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Blue Valley Underground - Part 18 - Eyes

            More frustrating than the throbbing scar were the shackles. Isaac walked down Underground's main street, hands still bound behind his back. He felt like a worm. How was he supposed to cut off someone's head when he couldn't even scratch his own?

            The activity had died down. Isaac assumed it was later in the night as he saw citizens heading indoors and closing up shops. Some curled up right in the street. He almost tripped over the long tail of a troll lounging against a lamp post, stepping over a sleeping gorgon, and avoiding two satyrs and a pixie as they enjoyed a three-way on the sidewalk. He was afraid to ask any of these creatures for directions. Many were far larger than him, and the ones that weren't had alien faces that showed little to no emotion. Every signpost he passed just looked like gibberish.

            After an hour of wandering, Isaac found himself beside the stream with the red mushrooms. Two blue-skinned ladies were still there, floating about lazily in the water. They were the least intimidating creatures he'd seen so far. Asking them for directions didn't seem dangerous. Isaac cleared his throat and queried,

"Excuse me?"

The ladies turned to him, their blue eyes flashing in the dim light. They disappeared under the brackish water, and in just a few seconds, dragged themselves onto the shore before Isaac. The boy took a step back, heart hammering in his chest. They were as beautiful as they were terrifying. The whites of their eyes were instead pitch-black, their long hair cyan and light blue respectively. In place of ears were fins, and now that they were closer, Isaac could see the texture of their skin was a bit grooved like scales on a fish.

            "Yes?" the women answered simultaneously. Their voices echoed in an eerie, inhuman way.

"Can you tell me where the farming district is? Also, do you know someone named Ani? She's a grower." Isaac asked them, trying to keep his gaze on their faces instead of their nude, chubby bodies. Looking towards one another, the girls giggled. The blue-haired girl said,

"You're so young and handsome! What do you want to see that ugly old goblin for?"

Isaac's face flushed,

"It's an order from Mr. Zu-Kaal." He tried to sound as dignified as possible.

            "Oh, he's handsome too!" The cyan-haired girl squealed, then batted her eyelash-less eyes at Isaac and asked,

"Will you swim with us?"

"Yes, come in!" the other gracefully swayed her hands. Trails of water rose from the stream and followed her movements like liquid serpents. Isaac shook his head,

"I really have to see Ani. Please, do you know where she is?"

"I'll tell you," the cyan-haired girl stood up and grasped Isaac's necklace,

"But only if you have a dip!" she jerked him forward and he stumbled, falling on his knees in the shallow water of the shore.

            "No, no! Stop!" The boy wriggled back, "My hands--"

The ladies giggled madly and lurched towards him, greedy hands grasping his shirt, pants, ankle, hair; and together they dragged him into the water.

"Let go!" Isaac screamed and managed to kick the cyan-haired girl away. They stopped pulling, leaving him sitting in water up to his naval.

"You're going to drown me!" he gasped. The blue-haired girl looked shocked. She gave her friend a weak shove and exclaimed,

"That's right, humans only breathe air! You almost killed him, Danae!"

The cyan-haired girl shoved her back, sounding rather offended as she replied,

"And you didn't? Gods, Oceana, you're such a dumb cow."

            "Please," Isaac pleaded, "Tell me where to find Ani. This is very important!"

The ladies fell silent for a moment, looking at eachother inquisitively. Finally Danae turned to Isaac and grinned,

"No!"

They cackled and pushed him on his back. He grunted as the shackles dug into his spine, then again as Danae jumped on top of him. Isaac's objections were silenced when she crushed her mouth against his and forced her tongue nearly down his throat. It was cold and pointed, tasting much like a fish. The boy gagged and writhed under her, nearly getting away until Oceana sat on his legs.

            "It's my turn after you!" the blue-haired girl told her friend. Danae withdrew and Isaac gasped for breath, spitting the awful taste out,

"Get off me!" he growled. Danae ignored him, wearing a crazed grin on her face as she tugged his pants and underwear down to his knees. Isaac squirmed desperately, gnashing his teeth, on the verge of tears. He didn't want this. He should have wanted this, he thought--Most men at the barracks would surely love to be in this position. But Isaac didn't, despite the way he stiffened under the strange water-lady's fondling. Soon she'd use him just as Miss Krista had, and then either throw him away like trash or drown him.

