Takeover
I didn't realize how loud the world had been until it went silent.
I stood still, staring at the space where Doya was meant to be, trying to pick up the pieces from the past few hours.
Kumbuye's eyes looked around the chamber like he was trying to sort out what happened there. "If someone took him," he said, "then they must need him for something."
I remained quiet, lifting the urn into my hands, and staring at it without really seeing it. My mind kept circling the same thought...
Why him?
Kumbuye exhaled slowly. "Dana... look at me."
I didn't. Because something else had started to form in my mind, something I didn't want to think about, but couldn't ignore anymore. The pattern, the timing, the way everything had unfolded too precisely.
"We weren't taken," I said quietly.
"What?"
I swallowed. "Everyone else in the Sanctum was restrained. Even the Ascend."
I finally looked at him.
"But not us."
He held my gaze, like he was waiting for me to explain further.
"Think about it." I went on, "Everything outside is chaos. The Sanctum is compromised. Ascend Darveth is moving people and restraining who isn't with him... and yet we walked out."
Kumbuye narrowed his eyes. "We fought our way out, Dana."
"No," I said quickly. "We broke through. We were allowed to get close enough to break through."
That changed something in his expression. I could see it in his face now — that sudden realisation.
"You see how they didn't come after us," I pressed on. "What if that was the point?"
"The point of what?" he asked. "Letting us leave while everything collapses around us?"
"Not just letting us leave," I said. "Separating us from the others. They could have come after us, but they didn't. We are the only ones who weren't captured. Everything was planned beforehand... and it all began with the Cranium's disappearance."
My hand curled to a fist with the nails biting into my palm.
I looked up at him. "They knew Doya was here."
---
We stepped out of the Vault, we couldn't stay there any longer, it wasn't safe. Nowhere was safe actually. I still held his urn with me.
"Where do we go now?" I asked Kumbuye.
"I don't know."
We moved toward the horse we had left outside, getting ready to mount.
"Notice how we didn't see anyone in some of the districts that were untouched?" He asked.
The mystery of how they could have cleared everyone out of those districts, still baffled me. "Not a single person." I muttered.
He let out a short breath. "We go to one of those districts."
"No, the High Bound of those districts are traitors." I argued.
He hopped onto the horse and extended his hands, "Exactly why we go there. They won't expect it. And if those places were spared, then they're stable, for now. We just need somewhere to regroup."
I was definitely not in support of that idea. The plan was far too risky, but our situation gave us little to no clue on what to do. So I went on with it.
We headed for Syrofin District — the same one we had passed earlier. The ride there was quiet. This sort of quiet that you know danger is looming just in an awful silence. The war had barely even begun and we were already losing.
By the time we reached the district, Kumbuye pulled the horse to a stop. We climbed down from the horses, sweeping the area with our eyes, searching for anything — movement, sound, or even the smallest sign of presence.
We continued forward, looking for a place we could use as cover, most preferably, a stall with an underground chamber.
"That place could work," Kumbuye muttered, pointing toward a tavern on the corner. He tied the horse nearby.
I nodded and followed behind him, the memory of my last experience inside a tavern flashed through my mind.
He pushed the door open and we stepped inside. "This place should definitely have a cellar," he muttered, moving behind the counter.
My eyes looked around the room, still trying to understand how everything had been cleared so quickly. There wasn't a single cup left on the tables, no signs that people had even been here at all.
"Dana," Kumbuye called.
"Yes."
"There's a cellar down here," he said.
I walked over to him, and together we slowly climbed down the stairs. Though he was in front of me.
By the time we reached the bottom, a figure stepped out from the corner and lunged, already swinging, but Kumbuye reacted instantly.
He caught the incoming strike, turning his body at the last second to dodge the blow before trapping her arm under his. Then he twisted her, forcing her face against the wall and pinning her arm high behind her back.
She started struggling to free herself.
"Let go," she hissed.
I recognized that voice, though it sounded pissed. I stepped fully into the cellar.
"Corvessa?" I said, squinting.
She stopped struggling immediately and met my gaze.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"You know her?" Kumbuye asked, confused, glancing between us, though he still held her in place.
"Yes," I said. "I mean... kind of."
"Let me go, you piece of shit," Corvessa snapped.
Kumbuye released her.
She straightened, rolling her shoulders back, and turning to face us.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she stretched out her hands.
"I asked you first," I said.
She exhaled, then moved further into the cellar. That was when I noticed the others who were here — squeezed into the corner, watching us like they didn't know if we were worse than what they were hiding from.
"Hope no one saw you come in?" she asked.
"I don't think so," I shrugged.
The cellar was quite bigger than I imagined, lined with barrels that were likely filled with ale, with the six other people who remained pressed along the wall.
"It's fine." Corvessa muttered assuring them.
Then she looked back at me.
"How did you find us?"
"We didn't," I said, moving toward her. "We were looking for somewhere with an underground chamber. Apparently, a tavern fits that description perfectly."
She gave a small nod, then sighed and sat on a low barrel, gesturing for me to sit as well.
"After I met you this morning with the letter," she began, "I went to Doya's cottage."
On hearing his name, I felt this ache in my chest.
"When I got there, the door was slightly open. It felt... strange, so I pushed it in, and to my surprise, there was a headless body of a Novitiate."
