Fragment of Destiny
Chapter 7 - Death Marked

Brian sat letting his legs dangle over the edge of a sheer drop into a large egg-shaped caver. Overhead a dome of transparent ice flooded the space with ample sunlight. Below in the center of the massive upturned oval stood a pillar of ice like a frozen geyser in mid spout. Mist of the ascension storm congregated around the pinnacle of the icy shoot. It was a confirmation of all his hard work to get to this point, his ascension crystal would be up there.

Brian flopped back on his shelf and groaned. He grimaced as he watched tiny snow flurried swirling around the cavern until they landed atop the ice slowly adding to its height. He knew a way across but had been putting it off in favor of other options. Brian twirled his survival knife across his fingers debating whether or not to attempt using it like a harpoon again. Catching the spinning blade, he slit it into the holster with a satisfying click as the safety snapped into place. It was time to man up. He wouldn’t walk away now. It was, make it home or die trying, but still… This idea was insane. Just as the snow flurries danced around the room before being thrust inward and landing on the icy pillar, in theory, given enough speed he could do the same.

Using several lengths of rope, Brian fashioned a makeshift spelunking harness. Taking the scaler, the enforcers had generously provided, he inserted one of his seven mounting adhesives. The once gummy adhesive heated and pooled on the discharge pad. Brian wrinkled his nose at the toxic burning smell.

Feeding his rope through the guide, he sponged the end against the tunnel exit. Depressing the trigger, he gave a count of five before pulling away. The anchor came away from the scalier with the sound of popping bubble wrap but held. In a minute it would be a permanent addition to this cavern.

Attaching the main line to his harness, Brian tied a sliding knot that would cinch closed if he happened to lose his grip.

Leaving the confines of his shelf he slipped down into the bowl of ice. Brian braced himself against the wall and he couldn’t help but marvel at the texture beneath his feet. Far from being slick with ice as he had expected the stone was formed with thousands of tiny ridges, almost as though someone had known his plan in advance.

Working himself back and forth along the wall it wasn’t long until he could no longer keep pace with his own movement. Brian pushed off and the rope came taught immediately, his momentum shooting him out in an arc across the expanse. despite the harness digging at him from awkward angles along his body, he paid it less attention that he otherwise would have. All his focus was on the rapidly approaching pillar of ice. He wasn’t going to make it.

In a moment he was rushing back toward the wall with nothing more to show for his effort, than a minor disturbance in the thick mist surrounding the pillar. He was still trying to figure out how best to land when time ran out. It had to be the most ungraceful landing in the history landings as breath was forced from his lungs and he continued on in a crunching roll over the jagged teeth. At length he found himself rocking unsteadily in his harness, the knots still holding fast.

Brian spat dark blood the consistency of syrup staining the wall beside him. He felt the inside of his cheek with his tongue. The cut wasn’t as bad as it felt. Brian fingered a large tear in his jacket, at least he had been able to keep his head from hitting the wall. Those little teeth were wonderful for traction, but he didn’t want to find out what they would do to his skin if he failed a second time.

Looking back up the length of rope Brian groaned. His little shelf seemed impossibly far away. Beginning his ascent Brian found the climb far less difficult than it had seemed as one again thousands of tiny teeth gripped his boots and urged hum upward. Exhausted, Brian at last scrabbled onto his little ledge.

Retrieving a water skin, he rinsed the blood from his mouth. All year Parkson had pushed him. Always wanting more. Always expecting the impossible. Brian had hated him then, but now… he would be sure to thank Parkson when he got back.

After ample procrastination, Brian reconfigured his harness replacing the synch knot with a release knot. Timing would be everything, pull the release at the wrong time and he would become a puddle at the bottom of the cavern real quick.

After testing his release knot several times Brian took a deep draft of the fridged air. At that moment he would have given anything just to be back home in a warm blanket. Casting the thought from his mind Brian gripped the rope and began lowering himself into position. Blowing out a jet of mist, he set his feet on the jagged wall. He was so close, just one more hurdle and he would be done. Putting all thought of fatigue behind him Brian raced along the wall in furious figure eights until his momentum threatened to take him out once again. At the last moment, he pushed off with all his might. Clutching at the knot he pulled the release.

With nothing holding him back Brian was ejected from the arc like a stone from a sling. His aim was true and it sent him hurtling into the mist. Almost immediately he slammed into something hard and darkness closed in around him.

