On The Edge of Blades (Chapter 3)

Syra heaved a heavy breath. Her tired shoulders carried two buckets of water that sloshed back and forth. Carrying the buckets had been something of a chore, but Theseus had told her it was necessary.

It had been a day since they had spoken last, and two since they arrived in this place. Syra remembered it clearly. Theseus had said that the tasks would bolster her strength, but after each dark day she only felt more tired.

“Here.” Syra’s voice cracked, and she set the buckets to the floor.

Only Theseus’ eyes followed Syra as she sat down across from him. It had been days and the man had not moved from his position on the floor. Syra sighed and looked at the ceiling. She hadn’t expected a response, though a part of her still hoped she would get one.

A drop of water splashed against Syra’s nose. It reminded her of the time before, before she joined guild. The City had no sewage system, and when it rained all the discarded waste would trickle down to the lower layers. At their worst, the old cracked streets became rivers of never-ending sludge and grime.

Syra looked back to Theseus. He had pulled his hood over his head and was sipping at a small cup of water. Slowly, the man set the cup to the floor,

“It is time.” Theseus’ voice sounded stronger than it had before, less thin in a way.

“Time for what,” Syra replied. “You said I needed to be stronger, but you never said what for.”

The room was the same as always- that is dark and cold and damp. Yet, Theseus alone brought the room to life. The hood fell from his face, and his eyes glinted with a palatable fire. For two days the man had seemed less animate than an upper layer statue. Now, he was more alive than ever.

“Soon you must begin the Trial,” Theseus said.

Syra frowned. She had not thought that senility could catch a man so quickly, “I am Bladebound.” Syra’s voice was edged with quiet concern. “I have completed the Trial, it’s how the binding worked.”

“No one in this city knows how the binding works,” Theseus responded.

“But there is nothing outside of The City.” Syra’s voice was stern as if trying to reprimand herself.

“Would a blind man believe the world is black just because he cannot see?” Theseus rose to his feet.

“They’ve sent people out before. None of them survived.” Syra stumbled for words.

“No one came back. But I’m here now, and I learned, ‘The City’, it is just a city- it doesn’t even have a name,” Theseus replied.

Syra couldn’t believe him, the man had to be insane. No one could leave The City; the creatures of the forest would stop them. Yet, Theseus was powerful, too powerful for an ordinary Bladebound.

“But that’s-” Syra stuttered and was interrupted

“Impossible. I thought the same, but after I left I learned so much more than I could ever imagine. This city is nothing more than a blink in the eye of the world. But enough about that,” Theseus paused, a serious look crossing his face. “we must prepare for the Trial.”

“You don’t understand,”, Syra’s hand shook as she remembered the Trial from all those years ago, “I’m Bladebound, I completed the Trial. I survived.”

“All you have done is enter the gate, you have yet the walk far down the path of true power. There are men and women outside this small place, Mages they are called. One Mage could slaughter every Bladebound, every person in this city all at once.” Theseus lowered his head.

“You’re a Mage?” Syra had only grown confused as the man rambled on about things that she couldn’t understand. There was no “outside” to The City, only the infinite forest.

“No. You may think I am powerful, but I am no Mage. To a Mage I am little more than a useful servant.” Theseus paused, “If you ever meet one in open battle, there are only three options, run, grovel, or die.”

“How could anyone be so powerful?”

“The bindings. It’s a spiritual contract that you are signing, a part of you goes into the weapon, a part of the weapon goes into you. When you survived the Trial, you forged the felt Exous- pain in the common tongue. Now you need the next one.” Theseus walked from the room.

“Why do I need something different? What I have has worked well enough for me in the past.” Syra reflexively lowered her hand to her waist where her swordhilt would have rested as she followed Theseus.

“You want to end the violence, save the children, make up for what has happened, your sword will not be enough. You must use everything you can; you must become a more. I can see it in you, the fire; one day you could be a mage.”

A Mage- Theseus had said one alone could defeat an army of Bladebounds. Syra could not even imagine that kind of power- or the kind of suffering that it would cost. With that power she could end it all, no more guilds or cults to fight.

Theseus’ voice cut through her thoughts, “But if you do not want to go through with this, then you may leave. Go back to the forest and live a quiet life. But, if you can’t sleep at night, if they still haunt you, do not blame me.”

“That’s not much of a choice is it?”, Syra had not truly slept in a long time.

“There is always choice.”

“You say that like you mean it, but I’m not sure you do.”, Syra responded.

“I mean it. I mean it because before I was sent away, I was just like you, Syra. I was a tool, a weapon, I served the guilds, and I killed. But I left.” Theseus brushed a grey hair from his face. “The guild was stronger back then; they let me join an exploratory expedition. It wasn’t until I was gone that I understood the true horror of this place.”

A remnant darted out of the shadows and Theseus crushed it beneath his boot. It was a crunching reminder of where they were- deep beneath the ground running and hiding.

I cannot do this. Syra thought. It will bring more violence, yet… there will always be violence. Perhaps if I had power, real power, I could end it.

“Yes,” she finally responded, “Tell me what I have to do…”

“Not yet. There are too many secrets, but knowledge can be as deadly as a blade.” Theseus drew his sword from the darkness and ran the tip of the blade against the damp stone.

“How can a mage have so much more power than a well-trained Bladebound? You said it yourself, they both have contracts.” Syra asked, her own curiosity boiling over.

“A Mage is different. A Mage is more.” Theseus paused resting a hand against his jaw, “To understand a Mage you must understand the Contracts. Exous is what you know, a binding of pain between to physical beings living or otherwise. The second contract is similar but different. Afsir. Suffering in the common tongue. You form it with your physical self-”

“The Bloodbound Cults,” Syra stammered, “You want me to be a Bloodbound.”

“They have become quite a nuisance. Even outside of this city the blood cults are no small problem. They offer power cheaply. Their false rites are built on the suffering of others and their acolytes do not understand the price. There are truer ways to reach Afsir,” Theseus replied.

Syra gulped, absorbing the information. She had not known that there was so much outside of the city. It was as if there was a whole other world she had never seen. And in some bizarre and twisted comedy the Bloodbound would still be there to haunt her.

“How does a Mage get their power?” Syra questioned.

“I wish I knew.” Theseus pauses raising an eyebrow, “There is a Mage outside of the city who will help you. Right now, you need the flame, you need Afsir.”

“Then, how do we begin?” Syra asked.

“Return to the room.” Theseus gestured towards the small sulfur-scented pueblo, “Be patient, do not drink or eat. There is one more thing I must do.”