Headless body of a Novitiate? Definitely Yurich.
She pressed her fingers briefly to her temple, searching for the right way to put it. "Not long after that, the Forsaken attacked."
"The explosion." I said, agreeing with her.
"No, no, the explosion happened much later." She corrected. "See, these people... already surrounded the district, I don't know how or when, but they were there beforehand, they were prepared." She paused, like she was remembering the moment. "They started slaughtering and killing anyone closest to them. Though, some were captured. Others... just killed." She sighed and looked at me again.
"Doya's cottage is at Harrowfen District, how did you come here?" I asked.
"We're getting there." She tapped my lap, then continued. "Being that I am a Bound, and it's my duty to protect, I fought back but there were too many. And it wasn't just Harrowfen, they were hitting multiple districts at the same time."
Her hand drifted to the back of her neck.
"So I ran. I did not know where to go, I just... ran." She shook her head, almost like she was disappointed in herself. "The Sanctum did not send any Bound to protect the people and..." Her voice broke, "...so many people were killed. I couldn't do anything."
For a moment, she looked away — perhaps holding a tear back — then she forced herself to continue. "I ran a long long distance, until I got here. And to my surprise, this place was safe. They just avoided attacking this place. But naturally, in this temple, if anywhere is under attack, everyone moves for safety. Some people ran, others hid underground, hence..." She gestured toward the six others, "...the people in here."
She let out a slow breath. "That's how I ended up here. And since we've been hiding, the Forsaken have not come. I don't know why but I would do my best to keep them safe." She nodded to the others as she concluded. "Your turn."
I looked toward Kumbuye — who sat on another barrel on the opposite end — hoping he went into her mind for clarity and he gave a small nod. Oh, he knows me so well already.
"Well, Ascend Darveth is the traitor." I said plainly.
"What?" she snapped, louder than she meant to. Her hands flew to her mouth.
I nodded clutching my arms and breathing deep. "He's done something to the other Ascend, I don't know what exactly but they are neutralised."
"Oh no..." She whispered.
"He captured the Bound and High Bound not aligned with him. That's why no one came to help during the attack. This wasn't random, it was organised."
She stood up, pacing the room.
"And for some reason," I added, "they didn't come after us when we left. Me and Kumbuye. It's part of something. I just don't know what yet."
"What's going on? What's going on?" she kept repeating quietly.
"You need to calm down," Kumbuye said from the other side.
She shot him a sharp glare.
"Look Corvessa, I know this is a lot, but this place is safe, for now, because the High Bound overseeing this district works with them." I said, stepping closer to her, "but we need to think and plan. Not panic. We don't know what they'll do next or how much time we have."
"Plan what?" she snapped. "We don't even know what we're dealing with. They're already ten steps ahead of us. Maybe more." She rambled on. "This invasion has been going on right under our noses without our knowledge, and now you suddenly believe a five-minute plan will work?"
"Not with that attitude, it won't." Kumbuye retorted.
Her eyes flicked to him again, then back to me.
"Where's Doya?" she asked.
"I think he's been taken too," I said quietly.
"Oh gods!" She flared up, holding her head.
I was surprised by her annoyance. I knew she and Doya used to be close, but she needed to tone down this unnecessary concern for him.
"So what do you suggest we do?" she asked, her interest suddenly piqued.
"Okay... one thing we have to understand," I said, my voice hardening. "This wasn't just an attack."
Their eyes were on me as I spoke.
"This was a takeover. And we need to get our people back."
Corvessa crossed her arms. "And how exactly do you propose we do that? We don't even know where 'our people' are."
"I have an idea though..." I said, looking toward Kumbuye, then back at Corvessa. "Before we left the Sanctum, we heard Darveth order some Bound to take Ascend Kaelric to the Upper Room."
"I thought you said all the Ascend were neutralized," she said.
"Well, Kaelric wasn't. Keep up," I snapped.
"Ascend Kaelric," she corrected.
I rolled my eyes.
"And I believe Doya might be there too," I said more carefully, lifting his urn again and looking at it.
"By the way... what is that?" Corvessa asked, pointing at the urn. "I've seen him carry it before."
I didn't respond. I just kept going.
"I really don't know how this is going to work," I sighed, "but we have to sneak into the Sanctum."
"That sounds like a suicide mission," Corvessa muttered.
"At least she's bringing suggestions," Kumbuye groaned. "What do you have?"
"We need time to think this through," she urged.
"Time is not what we have," Kumbuye snapped. "Whatever we do, it has to be fast."
"And what if we rush it and fail?" she fired back. "Then what?"
"Stop. Stop." I sighed, raising a hand. "We're not doing this." I pushed my right hand through my hair. "Let's not fight. We'll figure it out."
Kumbuye exhaled, then tilted his head slightly. "Why don't you veil-walk into the Sanctum?"
"I haven't actually thought about that, but there's one problem."
"What is it?"
"I've never been to the Upper Room."
He smirked. "You don't need to veil-walk to the Upper Room though."
I paused, waiting for him to talk.
"You just need to get into the Sanctum."
His expression said it before his words did.
And then it clicked.
"Oh..." I said slowly. "I veil-walk to my room."
"Ding, ding, ding," he muttered.
A small smile tugged on my lips. "So all I have to do when I get in," I said quietly, "is figure out how to get from my room to the Upper Room..."