The second Gavin opened their eyes, all Eldrazi could feel was pain, a sharp, boiling ache that swelled the left side of their face. Still, despite them both being open, all he could see was a dark expanse of a cavern on his left, with a spiked ceiling and a damp, stone floor. As for his right... there was no right. Not blackness, just nothing: pure unawareness of anything more than the shrunken version of the world around them. It was an absence, one that sent fear straight through Eldrazi's core.

Then the emotions came.

They weren't his, but they might as well have been as they crashed into his chest as endless waves, washing over his senses in misery, anger, panic, desperation...

Eldrazi found himself shooting up, and a sharp cry of pain left his lips as Gavin wildly pushed them up to standing. Their head was spinning, little more than rotten sludge, and the acidic taste of bile pressed against their throat, but Gavin ignored that, pushing past the soreness in their back as he looked around for someone in the empty surroundings.

"Hello?"

The boy turned around again, but as far as Eldrazi could see, there was no one. Only grey, asymmetric walls of stone, decorated with stalactites and stalagmites rounded and smoothed from once being undersea. It was also unnaturally quiet, which made no sense given how close they were to the ocean.

No. That couldn't be right. So, as much as he knew more sound would only increase the headache pounding at their temples, Eldrazi felt for the bond. The warmth came to him easily enough, and he focused on it, feeling their ears sharpen and scales freckle their face. The fire in his skull increased from a phantom echo of pain to a full on agony that made his teeth grit, but at least now Eldrazi could hear voices further away, along with the crackling of a fire and the slight slosh of waves.

There was barely time to register that either before Gavin was running again, filling their lungs with terror and heart with dread. If the cave had been a place of rooms and doors, Eldrazi was sure he would've found the strength to fling one off its very hinges with the force he made their body round the corner with until they were standing before everyone, panting.

It was hard to make out all of them, the purple fire clawing at their eye making Eldrazi want to squint, but Gavin made their head turn, looking between the others. Aoife was there, curled up close to a shirtless Selatan with large stitches winding up his abdomen, but she jumped up at the sight of them, abandoning his side to rush towards them.

"Oh my gods!" A hand shot over her mouth as she looked them up and down, and she winced, puffed eyes looking ready to burst into tears again. "Are you all right?"

Only then did Eldrazi think to raise a hand, feeling for the right side of their face. Their fingers hit bandages, and from there, a wet, sunken dip where there should've been an organ, and their stomach flipped.

But Aoife looked horrified, and if the rapid trembling in their shoulders was any indication, Eldrazi couldn't take much more Human emotion right now. So he tried to shoot her the best of smiles, waving it off. "'Course! Never been—"

"Where's Talus?"

Gavin's demand cut him off, and Eldrazi could feel him lowering their body into a frantic stance as he looked around with Talus' corpse nowhere in sight. "Where is he?"

"Gavin?" Weiss drew himself up from where he'd been sitting cross-legged before the fire. Or at least, as much as he could stand with the ceiling as low as it was, forcing both him and Aoife to hunch a bit. "We moved his body to the back of the cave. There seems to be sand there, so you all can bury him in a bit."

Eldrazi was pulled towards Weiss, his lip curling as Gavin made them look at the man. "I need to see him."

"No, what you need are your bandages replaced," Weiss explained, and he sat back down, leading them forward as he inched a single, taloned finger. "Come here."

Eldrazi felt their feet dig even further into the floor.

With a deep sigh, Weiss ran his hands through his black hair, far less styled than usual. "Eldrazi? Do you mind talking sense into your Human?"

"Usually I 'afta try to talk the sense outta 'im, but..." Eldrazi's mouth flattened, and he did his best to shove the boy's feet forward. Well, ya 'eard the man. Go get healthy or somethin'.

Tears pricked at their eyes. "I don't want to. I want to see Talus."

After, Eldrazi droned, and he struggled to lift one stiff leg, then another, dragging them to Weiss' side. An annoyed huff left their lips, but finally Gavin let them sit down, a damp feeling soaking through the backside of their tunic.

Despite how much he was clearly trying to keep his voice flat, Eldrazi could feel how wet their mouth grew, the boy's tongue struggling to spit out even a single word. "Fine."

