm welcome.”
Gate looked pensive for a moment. “You don’t really have a choice in the matter, do you? Either you take your chance with me, or you find someone else to help you.”
“You won’t find anyone else to help you, Avatar,” Prawx said.
“I feel like you’d rather I take my chance with Gate so that if I fail you’ll have me as another resource.”
“You can make your own decision. It doesn’t bother me one way or another. I’m just giving you the courtesy of honesty since you helped us out.” Prawx leaned back on his chair, feet propped up on the table as if what I was going to say was inevitable.
“Alright. Fine. I wasn’t going to say no anyways.”
“Good. Odds are you will have company on the way there, so I’d rather Gate wasn’t traveling alone.”
“Just don’t expect me to kill anybody.”
“Yes, of course, mister merciful.”
“Will you let Crust stay here?”
“She can stay here for the moment, but she knows how the havens work. It won’t be a free ride.”
“That’s good enough. I just needed some peace of mind, I guess. Well, Gate. When do we leave?”
“I usually stick around a few days, but since you’re in such a rush, we’ll leave during the day. You’ve been up since you here, haven’t you? You’d be better off getting some rest before we leave. Prawx and I still have business to discuss, and I have things to offload here.”
“Relax a bit, Avatar. Have yourself a drink and a meal. Rest easy. You’ll need all your energy for the journey if you’re in as much of a rush as you claim to be.”