Part 5

There was an updraft of heat from the small room, one that puffed against Aslilin and Dark Brother's skin and billowed outward around them. She felt a wave of sickness as she entered- the smell of illness clung to the room. Dying cells, growing germs. Dark Brother too smelt it, and raised the hackles along his backside.

Ejo didn't seem concerned by the smell at all, simply motioned them inward and shut the door behind them. Trapped in the room with sick air, Aslilin felt the urge to claw her way out, but kept her hands pressed like caged creatures at her sides. She could not use that horrific power again..not against them..no...

"Rune," Ejo bowed his head and averted his eyes as the high backed chair turned to face them. "I found these two outside...they-"

Even through her progressively blurring eyes, Aslilin could tell the figure in the chair was horrificly disfigured. It was small, frail...like a doll dressed in clinging matted white robes. Something across its face blocked all but the eyes from view- a china mask, with a soft painted red smile and delicately perfected features. The eyes were pale, as if all colour was leeching slowly away from them. Raising a stick-like hand, Rune beckoned Ejo to leave.

"I understand," He spoke with a soft and quiet voice, something Aslilin imidiately distrusted. Compassion was new and strange to her- unknown. She was unable to identify the acceptance of death in his voice. It was new to her. The shadows of the room reflected strangely upon his china mask as Rune moved to regard them. Ejo nodded quickly and left them.

Dark Brother did not sit, merely continued to look upon the deformed human. With a twitch of his tail, he wondered if he dare speak. The human Rune looked weak...but...

Rune was the one to break the silent, speaking in his tired whispy voice. "Do not think me weak simply because I'm frail."

Dark Brother shook his head vehemiantly although Aslilin did not move. No, of course not. No human-

"Many humans are weak," Rune corrected him. "But not all those who appear so are. What you are inside is the true strength. Like you..." He turned the china gaze to Aslilin. She did not twitch. "You are not human."

Aslilin did not react, simply held her hands still. Dark Brother seemed to gape at her with pain, as if he knew Rune could not possiably be right...

Continueing without much of an interuption, Rune leaned forward over the scratched top of the desk, regarding her closer. "No...What are you, girl? Something dangerous, the way you hold your hands."

Aslilin spoke for the first time to Rune, one concice sentance. "I am a demon."

Dark Brother shook his head. No, Ta Bahata, no, you're perfect...

Rune waved his hand delicately. "My friend, perfection comes in many shapes and sizes. And I believe it is far more difficult to make a perfect demon than human. Which certainly says something. For you, on the other hand...are human."

Dark Brother started and swung around to gape at the weak creature. I? But...My body-

"Is only a shell, you must learn that if you are to live here. Use it to your advantage. I have had to overcome the physical weakness of my body many times..you too will learn."

Dark Brother looked at Aslilin breifly, who showed no response. This Rune creature seemed so weak..it would have been no trick for her to snap his neck with her bare hands. In fact, she would not have minded it. But the words he was speaking intereseted her on a strange level. She understood what he had to say.

The room felt strange, like a great weight was upon it. For a moment, no one spoke or moved at all. Rune, hands clasped on the desk like two spiders interlocked in a kiss of death, stared at the Inhumans from behind the china mask. Aslilin, eyes blurring more with each moment, simply looked straight ahead. This world they had stumbled into was strange, much harder to understand than the world she had grown up in. Although Rune was weak and deformed, he had a great power. She understood this now. Dark Brother too, started in bewilderment. According to their Creators, something like Rune was weak and unfit to live. But behind the frail, broken exterior was a greater understanding. He could see things for what they truely were.

Again, it was Rune who broke their silence, unclasping his hands and leaning back with a sigh, his voice growing quieter. He was weak, horrificly ill. "You are welcome to stay. But you must remember the one rule we have."

Dark Brother bowed to one knee on his front legs and backed his ears in appriciation. We thank you. What is the rule you have?

"Hurt no one."

Aslilin spoke again, shocking even Rune with the sudden break in her own private silence. "We can not promise that."

