Chapter 12 - No Clue

  Alex stays out of view of the doorman, moving around to the other side of the building and keeping the structure between himself and The 1 Buffet. Then for good measure, he crosses another street before adjusting his heading to get back to the direction he had been going.

  True to Corvus’s word, he wasn’t being pursued. Even so, Alex doesn’t relax. He holds onto the tension, the fear, and most importantly, the anger. The moment the ram-demon swung his fist replaying in Alex’s mind on loop. He barely notices when the buildings start to thin out, the town’s outer-edge sprawling far further on this side.

  On the Nexus side, even the edge of town had been somewhat compact. But on the side heading away the buildings were far more spread out, and there didn’t seem to be any methodology to the placements. There weren’t even real ‘roads’ or even paths, just trails over the stone. The buildings themselves were more ramshackle too, some just boxes made of stone.

  As lost as Alex is within his own thoughts, it takes Corvus speaking up to alert him to a real change in the environment. “Alex, be cautious. The creatures of Hell largely avoid the Nexus Points and their surrounding towns.” He says, finally getting Alex to look up. “However, we are crossing into unclaimed territory. There will be a danger of attack by wildlife.”

  That makes Alex pause. He glances around, looking behind himself in shock. He can barely see the outskirts of Last-Stop. “How long have I been walking?” He asks, trying to shake off the melancholy that had overtaken his spirit.

  Corvus hmmms and then says softly, “Nearly a couple hours.” The crow flutters down to land on the knapsack again. “Alex, are you well?” Corvus asks.

  The question catches Alex by surprise. It was the first time Corvus had inquired about his condition, or asked Alex anything about himself. “I… uh… No. No I’m not.” He admits, beginning to walk again. “I can’t get it out of my head. Seeing that bastard just kill someone.” Alex says, a growl churning in his throat.

  Corvus hops from the knapsack up to Alex’s shoulder. “You care strongly. Even for the fate of a person you never knew.” He says, cocking his head. “You display compassion and empathy for people who just briefly cross your path.” Corvus says these things in the same manner of a scholar noting an observation. No hint of judgement, or approval. Just statements of what is.

  Alex scoffs. “Are those things so rare?” He asks. “If so, no wonder places like that exist.” Then Alex thinks of something that sets his blood boiling once again.

  “You’re powerful. It’s obvious by the way Mora reacted to you. Not to mention your comment of you just being with me could ‘solve problems’ for me. Why didn’t you stop that? Why haven’t you stopped the places like that?” He ask, rolling his shoulder to dislodge the bird from his perch.

  As Corvus flaps into the air, Alex turns to him with anger burning in his eyes. Corvus gives a few more wingbeats then dismisses his guise, appearing before Alex as his true form. The crow-demon lowers his head. “If I were able, Alex, I promise you I would.” He says softly with genuine grief layered deep over his words. “But my title prevents me. I am ‘The Guide’. I am also ‘The Carrion Lord’.”

  This time when Corvus speaks the titles, Alex notices the same warping of sensation with the first one. But when Corvus intones the second title, the effect is vastly different. For a moment, Alex’s perception is filled with innumerable black wings and feathers dancing on a non-existent wind. And behind Corvus, an immense emblem of twisted lines and glyphs appears in purple hues. And in the span of a single heartbeat, it’s gone.

  Alex stumbles, falling backwards onto his rump. He scrambles backwards away from Corvus, away from that immense display of power. Alex suddenly sucks in a breath, the shock having made him forget to breathe. “What… what the hell..”

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  Corvus calmly kneels down in place, taking a knee so he doesn’t loom over Alex. “Titles grant great power. They also can impose rules on the ones holding them. Mine are such titles. Being a guide means I can instruct, I can suggest, I can advise. But I can not push you down a path, nor can I interfere with the paths others have chosen. The other title is trickier. I can not ‘hunt’, I can not pursue. I can only claim what others have discarded.” He explains calmly.

