Azela Incarnate

Catherine, Phoenix, and Rachael gathered their notes. They had learned frustratingly little. Most of the information available about the Katherine Odachi was conjecture and hearsay that had been gathered from myths. Many accounts contradicted one another outright, leaving more questions than answers. The origins of the sword predated the colonization of Aon by those that came from the stars, and therefore was essentially older than recorded history.

One thing of interest, which warranted more study, was that the sword was not always an odachi. If the oldest accounts were to be believed, it was once a claymore. And of more interest than that, the original claymore had been split in two and then forged into a pair of identical blades.

But Katherine’s twin, if it ever existed, had vanished around the time that known history began, when the alien gods known as Exitherra and Nauspheare descended from the heavens and brought with them cataclysmic destruction on a global scale.

"I think that's all we have time for," Catherine stated after they had already begun the process of leaving. She carefully tucked her notes away, reluctant to abandon the search despite the lack of progress. Her mind was swirling with conflicting stories, trying to filter fact from folklore. A dull headache formed behind her eyes.

Rachael went ahead to open the passage behind the bookshelf. Phoenix and Catherine followed. The candle on the central table had burned low, leaving them only just enough light to see. The vast room felt even larger now that night had fully settled outside the windows.

"We've been very lucky," said Catherine. "No visitors to the library in the entire time we've been here." Her voice remained quiet. She glanced back toward the endless shelves one last time, wishing they had more hours to search.

"I bet Tisha must have driven Azela insane by now," said Phoenix. She adjusted the strap of the satchel she wore, now stuffed full of their notes.

They stopped as Rachael ran back to them with a worried look on her face. "We have a problem," she said. "I can't get the passage to open."

Phoenix and Catherine shared a glance, then ran to the bookshelf that they had entered from. They took turns trying to force it open, each failing to so much as budge it. The concealed door remained stubbornly fixed in place.

Phoenix planted both hands on her hips and stared at the bookcase. "Well, this isn't good."

Catherine gave it one more good pull, saying, "It must have locked behind us."

"I should have propped it open when we went through," said Rachael. "I'm sorry. It didn't even occur to me that it would have a lock that didn't open from this side."

Phoenix patted her shoulder. "It's okay, you got us what we came for. If we can't avoid being seen, I'll try to pass as your professor. If that doesn't work, then perhaps they'll just escort us off the property." She offered a confident smile.

They followed Rachael to the front of the library. She looked out of the window on the door. The hallway beyond appeared empty, illuminated only by a few wall lamps burning low for the night. "All clear." She lingered for a moment to make certain no one was approaching.

She checked the handle and was thankful to find that she could unlock and open it from their side. Cool air drifted in from the corridor beyond.

Rachael slipped out first, and they followed in silence. The library door eased shut behind them.

Catherine resisted the urge to glance back, focusing instead on matching Rachael's careful pace. Every sound seemed amplified now. The possibility of being discovered felt much more real in the long hallway.

They moved toward the east exit as quietly as they could through warm pools of light cast by mounted lamps. It was the long way around, but the west corridor ran past the administrative offices, and there was no telling who might still be working.

They were halfway down the hall when Phoenix caught Catherine's arm. They all stopped.

Voices echoed around the corner ahead.

Rachael spotted a recess in the wall to their left where a decorative urn stood on a plinth. The alcove was shallow and partially concealed by the urn's broad shape. It would not hide all three of them. She pointed to it, then pointed at herself and Catherine, and made a small gesture at Phoenix.

Phoenix glanced behind her. Her eyes settled on a tall cabinet positioned against the wall several paces back. She stepped backward into the thin shadow beside it. Catherine wasn't certain it would be enough. Phoenix clearly wasn't either, but she pressed herself into it without hesitation and went still.

Catherine and Rachael folded into the alcove. It was even smaller than it had appeared from a distance. They pressed together in the tight space. Catherine could feel Rachael's controlled breathing and matched it.

The footsteps rounded the corner, passing slowly. A man was still talking, sharing speculations about the disappearances of local political figures, theorizing that they were assassinated. His companion offered the occasional agreement, clearly not listening. Neither seemed alert.

Their lantern threw a wedge of yellow light across the floor that came close enough to touch the edge of the alcove's shadow before it swept on past. The shifting glow illuminated dust motes hanging in the air before sliding away again. Catherine kept her gaze fixed on the floor, unwilling to risk even the slightest movement. Her pulse hammered steadily in her ears as the voices drifted farther down the hall.

Catherine waited for some indication that the pair might turn around. She gave it a breath longer than she thought necessary, then two more. Silence. Rachael exhaled beside her. It was the only sound she made.

Phoenix detached herself from the cabinet's shadow and stepped back into the corridor, rolling her shoulders. She raised an eyebrow at them.

Rachael moved. Catherine followed. They resumed their careful pace without speaking, eager to put more distance between themselves and the occupied section of the building. They reached the east exit without further incident.

