I opened my eyes in the Empress chamber once again, but things had changed since last night.
Ruin.
That's the first thing that came to mind when I looked around at the space now. The walls were cracked and crumbled in several places, with holes showing a black nothingness behind them. The carpet once a walkway suitable for royalty was now a ragged thing only good enough for a paupers death shroud.
What was really creepy were the lights, they were dying embers and I could barely see anything infront of me.
Luckily I didn't need to.
Infront of me was a young woman with a ghastly visage, her skin was pale white, her fingers and chest were bony like a skeleton and she seemed ready to crumble right there and then.
"Finally." She said in a soft familiar voice.
"Wait, Bans?" I asked in shock," You look... a bit rough around the edges."
"I look like a wet paper about to crumble." She said honestly," I've used so much energy, I'm surprised I made it this far. I should have looked like this after New York but, I couldn't leave you without safety."
"Oh, thanks. But do you want to sit down or something?" I asked her looking behind at the throne, or lack thereof. The throne was a mass of rubble and stone, it's shape and function gone.
"Nevermind." I said softly.
"Sarah, so kind, so true... I will miss you." Bans said in a low voice and my eyes grew wide.
"Wait, are you d.i.e-ing?" I covered my mouth in horror. She'd implied she was weak before but this was serious.
What would I do without her? How would I survive those crazy things? I'd almost died there a second ago and I couldn't do anything!
"No." She said and I almost deflated with relief," Death is not an end but me? I am fading away. Don't worry, I've known this would happen for years, it's why I've waited till I felt like you truly needed me."
"Isn't there anything we can do? Magic medicine or something? How about Mr yellow eyes? Could he help?" I asked her and she gave a shallow chuckle.
"No. Nothing can help this, because it's the natural order of things. I'm a Vessel with no body of my own, like a drop of water out of a river. It fades and disappears." She reached out and touched my cheeks, her hands were colder than a block of ice but I refused to flinch.
"Before I go, there's something I need to do. Two things infact." She said softly," The first thing is this."
She looked behind her," I forgive you, you foolish one. But I expect you to help her, even without the... vow."
"Who are you talking to?" I asked her since I couldn't see anyone there, the light was terrible.
"You'll find out soon enough." She turned to me," Now, before I go, Sarah I want you to make me a promise. A super duper pinky promise."
"Like those I made with Lucas? Those are serious business." I said with a small smile.
"Yes, I know. I want you to promise me that no matter what or who, you'll always be you." She said softly.
"What? What does that mean?"
"Do you promise?" She raised a hand and offered her bony pinky finger.
"But... I promise." I said and pinky swore," But how am going to find Lucas now? And what will I do without you?"
"Do not worry. You'll get the help you need. Besides, as long as you remember me, I like to think I'm not truly gone. Sentimental." She said with a smile in her voice," Goodbye Sarah."
"No! It's not fair!" I cried out and hugged her," I don't want to be alone. Please."
"You won't dear. No Vessel is ever alone." She said rubbing my hair and I felt her getting thinner in my arms by the second," Fear may touch you, but a Willowed woman fears not. Fear is our amusement and death is our veil."
My hands held on even as she slipped from my grip into nothingness and I was left holding nothing but a silver laced dress and a grey mask. Waves of sadness hit me and I fell to my knees unable to stand.
Why? I thought sadly, I didn't even get all the magic information or get to know her.
The ember lights snuffed out and I was left alone in the dark but instead of freaking out and screaming, I just stayed there holding Bans clothes and mask. My sobbing was quiet, and came out of me like water from a leaking faucet, and I just let it.
Bans had helped me, saved me and been there when Lucas was gone.
I'd felt safe with her, like I knew that with her I wouldn't feel the uncomfortable forced moments of loneliness. Yet now she was gone and I was well and utterly alone, with no one to help me at all.
Step
I didn't immediately hear the first step.
Step
The second one made my ears twitch and my head lift up.
Step
Oh fudge! I thought as I looked around in panic. Something was here in the darkness and it was walking towards me.
Step
I backed away in a random direction until I hit a large pile of rubble and stopped.
"H..hello?"
I spoke because I felt nervous and anxious enough with the darkness, and hoped that whatever was in the dark made a sound in return, so I could know how much I should be freaking out.
Silence
Huh? I thought in confusion, no reply or steps.
"Hello?" I said a bit more confident for some reason.
Step. Step. Step.
"Ahhhh!" I screamed as the thing finally reached me and stood before me.
"Why are you screaming?" A voice said in the darkness.
"Wait, who said that?" I didn't know what was happening.
"I did." An outline image of a man appeared before me, a shadowy shape in total blackness.
"And who is this 'I' talking to me?" I asked him.
"That's rich. You fell into my arms without hesitation and now you're all suspicious of me?" He chuckled softly," You're crazy."
"Hey! That's rude. You don't even... wait, fell into your arms?" I frowned.
"Yes. You were tied up but I freed you and now, I'm here with you in this crumbling space...place... Mausoleum." He said thoughtfully," Oh sorry, my mind is adjusting to my body and right now I'm trying to recollect things."
"Adjusting to your body? Why? Was it not adjusted before or something?" I asked him and he chuckled again.
