Chapter 8: A Fate Led Astray

Five years ago, during a night just as ordinary as any, the halls were quiet. Almost too quiet now that I think about…Ah well, in any case, I’d just gotten into my pajamas and was heading to bed. I’d just finished filling out some documents at the city council's request, so I was dying to get my much needed cat nap. I’d even prepared a glass of warm milk.

But as I was heading down the hall towards my room, I heard a loud crash. Realizing it came from the direction of my bedroom, I ran inside. Considering how bad things were in the city, I realize now how foolish I was in doing that. For all I knew, it could have been yet another attempt at my life, but what can I say, I was curious. And luckily, curiosity doesn’t always kill the cat.

Because when approaching the doorway, I found a hooded figure lying there on my blood soaked carpet, amidst a sprinkling of shattered glass. They were laying there motionless, as the cold night’s breeze filled my bedroom. I thought they were dead. I almost considered calling for the guards, but when I caught a glimpse of her face as she began to sit up, my heart sank.

The numerous mock-up’s of witness accounts came to mind. What sat before me, wounded and panting with bated breath, was the root cause of so many headaches. The infamous horsewoman herself.

Keeping my composure was a challenge, so I quietly relished in the moment. After months of reported encounters, the ever-elusive white whale had served itself up on a silver platter. And the best part was, I didn’t even have to lift a finger. It was clear that whoever injured her sought out to take matters into her own hands. Although, whether it was for my sake or not, what mattered was that the biggest thorn in my side had been taken care of. Though, as I was leaving to get the guards, she looked up at me.

“Help me…” she mumbled, as streams of blood leaked from her forehead down her pale skin. Even in that state, her jade green eyes glimmered like prized jewels, but they were losing their luster fast.

I don’t know why, but hearing her plea made me forget who she was. Despite all of the trouble she’d caused me, what I saw in front of me was a helpless girl. A girl with countless cuts and bruises on her body. Even the dark cloth she’d fashioned around herself was in tatters.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get help!” I said to her, before reaching to push the button on my wall. Calling the guards was the only thing I could think of, I wasn’t a doctor.

Less than a minute later, two of the guards came storming down the hall. And the moment they entered my room, they gasped. Seeing the wounded girl, the two of them looked at each other before turning to me.

“Get her to the infirmary as quickly as you can! There’s no time to waste!” I shouted.

“Yes sir!” They said, before running over to her.

Judging by the troubled looks on their faces after removing her hood, they’d recognized the monster before them. Under normal circumstances, they would have been taking her away for her crimes, but nothing about that night was normal. The fact that she came crashing through my window was already unexpected, so thinking back on it, my change of heart was just par for the course.

After taking her in that night, it took Ava less than a week to fully recover. I figured it was a quality of her being from The Underground, but the medical staff saw it was something stranger. In all my years of being the mayor, I never saw Influence capacity that high. Our machines were only capable of measuring a fraction of it, and that’s when I knew she was special.

However, the surprises didn’t end there. Mere hours after her full recovery, Ava called me to her room. I thought that maybe she just wanted to thank me, I did save her life after all, but no. That would have been far too ordinary for someone like her, because what she said was…

“I want to become your assistant!” She begged, with clasped hands.

“...Huh?” I blurted out, lost for words.

“You saved my life, I want to repay you!” She insisted, shouting even louder. I figured she’d never learned to use her inside voice since she did come from The Underground.

And seeing the determined look in her eyes, I sighed. “How good are you at counting?”

“Sorry?”

“A few documents just came in from city council, and they need organizing. Would you like to take a crack at it?”

Her face lit up. “Yes!”

During the weeks that followed, I came to realize that Ava was not just a quick learner but was also rather naive for her age. And strangely enough, she seemed no different from an ordinary girl. When I imagine the infamous assassin of The Underground, I didn’t expect her to be so docile. Someone like her shouldn’t even have the capacity for self restraint. I even started to doubt I’d found my white whale. Until one evening, there was a knock on my office door…

“You may come in!” I shouted while putting my folder to the side. When the door opened, it was Ava.

