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Chapter 41 - Marking of Fate 

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When Talon came back into view, Athira almost broke down in relief. 

She held her wrist out to him, hoping he'd understand how much she needed him with her to soothe the colour rampaging through her insides. Her organs felt liquidised, blood evaporated inside and pressing against her skin, begging for release. 

Talon, she tried, unsure if he could even hear her. 

The raven's head cocked towards her. A double wing beat pulled him higher, the third dove his colour-formed body towards her, aiming straight for her chest. 

His beak made contact. Athira embraced him. Her fingers touched the silky feathers as her body re-absorbed the colour container of his consciousness. Like someone had dipped her in liquid nitrogen, Talon's presence solidified her, grounded her mind to her body. He acted as a filter, holding back the tides of colour so she could think. 

She was vaguely aware of movement behind where Talon had come from, Raph and Kione having followed him into the room. With Talon back in her mindscape, she cared little for anything else. 

How'd you cope, Thira? he asked. Athira could feel him settling down inside her mind, even as it was readjusting to him. You're like my nest. Your mindscape's all warm and... what the hell happened in here? 

Rathe was a little loose when you left, she said. The fire of colour hadn't gone, but it was boiled water compared to magma. Manageable. The colour... when you're gone, Tal, it's bad. 

Talon paused. So kind of like a situation where the males of Indigo would be in a room with one of their more recently apprehended criminals? Say... Reader?

Athira's attention clicked back into the physical. Reader was looking at her curiously, like he could solve all the world's problems if he could just read her mindscape again. 

You let him read your mindscape? said Talon, sounding rather offended by the idea. Thira, why--

"A personal spirit animal," said Reader slowly. "It would explain a fair bit, namely how your colour has survived this long... although I imagine the colour as a whole will still require an animal stabilise it completely. In this state, your bird wouldn't be able to stay away long, nor control the colour as a spirit animal should. Still, it's interesting. Very, very interesting."

As he spoke, Athira caught Shift edging towards where Raph and Kione stood in the doorway. The new arrivals still wore the same colour suits they'd been abducted in and showed no signs of the cuffs Shift and her had been subjected to.

What's he on about? asked Talon. Spirit animal?

Explain in a second. "Glad you're impressed," said Athira. "My life suddenly feels complete."

Reader raised an eye but otherwise didn't react to her comment. "May I speak with the bird? A raven, if I'm correct?" 

Tal? Athira asked, holding Reader's gaze. 

Talon considered it. I want to see what he has to say.

Athira held out her hand to Reader, this time without the clothes grabbing. "Only speak with him. Go anywhere you shouldn't and he'll know."

He took the offered hand and smirked in a way that almost made her pull it back. "I've already seen everything I need to, my dear. A willing participant allows much deeper access than those unsuspecting."

Reader's eyes took on their purple glow once more. After a few seconds, she heard Talon's voice echoing through her head. 

...hello, Reader. 

Pause. 

Yes, I'm aware of who you are. 

Another pause. 

Talon. 

Athira quickly realised she was only hearing one side of the mental conversation and wondered if Talon found it as frustrating as she did.

If I had a name like that, I'd be getting a refund. Pause. I don't think so. Longer pause. You, my little purple colour, don't quite understand what you're dealing with, do you? 

Athira felt him search for the right words, the suspicion that he was trying to keep her in the dark about the subject of discussion growing with every vague word. 

I suggest you reconsider yourself, Reader, said Talon. You presume a lot about the situation that I can assure you haven't fully grasped. Pause. No. I think, to be completely honest, that this conversation is over. 

Silence stretched on a few seconds longer before Reader released Athira's hand, a scowl threatening to smudge the mask of indifference he usually wore. 

"Thank you," he said smooth as ever, managing to reduce the scowl to a down turned corner of his lip. "It was most... enlightening, you could say."

"Wouldn't be thanking anyone just yet," said Raph, heavy steps carrying him to stand beside Athira, Shift and Kione close behind. "It appears that you're out of your cell."