"Thank you," Weiss replied, and his hands moved to unwrap the white cloth coating their head. A rustling sensation played at the top of their hair, and it slowly fell away, until it stuck. A sticky, peeling noise hit their ears, and the swollen muscles began to sting.

With sharp hiss, Eldrazi's head was whipped to the side, Gavin shooting the apothecary a glare. "That hurts!"

"I'm sure it does," he replied. Then with a quick yank, he removed the rest of it.

Maybe this was how Talus had felt, because the second it all fell away, even the dim light of the fire being echoed on the walls was enough to burn. It bit away at a part of their body they couldn't even sense, and Eldrazi threw up a hand to block it, but it felt hollow. Empty. Nothing.

"It's... it's gone?" The boy's voice came out as barely a whisper.

"I honestly expected you to heal, but for as long as I waited, you never did." Weiss sighed, his silver eyes flicking to the floor. "Your father messed up most of the tissue, and there wasn't much to salvage. I'm... incredibly sorry."

The man's tongue began to click, and he glanced around the rest of the cave, gaze landing on the large slash on Selatan's chest. "If I had access to magik, I'm sure I could've healed it, and I tried to but—" He shook his head. "At this rate, I'm starting to wonder if the gods cut me off for how much I used in one day... or they no longer approve of my actions."

Selatan looked up sharply, wincing as the movement tugged at the stitches. "You don't mean—"

Weiss nodded, face dark as he dug into his bag to pull out a roll of bandages and a single, glass vial filled with a brown liquid. "I can't feel Akasha's presence anymore."

A tight, uncomfortable feeling wormed into Eldrazi at each word. Because that was how it worked: people either borrowed magik from the gods, or they had none at all. The only exceptions to that he'd ever seen were himself, Talus, and Aoife, which was rather freeing, considering that meant he could do as he pleased without ever having to worry of losing it. But for anyone else, to commit an act against the gods, like hypothetically healing those they wanted dead and stealing the very power they had gifted to the Humans for peace...

"He gave up all of that for us."

Another wave of sadness hit Eldrazi, and he curled their fingers into fists, taking in a deep sigh. That, or 'e did it for money. We don't know either way Gav.

"It's my fault. All because I tricked everyone into this mission. Now Weiss is powerless, and Selatan is hurt and Talus is..."

The feeling of tears returned, but stronger this time, half rolling down their face, the other half welling up in their nasal passage, igniting the area with salt.

"Ah, don't do that!" Weiss' hands jumped, and he grabbed a rag, quickly moving to dab at their face. It pressed against the swelling, and Eldrazi flinched, expecting the sting to return. Yet, there was nothing to feel once the Eunsi's hand slipped further into his face. It only soaked up the salty sensation until he could breathe, and came away coated in red. As for the socket itself, it was simply empty. Gone.

Gooseflesh coated Eldrazi's arms, their heart quickening. The absence of sight, the absence of feeling, the absence of hearing as the ringing returned. It was similar, all so very, very similar. It was coming. Death: not a final end, so calm and promising, but eternal nothing. It would come and consume and there was nothing he could—

"Are... you all right?"

With a jump, Eldrazi snapped to attention. They were staring at him, Aoife, Selatan, Weiss. Each one was concerned, each one wanted to help, but what was he to tell them? That it was all a trap, a lie? That alive or dead, Esternia or Astren, he was bound to time, and no matter what he did, it was only a temporary reprieve from the Nothing that lay beyond?

"Eldrazi?"

He was panting now, and swallowing was hard, but he forced it down, scrambling to remember what Weiss had said. Was he all right? That'd been the question, hadn't it? He mulled the words over again and again until something finally came to mind.

"Well, I can't very well be all right, now can I?" He pointed to the injury at hand with a lopsided smile. "All I got is what's left o' me."

Aoife turned to the other two a look of concern, not even laughing at his clever joke, which miffed him a mite bit. Still, she said nothing as Weiss wordlessly lathered the contents of the vial along Eldrazi's cheekbone and rewrapped soft cotton around it. She just... continued to huddle there, eyes rimmed with red, not staring at the fire for once, nor her boyfriend, but the shadows dancing along the wall.