“I just finished putting together the list of attendees for next week's city council meeting.” Ava says, shuffling through the folder in her hand. “The turn-out seems to be getting higher every week.”

“Heh, well, it’s all thanks to your hard work Ava my dear.” I chuckled, standing up from my chair. “Your cheerful presence has brought a bit of light to this dark city of mine.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

“Why of course! You’ve truly been an exceptional addition to this committee.” I said, placing my hands on her shoulders. “You’ve really been a huge help!”

“I’m glad to be of service!” Ava shouts, as her tears start welling up. “But I hope this is enough to make up for what I’ve done…”

“What do you mean?” I asked with a tilt of my head.

“I know I’ve caused so much trouble in this city, being from The Underground and all. I always wanted things to change, but I never thought a chance like this would happen for me…being ‘the horsewoman with no rider’ and all.” She explained while wiping the tears from her eyes.

My entire body froze. While she’d manage to pull the wool over my eyes for a bit, there was no longer a doubt in my mind. Seeing the smile on her tearful face made me sick. Does she really think it’s that easy? After the countless headaches she's caused me from her murderous antics in my city, she expects me to forgive her?

Then I remembered…

“Mayor Greene?” Ava asks with tears still coming from her eyes.

“...Oh sorry, I just remembered there was something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Oh really, what is it?”

“While you were in recovery, the doctors saw something interesting.”

“Oh there’s no need to worry, I’m as fit as any other horse!” She said with confidence, placing her hands on her hips.

“Well that’s just it. When examining the nature of your Influence, your capacity seems to be greater than normal…” I said with a low tone of voice with a grin. “Would you mind explaining why that is?”

Glancing over at The Man standing next to me, I notice him glaring at the mayor's projection. Other than the moment we first met, this is the first time I've seen him express discomfort. Though, after hearing how Greene met Ava, it reminds of how we both met.

“It was just a chance encounter, what of it?” I remark with a shrug, annoyed by his smug grin.

“That was no mere ‘chance encounter’, that was fate!” Mayor Greene shouts.

As the trembling of the room around us ceases, the life in Ava’s eyes returns.

“Welcome back Ava, it seems that the effects of conjuring my projection have worn off.” chuckles Greene.

“Indeed it has sir…”

“Oh come now, there’s no need to be all shy! I was just informing our guests of your past.” he says while pointing towards us.

Ava looks at me with a downcast expression. Before she fell into that trance, it sounded like she was relying on me, but that can’t be right. She’s working for the guy that pressured me into sacrificing one of my comrades, my friend. That man is my enemy, which means she is my enemy also. In fact, in this city, she’s everyone’s enemy. What brought her to the point?

“To spend your entire life committing murder, only to turn tail into the arms of the very man you’ve evaded for so long. Pathetic…” says The Man, breaking his silence with a very harsh tone. “Your belief in him may be true, but you don’t have the right to ask Sintobi for anything.”

The mayor laughs.

“You hear that Ava? The boy's specter has spoken. Perhaps he sees you for what you truly are, a turncoat.” Greene says, inching his face closer to hers.

“And what right do you have to speak, Greene? You put her up to this even when she didn’t want to!” I shout.

“I put her up to this? She was so excited to meet you when you were coming. I bet she was itching to fight a vampire.”

“That’s not true…” Ava says, her voice trailing off.

The mayor continues. “There have been countless hotheads that came to me with the hopes of proposing some kind partnership. ‘I’m ready to take on the world!’, they often said. And just like you, Sintobi, there was nothing that could deter them from their dream.”

“Stop it…”

“Now, what do you think she did? Seeing all those men and women, young and old, bursting with aspirations for the future…Well, my dear Ava put them to the test, and every time, she’d stamp away their dreams with her blooded hooves.”

“It wasn’t like that, please…” Ava begs, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I wonder, did you ever listen to their pleas? I’m sure at least one of them would have succeeded by now!” Mayor Greene laughs.

