Precarious Life

We exited the Forest of Voices, and I saw an eerie castle standing alone. I expected it to be built on a cliff. But instead, it was in the bottom of a dip in a clearing surrounded by the trees of the Forest of Voices.

Like all things within the Chaos Lands, nothing could be predicted. We approached it, and as we did so, my head was pounding; I felt sick. Perhaps it was the feeling I was having surrounding Lady Scarlet still. Or maybe it was something else. Either way, I was feeling really sick. I just wanted everything to end.

Perhaps something alerted Mr. Ren because he paused and knelt beside me. I didn’t realise it, but I had continued to cry the entire time since seeing Lady Scarlet. Though my heart was still crying, I don’t think there were any tears left in me.

Mr. Ren used his sleeve to wipe some of the tears that were still clinging to my face.

“I know it hurts, but if we can find the chalice, not even time can stop us.”

“But… Lady… Scarlet…” I sobbed, though no tears could come out.

“There may be a way to save her if we can find the Chalice. Remember, Xilu is all-powerful. With his power, we may be able to find a way to bring her back. So let’s do that, alright?”

He tried to reassure me, though I didn’t feel much better.

“Ok,” I responded.

“Let’s go find the Chalice.” He smiled, though it was clear that he too was feeling sad by Lady Scarlet’s death.

He stood up, and we turned towards the Palace, but no sooner had we done so did we hear a familiar voice.

“~Kekekeke. You’ve done well to get this far. But I am afraid I cannot let you go any further~”

Standing at the entrance to the Palace was the Maestro. How had he gotten there? He was in the forest before; how did he get all the way to the Palace? It was as if he was one with the Chaos Lands, able to move about as if he were the ruler of it.

Although he had been following me throughout the Forest of Voices, I didn’t get to see him for more than a second. Now, as he stood guarding the Palace, I could clearly see that he was missing an arm and had a large chunk gorged out of his stomach. It would have looked like an animal had bitten through his waist. For something to injure even the Maestro, the creature must have been truly terrifying.

“You monster! You killed my mother!” I screamed, and the tears that I thought I had completely shed flowed from my eyes. I had never felt so angry before.

Stupid Maestro can die; stupid Maestro can die. I hate you, I hate you.

“~KeKeKeKe. You call me a monster, that Bitch was a true monster. In all my eternal life, slaughtering countless individuals in these parts, not a single person managed to even lay a finger on me, let alone injure me. But that bitch managed to take an arm and did a number on my body. It’ll take some time to recover. KeKeKeKe~”

The Maestro was still laughing. However, there was something darker in his expression. It was as if he was truly angry about what Lady Scarlet had done to his body. The fact that Lady Scarlet managed to cause that injury to the Maestro just went to show how strong she was. I knew she was tough. She wouldn’t have been killed without also badly injuring the Maestro. However, it did little to cheer me up.

“~I can’t believe you both got this far. At first, I couldn’t believe it, but now I understand. If I said luck has been on your side, I suppose that would be a lie now, wouldn’t it? Kekekeke~”

I tilted my head, confused, and Mr. Ren finally drew his blade.

“Stop talking about nonsense. I’m going to settle the score with you.” Mr. Ren responded.

“~Do you feel it? The rifts are growing. The madness is shaking, and even I am losing control of this madness. I suppose this is your doing.~”

“What do you mean?” Mr. Ren asked.

“~I see; you don’t know or haven’t realised it yet. Don’t you find it odd to meet the Journeyman, to meet those you know? It’s as if even in this place of madness, there is a reason for you to find the Chalice.~”

“You’re rambling a lot, but not making much sense.” Mr. Ren responded before adding. “We were always going to find the Chalice.”

“~I greet you and pay you respect. My dear friend?~”

The Maestro bowed to us. Why was he doing this? Was it another trick? Why does he do this?

“You can’t fool me; I don’t know you, and the kid doesn’t either.” Mr. Ren replied.

It’s true I didn’t know the Maestro. I only knew that he was a bad guy who hurt others. I hated him, and of course, he was trying to trick us right now.

Kekekeke, truly splendid. Then how about we settle this? KeKeKeKe. I paid no heed to the Journeyman. But you two are different. It matters not that you have found the Palace but that the two of you have.~”

“What do you mean?” Mr Ren asked.

I’m glad Mr. Ren was just as confused as I was. I was a dumb, selfish girl who didn’t know very much, but he didn’t know what the Maestro was saying either. That meant the Maestro was saying weird things again. He had been rambling crazy things for a while. Perhaps he was as crazy as the rift. Or maybe he was so smart that even Mr. Ren couldn’t understand him.

“~Why I can’t exist without you, and you can’t exist without me. KeKeKeKe. We dance a maddening tune. My symphony of despair. So I must stop you here. Prepare yourself for the final battle once more. After all, I can’t have you entering my Palace now, can I?~”

“Your palace exists without you; you almost sound like you claim to be Xilu himself.”

For the first time since our encounter. Perhaps even the first time ever. The Maestro stopped smiling. Instead, it was an annoyed, serious, and even somewhat angry frown. His eerie, playful tone was replaced by irritation.

“How astute. I thought only the Journeyman would irritate me so much. Indeed, I am Xilu, yet I am also not. I am simply the fragment of Xilu discarded before his madness truly transformed this place.”

“Part of Xilu? Bullshit, if you are a fraction of Xilu, what part?” Mr. Ren asked as he nudged forward with his sword drawn.

“~I am the skin he discarded. The one he tore off his, our, my, bones. The part he, I, we abandoned.~”

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

End Chapter 28