Dedicated to Jade, the amazing reason I started writing this at all. 

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Chapter 1 - Skye

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Three weeks had brought her to this agonising point. 

Three long, eternal weeks that had shown Skye exactly where her limit was and let her teeter on its edge, walking the fine line of sanity before she'd pull herself away. 

With guards at her back and dark water lurking at every other side, Skye lowered herself on to the final step of the pier. 

She inhaled through her nose as her legs slipped into the freezing water. Eyes closed, she ignored the fact that the lake wanted nothing more than to pull her under and drown her into a viscous oblivion. The extra weight of the shackles around her wrists nearly sent her over as she carefully leant forward and sank them into the water. 

It was there Skye hesitated, watching the ripples flee from her movement and marr the broken reflection. 

 I should just jump in now, thought Skye, her fingers biting into the wood of the only thing that wouldn't prefer her dead. Let the water set me free. Sacrifice one to ensure the many are safe. 

Skye forced herself to blink away from the battered elf staring back at her. If she wasn't going to throw herself in and let the shackles drag her down to ensure her silence, she needed to act. She'd be caught or she wouldn't, the only certainty in her decision that remaining idle would damn her soul to the corruption. 

That wasn't an option. 

Who knows? Skye reached further down to where sharp salvation dug into her ankle. If they catch me doing this, they might kill me anyway. 

Her fingers were within the cusp of her boot when she felt the vibrations in the wood as one of her guard approached. She stiffened, quickly redirecting her hand to her knee and hoping to the deities that the guard hadn't seen her. 

He stopped just behind her and cleared his throat. "Eh, shouldn't you remove your boots before you soak them, elfie? Leather, makes it a little difficult to dry without the sun--"

Skye looked back over her shoulder and met his eyes with a hardened stare. "Makes it a little difficult to remove them when your ankles are encircled with iron, human," she said. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, his eyes darting away. "Or are you planning to remove them for me? Perhaps return me to the forests so I may be on my way?"

The human behind her opened his mouth before lowering his hand and making a dismissive gesture at her. "Just get on with it or I'll let me men do the washing for ya."

With that, he rejoined his small squad of five, moving to stand where the wooden platform met the human-dug bank. Skye released a quiet breath before turning back to the water. 

Close. Too close.

She reached for her boot once more, faster this time as her hunter's instinct took over. Her pointed ears pricked, listening to the conversation behind her and hoping that somehow, she'd get her chance. 

"I don't see why we're the ones stuck with guarding her," said one. "We did it last week, an' we aren't even allowed to have some fun with her anymore. Y'no, rough her up, make sure she knows who's in charge around here."

"Jus' be glad you weren't with the other group, Donael. She killed most of em, she did," said another.

Murmurs of agreement coursed through the five of them, and the conversation halted. Skye felt their gazes boring into her back, their judgement and would-be punishments playing through her mind. 

That's what the other group had done. Attempted to exact their punishment on her when she didn't move fast enough. The same kindle of fury that'd driven her to steal a dagger then resurfaced now in her thoughts. 

They forced my hand when they tried to carve words into my skin.

Skye unclenched her fingers and shoved them through the water's skin with a stiff movement. She splashed some water down her arm, hoping the guards would assume she was cooperating, cleaning off the dirt and blood like she'd been told or just doing it out of fear. Whatever they believed, it just had to be enough to keep them far enough away so she could make her move. 

The first guard resumed speaking, louder this time.

"She-demon, if you ask me. There is no way she took out seven of us. Look, barely anything to her. Skip probably fell on his own sword. He was always too clumsy for his own good."

His laughter was echoed by the group and the tension between them dispelled.

"You know, that does seem like him, or did anyway..."

"I heard the other week that he..."

They were distracted.

Skye shoved her hand into her boot, grabbing the small piece of metal she'd managed to conceal within. It scraped against her ankle as she pulled it out, but the pain was little compared to the reward. She couldn't cut through the shackles circling her wrist and ankles, but she could sure as the deities above cut the rope that linked them together.

She felt for the rope binding her ankles cuffs together, ignoring the small waves she was creating and the way they lapped against her chest and cheek. Her heart leapt as her fingers touched it. She pushed it against the wooden beam supporting the steps and began to work the metal piece through the woven cord, gripping it as hard she could.