With how hard he’s ripping into her, It’s difficult to get a word in. Though even if I could, what would I even say? If those were the travelers she mentioned before…

“Ava...why?” I ask, disillusioned.

Ava looks at me, her eyes glistening from trickling tears.

“They weren’t aware of the consequences; the hardship they were about to endure. Many of them were strong in their own right, but none of them truly understood the forces that lay dormant within Hunters End, let alone the world.” Ava admits, her voice shaking every few words. “I tried to convince them, but they didn’t listen.”

“A journey towards peace isn’t an easy one, but once you decide to walk the path…”

“It’s even harder to stop.” I say, finishing The Man's statement as we realize the truth.

“When I challenged them, I forced them to put their dreams on the line. But each one of them fought until the end. What they lacked in strength, they made up with willpower.” Ava continues before lowering her head.

“If they had let the opportunity to prove themselves pass by, it would have been a fate worse than death.” I say, glancing at the palms of my hands.

She gave them a chance to throw away their dreams, knowing they would die in vain. Considering she is always earnest, I assume she thought it was for the best, but if that’s the case…then she’s no different from him.

I imagine in The Underground, it is understood that only the strongest could hope to achieve their goals. Maybe that’s why she didn’t understand them. She underestimated the lengths they were willing to go to for their dreams, not realizing that it already takes a great deal of hubris to even consider the idea of peace in this world.

Ava raises her head. “At some point I lost count, but the sheer weight of their aspirations continue to claw at me. Sintobi, You’re the only man I've met that is capable of turning the tides of this war, so I ask for you to make me a promise. Will you fulfill their dreams?”

Her question was direct, like a confession of love or admiration. Staring into her amorous gaze, I get the sense that a burden has been lifted from upon her heart. As if she’s found the ideal person to right her many wrongs, though strangely enough, her gaze is directed towards me.

Relying on the guy you were trying to kill just a few moments ago is absurd. However, it seems I’ve somehow exceeded her expectations during our bout. And since I fear waiting too long to give her my answer will not only be agonizing for her but for me as well, I inhale the stagnant air around me.

Then, with the following exhale, I look her in the eyes as the tension between us suffocates me.

“I cannot…” I admit, piercing the silence in the room.

Ava’s eyes widen as her lips begin to quiver. “What?! Why can’t you?”

When we set out on this journey, we made a promise to each other. Despite our hardships, we vowed to achieve peace in earnest. We’re enacting a long-held dream of ours, where we take a chance towards making our mark on this war.

“The reason I chose to go on this journey is to fulfill my own dream.”

“Of course, but peace is what binds you to them. Surely you are aware of that?!” She warns, her face twitching with worry.

As Ava’s words continue to swirl around in my head, it becomes clear to me that this is no mere promise, but a pact. A pact to create a world that everyone wants; even for those that have fallen. How could I know if their ideals are the same as mine? To fulfill their dreams, I would have to walk in their shoes and see the world from their perspective.

And the longer I look at her, I see Yinick’s face. Not his cheeky smile or cocky demeanor, but the upbringing they both share. The Underground is an unpredictable place filled with creatures like him, and now knowing what she’s done, I realize she is no different from him.

Like those that have fallen by her hands, our ideal worlds could never be the same. If they were willing to die for their dreams, they were not mere thoughts conjured up at a moment's notice. To even consider that someone else could fulfill their goals better than them, would be doing them and their dreams a disservice.

“Correct, but who are you to dictate how a creature's dream will come true? When you took their lives, you ended the path they set out on. I cannot accept such cruelty…” I say to Ava with the utmost conviction, but the look on her face cuts through my resilience.

Tears trickle down her eyes in red strands, forming the same threads used to assemble The Cats Cradle. The sorrow in her face deepens to a point of no return, along with a look of seething disdain in her eyes.

“I believed you to be my savior. The one who would rid me from this guilt, from the memories they’ve left behind.” She says as her Influence crawls along the large pillars of thread in a misty green haze, spreading across the room.