The pain was everywhere and so was the cold. Brian attempted to open his eyes. Never in his life had his eyelids been so heavy. In his mind, he could hear what sounded like an injured animal whimpering. It was several moments before he realized the sound was coming from between his chattering teeth. Brian cursed and praised his luck at the same time. He was alive so at least he hadn’t missed his target. He tried to move and a jolt of fire shot through the entire left side of his body. Lulling his head from side to side he found he was laying in a pile of frozen shards almost as though he had shot through a pane of glass. To his left a mere five feet away were larger chunks of shattered ice partially obscured by a purple and black mist.

Ignoring the pain Brian struggled to his feet and began inching his way towards the haze. The darkness pressed in around him as he moved. Each breath tasted the way burning fuel smelled. Suddenly the mist parted revealing a large chunk of ice with a black crystal jutting from its center. Lazy specks of purple drifting within the crystal came to life with a vibrant glow as he touched it. In seconds warm water began to pool at his feet as gusts of steam and vapor filled the air. A beautiful warmth spread across his entire body filling him with peace unlike any he had ever known. Brian closed his eyes and basked in the radiant energy for as long as possible. At length, a frozen chill crept over him once more.

Opening his eyes Brian was shocked by the clarity of his surroundings. The choking mist was gone or at least it had moved away. In front of him the mist congealed into a human form, it’s eyes like wells of utter darkness.

Brian inched backward on unsteady feet scarcely able to draw a breath. The closer it came, the more it resembled a human. Like a snake shedding its skin, layers of mist began to peel away revealing flesh underneath. Taking on a feminine shape the specter was completely naked. He would have called her beautiful if not for her eyes which remained dark pits with tendrils of purple mist emanating like wisps of smoke.

Looking over his shoulder Brian cursed, the plateau of ice had come to an end. Damn, but no one had ever told him about this part.

The figure reached out a hand toward him, its grasp was anything but ethereal. The tips of her fingers touched Brian's crystal and for a brief moment, she became fully human. Her face was instantly awash with terror.

“Kill me!” She said in a panic between ragged breaths, tears immediately running down her face.

Brian recoiled batting the hand away in a panic as he slipped on the ice. Falling to the ground he clutched the crystal close to his chest, the fear of accidentally dropping it rendering him helpless.

The woman’s form flickered like a flame in the wind and her eyes were once again swallowed up by the darkness. Before Brian had a chance to react she drove a solid fist into his gut. He doubled over and tears streaked from his eyes. Another blow came swiftly, this time to his ribs. The bones moved more than they should have and it became nearly impossible to breathe. Another blow to the side of his face and his head struck the ice leaving him with the taste of fresh blood. All he could think was why? He had done everything right. The trial should have been over but instead, the blows kept coming.

“Stop!” Brian screamed as he curled himself into a ball, mercifully the blows ceased. Sobbing Brian rolled to face his attacker. This time, the mist form was not alone. A second figure stood over him. It waved a dismissive hand at the woman as it knelt down beside Brian, the mist peeling back the closer it came. Underneath the mist a pale-skinned man with gray hair and an image of the eclipsing moon tattooed from jaw to eye sockets on each side of his face. With a frightening quickness and a powerful grip, the shrouded figure hoisted Brian to his feet before placing a callused palm to brains forehead. At the touch, a warmth spread through his body melting away his pain.

The figure smiled a grandfatherly smile at Brian. Then without warning, it wrung the crystal from his hand. The moment Brian lost contact with his crystal the figure flared purple before being enveloped in a black mist. The mist swirled around the pair ripping Brian’s skin like thousands of tiny daggers.

He tried to move but something stopped him it was as if the impulse to his limbs had fizzled out before ever getting there. Then all at once, the tiny daggers became knives each one running him through. His vision blurred and wisps of mist began to seep from the corners of his eyes. A moment later everything was black. When his vision returned, he no longer felt any pain.

Brian watched as the world around him began to move of its own accord. His body falling in step with the two mist figures. Everything felt off, and distant as if he had suddenly become a passenger in his own body. From the corner of his eye, he caught his reflection in the ice. The body he had known was gone, only a deep purple mist remained. The only thing that still felt like himself was his emotions even if all he felt was terror.

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