For the love of colours... he's not, is he Tal? thought Athira. Please tell me he's not.

I think he is.

"Your powers of observation are ever so perceptive, Raphael," said Reader. "It's surprising your colour is red, really."

"Where's Talia and Zoe?" demanded Raph. 

"Can't be certain," said Reader with a shrug. 

Raph stepped forward. "You managed to find Athira just fine." 

"Yes," said Reader. "Athira. Last I checked, she is neither blonde nor three people, and I only happened across her because she was acquainting herself with the floor."

"Raph," Athira said slowly, taking note of his spread feet and raised hands. "What are you doing?" 

Raph didn't even glance at her. Red flickers of colour were forming at his hand. "It's our duty to ensure these criminals don't escape."

"We don't have time to waste on them!" said Athira. She threw an arm in the air like hitting it would release the building frustration. "The Wardens have Zoe somewhere in this damned place, or is putting some criminal away more important to you than she is?"

"Weren't they with you?" asked Shift. "Talia and Zoe? I was with Raph and Kione until they came back for me, so we just assumed they'd split us by gender."

Athira folded her arms. "I woke up alone in an empty room tied to a chair before a few Wardens came to chat. I imagine they're still playing the 'escape the room' adventure game I left them with."

Nobody took a step forward after an approving glance from Reader. Her colour was still active, and Athira couldn't help but notice the short, distorted patch of air behind her and wonder if Tracker was there, hidden behind bent light. 

"We didn't abduct Athira, if that's what you're getting at," she said. "When we found Athira, Reader tried to read her 'scape to figure out what was wrong. One second of contact and his skin blistered, and you think we somehow managed to drag her all the way here?"

"You have anything to back that up?" said Raph.

"That," said Nobody, pointing at the scorch marks covering the tiles where Athira had collapsed. 

Kione looked up from the bracelet on his wrist, covered in various orange displays. 

"Zoe makes sense to separate from the rest of us, but why Talia? Because she's an elemental? I can't get a lock on either of them. Wherever we are, it's blocking just about every signal I can think of." 

"Talia might not even have been taken," said Raph. "She wasn't in the base when they came. It's possible that she's still out there."

Athira caught Shift biting his lip, the same thought no doubt running through his head as hers.

She betrayed us.

Reader didn't miss it either. 

"Drama, drama, drama," he said, shifting his weight to one foot. "It's all so petty, really. But the issue still remains, what to do?"

Athira found the question circling her own thoughts, driving her eyes to the scorched tiles. 

What to do indeed. Every syllable that slipped by stole precious seconds, seconds that Zoe could be further from rescue, seconds that would bring Athira's next collapse of colour closer to fruition. Talon's return was a band-aid fix, something she'd realised since waking up, and the only ones here with a clue about any of it were Shift and--colours help her--Reader. 

"There is no issue," said Raph. "You're going back in your cell with your new room mates. Surrender now, or we'll be forced to--"

"We're not doing this, Raph," said Athira quietly. 

She lifted her gaze from the floor and found his eyes. They went wide, like he was taking her appearance in for the first time and seeing just how unhinged her colour had become. The colour waterfalling off her shoulders hadn't subsided in the passing minutes, nor the runes returned to their usual blue. Their crimson hue was a window to the stoked furnace inside, building higher with every ignorant word. 

"Athira, you--"

"We're. Not. Doing. This," she said a second time. He didn't like being interrupted. She didn't care. "If you want to throw yourself at sixteen of them, fine. Have fun at daycare. I'm going to find Zoe before the Wardens put her in a coma."

Athira turned, intending to walk back through the door Talon had led Raph and Kione through just minutes before when Raph's voice stopped her. 

"One reason," he said. She turned back. "One reason why I should let him back into society and not reconsider your position on Indigo after we get back, Athira."

Reader inspected the back of his blistered palm with the same bored look on his face. 

