Sulana awoke with a start some time later. Her body lay twisted round her pack, hugging so tightly that she had to peel the leather off her face. She sat up, wincing at the twinge of pain in her neck and looked around. A few soft fingers of light hung crookedly outside the cave's entrance, dressed in the colors of twilight. She worked her mouth and spat sour spit.

"How long was I out?" She mumbled aloud.

"A few hours. We kept watch while you slept."

"Appreciate it," Sulana stood up and stretched, working the knots out of her back. Her temples throbbed with every heartbeat, settling into a pain against the back of her eyes. It wasn't the most comfortable sleeping on stone, but better than no sleep at all. She drank a few mouthfuls of water before filling her canteen.

"What are you doing?" The voice demanded as she picked up her pack and slid the strap over one shoulder.

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm packing. We need to keep going. Need to find the Advisor of this damn Link before the whole Chain falls apart." Sulana checked her forearm. Silv was still wrapped around her, red droplets streaking through the silver ripples.. At least he was eating just fine. Her stomach was a twisted mess that no amount of water could fix. Well, it wasn't the first time she'd gone hungry, Sulana mused. And certainly wouldn't be the last.

"But the night is soon to come. I feel it. Dangerous things lurk at night."

Sulana dared a peek outside. Even through the craggy roof of the canyon she could see the great black rent in the sky. A wound in space greater than anything she'd ever seen before.

"I don't think this Link has the concept of night anymore." Sulana said.

"What happened here?"

Sulana exhaled through her nose. "Oh, so now you actually give a damn?"

"I'm curious."

"You're curious?"

"We are curious," The voice corrected itself.

"Well, I'll tell you this much at least," Sulana checked her corners before leaving the cave. "It's all your damn fault." She slithered past a tight crevice, stepping lightly as she moved deeper down the canyon, taking great care to avoid the long fingers of light falling from above. Even with the Link as dead as it looked she doubted it was completely lifeless around these parts. There was always something.

"We?" The voice sounded almost ashamed.

"Yes you," said Sulana sourly. "All of you. All of the damn voices in people's heads that drove them insane. Made them try to break their Links."

"I did this?"

Sulana smiled bitterly. "That's right and now I'm going to unfuck this place before you make it any worse." The voice didn't respond. For the first time in a long while Sulana felt an absence in her head, like a widow still dressed in black. She chewed on her lower lips, dragged her tongue over the dry cracks.

"Hey, you still—," The rocks shifted above her. Sulana pressed her back against the edge, her last words catching in her throat. From above a handful of pebbles tumbled down from the lip of the canyon. She squatted, hand resting on her holster, watching intently for any signs of movement. Had it been the wind, or something else entirely? She primed her plaslock either way. The jewel thrummed to life, warm against her grip.

After a tense moment she stepped away from her hiding spot, daring to move deeper down the canyon. Her footsteps sounded impossibly loud against the stone walls now that the fear of being caught by something felt realer than ever. She scanned the craggy ledges above her, looking for any signs of life, but whatever had caused the rocks to shift was gone now. Gone, or merely waiting to strike.

"Hey," Sulana hissed to the voice. "Are you still there?" Whether it was or not, the voice did not cooperate. "Come on. Don't tell me you're feeling remorseful right now. I swear to the stars—," A gurgling screech ripped Sulana from her train of thought. She rolled on instinct, ducking just as a large pair of  claws sliced at the air above her. She jumped to her feet, turned, and felt her stomach drop.

Standing on two stubby legs was a creature wrapped in putrid black flesh and smelling all the more worst for it. Two sets of sharp bony claws glinted dully from four equally grubby arms. The jaundice eyed creature glared down before opening its mouth, revealing row upon row of sharp, blackened teeth.

"Stars you're ugly!" Sulana turned her plaslock on the monster and pulled the trigger. The sound of the weapon's discharge ripped through the canyon as the walls flared in a sickly green light. The creature's torso burst in a shower of rotten blood and flesh, splattering gore in all directions. Sulana jumped back just in time as the creature's guts hit the ground with a sickening squelch. An acrid stink fizzled up from the stones, the blood bubbling and hissing and emanating a most foul odor.

Sulana pulled her patchwork cloak over her nose. The smell was beyond atrocious. Thank the stars none had gotten on her. No telling what it would have done to her if it had.

The creature's lower half slumped to the ground, twitching here and there before going still. She edged closer and nudged it with her boot. Nothing happened. Taking in a few quick breaths of relief, she scanned along the ledges for any stragglers, and found only stones.

She might have been getting rusty, but at least her intuition  paid off this time. There had been something after all and that something, whatever it was, had nearly eviscerated her with a nasty set of claws. Hopefully it was the only one of its kind, though Sulana wasn't to keen to find out. She needed to get the void out this star forsaken canyon.

She turned to leave before a sound stopped her in her tracks. Daring a glance over her shoulder, her stomach dropped as the creature's lower half slowly stood back up. Steam began to rise from the scorched wound as the flesh bulged and writhed. With a gut wrenching pop a head suddenly burst from the wound and let out a mewling scream.

"Shit!" Sulana took off running. The sounds of crunching bone and ripping flesh echoed close behind her but she didn't turn to look this time. Her beat madly in her chest as she bolted through the narrow pass. She turned left at a juncture, vaulted over a ledge and dropped down deeper into the canyon. All the while the creature's screaming grew closer, a wretched gurgling sound that left a burning, sour sick in the back of her throat.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!," Sulana reached for her plaslock but the jewel was barely glowing. Damn it all to the void. She was an idiot to use a full discharge. The weapon was useless now. She needed time. A place to hide. Someplace where that monstrosity couldn't find her.

She spotted a nearby crevice and slithered through, pressing her back as far away from the entrance as possible. Holstering the plaslock she squatted down and held her breath. It wasn't long before a shadow skulked past. The creature's breathing was a wet ragged gurgle in it's chest as it sniffed for her. A putrid stink wafted past. Sulana's eyes began to water. She clamped a hand over her nose, trying desperately to breathe quietly.

It was a good while before the creature moved on. Sulana waited until only the winds were heard. She rose shakily to her feet and crept towards the edge of the crevice. Warily she dared to peek outside. Three angry yellow eyes glared back at her.

Sulana jumped back just as a claw reached out to grab her. She slammed against the stone wall, her scream drowned out by the creature's hungry bellow. It reached out, trying desperately to snatch her, but it's body was too big for the narrow space. It screeched in fury, pulled back and slammed against the crevice. The stones around the passage began to crack as the creature tried to claw its way in. The sound of tearing flesh and breaking bones echoed all around as it pushed to fit inside.

Sulana backed into the corner, screaming wildly, her eyes fixed on the monstrous claws scything towards her. She needed to do something, anything, but her thoughts were frozen in terror. And in that terrible moment she realized she really was going to die.

The creature opened its mouth to screech before a blade of vibrant color punched through the back of it's throat, protruding between its gnarled teeth. Hot bubbling blood hissed from the wound as the screech died into a gurgle. The blade slithered out and in a dazzle of light sliced cleanly through the meat of the creature's neck. The body twitched before slumping to the ground, the head rolling off cleanly, hitting the stones with a wet crunch.

Standing behind the monster was the Limiren apprentice, wide eyed with shock, clutching the strange sword with both hands. For a long while Sulana merely stared at her with a mixture of relief and terror.

"Are you okay?" The apprentice asked.

Sulana found herself smiling then, her tears hot and wet against her sunburnt cheeks. "I am," She murmured. "Thank you."