The water soaked her hunting frock but it mattered little. What was left of the clothing was already damaged beyond repair, littered with rips and tears to reveal the pale, bloodied skin underneath. It did nothing to protect her against the gathering dusk, the freezing water making the cold cling to her skin.

Skye winced as a nick in the metal bit into her palm and broke the skin. She gripped it tighter even as blood began to drift through the water around her feet and a sharp pain shot up her arm. The water made it slippery, hard to hang on to but she wasn't about to lose her last chance. If she failed now, she could hand her soul to a tainted and save them the trouble.

The last of the rope gave way, separating from its other half as the metal made contact with wood. Heart pounding in her chest, she took a moment to ensure the guards were still oblivious to the situation and keep her own body language in check.

The tone of their conversation had changed. There was a new, slightly desperate edge to the words of half the group as the others nervously dismissed their claims. 

"The Master's here, Trafe. I tell you he is! I saw him just before!"

"There's no reason for him to be here, and you know he never leaves the Citadel 'cept if the Hunter thinks it's found a Sentinel. This elfie isn't worth his time, either."

Skye gripped the wooden step between calf and thigh, leaning further in to position the remaining rope. She forced herself to calm the rising panic and lock it away, but stray thoughts escaped. If the Master was here -- if the guard was right, she was in more trouble than she'd realised.

She'd heard rumours of a corrupted shadow Sentinel that stalked Lerelia's lands, hunting mortals and Sentinels of the other elements alike to bolster his ranks. Though no one in Naisha had seen him in recent years, scouting groups came back with reports of the demons riled into a frenzy and no other explanation.

 That fact alone was enough to make Skye wary, but there were tales of his power that seemed too unbelievable to be true. Only her father's legends of the Sentinels had her believing a sliver of the reports. The Sentinels of old, before the corruption struck them down, were said to have been capable of things beyond belief with their magic, guarding the people from demonkind and bringing a sense of peace to the land. 

Now, the only things to prosper were the demons and anything else the corruption took in its grasp. It made a doomed sort of sense if this corrupted Sentinel, this mythical Master, had inherited that same power and it made her shiver. 

Skye continued to hack away at the rope between her wrists as her imagination spiraled out of control. It was more difficult than the first; she had to twist her hand to avoid cutting herself and thoughts of the Master appearing behind her to steal her soul was more than the panic building in her chest could handle.

"Didn't ya hear?" This guard hadn't spoken before, and his words grated on her nerves. The words rolled off his tongue mutilated under his accent. "Commander failed at somethin', 'e did. Heard 'im meself, begged for his life 'fore the Master."

"Failed at what?" asked the guard referred to as Donael. Skye struggled to keep her breathing steady as he continued and a new vigour entering her efforts. "All I heard was he was supposed to take hold of Darni then gather us here, and we seem pretty well gathered to me."

It was almost through. Deities, she needed a little more time. Just another minute more. Her legs burned from the effort of keeping her body still despite the cool water caressing them. Only the well trained muscles, developed from her disciplined training kept her on the step. 

"Needed information, 'e did. S'pose to get numbas, locations, anythin'. He had three weeks ta get it, an he didn't."

The guard whose use of language was barely translatable paused for effect. Skye kept pushing.

Never give up. Never stop trying, thought Skye, gritting her teeth. 

"Wasn't that when the elf--" began a guard, only to be interrupted by the previous speaker. 

The only one you can rely on is you.

"From her," he finished. 

Skye felt their eyes swivel towards her and burn into her back. She knew they were noticing for the first time how she didn't look quite like she was washing herself. 

Then the shouting started.

"Oi! Girly, what are you doing!"

Donael's voice came with the vibrations of him pounding down the stairs. He grabbed her by her hair, pulling her backwards and slamming her against the edge of a step. She cried out, hands instinctively flying to her head and unable to pull them back in time to hide her mistake.

"Damn it all. She's almost cut herself free!"

The entire group came over in a flash. Grubby hands grabbed at her from every direction aiming for her arms and legs. Skye thrashed and wriggled but they held her with an iron grip. They dragged her to the top of the pier, forcing her to her knees. She tried to stand and was rewarded with a slap across the back of the head.