"How can I put this in a way your mortal brain can understand?" He said slowly," I had my own body before but I needed a different one, so this body my brain is adjusting to was not originally mine."
"You stole a body? You thief!" I said getting to my feet.
"The body was going to die and I needed it. First come and first serve as you mortals say. Well, I guess us mortals now since I gave everything up for this." He sighed heavily," You know, out of all people who could be useful, I commend you for favouring that one. Athletic, durable and easy to use, the body won't be a disappointment until it starts to further decay."
"Hold up, wait a sec. I am struggling to understand here, just who are you?" I demanded and he gave a small groan of annoyance.
"Wait a moment." He said and took a step back into the darkness," This will take but one moment."
I stood in the darkness, waiting to see what he'd do, wondering what he was doing, and regretted it when a light so bright suddenly appeared and I was momentarily rendered blind.
"Ah my eyes!" I cried out.
Barely a second later a pair of arms were on me.
"Oh I'm sorry. I should have mentioned I was setting up a light source. I just didn't know if it would work, since my connection to this place is weak at the moment. Are you alright, Sarah?"
Was I alright? I thought, no! This guy was acting like some nanny and I didn't know him. Did he not understand the meaning of stranger danger!?
"It just stung." I rubbed my eyes a bit," How come you can do that? I thought Bans was the only one who could do stuff here."
"She can, eh could." He said as he covered my eyes.
"Hey! What are you doing?" I shouted at him but he wouldn't stop.
"I just don't want you running away from me or doing something foolish again. I'll take my hands off but you must vow to be calm." He said softly and I felt like hitting him," No. I am not here to fight with you, so do not hit me. Calm."
"You... read my mind?" I asked him in surprise.
"Read your mind? No. I just felt what you wanted to do, like a blurry picture." He said softly," So, will you stay calm after I take my hands off?"
"Okay. I promise." I said slowly.
He sighed heavily and slowly took his hands from my face. At first my eyes adjusted to the light and I blinked rapidly to make sure of what I was seeing.
A young man with an athletic build, platinum blonde hair and grey eyes attached to a fair handsome face. He wore a white shirt, black jacket, black trousers with black boots making him look like some accountant in training or midnight charmer.
Yet it didn't matter, because before he could react I was upon him, hugging him tight and wanting to never let go!
"Oh my glob, I thought you'd be dead or something." I was so relieved," Bradley, I... you, I am so so glad you're okay."
He didn't reply or return my hug but I didn't care, just so long as he didn't die from those two Wardens.
"Right. Don't worry, I dealt with them." He said softly.
"You dealt with them? What do you mean?" I asked him," Wait, how are you here? Am I dreaming of you? Was this all a dream?"
"Stop. This is no dream." He put his hands on my shoulders," We're in a shared space in your mind and spirit. I'm here because I can and I wanted to be here."
"I don't understand, you're not making any sense." I told him.
He gave me a hard look and took a step back," Who am I?"
"Bradley Quincy," I frowned," Who else?"
"No." He opened his hand and from thin air, a scythe appeared. It was a obsidian black thing with an ivory and grey blade, the hilt thin for easy grasping. He held it deflty as black gloves appeared on his hands aswell.
"How did you do that?" I didn't understand how he'd done that.
Was he always magic? I wondered.
"You know how. Just as you know who I am." He said and the room grew colder.
"You're Bradley." I told him stubbornly.
"Little girl, I know you know. So don't insult me." He walked up to me and looked down with hard eyes.
His eyes!
One was a dead cream with a black iris, whilst the other was a sickly yellow with another black iris.
I knew those eyes.
I feared them.
I needed to run!
"No. You promised not to run." He said softly,"Answer me. Who am I?"
"You're...," I felt my eyes grow teary as fear and horror reared their ugly heads.
"No, no, no." He touched my cheeks wiping away the tears," I didn't say cry. Just tell me who I am."
"Are you going to kill me?" I asked him and he gave a frustrated growl.
"I will never hurt you again intentionally." He said seriously," You are dangerously delicate and it is terrifying. So, I'll be amicable to you, I vow it."
"What if you're lying and I turn around and I'm dead again?" I gripped Bans dress tighter, like a rabbit before the tiger.
"What must I do to... Sarah Bucklehim, I vow that if you say my name I will never intentionally hurt you and if I do, I will destroy myself." He said and a wave of comfort washed over me from nowhere.
I felt something comfort me, like an invisible hand was giving me assurance.
"I believe you?" It was more of a question.
"Then, say my name. Who am I?" He asked with his dead duo coloured eyes.
"You are... Mr yellow eyes." I said softly and he froze in shock.
Then slowly he started to chuckle, his eyes turning grey as his chuckles became pure laughter.
"Mr... You are rich. Huh? I laughed." He gave a thoughtful expression," This is something to adjust to I suppose. Regardless, you still haven't said my name so, I'm waiting."
"Okay." I took a deep breath as I looked at his handsome face.
Bradley's handsome face.
But it wasn't Bradley.
It was him.
"Iazel." I said softly and he smiled and looked at me deeply.
"I'll see you later, Sarah." With a snap of his fingers, everything went black.
"You're mine now."