"No!" he screamed, "Don't fucking touch me! Don't--"

            A terrible pain suddenly shot through his head, as if an arrow pierced his brain. He saw a bright light flash in front of him and for several seconds, lay dazed on the shore. A dull pain pulsed on his forehead. He felt something warm sliding down his temple and rolled over with a groan. Blood dripped from his head onto the stone. He heard Oceana's panicked babbling and was able to sit up. He spotted her standing in the water just a few feet away, screaming and fretting over Danae. The cyan-haired girl was floating limply on her back. A red pool spread from her head, and Isaac paled when he realized her face was obliterated. Left behind was a ragged, shapeless piece of meat with bits of skull exposed here and there.

            "What have you done?!" Oceana screeched at him, her eyes as round as coins. Isaac was speechless. He realized he was covered in mud, blood and fragments of face-meat and nearly passed out from shock. What had he done? Looking back towards the water, Oceana was gone, though Danae's corpse still floated slowly down the stream. The boy awkwardly managed to grab the back of his pants and hike them up. He scrambled to his feet, the look of horror never leaving his face as he staggered away aimlessly. He wandered back into the streets and leaned against a lamp post. He received a few glances, but nothing more. As if being covered in gore was just the norm here.

            "Stop wasting time." Said Mr. Zu-Kaal. Isaac snapped to attention and turned, this way then that. The man was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it was just in his head. He was still in shock, trembling madly, heart racing, stomach fluttering. He'd just murdered someone, apparently, and had no recollection of it. And now he was hearing voices as clear as day.

"Oh, God..." Isaac murmured and hurried away in a fog. He nearly bumped into an elven woman wearing an ornate white dress.

"Excuse me?" he said quickly, "Can, uh--Do you know where Ani is? She's a grower...?"

The woman stared at him blankly for a moment, then shook her head.

"Farming district?" he queried.

"Oh," She turned and pointed down a street with a tunnel at the end, "Keep going straight, into the passage. That's the farming district."

            "Thank you." Isaac walked away from the woman, feeling like a lunatic. He passed a troll sitting on the sidewalk, casually eating what appeared to be a humanoid leg as if it were a piece of chicken. If he was insane, at least he was in a madhouse where he belonged, he thought. Down the tunnel he went, with a million considerations in his head. Was any of this worth it? If he found something sharp, he could slice his neck on it and bleed to death. This insane nightmare would finally end.

            No. He had to pass this asinine test so that he could see Clara. Together, they would escape this place and run to Serkel. But how? Isaac passed doorway after doorway, each covered by a curtain. He peeked inside, witnessing a variety of small farms. Some growing plants, some growing mushrooms as tall as himself. They were tended by goblins and elves. There were no less than twenty different rooms and he was long since out of patience.

            "Ani?!" he hollered at the top of his lungs. His voice echoed sharply down the long tunnel,

"Is there a goblin named Ani here?!"

Some farmers poked their heads out of their rooms, then slowly withdrew like frightened turtles.

"Ani?! Ani the grower?!" Isaac shouted again. Shortly after, a pale sage-skinned goblin woman wobbled out from behind a curtain. She walked with a long staff topped with a glass orb, looking to be in her sixties. She was practically swimming in a heavy green robe, from which many small bags and trinkets were hanging.

            "Who's callin'?" she asked.

"Over here!" Isaac rushed towards her, "Are you Ani?"

The goblin looked him over suspiciously before replying,

"That's me. Who are you?"

"My name's Isaac. I was--Uh..." the boy stopped. Telling her about his mission probably wasn't the best idea. He cleared his throat and started again,

"Can I ask you some questions?"

With a sigh, the woman turned and began walking back to her farm,

"I guess. Come on in."

            Isaac followed her, pushing passed the faded orange curtain. Beyond it was a farm similar to the others: rows of green plants growing beside three rows of watery trenches. Little orbs of pure light floated above every third plant. Ani sat cross-legged on a cushion, elevated on a stone platform in the back of the room. There were bits of paper and glassware sitting beside her. Isaac took a moment to inspect the floating balls of light that defied all physics.

"I'm only gettin' older, Boy." Ani grunted.

            "Oh," Isaac began, "I, uh...I wanted to know a few things about the Underground. I'm new here. Can you tell me a little about this place?" he offered an anxious smile. Biding his time while he looked for ways to behead this old fae. There were shears hanging on the wall, among a hoe and a rake. They would do just fine, if only his hands weren't bound...

