Skyfall Chapter 15
15 We ended up sitting at the fountain chatting until dinner time. We stopped at a small restaurant and ate some food before returning to the tavern to rest for the night. Everyone seemed pretty exhausted and eager to be back in the rooms resting. Kato had said he would be moving to Caliber's room, which meant Misha and I would be alone tonight. I didn't feel as nervous as I had when we first arrived, so I agreed. When we made it back to the tavern, Kato looked as if he was going to pass out. I offered my hand to him as we climbed the stairs, but he refused and said "It's fine, I'm just exhausted." while Misha watched us carefully. Misha and I entered our room and I sat on the edge of the bed we had shared the first day we had arrived...how long had I been here, anyway? Misha locked the door and stripped his clothing off, "I'm going to shower." He said before disappearing into the bathroom. I sat stunned. I hadn't expected Misha to leave so quickly after undressing...usually he tried something. I took my own clothes off, mostly because they were uncomfortable, and I curled up in the bed while I waited for Misha to come out. I laid back in the bed and stared at the wooden panels in the ceiling. Perhaps Misha wanted to be clean before he was physical with me. Soon, the water shut off and Misha appeared with a towel wrapped around his waist. My eyes couldn't help but wander across the smooth lines of his body. He stepped over to the bed and looked down at me. "How are you?" He asked as he sat down on the side of the bed. "I feel like it's been a long time since we've spoken." I sighed. This moment was calming, and it had indeed been a long time. "I'm doing okay." I said as I looked up into Misha's eyes and stroked his neck with my fingers. "I'm sorry you had to see that, and I'm sorry you got hurt." My fingers brushed the scar on his shoulder that Kato had mostly healed up. Misha swung himself over me and laid down on my chest, "No, Decipher, don't be sorry." He whispered. "I should be sorry. You're the one that saved me." What he said was true, yet I still felt a tinge of guilt. I looked away from him. "You...changed out there." Misha said, staring into my eyes with a curious expression, "I know you're keeping things from me, and that's okay...because fuck, I've kept so many things from you." He said as his fingers combed the thick fur on my neck, "But Decipher, you can tell me the truth." Kato's warning tugged at my mind. I bit my lip and tilted my head upwards, away from Misha. I had to tell him the truth; it was begging to be told. My heart began to race. So many warnings...I wasn't sure which one to listen to. I stared at my white fur that was stained with dirt and blood. I no longer felt like this form was a disguise; I truly felt like it was me. It wasn't, though. This form was nothing more than a poorly planned lie...a fabricated shape, representing a hope to become something greater than I was. My entire existence here was nothing more than a fabrication. I needed to change that. I glanced up at Misha, who was still combing through the thick fur on my neck. He seemed to be letting me consider whether or not I would confess the truth to him. What would Misha think, if he saw the real me? I could hardly even grasp an image of who I once was. It was difficult to even imagine transforming back into that form after everything that had happened, and I wasn't sure that I would be able to if I tried. Misha placed his hand over my heart. "What's wrong?" His soft voice asked as his other hand caressed my face. I grabbed his hand and rolled over him, pinning him down gently. He smiled softly as I looked down at him with a conflicted expression. I towered over him as he gazed into my eyes. I slid my padded hand across his soft skin, tracing the lines of his abdomen. As I gazed upon his soft body with a look of shame, he stared back up at me with his dark, hopeful eyes. I took a deep breath and relished the last moments of my fabricated existence. It was time to confess the truth. "I'm not..." I began, squeezing my eyes shut, "I'm not what you think I am." Misha's expression remained calm but became confused. "Misha." I said, taking his hand, "Remember when you said you wanted to become something other than human, and that's why you study genetics?" He nodded. "Yeah." He said. He had no idea where I was going with this; how could he? I squeezed my eyes shut again. "Was that true?" I asked. He nodded again and stroked my chest. "Of course." "I can help you, Misha." I said, finally meeting his gaze again. "You see...where I come from, I kind of studied genetics as well. I can transform into anything I have acquired DNA of...That's how I became what I am right now. I accidentally acquired a werewolf's DNA while he was transforming, and I changed into this." Misha looked taken aback. He sat up and I moved off of him. "What? Where did you come from? Are you a human? How?" He asked so many questions, "Is it through magic?" "No." I said, unsure of how to explain. "No, Misha...I...I'm from