A pain grips my chest, causing me to retch. I feel delirious but the feeling quickly subsides the moment I realize what's happening. Trickling out from Ava’s wound is a thick puddle of blood, my blood. Somehow she’s managed to reject it,

Mayor Greene laughs. “Well aren’t you a little heartbreaker. To be honest, I had no idea she was feeling this way, your rejection was much crueler than I expected.”

“Don’t lecture me Greene! This entire ordeal is your doing. Your job is to protect this city, how did you let it get this far?”

“I’ll admit, I’m not exactly proud of what’s been happening, but there are some forces that can’t be reigned in...until now of course.” the mayor says with a huge grin on his face.

“What do you mean!?” I yell, watching as red strands seep out from her eyes.

“Ya know, I think at this point, it might have been better if all of you had died.” Greene says with a laugh. “Then you wouldn't have to experience what's coming next. If only all of you had succumbed to my merciful attempt on your lives.”

“You authorized that spell, you tried to kill us…” I say, stomping my foot. “Dammit!”

Ava’s Influence surges with an immense force, pushing me back with increasing intensity. Being the eye of storm, she continues to stand on the ceiling above as her eyes glow pure white. The walls shudder like leaves in a storm, making it harder to find an even footing as I dart around the room.

A large book materializes behind her out of thin air. Embossed on its black leather cover in gold lettering is the title “TALES”. Its presence draws me in, similar to the intense sensation of Ava’s Influence. Its cover opens, as its pages begin to flip endlessly.

The Man clicks his tongue. “Sintobi, You need to kill her right now. I don’t like this feeling…”

The scowl in his eyes tells me that this isn’t something he’s seen before. From the moment we both met, he’s been the all knowing voice of reason, but that isn’t the case right now. Which means…

I spring towards Ava, with my right hand outstretched towards her. I direct the blood that she’s rejected towards my hand and like a serpent it wraps around my entire arm.

Hearing a loud noise coming from my left, I realize it's another pillar hurling towards me. In an instant, I make a swift landing on one of the pillars in front of me and kick off of it. The pillar whizzes behind me like a speeding train rushing into a station, leaving the resulting winds to blow through my hair.

Glancing at Ava, I notice she’s staring at me with her blank eyes. With a flick of my wrist, I shape my blood into a longsword and continue towards her.

The walls start rumbling even louder as more large red pillars of thread attempt to block my path. My focus is on Ava standing atop one the threads stretched horizontally across the room. And with all these threads closing in on each other, maneuvering my way towards her isn’t going to be an easy task.

With a deep breath, I begin taking steady inhales and exhales. In, out, in, out… The inherent focus on breathing while hopping from wall-to-wall, pillar-to-pillar causes my heart to race. Whatever Ava has up her sleeve, I can’t let it happen. And with my body still worn out earlier, this is the only solution.

After jumping from one of the many threads, my heart skips a beat.

Inhale Exhale Inhale Exhale Inhale…

My perception of time stops, leaving the world around me stained in monochrome and absent of sound. A cold sensation runs through my body as it reaches its limits. This would be the end for me if I hadn’t prepared for it, but…

...Exhale Inhale Exhale Inhale Exhale....

Closing my eyes, I focus on pumping more blood towards my hearts. The thump of my hearts beating again vibrates my inner ear canals. The feeling in both my arms and legs returns, melting away the cold sensation. Using blood puppetry, I feel revitalized, but this isn’t enough. Knowing I won’t reach her at this rate, my pulse quickens with intensity.

...Inhale Inhale Exhale Exhale Inhale Inhale Exhale Exhale Inhale Inhale…

“Blood Puppetry: Adrenaline Rush!” I shout, exhaling what feels like steam. The corners of my mouth burn from the scalding vapors drawn from my boiling blood as I maneuver my body between the seams of the tightly knit threads. Walls of fabric form behind me as I hop and swing past each pillar of thread, like a wild animal navigating through a forest closing in on him. And as the pillars get closer, my heartbeat quickens.