Rune raised his head, his expression unseeable under the china mask. "Why?"

Aslilin continued to stare straight ahead. "What I touch, I destroy."

Rune leaned back in his chair and spoke even softer than before- hardly auidable. One frail hand moved shakily upward to touch the skin under the china mask, like a claw. "You mean this literally." Aslilin gave no reply, but none was needed. "I suppose gloves will be in order then."

The sunlight breaking through the shattered windows landed in uneven patches on her cloths, which were course and dark. Rune had given them to her, along with the pair of black leather gloves that now were far too large, but would fit her in time. She would never remove them, even as she slept. She had no desire to destroy such massive amounts of space again. The universe was not hers to destroy...

The floor was rough, and when she breathed, the smell of dust filled her lungs. But no matter how many times she opened and reopened her eyes, she could not see. Aslilin had gone blind.

Ta Bahata, why have you not risen? It is far past daylight... Dark Brother's voice filled her mind as the sound of his soft paws against the floorboards drew nearer. Eyes open, or eyes closed? She was unsure. Ta Bahata? You stare-

"I am blind."

No.. The sudden thump against the floor told her Dark Brother had collapsed next to her. His muscled body lay against her arm, trembling. She raised a gloved hand and ran it along his side. How strange the world seemed without sight. Ta Bahata, I will get help. Rune will know what to do- dont' worry.

Aslilin allowed a rare smile to creep halfway onto her lips before instantly dying away. Rune...Rune had been their provider for many months now. She had steadily been learning under his guidance. He comended her for the speed at which she grasped difficult concepts, but at the same time worried about her stoicism. He often urged her to show what she felt, but in truth she felt nothing. She had no concept of fear, hate or love. Rune, though, seemed to be growing weaker and increasingly needed the guidance of Ejo, who many times complained the need to take care of someone named Sceip as well. Aslilin had never met this person. She often wondered what it was.

Dark Brother rose from the floor boards and hurried away, his footsteps fading. Soon, more footsteps gathered about the room, blocking the small shafts of light which spilt warmth onto her body. She did not move. Movement while blind was dangerous. There were many people...she clenched her hands into fists to surpress the urge of destroying them all. How dare they stare for her misfortune?

"Step aside, move already!" Ejo's voice snapped through the murmuring crowd, his heavy footsteps almost masking Rune's softer ones. Aslilin knew that Ejo was supporting Rune as he walked- the sickly human could barely stand without assistance.

"I am blind," She repeated to them as they drew closer. With a slithering sound of fabric, Rune was dropped almost noiselessly at her side. A thin, cold hand danced across the skin around her eyes, the faint heat of Rune's breath as he bent over her passed over her face in a small wave. With an even more ragged whisper than usual, Rune spoke. "Ejo, bring Sceip. We need a medic."

Ejo quickly backed away and left, Aslilin could feel his hurried footsteps against the boards. She knew instinctively he had bowed before Rune, as always.

Rune's hand withdrew from her face as he spoke. "This is something that has been happening a long time, isn't it?"

Aslilin nodded soundlessly. Her sight had been deteriorating ever since she'd left the complex. She did not know why.

Rune's voice took another pitch. He was looking away from her. "You came from that place...Ejo told me...yes..I think I know what it is."

Dark Brother's voice was quaking, his claws ticking against the floor unintentionally as his legs shook. You can cure my Ta Bahata, can't you Rune? You are powerful-

Rune's voice swung back over Aslilin. "I will do my best, but I can't promise anything. Aslilin's eyes are deteriorating. Simply look at them."

The large black cat let out a moan as he moved closer to her. Oh...Ta Bahata...

"What is it?" Aslilin demanded cooly.

Dark Brother's voice was only a moan, but Rune spoke clearly enough. "Your pupils are gone. Your eyes are green, Aslilin."

Again, a faint smile crossed her face before it vanished again. "They say the eyes are a window to the soul."

Rune's voice shifted, he was facing the doorway. "They are only a window to what you desire them to be."