"What're we gunna do with 'er!"

"You're in charge Donael! This is your fault"

"Let me think! I can't think with all you damned fools yelling!" He reached for his sword.

Thoughts flashing through her head about what he'd do with it, Skye renewed her efforts.

"Would you hold her still!" said Donael, screaming at their faces.

Their grips tightened, sending pain shooting up her arms. Fingers dug into her injuries carelessly. Donael came closer, hand curled around his hilt and face twisted into a snarl.

"You shouldn't have done that, elf," he said. "You're going to pay for it. You should have just done as we asked."

Skye gave them a humourless laugh. "Or what, you deity-less, corrupted humans will torture me until I do? Kill me, perhaps?" Skye rolled her eyes. "Oh, the horror! Deities, Spare me from this fate!"  

Donael smirked. "You joke now, but your deities can't save you from the corruption, elf." He fingered the tip of the sword. "I'm not allowed to kill you, but I'm sure the Commander won't oppose a little... discipline, given the situation." 

The sunlight caught his sword as he eased it out of its scabbard. Skye fixed her eyes on the glinting blade through a curtain of hair. Her efforts would not end like this. Donael ran a finger along the well-kept edge of the blade with the smirk still lifting his lips and Skye knew what she had to do. 

She went limp. 

The guard's grip tightened as their fingers responded to the unexpected weight, relaxing a moment after beyond the original point. It was a slight change, but enough for Skye to harness the moment. 

She twisted violently and elbowed the one on her left between the legs. He groaned and doubled over, releasing her without a second thought. Barely waiting for him to let go, she thrust her shoulder into the back of the second's knees. Support gone, he buckled under his own weight. 

The third leapt back, avoiding her sweeping leg by inches.

Breathing hard, she pushed herself up and spun around. Donael charged. Skye brought her hands up, ready to push him away until the rope still linking her wrists by a few threads caused her to falter. 

They collided and Skye was knocked to the ground. Before she could rise, Donael knelt over her, one hand against her throat, forcing a choked sound from her lips as he applied pressure. 

A snarl crossed his face, daring her to move. "Try it, elfie. Just try it. Give me a reason."

Skye's vision blurred even as she was calculating her next move. 

The glint of steel was her salvation. Blackness edged her vision as her head rolled to the side. It wasn't hard for her to lie there, faking defeat. The hard part was staying alert, keeping focused on the goal and staying above the darkness. 

When Donael released his grip on her neck, it took Skye a second to recover. Her mind screamed at her muscles to move. She felt slow and gelatinous as the order relayed around her body and she started to move, vision clearing as her hand lashed out, fingers closing around the hilt of the dagger in Donael's boots. 

His hands were fumbling with her wrist cuffs as Skye split the remaining fibres of the rope with the dagger before plunging into the side of his chest. 

Shock entered his eyes before anything else as his fingers found the place where the dagger met flesh. Fear took hold. His body folded. Donael tumbled off the edge of the platform and into the water below, taking a trapped Skye with him. 

They hit the water with a splash, his body blocking her  from the surface. Icy needles pricked her skin as she beat against his chest, desperate to remove the weight barring her from the air her lungs were already begging for. She pressed her lips together, sealing them against the water while her legs kicked wildly below her. 

Donael's body was lifted from the water by three pairs of hands. Skye clawed her way to the surface, stealing a gulp of air, trying to tell someone--anyone--that she couldn't swim before the churning water invaded her mouth and choked the words out of her.

"'e's still alive! Quick, get a medic!"

"What about the girl?"

"Screw the girl! She can climb out herself! Korrik, keep an eye on her!" 

Skye's head went under once more. The panicked, flailing movements against the insubstantial mass of water weren't enough. Sheer determination couldn't overcome her lacking experience in the water. 

The shackles around her ankles and wrists felt like rocks, her fingers couldn't grip anything to pull her body up. The water moved around them, evading them with ease. She took another gulp of water instead of air, brown and teal hair obscuring her vision further. 

"Merk! She's--"

Skye thrashed against the water even after her hands slipped below the surface, trying to pull her body back with a fierce lack of technique. She kept fighting until her limbs would no longer obey her command without receiving air.