"And done." Weiss drew back, placing the empty vial back in his leather bag. "Now keep the Dust out of it for a few weeks, and it shouldn't get infected."

"Thank you," Gavin replied, and Eldrazi found their anxiety spiking again as the boy glanced around, realising that for as much as Weiss had helped them, they'd sat there and done nothing. Which was a ridiculous notion to Eldrazi, because he was clearly injured, and what else were they to do? But, for some reason, now he was desperate to do something, and finally, Gavin spotted a small, sleek pair of scissors lying on the stone, reaching to grab it for Weiss.

Their fingers hit stone.

Eldrazi felt themselves blink, and their left hand shot forward again, reaching for the scissors, aiming for the exact spot they were in, only to graze stone again.

Their stomach plummeted, and Gavin quickly began to feel around, because they were right there. All he had to do was grab it, but even as the cool touch of metal brushed along his hand, just a little too far to the right, he couldn't pinch it. And it was right there.

A warm hand suddenly wrapped around their wrist, and Eldrazi looked up to find Aoife, face completely blank. She leaned forward, picking it up with ease, because it'd been a simple task, really. The tears returned, blurring what little they could see. Maybe it was because Eldrazi had dropped his hold, after feeling practically nothing from the boy for so long, but it was becoming impossible to distinguish where his feelings ended and Gavin's began as he reached to take them from her hand.

That too, missed, his aim falling short, and she placed them in Weiss' bag while they stood, arm outstretched like an amdain, and a useless one at that.

"Here." Gently, Aoife wrapped an arm around them, and Eldrazi could feel her leading them forward, away from the fire and towards the end of the cave. As the darkness pressed closer, the taste of ash and mulberries hit him, and another burst of fire appeared in her palm to light the way.

That too, served as a reminder, each waft of heat against their skin filling his thoughts with the memory of large reptilian wings and blazing talons searing through his flesh. But the Dragons were long dead, killed by the Cearte, so there was nothing to fear. It was just the girl. Eldrazi had to remind himself that as the light shown further and further along the smoothed out stone until it fell upon a single figure.

Instantly, their muscles seized, a gasp leaving their throat as Eldrazi finally caught sight of the body. Even with the low lighting, he would see how equally stiff and limp Talus looked. The front of his grey-blue shirt was crusted in black, matching the wall behind where he'd been propped, and the smell...

A sob shook their shoulders, and as much as Eldrazi tried not to cry, it was out of his control once Gavin started. Strangely, he found himself folding into Aoife, ignoring the fire blazing in her palm as Gavin pressed them further into her side, and then arms were wrapping around him, just as weak, but strong all the same.

"I'm sorry," Gavin whispered. "I'm so sorry. He was probably like a brother to you."

"It's fine," Eldrazi could hear her mumbling, her low voice catching in their ear. "Maybe he was Human enough to have a soul. Maybe he'll be reincarnated, and I'll see him again, or..." Her words cut off into a harsher cry.

Gavin said nothing after that, and as much as Eldrazi was tempted to, nothing came to mind. At least, nothing comforting, because... he didn't have a soul. It'd been clear from the second Eldrazi had tasted the boy's magik. It was an empty, hollow thing, sprung from Nothing, and destined to return to Nothing. Even after spending countless years in there, he'd never found a Shar Drak'na in Astren. Occasionally, there'd been the flicker of other presences, the light hint of a passed on Eunsi soul, the solid presence of a Demon, or even the warm touch-and-go of a nearby Human before that too, faded. But no other, and it made sense. After all, what were Shar Drak'na save for a mockery of life itself? Claws that fell short of the complexity of hands, neither solid nor an apparition, no soul to guide them, yet compelled to test every boundary as if it were their very purpose. When thought of like that, how could they truly die? Most likely, they didn't, which meant Talus was simply gone.

Eldrazi pulled his head out of Aoife's grasp, looking at the corpse one last time, and Gavin didn't fight him as he walked over to the body's side, crouching down to glance at his face.