            The dull expression never left Ani's face as she asked,

"You just slaughter a pig or what?"

Isaac brushed a bit of dried mud from his filthy, bloody clothes,

"Sort of..."

"Come here." She commanded softly. Isaac held his place and shook his head. She rolled her eyes,

"Get your ass over here! Ain't gonna hurt you..."

            Well, she was a fae, and therefore incapable of lying. He cautiously approached her at her makeshift throne. Raising her staff, she pressed the glass orb to his forehead. A warm, tingling sensation spread from the point. After a few seconds, she withdrew the staff and said,

"Zu-Kaal put the eye on you. Bastard can't see shit now." She let out a ragged chuckle, then coughed into her long sleeve. She then directed her staff at the doorway. There was a low rumbling sound. Isaac watched with wide eyes as little plants sprouted from the ground just inside the doorway, rapidly extending, thickening, curling, until a dense wall of brambles blocked the way out.

            He turned back to her, looking terrified. The old goblin leaned back against the wall and said calmly,

"I know he sent ya. This is about the stealin', isn't it?"

Isaac nodded.

"Matter of time," she coughed, "If he paid me half of what I deserved, I wouldn't have done it! Fun while it lasted..."

"I'm supposed to cut off your head." Isaac told her, then regretted it immediately. His infamous word vomit.

"I'm not surprised," Ani sounded unimpressed, "Sendin' a poor young fella to do his dirty work; how typical of him..."

            "I don't want to kill you," Isaac said quickly, "But if I don't bring him your head, he's gonna..." He swallowed his words. It was too real, too close to think about.

"I'm dead either way, Boy." Ani frowned, "He knows what I did." She paused, then twirled her finger,

"Turn around."

Isaac never took his eyes away as he reluctantly turned his back to her. He watched as she touched his shackles with her staff. He heard a hissing sound, saw the iron warp and disintegrate until the shackles clinked on the ground. He rubbed his aching wrists, feeling an enormous sense of relief. Curiously, he touched his forehead. Nothing but smooth skin.

            "Take those shears over there," she pointed, then touched her wrinkled neck, "And keep stabbin' 'till I stop squirmin'."

Setting her staff aside, she crossed her arms expectantly. Isaac took the shears off the wall and approached her. They trembled in his hands. He didn't want to kill this old woman...

"Hold on." She held up a finger, then picked up a long glass pipe and a match. She lit one end and inhaled smoke through the other, holding it for a long while before exhaling.

            "Alright," she hacked, "Do your job. I've served my time in this dump." Closing her eyes, she waited.

Isaac raised the shears, pointing them at her neck. All he could think about was Clara's teary eyes, blood pouring as he was dragged away from her. He took a deep breath and gnashed his teeth, driving the blades forward.

            He faltered. He stopped just before touching her skin, hands sweating, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Be quick about it, Boy!" Ani opened an eye and growled.

"What's your full name?" Isaac sniffled. She quirked a hairless eyebrow,

"Mighty rude question to ask a goblin. Fuck off."

Tossing the shears to the ground, Isaac told her defiantly,

"Then I won't kill you."

"Oh, no? Think I can't kill myself?" She sneered, "I could blow myself to tiny pieces and then what? No head for Zu-Kaal. I'm doing you a favor, because you're just another slave caught up in this shit-hole and I pity you."

            Isaac stared her down, brown eyes to green. He had to be clever, and quick. He glanced at her staff, leaning on the wall beside her. She saw his gaze shift and reacted immediately. She reached for the staff, but Isaac was already bounding up the platform. He tackled her down and wrenched the object from her arthritic hands. She lay on the stone ground with her loose robes pooled around her. Isaac stood over her and pointed the staff at her face.

            "What are you gonna do with that, human? Whack me with it?" She growled. The magnitude of his idiocy slapped Isaac in the face, and he lowered the staff slightly. Then, he swung it against the stone wall with all of his might. The glass orb shattered into tiny, glittering fragments and Ani let out an agonized scream. In that instant, the balls of light burned out, the brambles by the doorway withering to grey dust.

            "No!" The goblin reached out helplessly as Isaac snapped the wooden handle over his knee and tossed both pieces aside. He seized her wrists and muttered into her long ear,

"You're going to help me, whether you like it or not."

"Help--!"