"Well," he said, soothing the biting remark on Athira's tongue. "For one, I suspect Athira doesn't particularly care about her position on Indigo, so you may want to find a different threat, such as banning Shift from seeing her." A different kind of heat rose to Athira's cheeks but Reader wasn't done. "And secondly, if you attack me, I'll be less inclined to help you find the yellow Spectrum before the Wardens take everything Zoe right out of her."

Reader's expression remained oblivious to the chaos his words caused, continuing to touch the bubbles of skin with a tentative finger even as Raph, Kione and Shift flew into a frenzy of words and accusations. 

Shift was the first to get a clear word in. 

"That's it then, Raph," he said, moving so he was facing Raph, standing between Indigo's leader and Reader in a display of trust that caught nearly everyone off guard. "If he can help find Zoe, we need to take that."

Raph clenched his jaw and stared him down. "How many years working together on Indigo, Shift?" he asked. Shift didn't answer him. "All obsolete in less than two months." 

Raph turned around, pacing behind Kione who stood completely still with pressed lips. 

"You know what?" said Raph. He rubbed the sides of his head. "It doesn't even matter. Go. Get Zoe. Do whatever else it is that you'll need to lie about to me later."

"Raph--" Shift tried, reaching for his shoulder. 

"I'm done, Shift." Raph waved his attempt away. "Get out of here."

You did that, the voice whispered to Athira as she watched Raph walk off into another corridor and out of sight. Guilt flooded her throat. Their friendship wouldn't have fractured if you hadn't come along.

Thira? asked Talon. Did you hear that?

I heard it, she whispered back. Just like every other time.

"I'll talk to him," said Kione, taking a few hopped steps after Raph. "Whatever you did, I trust you. So does Raph, even if he doesn't realise it. You guys go get Zoe. I'll reconfigure whatever cameras I can get into and hide you as long as I can." 

As Kione disappeared in Raph's direction, Shift ran a hand through his hair. He hovered at the mouth of the corridor, looking like he wanted to chase after them before he swore and stalked back to Athira's side. 

"Shall we?" he said, voice dead. 

Athira gave him a silent nod. Out of habit, she reached for the cowl of her cloak. The colour obeyed her wish, and it was only after it covered her head that Athira remembered it was made of colour. 

She rubbed her fingers across the edge. It's hardened.

Reader, after a few quick words with Nobody and the Tracker-sized patch of air beside her, moved towards the corridor opposite the one Athira was near. 

"The likeliest place for Zoe to be is down here," he said. "It's where they conducted all their Spectrum related experiments. I was there several times a day reading the mindscapes of various potential Spectrum and colourless. Quite enriching, I assure you." 

Shift nudged the boot of the unconscious Warden. "What about him?"

"I've already wiped the memories from the Warden you took out earlier," said Reader, gesturing at the slumped man. "Replaced them with a memory of the Owl knocking him out and walking out of here with me, unless you can think of something more suitable for your current... look."

"Sounds fine," said Athira, sparing a glance at Shift before she followed Reader into the prison depths. "Let's go."

He trudged after her in silence, wearing a look that told Athira exactly what he thought of how the conversation with Raph had gone. 

The voice's words echoed through her head. 

You did that.

Reader led them down, deeper and deeper into wherever the Warden's facility. The temperature dropped, or at least Athira assumed it had by the way Shift and Reader were rubbing their arms. 

The grey tiles never let up, paving the ceiling, walls and floor of anything Athira could see with the exception of the metal doors and the occasional window. They made her steps blur together and smoothed the semblance of time it took to make them as the trio pressed on. 

She came to a door, glancing at Reader behind her. He shook his head and she continued forward, eyes scanning the fluorescent lit hallway ahead for any sign of Warden. 

You feeling okay? asked Talon. Seems a little unsteady out there.

Athira squeezed her eyes. Fine. Just a little nauseous is all. Kind of feels like my throat wants to leave.

Like with the disturbances? said Talon. Didn't we attribute them to the Sleeper's presence breaking into the physical world?

Are you thinking there's something Sleeper related around? she asked. 

I'm saying we should keep it in mind. 