another planet. My space craft crashed near where your guards found me. I destroyed my craft and then passed out while transforming. By the time I realized a creature like me didn't exist, it was too late to transform into a human...You had all seen me like this, so I just stuck with it." My confession poured out before I could stop myself. His expression changed from surprised to terrified. I reached out to him as he stood up and moved away, "It's okay!" I said, "I don't want to hurt anyone here... I ran away from my people. They were horrible, so I ran away. I was just looking for a new home! I had no idea where I was when I woke up." I stuttered. "I was able to gather some information from the werewolf, but he knew nothing about the lab, so it really felt like I had amnesia." He was shaking as he stared at me with a conflicted expression. His mind seemed to be piecing everything together, and I had to wonder if he was thinking of my DNA. I wondered how much he had studied the blood he had taken from me, and if that's what he was thinking about. "My amnesia was the only lie, Misha, I swear." I said, my heart pounding against my ribcage, "I never lied about any of my feelings for you, or anyone for that matter. I honestly do care about the people I've met here...You, Kato, Caliber, you're all dear friends to me. You've all taught me so much." "Who else knows about this?" Misha said with a shaky breath. I swallowed hard. "No one." I lied. Shit, another lie already...but I wasn't sure if I could trust Misha. I didn't know what he was going to do now that he knew, and I didn't want Kato to get into trouble. After a few tense moments, Misha moved back towards me. "I don't think you were lying about how you felt." He said, sliding into my arms. "Please just...don't tell anyone else, Decipher." "I wanted to be honest with you. I want to be honest with everyone." I whispered. "I hate all the lies. Why can't I tell anyone else?" "It's just a bad idea." He said, wrapping his thin arms around my torso. I wondered if that was the true reason he didn't want me to tell anyone else. He was always so secretive. Perhaps he was afraid Doctor Hale would find out? Maybe Kato had been wrong, after all. "So...You're not afraid?" I asked softly. "I am a little afraid," Misha confessed, "but I appreciate the honesty, and I trust you." I sighed and wrapped myself around Misha's small figure. I decided to just enjoy the moment rather than worry. He seemed to take it well, and he still trusted me. That was good enough for me. Besides, I couldn't change anything now. My secret was out in the open. "Why did you run?" He asked me after a few minutes. I whimpered, "I can't really talk about that, Misha. I hope you'll forgive me, but some memories are too painful to explore right now." I said as I pressed my forehead into his, wanting to hide myself from the world. My hand clutched at the jagged scar on my forearm. "No worries." He said, stroking my scar, "We'll talk about it when you're ready." "How long do we stay in Eldon?" I asked him, hoping that it would be a long time. I was hesitant to go back to the lab, especially after Kato's warning. "We depart tomorrow." Misha sighed as he rubbed my stomach, "Caliber finished his assignment this afternoon, and he should be telling Kato the plan for tomorrow." "What was Caliber's assignment?" I asked, realizing I had no idea what Caliber had been doing here. "I don't know. His mission was top secret." Misha said with a yawn. I was surprised Misha hadn't tried to do anything physical. He seemed to be behaving himself. He kept his hands above my groin, and spent more time gently caressing my arms and face. I felt both relieved and disappointed. For once, my body was craving his touch. I would have given into his demands had he tried anything tonight, but it seemed he was very tired. Perhaps he was starting to respect me more. Either way, I was probably too exhausted to be very physical anyways. Misha cuddled into me and quickly drifted off into a light sleep. I wrapped the blanket around us and closed my eyes as I took in the scent of his hair. I sat awake for most of the night in fear of returning to the lab, but eventually I drifted off into an uneasy rest. It had all seemed too easy, confessing the truth. The memory of Misha's reaction, or lack of reaction, swam around in my mind as I became conscious. Perhaps Misha was too exhausted to care. Maybe he would freak out later, or maybe he was actually okay with it. Misha seemed very different last night. He didn't force himself on me, and he actually seemed to listen to me. I would have been suspicious of all his out-of-character behavior had he not requested I keep my origins a secret. I was probably overthinking it, considering the fact that I had told him to back off before we came to Eldon. Most likely he was just happy to be getting some attention from me and didn't want to press his luck. I took this as a good sign; things seemed to be improving between us. I woke up to a knock at the door. Misha was nestled in my arms, and