Regrets of The Fallen (Victis Honor Book 1) (48 page)

“You’re kidding. Again? We’re doing this again.”

“There was nothing to look at! It was so boring!”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this again. We’re not even
there
right now.”

“There’s just grass. And hills. And grassy hills.”

“I’m going to block you out.”

“And the grassy hills go on forever!”

“Lalalalalala – I can’t hear you! – lalalalala…”

“I said, THE GRASSY HILLS GO ON FOREVER! You know, you could hear me a lot easier if you stopped doing that.”

“I don’t think you get the point of things.”

“Was your point that grassy hills are boring? Because I agree.”

“You’re like a broken record.”

“I don’t know what a ‘record’ is. Is it something beautiful and smart?”

“Why do you have to be so attractive? Is it a defense mechanism so I won’t leave you behind?”

“It’s a talent. But anyway, back to the hills…”

“I am going to hurt you.”

“This place is better than grassy hills. Although it’s sort of dark and wet, and rocky, and there are killer monsters everywhere.”

“Uh-huh…”

“But at least there’s no
mud!
”

“Okay, that’s it, gimme the gun.”

“No, it’s mine!”

“I said give it! Hey – come back here!”

“Make me!”

“Don’t you stick your tongue out at
me!”

“Your father was a sadist.”

“Well… Yes. And apparently, so was whoever built this place.”

The Undercity was a marvel of engineering and architecture. There were spires of grey stone, domes of bronze metal, massive doors and archways, and mechanical contraptions of unknown design. The Din’leth that resided in the Undercity didn’t seem to appreciate any of it and avoided many of the areas that weren’t directly beside their camps, which made it easier to avoid
them.
Haruka knelt in the top room of a tall tower and looked out over the expansive area, memorizing paths taken by their patrols and looking for their next route.

“What do you think we’ll run into down here?” Isabella said as she peeked over her shoulder. “Not, like… Not
spiders,
right? Because they like dark places like this and I’m getting worried…”

“I think we’ve met our arachnid quota,” Haruka said as she moved away from the opening and looked at her. “If there are some down here we’ll avoid them. Especially if they’re giant.”

Isabella shuddered. “Good, because I’ve had enough of those things. What
will
we run into?”

“I’m not sure.” Haruka removed a canteen from her belt, looking out as she unscrewed the top before taking a drink. “I’ve never been in the Undercity before. I’ve only read about it and seen vids.”

“And vids are…?”

“Videos. Recordings. You know, moving pictures.”

“Your pictures move?”

“Some of them. Videos are recordings of images and sound – it’s basically like a memory, only it’s in a piece of technology so anyone can see it.”

“Amazing! I want to see one of these videos.”

“We’ll add it to the list.” Haruka wasn’t exaggerating, as she mentally
did
add it to the list, which, in addition to videos, included: riding in a car, driving a car, taking a train, seeing skyscrapers, getting a picture taken, visiting the Imperial Markets, and going to a club. Haruka was dreading the last one and regretting she’d ever mentioned and described it, but Isabella could make it fun, she was sure. She tried to think of other things she could show her as well – while hoping they’d get the chance – as they began moving again, climbing back down the tower’s stairs after scoping the surrounding area.

They had decided that travelling through the main area was the wiser choice. Their other option was to traverse the various side tunnels throughout the complex, but those could lead to dead ends or, worse, increase the chances of them running into a Din’leth patrol. They made their way through the cavernous areas, underneath giant fungi and around huge rock formations
and came to another large building which led to the decision of whether to go through it or around it. Haruka touched the bronze door, tracing its designs with a finger. “Well… If we go in, there might be some Din’leth living inside.”

“Okay, so we go around?”

“But, going inside will reduce our chance of running into giant spiders.”

“After me!” Bella yanked the thick door open and stepped inside. The interior of the building was dark and poorly lit by dim blue torches. The distant echo of some sort of gears turning was audible but muffled, but more importantly they didn’t hear anything walking around. Haruka closed the door behind them as Isabella walked over to examine one of the blue torches, reaching up and passing her hand through the flames. “This magic is… very old,” she stated as she moved her fingers. “It’s been lit for thousands of years.”

“How can you tell?” Haruka asked as she joined her, reaching up to touch it after looking to Bella for assurance. She was surprised that it felt like something was blowing cool air across her skin rather than heat.

“Because it’s decayed,” Bella answered. She turned around and pointed to another torch in the room. “The spacing shows there were never any other torches in this room, which means these two lit up this entry hall fully at some point. Enchantments weaken over time, and this flame is certainly an enchantment, not a spell. Spells have a limited duration; given the age of this place, it would require an
incredible
amount of power to cast a spell that would create a light that lasted this long, and that would be for every torch. That means it has to be an enchantment,” she said as she pointed out the runes on the sconces. “And for a simple enchantment like this to weaken enough to cast most of this room in shadow, a lot of time had to have passed; enchantments this basic last a
long
time.”

“How did you get to know so much about magic?” Haruka asked with a curious look.

“My father was a mage. I inherited some of his talents, but I followed my mother and took the path of the sword. Still, I learned a lot from him, and after he died I studied everything he’d ever owned or written. He created my sword, Mercy, you know.”

“Is he the one that bound your power to it?”

“Yes.” Isabella looked sad as she let her hand drop from the torch. “They thought I would be more stable if I had more control over it. Unfortunately they didn’t foresee my emotional instability ruining that plan and shortening my life by seven centuries.”

