Ofcourse, the sorceress was dead, and the tools were rusty, and the room wascovered in dust, and there were dozens of other green metal sheets, broken andcracked and tossed into corners, and it did not appear as if anyone had workedhere in centuries, even though the sorceress had only died a few decadesbefore.The air smelled of time.
Isaacwas growing sick.He needed to leave.
Heclosed the door, stumbled down the hall, and entered the sorceress’s chamberthrough a veil of dust.He walked through the laboratory, ignoring theskeleton, ignoring the half-finished experiments, focusing only on the redsunlight filtering through the open door.When he made it to the exit, hisurges overcame him, and he glanced over his shoulder, and he saw the emptydevice again, the place where his father’s soul had rested for all Isaac’slife.No matter how hard he tried, he could not tear his vision away.
It wasjust an empty cylinder, sitting in a dark and dusty corner.There was no light.There was no longer any power.There was nothing but metal.
Heremembered the click of the button.
Lightspilling out.Tendrils and dust.
Standingin the doorway, he made a sound that no one heard.
Helimped along the side of the building until he was facing the center of thecavern.He pressed his back to the wall, sliding clumsily to the floor.It tookhim several minutes to feel as if he would not suffocate.Even still, hisbreath never returned to normal.
The airwas motionless.It felt as dead as the bones.
After ablur of time, Zaria emerged from the doorway.She handed him his pack, whichwas now heavy and bulging.Gems poked against the canvas like the ridges of acactus.
“Toomuch?”she asked.
Heslung it over his shoulder and began to walk toward the necropolis.
“Isaac.”
He keptwalking.After a moment, she followed.
He didnot look back again.
Thefinal straw was a clod of dirt.
Theyhad been walking for nearly an hour, or long enough for the sunlight to slantfurther down the rocky ceiling.The ruins of the necropolis were steadilyadvancing from the horizon.His mind was filled with the dried blood on hislimbs, the bulging gems at his back, the sound of his boots scraping overconcrete.For a while, he had managed not to think of anything else.
Suddenly,his boot landed on a nub of dirt, one of the many thousands that had beenloosed by the rampage of the colossus, and Isaac slipped when he leaned hisweight against it.He fell hard, barely able to brace.His elbows scraped thefloor.His leg screamed in pain.
And hefelt, immediately, that this was it.He had reached his limit.He had sufferedmany things today, many humiliations and betrayals and pain, and this wassurely the last.He was going to die on this barren stretch of concrete.Asingle fall had killed him as surely as someone slitting his throat.
Zariapaused, giving him time to stand.When he remained unmoving, nearly facedown on the floor, she spoke in a soft, weary voice.
“Comeon, love.Get up.”
Herested his cheek on the cement.His breath blew through sand.
“Getup,” she said.“We’re camping by the wreckage.Still a ways to go.”
“I’mdone.”
“Comeagain?”
He didnot answer.
“Isaac.”Her feet crunched the sand as she stood over him.“Get up.”
“No.I’m done.”With great effort, he flipped himself onto his back.Far above hishead, the cavern ceiling was tinged with the deep magenta of a coming dusk.“That’s it.I’m done.I’m just....”He swallowed into a dry throat.“I’mdone.”
“No,you’re not,” Zaria said.“Get up.”
Hedidn’t move.Not even the worst of his training sessions had left him thistired.He barely felt able to breathe.