stirred softly. The warm light of the morning penetrated the windows and drapes, showering his face with gold. Carefully, I removed my arms from Misha. I stood up slowly and slipped on some pants before opening the door. Kato was standing on the other side. He was fully dressed and looked like he had been awake for quite some time. "Morning." He said. "Caliber and I have already loaded the horses. We decided to let you and Misha sleep in." I looked back at Misha, who was sitting up groggily now. He waved at Kato. "We'll be ready to go in a few minutes." He said as he stretched his arm. Kato nodded, "Alright. I've ordered some breakfast for the four of us." He said as he turned to walk away, "Meet us downstairs." I looked around and found one last clean shirt. I tossed what was left of my bloodied clothing I had been wearing when Sheila attacked in a trash bin. I looked down at my fur as I slipped the clean shirt over my chest; it was still tinted brown from the fight. Misha dressed and proceeded to collect the random herbs that had been scattered around the room. He picked up a vial filled with a golden powder and dumped it into the trash bin. My ears tilted foreword. That must be what was left of Kato's antidote. I realized. But why isn't he saving it? Surely there would be some use for that...he must be afraid someone will find out what he did...I bet Hale would punish him for that. Misha stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. I ran to the trash bin and focused on the golden powder. I closed my eyes and attempted to use magic energy to draw it out towards me. Some of Kato's energy remained in me, and the golden powder seemed to gravitate towards that energy like it was a magnet. I sent the powder back into the vial and shoved it in my supply bag just as I heard the toilet flush. I stood up quickly and moved away from the trash. Perhaps later I would study the powder and figure out how it was made...I wanted to help Kato, but I felt guilty knowing I would have to hide it from Misha. "You ready?" Misha asked. I nodded, and we left out the door. We met Kato and Caliber in the tavern and began to eat the hot plates of food that were waiting for us.
"I hope you slept well." Caliber said with a smirk, "Because I'm riding the horse home." "There's three horses." Misha said, "I'm sure you'll get to ride one." "I don't trust the supply horses." Caliber huffed, "They buck, and rear, and bite!" "Those were Sheila's favorites." Kato laughed. "I wouldn't trust them, either." I stayed quiet as everyone chatted. I was confused and nervous to be heading back to the lab, but I was also excited to walk through Skyfall Pass. Asodar had told me to look into Skyfall, that it would show me what I was looking for. It was very possible Asodar was foretelling the vision I had experienced in Skyfall, but I felt like there was something more to it. Even if Skyfall held no spiritual impotence, I was still curious as to what the path was like. "Then let's head out!" Caliber exclaimed, shaking me out of my thoughts. Caliber hopped up and dashed outside while Misha shook his head with a smirk. I wondered what they had been talking about. "You alright?" Kato asked me quietly. I nodded, "Yeah. Just lost in thought." I said as I ate the last few bites on my plate and drank my glass of water. Misha stood up and pulled the water skin out of his bag. "I'll go refill these." He said. I nodded and handed him mine before he went to the counter and asked Nikolai for some water. Kato turned to stare at me after Misha walked away. "I can tell something's up." Kato said softly, "Are you sure you're okay? Did Misha do anything last night?" "No. I promise." I said, feeling a little embarrassed that Kato was worried about me in that sense. "I was just thinking about Skyfall. I'm just nervous to travel through the pass and back to the lab." "You'll be fine. We hardly ran into any issues on the way here, a few giant spiders but that was it. I'm excited to show you the Edge. It's beautiful around this time of year." Kato said as he stood up. "Come on, let's get going." He said as he began to walk outside. After a few steps, he stopped dead and looked back at me. "Nervous to go back to the lab?" He asked, glaring into my eyes. "You didn't..." I remained silent as Misha came up behind me. "Are we ready to go?" He asked. I became tense as I nodded and Kato looked away and walked back over to the counter to thank Nikolai for his service and hospitality. Misha handed me my water skin and I loaded it into my satchel. I tried to focus on other things instead of Kato's warning. Kato had mentioned the Edge. I wasn't sure what it was, but it sounded interesting, and if Kato was excited to show me, I'm sure it was something spectacular. Kato glanced over at me with a pained look as we stepped outside the tavern. I swallowed hard at his fearful glance. We all went outside to find Caliber atop the painted horse, which was pawing at the ground impatiently. "Come oooon." Caliber whined jokingly while the horse let out a snort. "Someone's in