Page 104 of Hell-Bound

“H—hello,” Ren said with a small wave, allowing herself to be momentarily distracted.

The female Half-Orc did not return the gesture but rather reached into a deep pocket in her ripped dress and took out what appeared to be a brown rag. She did not break her eye contact with Ren.

“Is that for me?” Ren asked.

The female did not respond, only held out her hand.

Ren drew near the female and, testing hesitantly, extended her hand. No reaction. She laid her hand gently on the rag and picked it up. As soon as she did, the rag fell away, revealing a long dagger—the same that Azur had given herbefore her first trip to Dementiz. It was black and wickedly sharp, emitting small pulses of power. She felt the textured hilt under her fingers and sensed a small buzz of reassurance from her piccolo.

Dementiz—Castle Valdrock.

Ren had already walked there twice—through the forest of Nahmir—it was her best lead.

“Thank you,” she said to the female, offering a small smile.

Sadly, the Orc was no longer alert. She gradually began to move again, plopping herself down on the fountain’s pedestal.

This was the second time she wanted to thank her. Ren was at a loss. She couldn’t even play her a song without alerting any patrolling Devils and didn’t want the female to experience undue punishment. She raised her fingers to her chest and felt the large vurmite under her tunic.

“Azur,” she whispered.

Predictably, nothing happened. She removed the chain and set the vurmite down next to the female. The only possession she had left to give.

Before she could change her mind, she turned and stalked away, trying not to think of how much the gem shone in the purple light.

As she marched towards the forest, she noticed how lightheaded she was, most likely from lack of food and sleep. She decided to relish it. The numbness was a welcome relief from her spinning thoughts and waves of guilt. It delayed her awareness that she didn’t know the way to Dementiz directly from Ogriazeth.

Jester, or Azur, had portaled them closer both times they had traveled. She also couldn’t recall if Azur had told her how long the trip would be without a portal.

Ren moaned in frustration and grabbed her head, shaking it from side to side.

“Just another fucking thing,” she mumbled under herbreath.

Ren started to search the ash for any signs of footprints or a path—some sign to give her any direction or clue of where to go. Then she saw it. The small ripple. The slight blurring of an opened portal.

Azur, as Jester had told her he could leave the portal open, like the one in her room, and come back to them later. This must be the portal they had taken to the forest on their first day together and the same portal that transported Gabriela back to the forest.

After Azur had opened the portal, it had ledtothe deeper forest andfromthe mines. She had no idea if this logic still stood, but her mind was foggy, and risk management non-existent.

She approached the airy fissure and apprehensively reached her hand out to brush the ripples. Flames immediately burst forth, circling in its now recognizable pattern. She wasn’t afraid; she felt that she couldn’t get lost more than she already was. She took in a gulp of air and held it before striding through the portal.

The air in her lungs was sucked out as she landed unsteadily on the ashy ground surrounded by more spiny trees but undoubtedly in the same part of the forest her Azur had taken her to. But she still couldn’t completely be sure of her next direction as dead trees tended to look less than distinguishable. Ren began shuffling around, searching desperately for cracked tree limbs or…

Footprints!

Truthfully, it was even better than footprints—it was Jester’s lively, shuffling gait as he kicked up the thick layers of ash. Her excitement at the clue quickly fizzled out at the memory. A memory that should have been pleasant.

Not Jester. Azur. She had to keep reminding herself.

Ren cleared her mind to keep any intrusive emotion at bay, barreling forward.

Making camp in the forest would be a necessity since itwas already afternoon, and the walk took almost a day. She banished thoughts of the one-eyed creature from her mind and fondled the hilt of the dagger at her hip.

Her walk was only made bearable by her soft, mellow hums, being too afraid to play her piccolo again, and, probably for the first time, she wasn’t in the mood.

She decided to write several songs to pass the time. She first attempted to capture the tragic love story between Azur and Adhan. Or at least, the way Ren saw it. When finally played, the notes would be slow and shallow. Each note overlapped to sound like they’d barely changed at all. Ideally, it would be a duet with two piccolos—both echoing their love to each other before a solemn farewell.

She felt an uncomfortable sensation in her chest. She wondered what an in-love Azur was like. Ren had only known him to be fierce and possessive. Demanding in his needs and desires. Perhaps a younger Azur was tender—his caresses filled with care and sensitivity.

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