My entire body is vibrating to the rhythm of my heart's. I can feel the veins in my arms and legs protruding from under my skin, as my blood courses through me at an unbelievable rate. This would be a death sentence for anyone else, but not only am I proficient in blood manipulation, I am on a mission. A mission to save the woman in front of me from herself.

Noticing the threads in front of me catching up, I twist my body midair. And with the momentum I’ve built, I rip my way through the threads in front of me in a spiral. Until sooner or later…

“Sintobi quick!” The Man shouts.

“Ava!” I scream as I reach her. Noticing her neck is exposed, I swing my blade, cutting her head off in one fell swoop.

Her light brown hair flutters in the air as her head twirls midair with her eyes wide open. I did it. A wave of relief washes over me as my heart slows down, but I notice something. For a split second while her head is falling, I notice her eyes glaring behind the fringe of hair covering her face. Maybe it’s a coincidence, is what I thought, until a gleaming smile stretches across her face.

I feel something grab my shoulder and pull me back.

“She’s a Dullahan!” The Man shouts, realizing he’s the one pulling me back.

The air crackles as Ava’s punch misses, but her Influence behind it doesn’t dissipate. The shockwave pushes me back against the wall of thread, where I catch my footing.

“It’s a shame really, I can see she was really holding out hope. But thanks to you, she’s finally chosen her path.” The mayor says with a laugh, placing his hands together to form the threads of Cat's Cradle. The pattern that forms is the shape of a cat's pupil.

“What’s going on?” I ask, turning toward The Man, but notice his scowl.

“To think that the infamous horsewoman with no rider, would eventually seek ME as her master. I'd consider it ironic if it weren’t for how sad it truly is. Guided by a purpose she never understood, by a force that chose her on a whim. You could have been her light, but now she seeks to finish her Tale!” The mayor shouts in twisted excitement, as the threaded shape looks at Ava.

“So this is your plan, Maximillion…” The Man says, closing his eyes in defeat.

What does he mean by finishing her Tale? And who’s Maximillion? The two of them are alluding to something but aren’t explaining anything, almost as if they’ve accepted the reality before them. Though, seeing Greenes smug grin in the projection, it’s clear he’s won.

From in-between the mayor's fingers, A single thread of The Cat’s Cradle slithers over to Ava’s disembodied head and enters her ear canal. Her eyes and mouth go agape as her shrill screams fill the room. During which, the intensity of her Influence heightens, leaving behind a green mist. And in the blink of an eye, the mist encroaching upon me vanishes.

“A temporary assimilation of Cat's Cradle should be more than enough at this point.” The mayor remarks, as more of the red thread enters her head.

“More than enough…” I say in confusion. It's like he’s suggesting that she’s gotten stronger, but I can’t sense her Influence anymore.

“I can see by the look on your face, you don’t feel it anymore do you?” The Man says with the same twisted grin. “Her Influence has surpassed the threshold for even those who possess an Instinct. The next step for her is godhood.”

“But it’s not possible for anyone to achieve that!”

“That would be the case, if she wasn’t bound by a Tale. A story written in that book.” The Man explains, pointing his finger at the large book hovering above her. “Her story…”

“You are rather knowledgeable for a mere specter, but your grasp on the situation came too little, too late. Now, let the show begin!” Mayor Greene boasts, as he takes a bow with his stubby legs.

The endless fluttering of pages halts, leaving two blank pages before us, as rigid, bold letters are etched across the two pages in calligraphy…

H-E-A-D-L-E-S-S H-O-R-S-E-M-A-N

“I'm afraid to say it Sintobi, but your objective from this moment forward… is to survive.” The Man says with a click of his tongue.

Ava's body picks up her head. “When you’re tied up in ‘The Cats Cradle’, You as well as all of those that you hold dear shall be judged. Bare witness to the path I’ve walked!”

A shadow encroaches from behind her towards me until...everything goes black.