a hurry." Kato mumbled. "Come on everyone, time to head home." I turned to take one last look at the town of Eldon. I would miss it, and I wasn't sure when I'd be back. I hoped it would be soon, but I realized it was unlikely. We headed down the brick path, which quickly turned back into the dirt road that snaked between the mountains. Clouds shrouded the early morning sky as the sun began to rise. When we eventually made it into the path, the sky had barely cleared up, and it was dark in the shadows of the giant boulders and mountains surrounding us. My ears twitched at the sounds of whizzing air that dashed past me. I kept an eye out for the creatures that were flying around me, but never saw anything but puffs of light. I assumed they were fairies. The lights reminded me of the shapes of skittish fairies. The supply horses were jittery. They kept hopping up and breathing out heavily with discomfort. I watched them carefully as we made our way into the path. If the horses suspected trouble, I trusted their instincts. The painted horse that Caliber rode seemed to be calm, but her ears twitched and she would look around nervously on occasion. I hoped it was just due to the nature of Skyfall Pass and not because some terrifying monster was lurking in the rocks. We continued to walk and the clouds continued to shroud us in shadows. The path was eerie and dark today, but it looked like the clouds would pass soon. "Kato." I heard Caliber's solemn voice from the back of the group. Kato stopped and turned around as Caliber hopped off his horse. Caliber crouched down and pointed to a black liquid that stained the ground. "Shadow blood?" He asked. Kato cursed under his breath and came over to where Caliber was. Misha and I waited a safe distance away. "What does that mean?" I asked Misha quietly. "It means we might have to keep an eye on our shadows." Misha said. "They could have jumped our shadows as soon as we set into the path! The cloud shadows make a perfect cover." Caliber groaned, "What do you want to do?" "Just stay alert." Kato said. He seemed annoyed. "Everyone, watch each other's shadows. If it moves when it shouldn't, attack it." I glanced down at my shadow, which was barely visible against the dark shadows of the clouds and the mountains. I became uneasy as we began walking again. Misha walked closer to me now, and Caliber mounted his horse again. I remembered my weapon inside my satchel and wondered if I should have it ready. I had taken the effort to make it, I might as well attempt to use it. I doubted that I would use it, but I took out my dagger anyways. I decided to take my mind off of things by practicing some magic. I focused on drawing a flame around the dagger. I could feel the energy in the violet stone pulsating. After a few moments, a blue flame ignited and traced itself along the sparkling, cerulean veins in the dagger. I spent some time playing with the flame and watching the energy from the blade mix with the fire. I had never seen a flame so blue before, it seemed alive with energy. Considering asking Kato about it, I looked up ahead. He seemed to be focusing hard on the path ahead, so I decided not to bother him. Misha had been watching me, and he seemed curious. "I've never seen fire like this." He said as he leaned in for a closer look. "Neither have I." I said. "I think it must be because of the type of stone...Don't some stones carry certain kinds of energy better?" Misha nodded, "That's the idea of many magic-forged blades, anyway." He said. "Looks like you created dark fire." Dark fire...what a strange oxymoron. I thought. "This stone...it's rare, right? Can you tell me about it?" I asked Misha. "I don't know must about it." He admitted with a shrug. Caliber's horse trot up alongside us and he looked down at us. "That's the stone that symbolizes the Dark Goddess." Caliber said. "Seems you have an affinity for the dark." I looked up at him with a puzzled expression. I felt like this Dark Goddess was someone I should get to know better. It seemed she had already gotten to know me. My dagger blade glistened as I put out the last of the blue flame. "You seem to know a lot about her, Caliber." I said. He nodded stared ahead. "Yeah. I studied symbolism." He repeated, as if it were a rehearsed response. I knew there was something more to it, but I didn't press the issue. "How about you, Misha?" I asked, "What's your opinion of the Gods?" Misha grunted in annoyance, "I don't have one." He mumbled. "Come on." I pressed, "What's your issue with them?" Caliber snorted and steered his horse away from us. He clearly did not want to be involved in this conversation. "It's not them I have an issue with." He said. "I just don't feel like I belong here. Part of it comes from the...condition I've told you about, my inability to be anything besides human." I had to wonder if his "condition" was some sort of punishment for something he had done, but it seemed if it was, Misha took no responsibility. Kato had told me some of the lab employees are there because they think they can defy