Athira raked her nails across the runed surface of her skin. At some point, the colour infecting her clothing had solidified into something more tangible as she'd guessed it would. On the rare occasions it happened, the colour only remained malleable until she regained control, eventually sinking back into her skin. 

This time, it showed no signs of retreating, but the cloak no longer dripped black tears to the tiles below, which was something. 

Are you going to tell me what Reader wanted? asked Athira. 

Things concerning spirit animals, from what I gathered, said Talon. Although I had no idea what he was referring to half the time. Feel like explaining a little more?

What's there to explain? said Athira, hoping his new position couldn't see her fingers curl by her side. You heard Reader. You're bound to my particular colour, not the colour as a whole. Good enough for now. 

Thira, said Talon. I live in your mind. You know as well as I do that it's only a short term fix. If binding me to the colour as a whole will let you control it, keep Rathe down, then isn't it worth a shot?

And what if I lose you completely? Athira swallowed. What if we try to bond you to the colour and the colour just... destroys you? What if I can't talk to you any more, or it doesn't work? She hesitated, composing her thoughts out of their jumbled mess. What...what if I lose you? 

Awh, said Talon. Thira, I didn't realise you had it in you. You're so cute.

I'm being serious, Tal. I was without you for less than twenty minutes and almost transformed into a puddle. 

A very nice puddle, mind you.

Athira's feet carried her around the corner. On the left side of the corridor, a sliver of deep brown painted the wall and scattered across the floor to break the monotony of grey. She paused as she passed it, touching her fingers to the cool surface. 

What is it? asked Talon as she kept walking. 

Dirt, said Athira. Looked like someone's tunneled in. The tiles from the wall were on the floor under the dirt, like they've been pushed off. 

Another mystery. Quick, detective hats on!

They left the tunneled hallway through a larger metal door that took Athira's colour three seconds to pull aside, despite the fancy runes and locks inscribing it. It opened out into a larger cavern, if you could call it something so primitive. 

The ceiling was several times higher than anything Athira had seen of the Warden's facility so far, rivaled only by the height of the room the machine generating Sleeper gas had been. Even so, the expanse of the one before her now dwarfed the facility she'd destroyed. 

It was impossibly huge. From their vantage point on the ramp leading to the floor of the room, Athira could see the entirety of the neat layout. There were rooms inside rooms, large glass windows in some while others were completely sealed off from the outside world but all connected with corridors several people wide. 

Many seemed to be divided into blocks, the sections identified by slightly narrower corridors. Every room had a flat ceiling, additional walkways connecting them from above to the three, two-story high towers that watched over the rest. 

They must have some serious runes on this ceiling to stop the whole thing collapsing, noted Talon after seeing it through her eyes. Also someone really, really likes grey tiles.

You can say that again, thought Athira.

She backed up a few steps, turning back to where Shift and Reader were supposed to be following behind her. What she saw was Reader sidling up to Shift, and Athira had the feeling she'd missed a significant conversation.

"All I'm asking is--" began Reader. 

"I'm not doing it!" said Shift, shoving Reader away. "And if you ask me again, I'll put a new rune in the centre of your chest and see how much you like them after that!" 

Athira extended a hand and grabbed Reader by the chest. She lifted him up, placing him several paces away from Shift who was resembling a caged tiger with every passing second. 

"Care to explain?" she asked. 

"Reader," said Shift like the word was poison, "wants me to read the runes, and I'm not doing it."

"Rune, Shift, not runes." Reader crossed his arms. "Honestly, you'd think I'd asked him to wash my underpants for a month with the way he's reacting."

Athira approached Shift, not sure how to handle his sudden change in demeanor. He seemed to be avoiding looking at her, his eyes constantly traveling between the space next to her and the floor. 

"What rune, Shift? The ones on my arms, or are there--" 

"The one on your chest, dear," said Reader. "Your boyfriend here has a talent with blue colour, one most blues don't have the capacity to harness. For some reason he seems to be terrified of the idea."

Athira glanced down, half expecting to find a new rune blazing on her torso. Finding nothing but the colour infected clothes and feeling slightly awkward, she looked back up, hoping one of them would bring her out of the dark. 