Then they were surrounded.

Five academy wardens stepped up to the group as soon as they were outside. They cut off every obvious route of escape before anyone could react. The one in front, several years older than the rest, said, "It is well past curfew. All of you, come with me." His expression suggested that he had no interest in arguments. Phoenix began to tell them an excuse, but he cut her off. "You will have time to explain yourselves after we have confirmed your identities. Words mean nothing if you are shapeshifters or illusionists."

Catherine's hands tightened around her staff. It suddenly felt much heavier. She considered the risks of them finding what was hidden inside, and weighed that against starting a conflict now. Neither option appealed to her in the slightest. Her gaze flicked briefly across the wardens, assessing distances, positions, and possibilities.

Phoenix put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head as she locked eyes with her. The gesture was subtle enough that the wardens paid it no attention. Catherine nodded. It probably wouldn't be good for Phoenix and her family if Catherine started to massacre people in public. Reluctantly, she loosened her grip.

The wardens shuffled them along impatiently. Rachael tried to explain her way out of the situation as they moved, despite what they were told. No one paid any attention to her words as they were escorted down stairs that led under the main building, then into a holding cell. The air grew cooler with every level they descended.

Their belongings, including the staff that held the Katherine Odachi, were placed behind a desk. Catherine prepared for the worst, but no one seemed to fall under its influence. To her relief, it was treated no differently than any other confiscated item.

The heavy door closed with a metallic clang that echoed through the chamber, and then they were left alone for several minutes. Somewhere farther down the corridor, water dripped at slow, regular intervals. The silence gave them far too much time to think.

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Phoenix. She sat down on the edge of a narrow bench and rubbed at her temples.

"I have a plan," said Catherine. Her eyes drifted briefly toward the far wall of the holding area.

Rachael was sulking in the corner. She sat with her arms folded tightly across her chest and her back against the stone wall. "What plan?" she asked, clearly more upset than the others. The evening had gone very differently than she had intended.

Catherine lowered her voice even further before glancing toward the door. "I'm not saying in case they can hear us." Her plan was, in fact, to use the threads of her outfit or her blood to make a sigil and command a rat to bring her the keys on the opposite wall. Several other ideas were forming in her mind, but they never got the chance to complete.

Someone came down the stairs and stopped in front of their cell, approaching with loud, clumsy footsteps. Catherine was shocked to see a familiar thief. "You!"

Phoenix recognized him as well. "You're that thief from the street earlier." She rose from the bench and stepped closer to the bars.

"Ahh, yes, it is I, Jun," he said with a bow. His grin appeared suspiciously untroubled. "Here so you can cash in one of those two favors I owe you. But I never did catch your name."

Catherine said, "I'm Catherine. But you didn't see me the second time. How do you count two favors?"

"Oh, you're right," he said, "I didn't see you, but you didn't see my partner, either time. No one sees her unless she lets them." He glanced toward the shadows beside him, and someone else stepped out from them, making no sound at all.

The stranger wore a dark leather outfit with only her red hair and eyes exposed. She lowered the cloth that covered her mouth and nose and said, "Call me Ashiah."

Ashiah was clearly not one of the human races. Her skin was bluish-gray, her ears were elven, and her red eyes seemed to glow slightly in the dark. The look of those eyes chilled Catherine to the bone. Something instinctual warned that Ashiah was dangerous.

"How do you plan to get us out?" asked Rachael. She could not stop staring at the newcomer.

Ashiah opened the door to their cell. None of them had seen her pick the lock. "You will walk free. I've cleared you a path." Her voice remained calm and utterly certain.

"Thank you," said Phoenix. She immediately began looking toward the exit.

Ashiah shook her head. "Do not thank me. Do not ask why you will never see those wardens again. And do not blame yourself for their fates, if that bothers you. My actions are, as always, in service of my goddess."

Jun laughed. "Isn't she great? I say that because she scares the hell out of me."

They all left the cell and gathered their things. The corridor beyond stood empty and silent, just as Ashiah had promised. When Catherine looked back, Ashiah had vanished again. "She might be able to give Shi-Yon a few lessons in stealth," she muttered.

Once they were outside, Rachael said, "I'll head back to my room now and pretend this didn't happen." The cool night air stirred her hair as she spoke.

Catherine swept a few strands from Rachael's face and let her hand linger on her cheek. "I'll go over our notes. I believe I can find something useful. Thank you, truly."

Rachael placed her hand over Catherine's. For a moment, neither of them moved, standing beneath the faint glow of a nearby lantern. "Please, send word of any good news. And later, I'd like to meet your new… friend." Her gaze turned from Catherine's. A complicated mix of emotions flickered across her expression before she hid it.

Catherine stepped away and said, "I will be in touch." She offered one final nod before turning to hurry after Phoenix. Her boots struck the stone path in quick succession as she closed the growing distance between them. Left standing alone beneath the lantern light, Rachael watched them disappear into the night.