the Goddesses...The thought worried me, so I remained quiet. Misha glanced at me as he waited for a response, but I didn't give him one. "Decipher?" He asked. My ears lay flat against my skull as thoughts of the lab clouded my mind. How many of the employees were slaves like Kato? How many of them were there because they refused to live by the rules? The contrast was interesting. You were either a prisoner of the lab, made to follow a set of confining rules that they created, or you agreed with their set of rules, wanted to make your own...and defy the Goddesses' wishes. I stared at Misha's dark eyes. Was his research there worth it? The sound of Caliber's bow firing snapped my attention back to the shadows below us. I looked around for what he had shot. "Kato! The horses!" I heard Caliber shout. The painted horse reared up and let out a pained whinny as I saw her shadow peel away from her figure. The supply horses were next. Their shadows ripped themselves away from their figures and materialized in front of us, charging right at us. Caliber shot as many arrows as he could into the painted horse's shadow while the supply horses charged at Misha and I. Kato slammed into the side of one of them and used flame energy to burn it from the inside out, and I ignited the flame on my dagger. I tossed the dagger into the shadow of the massive supply horse. It stuck inside the shadow's side and sparked with a flame. I attempted to ignite the flame, but the dark energy of the shadow smothered it. I shoved Misha out of the way as the shadow reared up and came down at us. It slammed a hoof into me and knocked me over; it's weight and solidity surprised me. "Don't use dark fire!" Caliber shouted. "Light!" I looked up at the clouds and shot a blast of wind upwards, hoping to clear out enough of them to create some light. I wasn't very good at creating light energy without the sun, so this was my only hope. The supply horse's shadow reared up again and came crashing back down. I ripped my dagger from the side of it and continued to slash at the beast while I waited for the clouds to clear out. Once I saw a ray of sunlight penetrate the clouds, I ignited a bright orange flame and shot it into the shadow's heart. The shadow crumbled apart like it was made of ashes, and floated away. Once my fight was done, I glanced over to Kato, who was now fighting a shadow version of himself as a phoenix. Caliber was still struggling with the painted horse, who now had a shadow rider. I felt an arm wrap itself around my throat and slam me against the side of a giant boulder. I looked back to see Misha's shadow choking me, and when I looked over to Misha, he was wrestling a shadow me. Confused, I struggled to get the scrawny shadow off of me. I slammed up against the rock to crush it, but it simply sank into the rock and I ended up smashing myself against the hard surface. I growled and flipped around to look at the shadow. The sight was terrifying. A shadow version of Misha's face glared at me with glowing white eyes that cast silver highlights onto his features. He grinned with pointed, white teeth. The shadow took it's clawed hand and pushed me backwards, sitting on top of me as it ran it's pointed, shadow fingers across my body. I felt the familiar weight of the bonds on my arms as I struggled to get up, and suddenly the shadow's face looked more like Misha. I knew I was hallucinating, but still I sat frozen in fear as the creature moved it's hands all over me. It grabbed at my groin briefly and made me whimper with fear. I heard a wolf whimper that sounded like me and turned to see Caliber stabbing shadow me through the heart with an arrow. When I looked back at shadow Misha, he was reaching his hand inside of my chest. I yelled out in pain as I felt the hand grasp at my heart. His white eyes locked with mine, and he brought his face close to mine. It was about to speak when I saw Kato crash into it, causing it to let go of my heart and rip itself out of me. I gasped in pain as I rolled over with the force of Kato's impact. I quickly sat up as I watched Kato struggling with shadow Misha. The shadow twisted itself around Kato's neck and began to suffocate him as well. I snatched my dagger off the ground and charged at them. I focused on the glistening surface of the blade, trying to condense the light of the reflection. When I reached the shadow and Kato, I shoved Kato aside and plunged the blade into the shadow's skull. The shadow let out a horrible shrieking noise and burst into a cloud of ash like the horse had done. I sat panting, ready for the next threat. Kato slowly stood up, "Are you okay?" He asked me. I jerked and snarled at him, still afraid. "Calm down." Kato said gently, "It's over now." I turned to see Misha and Caliber collecting the horses and calming them down. Misha had a few scratches and bruises but seemed fine, and Caliber had blood leaking from the side of his head. I turned to Kato, who seemed to be the most injured. His eye was blackened with a dark bruise and the side of his face looked like it had