Any idea what they're talking about? she asked Talon.

Nope. 

Reader seemed to be waiting for Shift to say something, leaning up against the wall with an all too casual expression of amusement tweaking his features. 

Shift spun on his heel, pacing back towards her. "Thira, do you remember, back in the sewers? I mentioned that I don't like blue colour, that... that it scares me?" 

He rubbed the heel of his hand across his forehead. "This is related to that. Those runes Reader's talking about, when I shift blue colour, I can see them. They're right there, in the centre of every person's chest, the point to their existence laid bare."

"It is what the markings of fate tend to be," said Reader idly. "The essence, destiny and fate of a person, twined into a singular symbol that adorns their being, invisible to all but a select few blue colours talented enough to read the pure language the Titans left to guide us."

"Just because I can see it, doesn't mean I want to," said Shift, eyes still directed at the ceiling. "And I'm trying very, very hard not to since shifting this damned colour."

"Could you, though?" asked Athira. "Would this rune tell us anything? It's just a word, right? How bad can it be, Shift?" 

Shift was shaking his head. 

"It's not just a word, it's the word that describes that person. It's like someone's taken every aspect of a being, every possible minute detail they could to describe them and boiled them down to a single word, but you can still see remnants of the details they used to get it and it's unnerving as hell."

Shift's voice was barely more than a whisper, hands now covering his eyes. 

"When I first saw mine, the first time I shifted blue," he said. "I remember being excited. How awesome was it that I could simply borrow some blue and know everything important about myself as I grew up? Use it as a cheat sheet to see where I'm supposed to be going, if I'm on track in life, you know?

"So a few weeks later, I shifted it again just to see my rune, how it'd developed, but it was exactly the same. It didn't have the slightest difference to it, and neither did anyone else's I'd happened to glance. Maybe I hadn't waited long enough, right? Three months later, exactly the same. No change. Seven months. A year. No difference from the first time I'd seen it."

His fingers locked, back pressed against the wall. "That was over a decade ago, and the rune still hasn't changed." Shift snorted, staring at a fleck of blue dancing across his fingers. "The irony in it? The rune says change. That's what I am. Change. And yet, I can't change my rune, this marking of fate. I'm bound by it." 

"And if everything is marked," said Reader. "If everything about us is predestined by beings greater than ourselves, how could we ever possibly--"

"Yea," said Shift. "We get it, Reader. Enough with the philosophical crap." 

Reader shrugged. "It is interesting to note, however," he said after a moment. "Zoe's rune is 'Energy', from what I've gathered from the mindscape of a particular blue Warden. You both appear to be a pure incarnation of your colour." He looked at Athira meaningfully. "I bet we could find a third if someone would just direct his eyes to a young lady's chest for a moment. It's usually not a problem for men your age, Shift."

"Why can't you see the runes, Reader?" asked Athira quickly. "Surely they'd be in a mindscape, even if they're deeper than usual?" 

"Tried that," said Reader. "I assume it has something to do with mindscapes being able to grow, shrink, develop. These runes are a little more permanent than that."

Athira crouched beside Shift. 

"Don't ask me to read it, Thira," begged Shift. "I'll do it if you ask me, but I don't want to."

Talon was eerily silent in her mindscape as Athira stood beside Shift. 

"It might give us something on Rathe," she said softly, taking his hand. "At the very least, we'd get a clue as to what he intends for me, what I'm supposed to do. Isn't that worth it?" 

Shift closed his eyes. "You're braver than I am," he said.

Athira squeezed his fingers. "When you have a Sin living in your mindscape, you don't have much choice. You pick up whatever pieces you can and keep going, because it's all you can do. Time doesn't stop because I don't feel like dealing with it."

Shift's blue eyed gaze surfaced from his lids, rested on her face for a moment before sinking to her chest and focusing on something she couldn't see. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, licking his lips. 

"Portal," he said at last. "It says portal."

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A/N - Vote if you liked chapter, comment if you feel like being super duper awesome to me =]