Clamping a hand tightly over her mouth, Isaac squeezed her thin wrist nearly to its breaking point. She groaned under his palm and he asked,

"Will you tell me your full name?"

She shook her head. He snapped her wrists and she let out a muffled screech, nodding rapidly. He removed his hand and she gasped,

"Ani Fal Nak!"

            "Ani Fal Nak," Isaac commanded, "You will be silent. Ani Fal Nak, you will escort me to the office of Mr. Zu-Kaal."

With that, he released her and she got to her feet, cradling her broken wrist. Her movements were confident, but in her eyes was the look of a caged animal as she began walking out the doorway. Isaac followed closely, and together they exited the farm district. They passed the brackish stream. Isaac groaned when he spotted a gorgon in the water, feasting on Danae's corpse.

            As they meandered through the city, Ani suddenly ran down a side street. Her pitiful hobble was apparently just a ruse, as Isaac struggled to catch her but did succeed, clamping a hand over her mouth again.

"Ani Fal Nak, you will be silent. Ani Fal Nak, you will escort me to the office of Mr. Zu-Kaal." He repeated. Without a word, the goblin walked back on her original path, eyes sullen and hopeless.

            The boy kept a hold on her robe this time. Evidently "own the name, own the goblin" didn't last forever. Soon they arrived at the long stone staircase and ascended. Isaac's adrenaline was waning, exhaustion finally setting in as he knocked on the door. The seconds passed, then finally it swung open. There was Mr. Zu-Kaal, face yet again covered with his head-wrap. He was pointing his ebony sword directly at Isaac's face as he commanded,

"Come in."

            Isaac and Ani stepped inside, both looking sheepish. Sligo was glaring at them from near the desk. Isaac recognized him by his chipped fang and long snout. There was also a familiar eye-shaped scar on his forehead. Mr. Zu-Kaal turned to Ani and furrowed his brow,

"Thought you could undermine me, did you?"

The goblin didn't--was unable to--speak. She simply stared back at him in terror. The man faced Isaac,

"I suspect you two are conspiring against me." He said, "So go on--reveal your plan. You've failed the test either way."

"No. I did what you asked," Isaac replied confidently, "You told me to bring Ani's head; you never said I had to cut it off."

            Mr. Zu-Kaal stared at him for a moment. Then, he let out a low chuckle,

"I see you're a careful listener. Good. Very good." He extended a hand for a shake,

"Welcome to the Underground, Isaac."

The boy clasped hands with him. Mr. Zu-Kaal then stepped back, turning towards Ani. With one quick swipe of his blade, blood sprayed across the wall and the goblin's head fell to the floor. Her body staggered a few paces, then collapsed in a heap of green robes.

            Facing a horrified Isaac once more, Mr. Zu-Kaal muttered,

"Clean up this mess, Sligo."

The troll obediently lumbered towards Ani's corpse, lifting her body by her robe. His hand fit around her head as if it were an apple. He silently made his way out the door, leaving a trail of gore behind. The stench of blood was overwhelming. Isaac's legs quaked. He collapsed to his knees and cradled his stomach, all the madness of the day finally catching up with him. Mr. Zu-Kaal pushed a trash bin towards him with his foot. Isaac dry-heaved over it for a few minutes, until he finally leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

            "Can I see Clara, please?" he asked. His voice was dull and weary.

"Of course. I am a man of my word." Mr. Zu-Kaal replied. He pressed his fingers to his temple and muttered,

"Sligo, when you're done disposing of that thieving wretch, bring Janette to my office."

"Ani said you didn't pay her enough." Droned Isaac.

"I'm less inclined to pay someone who smokes away my profits..." the man scowled and gazed out the window. After a quiet moment, Isaac asked,

"What kind of work will I do here?" He didn't plan on sticking around for it, but he was curious. Mr. Zu-Kaal glanced down at him and replied vaguely,

"Whatever I demand of you."

            Several minutes passed. Isaac rolled his gaze over to his knapsack, still hanging on the wall. Then he looked at Mr. Zu-Kaal, who was staring down at him. Isaac quickly looked away. The man's eyes were eerie and penetrating. Heavy footfalls could be heard from outside. Isaac quickly stood up, anticipating Clara's arrival. She was likely not well, so it wouldn't be difficult to finish her off.

            Isaac glanced out the window. The drop was unquestionably lethal.