There was the smallest hint of a smile there, and Weiss hadn't closed his eyes yet. Or eye, anyway. His eyepatch was still in place, meaning he could only stare at one: dried, sunken tissue contracted in its socket with far too much room to move. Nausea churned their stomach, and Gavin tried to look away, but Eldrazi kept reaching, tugging the eyepatch off of Talus' head and hating how the entire body rocked as one piece with the motion. The fabric came off easily, wilting against their palm as Eldrazi stared into Talus' face one last time.

The other eye was dead. There was no white ring to it anymore, no soft glow shining in the dark. Just a black orb as shrunken as the other.

Their shoulders started trembling more than Eldrazi could still them, and he drew back, continuing to look at the black cloth in their hand.

Is 'e really gone? Not just dead, but gone?

The very thought sent another shudder through their chest, Gavin forced to clutch at the end of their tunic to stop a whimper from escaping their mouth, but as it hit Eldrazi, it only continued to echo. Did Shar Drak'na truly get that? No reincarnation, not even in the false one he'd created, just completion? He had watched the boy bleed out, a soft smile on his face as he stared up into the sky. Did he stop thinking? Was that all he'd ever have?

"We can kill you. No more ruining people's lives, no more forgetting, no more dull moments. Just a cease in consciousness until it's like you were never there at all. Gone."

He frowned, his grip on the fabric tightening. That was what Uldyŋ had promised all for one girl's life. Was such a thing really possible, then?

Finally he sighed, slipping the eyepatch into the satchel on their belt. If it was true, then he still wouldn't be killing Aoife, because there was no sense in escaping Astren just to leave someone else in his stead, but it meant there was a chance, something to work towards. Just... after Gavin, because one day, he too, would wind up like the corpse on the floor, and the bond would break.

Which should've meant very little, considering that Gavin would come back, and so would he, once he found another vessel, but they certainly wouldn't be together again. They only had this life to share, and then that too, would die.

And it wasn't supposed to matter, because nothing ever did. How many times had he done this already, and for how many times more? Hundreds, most likely, and not once had the thought made him need to throw a sleeve over his face to drown out tears. Not once had his knees buckled or his ears dropped or his chest trembled as he bawled like a child. Of course Gavin was going to die one day; he was Human after all. They did that.

But Eldrazi wouldn't be able to go with him.

Of course, he'd known that from the very beginning, deep down, but somehow, sitting here, staring at the body of a young boy who would never move again...

When am I going to lose him?

I can't lose him.

Footsteps began to echo, and Eldrazi flinched, wrenching their elbow away from their face to look behind them. It was Weiss and Selatan fumbling through the dark, one leading the other as they wove through the uneven flooring, making their way to Aoife.

"Well," Selatan began as he stopped next to her, and Eldrazi noticed his voice was far deeper than usual. "Is it time?"

Aoife turned to him, quicking wiping at her own face. "Don't you want to say goodbye?"

"What?" He snapped to attention, feline tail twitching behind him until it wrapped around his leg. "No I..." He looked at Talus, amber eyes wincing as they fell to the floor. A shaky breath left him, his next word haunted.

"No."

There was nothing to dig up the sand floor of the cave, no shovels or tools. There was only Eldrazi diving their hands into the wet, lumpy sand, and Aoife doing her best with a chipped piece of stone. It was a long and muddy process, and only fueled by the rising sense of determination growing in Eldrazi's chest. The boy had gotten an idea in his head, somewhere amongst the delving and the burying, once Selatan lowered the body in. What it was, Eldrazi didn't know, but it was slowly shifting them away from the raw and heavy ache of before, so he decided not to push. For now, there was only the tedious shove of moving sand back in place, and trying not to linger on how it coated Talus' face until there was nothing but a mound upon the floor.

They all stood there quietly, staring at black sand, the only backdrop the crashing of waves and Aoife's quiet sobs as Selatan drew her close.

"I... apologise for the suddenness of this, but I think this is where I take my leave."

Eldrazi tipped their head back at Weiss, his hands clasped together as he looked between all of them, posture stiff.

"Like leaving? Completely?" Aoife whispered.