At least it wasn't a demon to kill me. The thought drifted around her mind, settling her worry as she kicked out again. I won't turn to the corruption.

The iron of the shackles quickly dragged her down to the sandy bottom of the lake where the water laid her body down. Her limbs lay in the odd directions they'd come to rest, lungs burning for air inside her chest. 

Her mind became fuzzy. She struggled to hold on to her remaining breath, unsure why she was even doing that.  Naisha is safe. I didn't betray them. It's better now if I just--

Instinct took over thought. Water entered her mouth though her throat fought to expel it. The last of her air fled to the surface in tiny bubbles. Warm darkness embraced her barely conscious mind, pulling it away from her body. 

Skye didn't fight it.  

Curiosity made her eyelids open, trying to catch a glimpse of the force, deity or otherwise seperating her soul from body. 

A soft golden glow emanated through the water, sending out gentle tendrils of light. Like a rip in the fabric of the world, transcending the physical state of the water around it, it lit the liquid an iridescent hue... and it called to her. 

Skye's mind drifted towards it, reaching for its essence. Flecks of gold danced in the water, caressing her face, her arms and finally her thoughts, dragging them away and closer towards their source. Closer to the rip. 

You must return, little one. 

The melodic words pulled Skye from the trance settling over her mind. Confused, she glanced behind her and found herself staring at the body of an elven girl lying on the muddy floor of the lake. Her forehead was creased as if concentrating, eyes squeezed shut. Stubbornly alive, but barely. 

In a detached kind of way, Skye knew it was her. The shackles were still there, her brown hair floating like a cloud around her head having yet to settle. The teal streak was strikingly obvious in the wake of the golden light. 

She turned back to the light, wanting its embrace, the acceptance it radiated towards her but the tendrils pulled back.

Awaken that which lays dormant within you. 

The words drifted through her mind, touching her soul in places she hadn't known existed. 

Why must I return? thought Skye. The tendril-like ribbons of light reached for her, gently running along the side of her face. They'll kill me if I go back!

Your time is not now. I bring you only brief respite from your suffering, and for that I am sorry. Help arrives soon, but you must endure. I will protect you against the darkness when the time comes and you must face the Evil within Shadow, but you must return to your body for now.  Lit'anikryda. I restore you, little one. 

The tendrils withdrew, releasing Skye and re-establishing the connection between her body and soul. Her body shimmered with a faint golden light, casting a glow over the depths of the lake. A thin sense of peace stole through her, settling her mind until the golden rip of light vanished as if it had never been. 

With its absence, darkness again gripped the water, but her thoughts remained sharp. Her eyes darted around, seeking escape and she could no longer feel the inviting warmth pulling her soul into the Nether. 

Did it even happen? Skye glanced down at her body, looking for flecks of evidence. Nothing but water cushioned her limbs. Or am I already dead? Is... is this what the corruption does? Stops your soul from entering the Nether? Leaves your soul trapped inside your body? Deities, please don't--

The panicked line of thought was interrupted as something grabbed her around the chest. Too dark to see, she went to prise it off but her air-deprived limbs refused to work. The thing tightened, and dragged Skye to the surface. 

It took seconds for her face to break the water and another few for the thing wrapped around her chest to dump her on the ground beside a small yellow flower. Darkness gathered once more at the edges of her vision, water still lurking in her lungs as the thing rolled her on her side. Her being burned when it touched her skin. 

She heard something that sounded like a command, followed by a thud on the dirt behind her turned head. The black thing around her chest melted into a puddle and reformed into a spherical like object that proceeded to force the water from her lungs by thumping her ribcage. 

The sensation was agony. Skye heaved, violently coughing up the lake water and shying each time the blackened sphere hit her for encouragement. It seemed to draw the water to itself no matter the direction; the water would climb vertical nothingness only to be absorbed into the sphere. When she lacked the energy to assist, it would simply pull the water through her throat until that made her continue. 

When she spat out the last of the water, the black thing moved away. 

Black. 

Skye's skin prickled where it'd touched her, uncontrollable shivers running through her spine as thoughts spiralled around her head. 

It was black.

Corruption. Corrupted. No, no. 

Skye glanced towards where the black thing retreated, hoping there was still a way out of this with her soul intact. Instead, she found herself staring at a pair of large black boots. 

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