“No one could have foreseen that,” Haruka said as she turned around and caught her hand. “Hindsight is always clearer. They probably didn’t foresee me, either.”

Isabella smiled, walking further into the building but not releasing her hand. “Well, they
half
expected it; they thought I would end up with a knight in shining armor, a strong and honorable person, who would fight for me but see me as a partner, much like they did for each other. They just thought it would be a man.”

“A male version of me? I can’t say I’m disappointed they were wrong.”

Isabella flashed her a grin and pointedly looked her over. “Me neither.”

“Yes, your eyes have done an excellent job proving how you feel about my body. As have your hands. And lips.” Haruka smirked at her. “Are you even interested in men?”

“Weeeell, it’s not that I have anything
against
them,” Isabella responded. “I mean, I’m not going to recoil in horror at the thought of dating one, they’re just not for me. It would always feel like kissing a friend, you know – not disgusting, but there’s nothing there, no attraction. Just sort of… blah.”

Haruka laughed. “Blah?”

“You have a problem with my vocabulary?” Isabella smiled at her. “How about you, huh?”

Haruka shrugged. “I’ve dated men. I never really thought about it. I guess my only preference is you.”

“So you’d date a male me?”

“That’s… really weird. How would that even work? You’re not even as tomboyish as I am, you’re too girly. A male you couldn’t be the same person.”

“That really weirded you out. I guess you’re right. I’d be really jealous anyway.”

“Are you saying you’d be jealous of yourself?”

“Ruki, don’t make me sound crazy.”

“Bella, honey, no one has to
make
you sound crazy.”

“I guess you’re right. I shouldn’t be jealous of Hypothetical Guy Me anyway; he probably wouldn’t have nearly as good a body, either.”

Haruka gave her a sidelong glance. “Does anyone?”

“Aww, it’s so sweet of you to say that!” Bella bit her lip in a way Haruka always found incredibly sexy. “Wanna… find a closed-off room in this place and express how you feel?”

Haruka stopped and blinked at her. “I… Wha-
here
? In the Undercity?!”

“Mhmm.”

“You’re insane.”

“So you don’t want to?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Then let’s go! Say, are our priorities messed up?”

“We only have a few months; I’d say they’re exactly as they should be.”

IXH

Hours Later

“…This is just like one of my father’s training rooms.”

“Your father was a sadist.”

“Well… Yes. And apparently, so was whoever built this place.”

Isabella and Haruka stood in front of the door they’d just barely made it through; it had shut heavily behind them and was, fortunately, thick enough that they couldn’t even hear the Din’leth hacking at the other side. After their “diversion” they had run into a patrol, but escaped deeper into built tunnels. Unfortunately, this decision meant they were committed to their current course, and these tunnels weren’t kind to visitors; the hall ahead of them was lined with spinning blades at various angles, old mechanics but still, impressively, working just fine.

“I won’t have a problem here,” Haruka said as she looked at Isabella questioningly. “But…”

“I’ll be fine,” Bella replied, sighing. “Just… get through it. And be careful.”

“I’ll try to find a way to deactivate them over there.” Haruka turned back to the hallway and stepped forward, studying the vertical and horizontal blades as they spun and slid along set tracks. She hated to give her father’s training credit, but it
had
given her good tools. She suddenly sprinted forward and dived between two horizontal blades, sliding under another before rolling back to her feet and hopping a fourth. She then ran left and along the wall over another, then spun over the next one and under the one after that. One final somersault brought her over the last few to land at the other end of the hallway. She then began to look for a way to turn off the blades on her side while keeping an eye on her girlfriend, who was watching the blades very carefully.

Isabella removed her pack and waited a few seconds before hurling it across the room. It sailed between the blades before reaching Haruka, who caught it with a bit of confusion. Isabella next threw her iron sword, which made it more easily, but she kept Mercy in her hand. It was tied into its sheath with a leather belt now, which made it harder to draw the blade but she wasn’t
planning on ever doing that anyway. Unfortunately, she seemed to be preparing herself for something, which made Haruka pause. “Bella…?” Isabella closed her eyes and shifted from foot to foot, her movements slowing as she calmed down; then she took off, and Haruka’s eyes widened. “Bella, wait!”

Isabella went into a full-out sprint and vaulted over the first two blades. Her expression was calm as she came down at the third one, landing with one foot on the flat of the horizontal blade. She went with one rotation before spinning off of it and holding her sword across her palms as she went up-side down. The sword landed on a blade that was spinning upwards and Isabella used the added momentum to flip further, over another two. Then she hit the ground and rolled under another before coming up and running towards the last blades, tossing her sword ahead of her. The sword landed on the blade and she landed her feet on the sword, skating over the blades before landing beside Haruka and catching the hilt of her sword, sliding it back into her belt.

Haruka let out the breath she’d held the entire time, returning her iron sword and pack. “That was incredibly stupid. Amazing, but stupid.”

“I don’t have the physical ability I used to,” Isabella said as she slid the sword next to her other one and shouldered the pack, “but I still have the skill. I can gather my energy for short bursts.”

“As long as it doesn’t hurt you.” Haruka adjusted her own pack and started moving down the hallway. “Where did you learn how to avoid a hall of spinning blades, anyway?”

“I didn’t,” Isabella said with a look at her. “But it’s not much different from avoiding the blades of an army, along with arrows and spears.”