The door opened. Sligo edged his wide body through the narrow doorway, carrying a long-haired lady in his arms. She was wearing a white patient's gown, her delicate body buried in the troll's enormous, rough arms. Isaac was relieved and heartbroken all at once; to see her again, and to see her in such a state. It was his fault she was like this: immobile with a blood-soaked wrap of gauze around her neck.

            The boy approached her. She looked back at him with half-lidded eyes. There was so little color to her skin as the blood drained away.

"Clara..." Isaac was awe-struck by how weak she looked. Her personality was such a contrast.

I did this to you, he thought. He gently caressed her face,

"I'm so sorry. I didn't me--"

He paused. She was cold.

            "Clara?" Isaac's heart skipped. He nudged her and received no reaction. She wasn't blinking, wasn't breathing.

Clara was dead.

Isaac's jaw dropped, legs quivering, and for a moment he thought he might collapse. He planned to snap her neck and make a leap from the window. But her corpse was already in front of him, no longer a plan but a tangible, awful reality. It left him dumbfounded, and all he could do was weep. He whimpered into her bloody neck, strikingly cold against his lips as he planted a trail of kisses up to her face. He never got to apologize or say goodbye. She died without him, making lost souls of them both.

            "She passed just moments after arriving at the infirmary," Mr. Zu-Kaal said grimly, "Blood loss."

Sligo placed her on the floor and Isaac sunk down with her, sobbing into her long hair. After a moment, a realization struck him. He turned back to Mr. Zu-Kaal, tears streaming down his filthy face,

"You knew...?"

"Of course." The man replied simply. Struck silent for a moment, Isaac furrowed his brow and snarled,

"You fucking knew?!" He staggered to his feet, balling his quivering fists, "This whole time she was dead--and you--you made me bring Ani!"

"Ani would have been executed regardless," Mr. Zu-Kaal told him, "You just made it easier on me, like a good worker would."

            Shaking his head in disbelief, Isaac screamed,

"I don't work for you! I will never work for you!"

"You're just overcome with grief. I advise you to consider your options..." The man shot a glance towards Sligo, who looked down at Isaac menacingly.

            This was it.

Isaac saw a straight-shot to the window. He could make it if he was quick.

"I have a message from Nathaniel Poiret..." He began. Mr. Zu-Kaal quirked an eyebrow,

"Agent Poiret? He's still alive?"

"Burned, but alive," Isaac told him,

"So suck his shriveled dick!"

With that, he picked up one of the flimsy chairs and bolted towards the window. He rammed the wooden legs through the glass, cracking it, breaking it, and just as his torso was out...He was caught in mid-air, then thrown back into the office. The chair fell and broke apart on the stone far below.

            "I think not!" Mr. Zu-Kaal snarled, his left hand still raised. He made a grabbing motion, and Isaac was pulled closer. The boy slid passed the desk and grasped the corner. It felt strange being pulled by an intangible force, like being sucked into a vacuum. This force wasn't quite strong enough to break his hold on the desk--not without tearing Isaac in half--so Mr. Zu-Kaal turned to his troll servant,

"Sligo, seize him!"

Sligo growled and slogged towards Isaac. Isaac quickly rounded the desk, staying opposite of the slow-moving troll, who eventually got frustrated and lifted the heavy desk over his head as if it were a plaything. It crashed into a cabinet; pencils, documents, and supplies scattered everywhere.

            "No--!" Mr. Zu-Kaal cried with a cringe. The boy very narrowly dodged it, collapsing on his ass.

"Leave him alive!" ordered Mr. Zu-Kaal. He turned to Isaac and glared, "He's going to earn back every coin Janette and Evelyn owe me."

The boy's eyes widened. Sligo lurched forward and nearly caught him, but Isaac rolled out of the way and unfortunately found himself before Mr. Zu-Kaal's feet. The man tried to pin him down, then Isaac got a hold of his left arm. A sharp "snap!" Resonated through the room, closely followed by Mr. Zu-Kaal's agonized howling.

            The half-elf collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain. Isaac stole his ebony sword from its scabbard and scrambled to his feet, defensively pointing it towards the approaching troll. Sligo stomped towards him, long claws spread and ready to maim. Isaac froze, realizing a sword was useless against a battering ram. He then pressed the blade against Mr. Zu-Kaal's neck and barked,

"Stop! Or I'll kill him!"

Sligo stumbled to a halt just inches away. He slowly backed up, clawed hands raised. Isaac was in control--at least, until he found himself careening across the office.

