Tower Of Mysteries

Elise's eyes hid a light glint, and her thoughts short.

"House of Valeir".

Elise nodded lightly, she didn't say anything, but she already acknowledged him as an equal.

Although Alexander wasn't aware of her intentions, he was still focused on how to survive her freakish strength. 

"With your current strength, you can't hope to seize a warm cave, but I'm willing to lend you my assistance".

Alexander stayed silent, Elise's request was too random, and he didn't like not knowing what was going through her mind.

If he couldn't understand her thoughts, then he couldn't predict her intentions, and that meant she had the advantage.

Alexander couldn't maintain his silence anymore.

"Why? We just met and mean nothing to one another, what's the catch?".

Elise approved of Alexander's cautiousness, if he wasn't, she would've found it awkward and unusual of a man in his position.

"My people ain't the type to beat around the bush, so pardon my straightforward nature... I will help you secure a cave within the central region of the gorge, it's not as good as the inner caves, but it's less risky, and the people there are only decently strong... in-exchange, you will help me kill something".

Alexander shook his head, not to refuse, but as a sign of acknowledgement, he was still cautious, if she felt the slightest disrespect, she might decide to kill him right then and there, and he really doesn't want that.

"Is it the leader of the green snake gang?With how strong you are, can't you take out his whole gang on your own? It seems a little too unnecessary to involve a rank one like me".

Elise's soft expression didn't change, but she still terrified Alexander. 

"It's not the leader of the green snake gang, in fact, this has nothing to them, what we are going to kill isn't even human".

Alexander's ears pricked.

"Is it a vile spawn? I didn't think they existed at this point in time, but I didn't see the hollow nor the tower. If the tower hasn't emerged yet, are there other non-human beings in the world?".

Alexander cleared his mind, there was no point thinking so much about something he didn't have prior knowledge of, thinking won't manifest an answer to a fixed and already existing concept.

"If you can really help me secure a warm cave, I will help you".

Alexander didn't have a reason to refuse, he needed a warm cave, he didn't have the power to get one, but Elise does.

And it's not like he had a choice, sure she gave him one, but with one party significantly stronger than the other, there's usually never an option, it's simply the stronger party deciding for both individuals.

...

Elise took a step forward, her feet sinking slightly into the half frozen mud. "Then we have a mutual understanding."

She didn't wait for him to respond.

She simply turned and walked ahead.

Alexander stood frozen for a moment. He'd thought there'd be more negotiation, maybe a final warning, but she didn't seem interested in the theatrics most people relied on for control.

So he followed.

Elise said nothing along the way, and Alexander didn't break the silence either. She was leading him deeper into the gorge.

The cold became bearable as they walked, at some point, he didn't even need to channel his essence to stay warm.

After thirty minutes of weaving around sharp crags and passing a few stiff corpses slumped against the rocks, Elise finally halted and pointed at a broken cliff slope that seemed to descend into a pit of grey mist.

"There," she said.

Alexander's eyes narrowed. At first, he saw nothing.

Then a few shadows shifted, from within the mist, people in ragged clothing if Alexander could see them clearly.

Half a dozen figures were gathered around a small cave mouth, worn cloth wrapped around their limbs and shoulders. Two were standing guard with sharpened spears. 

The others huddled inside the cave, a bright fire keeping the mist out , sounds of drinking and laughing could be heard even from where they stood.

The guards hadn't seen them yet, the mist kept them hidden, but it also prevented them from seeing anyone outside of it.

Alexander turned to Elise.

"I have no enmity with the green snake gang, a single warm cave isn't enough to convince me to start a war with them".

Elise glanced his way.

"The green snake gang's headquarters is in the inner region of the gorge, these guys are the... well it doesn't matter who they are, they are a small gang that exchange favors from the guards by trafficking young women who were either recently enslaved or born in the gorge".

Alexander thought for a moment.

"I also don't have any hostile relations with these guys, I might not look it, but I'm actually a civil man".

"You're not friends are you?".

He shook his head.

"No, I don't know them".

"That's all I needed to hear".

Elise stepped forward till there was no ground beneath her feet, she free falled into the mist.

Alexander's expression changed, but the next moment.

A body shot towards the two men guarding the cave mouth, they couldn't even react before her iron-like hands gripped their heads.

With a little strain of the muscles in her arms, she brought their two heads together and molded them into one, their skin, blood and brain matter blended into each other.

The sound was both ear piercing and nerve racking.

Alexander has seen people die before, but ever since entering the tower, he has seen men and women die in-ways he could not begin to fathom.

He began to thank god the mist covered most of it.

The death of the two men wielding spears stunned the other men, but death wasn't unusual to the slaves.

They roared angrily, swords drawn as they struck without hesitation.

Elise doesn't fight by making pointless movements or flashy fighting styles, she simply stood still and prepared to punch. Ordinary, yes. But it was what she knew best.