Weiss nodded. "This... mission. It's yours, not mine. True, I did offer my services, and I did help you get the Relic but—" He took a deep breath. "It's more than I signed up for, and I don't feel right in continuing to be here."

"What?" Aoife's brows furrowed. "We're not going to make you leave. What if you're wanted now because of us? We'll protect you." No sooner had the words left her mouth then her gaze snapped back to the pile of sand, and she violently shook her head, switching tracks. "Is it because you weren't paid enough for this? To get another Relic?"

"No I-" His hands grasped at each other tighter. "I simply don't want to overstay my welcome." He backed up slightly, turning in the direction of the tunnel's exit. "Until we meet again."

Perhaps his presence was the only reason Aoife had been carrying herself, because the second the black feathers of his wings faded into the shadows, she sank to the floor, fingers clawing into the sand. Instantly, Selatan was reaching for her back, but he didn't move any further, seemingly just as lost.

"Hey."

Eldrazi was almost as surprised as Selatan to hear Gavin speak, and he found themselves striding towards the Tiger Demon, motioning for Selatan to bring his ear close. Confusion flickered across his face, but he leaned down, clenched jaw shifting into a tight frown. "What is it?"

The strange mix of rage and determination returned, settling into something else. Resolve. "Do you have access to your magik?"

His brows furrowed more. "I mean, I do but... I'm trying to heal at the moment. Why? What do you need?"

Gavin drew their focus up, their back straightening and gaze unwavering. "I need access to tracking magik."

"What?" Selatan took a step back. "What do you mean tracking magik?"

"I mean a way to track someone-"

"How much more obvious does he need me to be? Amdain."

"- or making me find her before I've found her, or sniffing her out, or whatever you want."

The teen blinked at them, dragging a hand through his stripy hair. "You don't mean... You want me to find Tachir'?"

"Of course I do." Their teeth grit, mouth drawing into a snarl. "I'm going to find her if it's the last thing I do."

Shock coursed through Eldrazi, seizing them both in place. Gav what? Are you mad?

"I'm not mad. I'm furious."

We're not findin' 'er! Look at what 'appened to us! Look at what 'appened to 'im!

"So you're going to control me again?"

"No."

The answer startled Eldrazi, pulling him back out of their thoughts as Selatan crossed his arms. "Whether I could right now or not, no one is going after Tachir'." He glanced over at Aoife. "We all should rest."

Gavin shot their hand forward until Selatan's crimson vest was balled up in their fist. "I don't want to rest. I want to see Tachir'!"

"No!" Selatan shouted back. "I don't know if you realise this, but you and your Demon are literally missing an eye. I'm not letting you run off on some revenge mission!" Eldrazi's wrist was snatched, and the teen yanked them off him, stepping back.

"Why? Because you don't care about Talus?" Gavin stalked forward, narrowing their gaze. "You didn't even have the courage to say goodbye!"

"Gavin!" Now Aoife was up, though she didn't seem nearly as furious as Selatan as the Demon's face shot red. Instead, she sounded hurt. Heartbroken. "Don't be like this. It's not what Talus would want."

He wheeled on her. "This isn't about what Talus would want! This is about what I want! Can't I do something for once? Can't I feel how I want to feel and be allowed to act on it for once in my damn life?"

The shout echoed across the cave, rebounding again and again as the others stood in shocked silence with Gavin at the centre.

"What a bunch of help you all are."

Spinning on their heel, Gavin left, taking the same path as Weiss. A couple of feet in, and a stalagmite was too close. Pain dashed along their hip, a runny feeling spreading beneath their skin, but it seemed Gavin would worry about the bruise later as he continued to walk them forward.

"Eldrazi!"

Gavin let them pause for that, and Eldrazi turned their head over their shoulder, casting Aoife a saddened glance.

How the girl still had so many tears to shed was beyond him as she stood there, crestfallen. "You're just going to let him go?"

Their heart clenched, and Eldrazi faced the tunnel again. Because this was the best thing to do, right? Let the boy do what he pleased, so he either got what he wanted, or learned from his mistakes. It took several times of opening and closing their mouth to find the right words, but they rose, eventually.

"I don't control him."