been burned. Blood dripped from some deep gashes in his chest. It was upsetting to me that he was unable to transform into a phoenix to fight his shadow phoenix. My body ached, particularly my chest, but other than that I felt fine. I had a few scratches that dampened my white fur with red blotches, but nothing bad. "I'm sorry." I sighed. "Are you okay, Kato?" Kato nodded and placed a hand on my shoulder, "I'm fine." He said, turning to Caliber and Misha, "I don't think anyone has any serious injuries, and the horses were not wounded. This shouldn't slow us down too much, but let's take a few minutes to rest and calm down." Caliber nodded and sat down next to the painted horse, which was breathing heavily and pawing at the ground nervously. "Easy, girl." He said drowsily. I sank down and put my dagger back inside my bag, at least I had used it. I had successfully used fire magic with it, but more importantly, figured out a way to combine the use of the dark blade with light energy. Kato sat down next to me, "How are you holding up?" He asked. "I'm fine...I think." I sighed, "But why did Misha and I fight each other's shadows?" "Shadows represent the darkest parts of us. Usually our shadows are good. They follow us and protect us in darkness." Kato explained, "but there are creatures that use our shadows against us. They feed off our fears, pain, and past experiences and use it all to destroy us. Because there has been drama between you and Misha, it was easy for them to take advantage of it. Shadows use truth to hurt us, that's what makes them so scary." Kato's dull eyes bore into mine as he spoke. I sighed as I looked around and saw splotches of black ash and red blood. Misha approached us cautiously. "How is everyone?" He asked. "Fine." Kato and I grumbled at the same time. We both seemed to be frustrated. I wondered what was bothering him. "Shadow Decipher is scary." Misha said with a smirk as he sat down with us. "You should have seen shadow Misha." I said without a hint of humor. Misha didn't reply, and we all sat in strained silence. Kato eventually sighed and broke the silence. "Caliber," He called out, "What do you think about travelling faster?" Caliber groaned, "What, you mean skipping the inn?" Kato nodded, "I want to be back as soon as possible, considering none of us will be travelling back using magic." Caliber sighed, "Alright, let's get moving then." He said as he mounted his horse once more. "Why don't you guys ride the supply horses until we reach the Edge?" Kato nodded, "I suppose we'll have to." Misha and Kato stood and took out some saddles from the supply horse's packs. They worked to saddle up the large horses. I was a bit nervous to ride them, but I figured Misha would ride with me, and for some reason that made me feel a bit better. "Come on, Decipher." Misha said as he hopped up onto the massive horse. I nodded and mounted the horse behind him. The saddle was large enough for us both, but we still sat very close. I was still a bit shaken from the shadow experience, but I didn't say anything. Kato mounted his horse and we took off into a gallop. Galloping for more than a few minutes was quite uncomfortable. Kato and Caliber seemed to do fine, but Misha and I kept adjusting and squirming in the saddle. Misha held the reins and I kept my hands on the sides of the horse's neck as I leaned into Misha. I blamed our discomfort on the fact that the saddle wasn't quite built for two people. As we rode, the clouds began to dissipate and eventually the sun began to shine down into the cracks of the boulders. I was glad to have the warm sunlight on my body. Just as I felt my backside couldn't take anymore riding, Kato ordered us to slow the horses. The horses slowed to a walk, breathing heavily. Caliber's horse seemed to be happy for the exercise and remained perked up while the supply horses heaved and seemed drained. "We'll let the horses rest while we look at the Edge." Kato said as he dismounted his horse. "Let's walk them to the stream." I jumped off the horse as soon as Misha stopped it, nearly tipping over when I hit the ground. My legs and back ached from the jarring ride, and my muscles burned from continuous use. I stretched them out as I took a few steps. "Misha and I will take the horses to rest, why don't you go show Decipher the Edge?" Caliber said as he took the reins of Kato's horse. He nodded and motioned me to follow him. "Bring your pack, Decipher, and drink some water." I grabbed my satchel and we walked in the opposite direction of Caliber and Misha. Kato turned to me with an angry expression. "You need to leave, Decipher." I continued to walk next to Kato, but a knot worked its way into my stomach. "I can't, Kato." "I know what will happen to you if you return to the lab." Kato said as he led me into the side of the mountain. There was a small trail that was carved into the rock, creating a tunnel that led deep inside the mountain. "I don't want to watch it happen." "Would you come with me?" I asked as he took me farther into the darkness. "No. They have ways