Page 62 of Shadow's Chosen

They stared each other down for a mere second, neither dropping their weapon, when Vijnn relaxed first, lowering his aim.

"I was wondering when you'd show," he said, black eyes regarding him warily.

Nezka slowly relaxed as well, letting his blade-hand fall. "You were supposed to meet us below."

Vijnn looked over at the hole behind Nezka with a frown. "Yeah, well...no one comes in here. And I was getting sick of waiting in that muck. Sorry."

Nezka's eyes narrowed on him, studying him carefully. The corax looked paler, his natural blue-gray skin now a dull ashen color. He seemed on edge, a spark of fear in his eyes. Nezka also spotted dark markings under his jaw and throat.

"Have a tough time getting here?" Nezka asked casually.

Vijnn shifted his eyes away, his fingers rubbing along the side of his gun. "We should get going."

Nezka watched him a second longer than turned back to the sewer door. He aimed his light down and saw Elise looking up at him with concern. Water was beginning to splash along her legs, rising slowly. Nezka could hear the grinding of the pumps. They couldn't turn back now.

"Come. It's safe." Nezka reached his hand down. Elise quickly climbed the ladder and allowed him to lift her out. She righted herself then looked over to Vijnn and nodded. The corax looked at her, confused, but nodded back all the same.

"There is a door over on this end." Vijnn gestured over to the far wall. He started for it, and Nezka stopped him.

"Hold. Silfres and Jazlin are outside. I'm going to have them attempt to make their way in." Nezka lifted his techband. He looked to Elise. "Ready?"

Elise regripped her gun. "Ready," she said through her breath.

Nezka gave the signal to the others then took up his blades and made for the door. "Let's go."

As they slipped out of the room, they found themselves in a tight hallway passage. Nezka allowed Vijnn to take the front while keeping Elise at his back. Other rooms they passed were empty save for a few barrels. When they came to the end of the hall, they paused at the next door. Vijnn's hand shook slightly as the entrance slid open and brought them out into a very large open space serving as a warehouse. All around, Nezka spotted rows of equipment, weapons, gear, even vehicles and, yes, a few ships. Above, in the center of the roof, Nezka could see a sky entrance that allowed the ships to come and go as necessary.

Carefully, they made their way to the other side, over to a large, thick metal door. They stopped, and Nezka noticed it was locked. Vijnn went over to the keypad in an attempt to unlock it while Elise stood with gun ready, watching from the door. Nezka too looked around, and the same unsettled feeling brushed at him again.

"We should have met with someone by now. Guards if anything," Nezka said aloud.

"Maybe they are all at the gates?" Elise said. "Or outside."

Nezka began to pace around, his eyes searching the dark corners of the warehouse when his techband went off. He lifted it up and saw it was Silfres.

They saw us coming,the message read.

The unsettled feeling quickly turned to alarm.

"Get back!" Nezka threw his arm out toward Elise as Vijnn unlocked the door and it slid open. Out from the opening came a loud hiss followed by a wave of smoking gas that engulfed them. Nezka threw up his arm to cover his mouth while using the other to shield Elise and back her away as she coughed and choked. The gas worked into his system almost immediately, making him feel sluggish. He continued to back away from the door with Elise beside him. Stumbling, she buckled down and he stopped. The smoke dissolved away, and in its place, more than two dozen Red Blades with faces covered and weapons drawn surrounded them.

Nezka stepped in front of Elise, gripping his blades tight as he looked them each over. If not for the smoke, he would have already been cutting them down. But now he moved too slow, blinking continuously as his vision went in and out of focus.

The Red Blades tightened their circle around him and Elise. Vijnn remained outside the circle, still standing by the door, uncovering his mouth. They locked eyes, and Nezka saw the look of fear and shame in the corax's gaze.

Three more Red Blades appeared from the doorway. Two men with a woman between them. The woman's armor, unlike the rest, was the color of blood, her face covered by a sleek, red mask with an X over the mouth.

"You've come to us at last," she said, voice grated by the vent of her mask. "Though I had hoped it would have been sooner."

Nezka kept Elise behind him. She gripped his arm as she weaved on her feet. With a shaky hand, she aimed her gun at the woman, who merely laughed.

"She's a brave one. No whimpering or crying like the others. Nice to know they aren't all like that." The woman lifted her arms and took off her mask.

Cold black eyes regarded him, and for a mere instant, Nezka was convinced he was looking at his master, Vesra, only now in the form of a woman.

But no. It was not him. Only someone who looked uncannily like him.

The woman smiled with pale, wide lips. "It's been a long time, Nezka."

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