  Alex swallows, trying to calm himself. “So you couldn’t have done anything?” He asks, the astonishment gradually abating.

  Corvus shakes his head. “Not directly. But I am doing something. What I can. Trying to guide the right pieces into the right places.” He says, giving Alex a meaningful look.

  Alex sits up, then gets to his feet. “So manipulating people like me.” He accuses, the spark of his anger still lingering.

  The crow doesn’t answer for a long moment, but when he does, it isn’t to challenge Alex’s assertion. “I can not choose your path for you. I can only guide you to points where you are able to make the choices. Once made, it becomes my duty to guide you on that path. The choice is ultimately yours and yours alone.” He says, then sighs. “But those are obscure equivocations. Yes Alex, to a degree I am manipulating you.”

  The open honesty from Corvus deflates Alex’s anger. He sits silently for a moment, watching the crow’s face. As the moment stretches on, Alex finally finds the words to say. “Corvus, I’m sorry. Everything you’ve pushed me towards has helped me so far. You’ve been a good guide. I just… I’m angry.” He balls up his fists. “No, I’m fucking pissed.” He corrects, then takes a breath and relaxes his hands. “But it isn’t your fault. You didn’t make that shithole, you didn’t kill that person. You seem as bothered by it as I am, in your own way. I shouldn’t be lashing out at you.” Alex says and gets to his feet, dusting himself off.

  Then Alex steps over to the still kneeling Corvus and offers his hand to the crow-man. Corvus takes it and Alex helps him to stand. “I should be lashing out at the things I’m actually angry at. And I get the sense that’s the direction you want to point me in. So, let’s do it.” He says to Corvus.

  The crow nods, then returns to the bird guise and takes his usual place on Alex’s knapsack. “Yes, Let’s.” He replies.

  Alex starts to walk again, but pauses after only a few steps. “But, hang on… Where are we even going?” He asks. “I just kind of picked a direction and started walking, but I have no clue where to go.” He says, reaching up to scratch his head.

  Corvus lets out a brief chuckle. “Trust that instinct. If you feel a pull in a particular direction, follow it. Many things in Hell are built on Intent. And even subconscious intentions can influence how you interact with the world.” He explains before extending a wing in the direction Alex had started off in. “That way lies one of Hell’s larger cities. It is a long distance from us, and you will need to traverse several claimed territories to reach it. But I suspect that may be the place you need to be.”

  Alex nods and focuses in that direction. He isn’t sure he really feels a pull, but when he turns away from it, he does notice a change. It’s subtle, almost imperceptible. Like he has a hint of apathy for going that way. But when he turns back towards the direction Corvus pointed, he once more feels… something. And that’s good enough for him.

  Alex picks a spot in the distance and tries to step off to use the Intent-movement. But it fails to work. “Guess my mind is too mixed up to use that still.” He mutters and instead sets off at a determined pace, putting one foot in front of the other.

  The scenery of Hell isn’t uniform, Alex realizes. As he moves further from Last-Stop, the cavern-like surroundings open up more and more. Looking up, Alex even sees clouds forming, a sky encased by stone. Beneath his feet, the stone starts to be replaced with gravel. Shoots of plant-life breach the rocks to reach for open air. Even some trees start to dot the terrain, short scruffy things that more resemble overgrown bushes than proper trees. In its own way, Hell is beautiful. And as the hours start to stretch, Alex begins to feel his chaotic emotions and thoughts settle back down.

  Rather than make another attempt at the Intent-movement, Alex decides to just walk. The physical effort feels good, and with Corvus’s warning earlier about wild-life, it might be best to save his focus. So for the meantime, Alex decides to sate his curiosity again.

  “So Corvus, what other skills can I learn that won’t require me to have any Animus?” He asks, looking over his shoulder to where Corvus rides on the backpack.

  The crow regards him with one of those black-marble eyes. “There are a few. Minor telekinesis, minor telepathy, and minor sensory augmentation. Where would you like to start?”