of tracking me." Kato said. "Once we reach the Edge there is a trail that continues on, follow it into Skyfall." "I can't survive in Skyfall!" I shouted, sending an echo through the tunnel. "Yes, you can." Kato said. The tunnel was dark, but I saw a faint light up ahead. It looked like it opened up farther in. "I won't leave without you." I mumbled quietly. Kato turned and slammed me up against the side of the tunnel. His face was faintly illuminated by the glow up ahead. I could see the pain in his golden eyes, was he crying? "Get the fuck out of here, Decipher!" He shouted at me as he slammed me against the wall harder. "Don't you dare come back to the lab." I felt afraid and sad. I couldn't leave knowing that he would be trapped there. I didn't want to do that to him. I no longer cared what happened to me. I knew the risk of telling Misha the truth. "You had your chance to run." I whispered to Kato. "What was your excuse?" I remembered what he had said...he said he didn't want to leave me alone there. I didn't want to leave Kato alone, either. I felt like I owed it to him to help him, and I wanted him to be free. I couldn't escape knowing he was imprisoned. Kato loosened his grip and stepped away from me. "I can't watch this happen to you." He said, breathing heavily. "I can't handle it." "Kato." I swallowed hard. "I knew the risk of telling the truth. I told Misha nobody else knows, though. If it turns out Misha is going to betray me and hand me to Doctor Hale, then so be it. I will accept my punishment for not listening to the countless warnings I have been given. Don't blame yourself when it happens, Kato. It is my fault, and mine alone. Please just lie low. I don't want you getting into trouble." Kato fell back and grabbed his head. "Decipher." He sighed, "You're a stronger man than I." I felt strong in the moment, and I embraced Kato in a hug. "Whatever happens, I will survive." I said. "I promise. There will come a time when I will escape, and I will take you with me." I reached into my satchel and pulled out the vial of golden powder. "I saved this. Keep it hidden, keep it somewhere safe...When the time comes, we will escape." Kato was shaking, but he took the vial and nodded. I began to walk forward. I still wanted to see the Edge. He followed close behind me. "Caliber knows about you, too." He said quietly as he recovered from the shock of the situation. "How does Caliber know?" I asked in disbelief, "Did you tell him?" "No." Kato sighed, "Caliber is a messenger for the Goddess. He didn't just 'study symbolism'. The Goddess sent him to the lab to be a guard, sort of a double agent. Nobody knows this except for me." Kato said, "So keep it quiet. The Goddesses do not usually interfere with humanity's stupidity, but sometimes they get in the way of grand plans. The Goddesses do not allow this, and that's where Caliber comes into play. He's saved a few people, and he knows all about you from her. I think he's known since day one." I nodded. We were close to the end of the tunnel now. That made a lot of sense. Caliber seemed to be indirectly trying to warn me this entire time. He had encouraged me to look into the Goddess, and told me what the vision meant while still leaving enough for me to sort out. He had even encouraged me to forge my own blade, which had led me to explore the valley. I sighed as I realized my mistakes. We reached the end of the tunnel, which opened up into a cavern that had a large hole cut out of the side of the mountain. I looked down to see a giant fissure in the ground that had light shining upwards. When I looked more carefully, I saw that the light was coming from the sunlight reflecting off of it. "This is the Edge. Below the earth there is a massive energy crystal that acts as a battery for many of the reptilian creatures that live near here." Kato explained. "They sleep here during the day and soak in the rays from the sun, while still remaining hidden and safe. We can collect some of the energy as well." I peered down to see the silhouette of a giant snake, easily five times my size, coiled around a jagged spire on the clear crystal. It was sleeping peacefully. I glanced across the fissure and saw the path Kato spoke up continuing into the mountain. Kato sat down for a few moments and seemed to focus on the energy in the crystal. I stood close to him and did the same. The energy was warm and made me feel alive, but the circumstances of the situation weighed heavily on my mind. "This is your last chance." Kato whispered as he stood up. "Please just go." I closed my eyes and shook my head, "I can't, Kato." His eyes glistened with tears, and he turned away from me. "Fine." He sighed, "Let's continue back to hell, then." Kato was convinced Misha would betray me, and at this point it seemed fairly likely. I didn't have much more time to prepare myself. I wondered what the chances of escape would be once we were back in the lab and Kato was drugged again. If Kato wouldn't come with me, I would face my punishment and return with him. I wouldn't escape without him.