            Isaac rolled over the over-turned desk, dazed for a second before scrambling behind it. He'd dropped the sword somewhere among the wreckage. Mr. Zu-Kaal was already on his feet, hissing as he grasped his fractured arm. Fumbling with the clutter around him, Isaac tossed aside pen after paper until he found a peculiar trinket: The iron ball on a string. He grasped it tightly, and just then, the desk was lifted. It hovered in the air, revealing Mr. Zu-Kaal and Sligo standing behind it.

            "I've had enough of this!" Mr. Zu-Kaal seethed. His right arm was raised, his entire body trembling ferociously as if suspending that desk was physically straining him,

"You and that whore are more trouble than you're worth!"

Isaac darted to the side as the desk shot towards him, slamming against the wall with a tremendous sound. Mr. Zu-Kaal let out a furious roar as he threw it again. Isaac took a dive, yet again dodging it by a hair. He saw the desk rise again and the half-elf screamed as he launched it. Isaac had no choice but to roll towards Mr. Zu-Kaal.

            The desk levitated once more, Mr. Zu-Kaal staggering wearily as he waved his unbroken arm. Isaac sank against the floor as the desk flew over him, instead crashing directly into Sligo. The troll and the desk went sailing out the big window. For a few seconds, there was silence. Then, there were two terribly loud crashing sounds, trailed by screaming citizens.

"Oh! Oh, Sligo, no!" cried the half-elf. He hurried to the window, looking over the edge at the bloody mess below.

            His back was turned. Isaac seized the opportunity and sprang towards him, hands out, ready to send Zu-Kaal and himself right off that ledge too. If he was going down, he was taking this conniving bastard with him. The half-elf was quicker than he expected, whirling around and shooting his right hand out. Isaac was knocked back against the wall. Mr. Zu-Kaal stormed towards him, pulling his head wrap below his chin, exposing the rare emotion on his face,

"Look what you've done!" he roared, gesturing his long arm to the broken window. Bruised, bloody, and sore, Isaac slowly rose to his feet,

"Me? No," he growled, "Look what you've done."

            The boy rushed forward and tackled the skinny man to the ground, pinning him on his back. Mr. Zu-Kaal yowled as his fractured arm was jostled, and Isaac took the opportunity to shove the iron ball in his wide-open mouth. The man furiously writhed under him, but it was futile as Isaac clamped a hand over his lips and dropped all his weight on top of him. The faint smell of burning flesh wafted through the air. Blood began trickling from Mr. Zu-Kaal's nose, then dribbling, then spurting all over Isaac's hand.

            The boy leaned in and hissed,

"Eye for an eye, you monster!"

Mr. Zu-Kaal's struggles became weaker as the whites of his eyes filled with blood and rolled back into his head. His body convulsed. His long fingers twitched. Then after a few weak spasms, he was still. Isaac slowly, cautiously pulled his hand away from the man's mouth. Left behind was a ragged hole, lips disintegrated and burned away, tongue dissolved, and blood pooling in the cavity. Pressing his fingers to Mr. Zu-Kaal's neck, he felt no pulse.

The beast was slain.

Isaac collapsed on the floor, out of breath and more than willing to throw himself out of that window...As soon as he gathered the energy to stand. He lay there for several minutes. Murmurs of confusion and panic rose up from outside.

"What happened?"

"Oh, look!"

"That troll must have really pissed him off this time!"

"Poor trolly...!"

"Zu-Kaal's is a bad mood!"

"Zu-Kaal's on another rampage--Stay away!"

Were some of the ramblings.

Then, Isaac was struck with an epiphany. Scrambling back to Mr. Zu-Kaal, he began stripping off his armor. It was a tight fit, but the leather stretched. Isaac's reflection stared back at him through the window. Everything was obscured but his eyes, and his skin tone was close enough to Mr. Zu-Kaal's to pass. The body shape was slightly off, but he doubted the attention-deficit creatures of Underworld would notice. He slung his knapsack over his shoulder and stuffed the ebony sword in the scabbard at his hip. Looking down at the street, he could see a mob gathering around Sligo's remains. It was time to go.

Isaac kneeled beside Clara's body. Still lying by the door, somehow untouched by all the chaos. He briefly pulled the head wrap down to kiss her cold forehead, then gathered her up in his arms.

He promised he would take her out of this place.