Uncle.
A dead mother.
Family.
“I had assassins shadowing my every move!”Berith shouted,his voice drifting, as if he was twirling his head, gazing in every directionover the sea of bone.“Do you understand?I had no choice!There was nothing Icould do!”
His voice echoed down the cavern.When it fell, only silenceremained.
He was waiting for a reply.
Isaac waited.
“Isaac,” Berith said.His tone had softened.“You can stillcome home.I promise you.I will make the Archons pay for what they’ve done.You will be safe.”
Isaac had memorized every creak of the stairs.He feared theswing of every door.
He never felt safe.
“Come home, Isaac.”
There was a pause.
“Please.”
An explosion came to his right, the shockwave rippingthrough the ossein canopy, gushing a cloud of bone and metal into the afternoonsun.Immediately, a colossal shadow passed overhead, swooping to investigate.Zaria pulled him forward.For just a moment, Isaac looked back through thecanopy of bone, and he saw a skull the size of a cloud, hissing with acreaked-open jaw.
They moved deeper into the boneyard.By now, the ossein wascontinuously forming into solid bone in several spots, cracking open the hullsof the butchered ships in much the same way that roots and vines would growthrough stone.Zaria didn’t dare cut through the ossein, lest the noise revealtheir position, so, instead, the two were forced to crouch and crawl, weavingthrough the bony brambles and scattered sections of hull.
Another shadow rushed overhead, going from sky to ground.When it landed, the earth seemed to heave, the shock of air pressure nearlyslapping the metal ships from their grave.Sunlight hit Isaac’s back, filledwith a raining of bone.
“I’m through playing games!”Berith shouted.“If you do notshow yourselfright now, I will flatten this entire cavern!”
“Here’s good, I think,” Zaria said.
They were in a burrow of bone.To their left, there was along, thick cylinder that ended in an open pathway of concrete, which slashedperpendicularly to either side.To their right, the ossein narrowed into a flatcrevice, one that could only be traversed by crawling.
“So,” she said, facing him, “we feelin’ good about this?”
Isaac didn’t answer.He was watching the hole at the end ofthe metal cylinder.There was nothing but concrete and open air.Once heemerged, he would be completely exposed.
“I’ll be quick, love,” Zaria said.
“I hope so.”
“Come now.”She put a hand to her chest.“I’m still thedashin’ rogue you’ve fallen madly for.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Oh, you’re not denying it, then?”
“Z,” Isaac said.“I....”He swallowed.His throat wasdry.“I’m trusting you.”He looked into her eye.“I’m really trusting you.”
Her grin was smeared with blood.“Have I given you cause forconcern before?”
He kept looking at her.
“Right,” Zaria said.“Don’t answer that.Just....”Sheglanced at the path he would have to take.“You sure about this?”
