Part VII, Collapse

"What more can I say?
What more can I do?
I give this all to you
I know this much is true
My Life

I supposed to be number one on everybody’s list
We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist
Fuck this
-Jay-Z, What More Can I Say (DJ Danger Mouse remix)

It crumbled around him so quickly.

He managed to outrace the invading force to Tyros. He was able to warn them, but without much advance warning. It was enough time, however, to hide all the silver. At least his family, if they were to survive this, would escape with something.

His next destination was to meet the Tatrix. Perhaps he could persuade her to spare his family. He still believed he could alter the fate of events if he truly wanted to. She owed him after all; if he asked, she would assent to his requests. What he didn't realize is that he was not the only one with the network of spies.

They were waiting for him. The Praetor of Fina himself placed him under arrest. Hooded and shackled, he was taken back to a specially designed prison. They locked him in there and let him sit for a week. Officially, he was a guest of the Praetor. If he wished for food, he simply had to ring a bell and a slave would attend to him. But he was allowed no visitors. No one interrogated him for information; no one offered him updates on the war. He tried send out notes of warnings to his friends. They would be next; they needed to disappear. But no one would take his notes. In fact, no one spoke to him. He just sat there, alone with his thoughts- completely helpless.

On the eighth day, the Praetor arrived. He was finally given the news: Tyros laid in ruins, his friends at Umbra had scattered and disappeared, Port Kar had declared victory and Fina was flush with riches. All of his work was for naught. So then, the offer was simple: defect to Fina's side and bring glory to Fina. The offer seemed ridiculous: the Praetor was asking him to betray everyone he loved and respected...but then again, if he refused, the Praetor would keep him imprisoned forever. Neither option seemed enticing, but there was no way the Praetor could compel loyalty. He could feign obedience. He would earn their trust until the opportunity arrived. At their most vulnerable moment, he would turn on them and get his revenge. So he agreed.

The Praetor was no fool though. He slit his palm end to end and demanded the same from Aashe. A blood oath. Swear to his allegiance to Fina. It could no longer be token lip service. If he were to accept this condition, he could not betray them. There were some things more valuable than anything; this was one of them. Betrayal, espionage and backstabbing was one thing in the name of the greater good. But to swear on his name, honor and in his blood? He was trapped.

The oath was made, cemented in blood. He swore his allegiance to Fina; of course, by swearing in return, the Praetor promised his allegiance to Aashe. Whatever he needed, whenever he needed it- the Praetor would provide. He was released, given a small base of operations to restart his life. With no friends and family, his heart was heavy. He had no reason to work. The only thing that compelled him forward was the obligation from his oath.

It took several weeks, but the people of Fina soon left him alone. Either he had convinced them of their loyalty, or they simply got bored of him. Either way, he knew that it would not last forever. Eventually, they would demand results from him. He had one opportunity.

It came during a violent storm. Sheets of rain pounded the walls of Fina. The guards were too busy dealing with a collapse of one of the turrets to notice a solitary figure slip into the tarn cot. They could not hear the mighty flapping of the tarn wings and screech of its voice as it passed over the city amongst the loud cracks of thunders. They would not know he was gone for days. And by then, he had flown his tarn to the edges of the Northern Forests.

* * *

When he awoke, he was laying on the ground in a pool of blood. His body hurt in a thousand different places. There was no sign of a tarn. There was no sign of a SKY. Trees surrounded him. From his brief survey, he had a litany of broken bones, he was bleeding from a hundred different places. It was only a matter of time before a forest creature would find him and finish the job that Fate had started. He was dying.