Media: The Hall of Games

Music of the chapter: End of My Journey by John Dreamer

The first thing Cadence saw were the great mansions of the powerful Houses. If she thought the buildings before were impeccable, the territory of the nobles lacerated her perspective.

Every mansion bore their House crests with fierce pride. Green and silver, red and black, gold and red, banners bearing different sigils and colors stroke the wind. They passed the stag of House Landowska first, followed by the thorned apple of House Khavarosk, the impaled man of House Vasiliev, the three headed eagle of House Buvian, the dragon of House Crador, and several other smaller Houses.

These were the oldest Houses in Moskava, established from the days of the Founders and had shackled the Region of Games' economy for their own benefits for centuries.

In the distance, a pair of enormous iron wrought gates, as black as night and pressed into whimsical patterns ascended from the ground. Cadence stared in awe as the carriage headed toward the gates.

"Who passes these gates?" A Kesatria from the watchtowers shouted.

"Ales Sanrovo." Cadence heard Ales shout back. "Reporting from the Region of Elements shift."

Something clinked, followed by the massive groan of shifting gears and moving metal, pushing the gates outward. Once inside, the gates swung shut behind them with a loud clang!

The carriage stopped. Kashimi opened the door and motioned for them to get out.

Cadence leaped out of the carriage, unable to bear another moment of sitting still. Her brother clambered out after her, almost losing his balance as he missed the last step of the carriage stairs.

Horses neighed. Stable boys and girls rushed about, while Kesatria exchanged conversations as they saddled their steeds. She looked up where the greatest building in the history of Moskava stood in its full glory.

Statues of every Dewa ever to walk Syurka adorned the walls, their colorful painted bodies gleaming. Winged beasts with horns, the messengers of the Dewas sat on the spires which twisted and pierced the frosty sky. The Twins—Dewa Ozanka and Dewa Saborven—held up the main door, their marble faces indifferent. Above the door, metallic filigree heralded the motto of the Hall of Games—Mata, Veta, Akta—See, Discern, Act. Everything looked so real. Cadence could almost feel the hot breath of the carved Dragon Dewa upon her and feel the water falling from the Dewa Dara's jug, drop by slow drop.

"Behold, the Hall of Games!" Kashimi announced for dramatic effects, which earned him a smoldering look from Ales as he hopped down from the driver's seat and handed the reins to a stable boy who came rushing up toward them.

"Cole," Ales said. "You follow Kashimi. He'll take you to the Kesatria Yurra. She's in charge of the Right Order."

"I'm a Mujarab," Kashimi said. "I should return to the infirmary at once, lest my service is needed. These are Kesatria matters. I wouldn't have agreed to come with you if you hadn't promised me a visit to the Region of Elements' famous winery."

"Oh, you know you don't give two frosts about the infirmary when there is wine present." Ales shook his head. Then added, "Please?"

Kashimi relented by placing a hand on Cole's shoulder.

"What about my sister?" Cole asked.

"I will lead her to the guest suite," Ales said. "Do not worry, she is in good hands."

"Come on," Kashimi said. "Let's go."

"I'll look for you," Cole leaned in and whispered into Cadence's ear. "I promise."

Cadence watched her brother leave with Kashimi with a sinking heart. Ales gave her a nudge.

Wordlessly, she followed the Ales up the main stairs and toward the Celestium plated doors. Instead of a knocker, an orb was wedged in between the two heavy panes. It was quite large, roughly around the size of an ostrich egg. Cadence stared at the purple sphere, mesmerized as she watched glittering mists swirl inside the orb. Silver tendrils crawled up from the sphere and extended over the doors, like a vine that had grown far too quickly.

"This was Founder Katya's brilliant idea. It keeps the unwanted out without the kerfuffle of security." Ales placed his right hand over the orb. "Every person who is drafted into the Right Order has their blood dripped into a twin sphere at the Hall's dungeons. Only those with registered blood could open these doors. This door was built from Celestium and reinforced steel, so don't be fooled by the pretty silver adornments. It took Kazimir two dragons to melt down these doors when he started the Founder's War."

"Dragons exist?" Cadence said. "I thought they were only stories, myths, nothing more."

"All stories have a certain degree of truth to them." He withdrew his hand. Gears whirled, metal churned, the doors swung inward. "Dragons are actually superior Rakashas. We call them the Ancients. They can assume a human form when interacting with us and then change back into their true form when under threat. They can think, reason, and were cunning. Walkers loved them, treated them as their family. They're already few in numbers to begin with, but ever since the Great War, no one had seen one."

Cadence thought of the Murka soldiers. "How will the Murka get in?"

"Every unit is led by a Kesatria who will open the doors for them. Don't worry, we don't leave anyone stranded out here in the cold." He waved a hand at Cadence. "Come on in, no one will bite you."

Familiar anger burned her face. I was wrong. They're all the same. In a Kesatria's view, Varya and Murka will never be equal.

The warm light spilling out from the crack in the door was inviting, as if beckoning her to enter. Ales held the door open for Cadence who entered the Hall.

There wasn't a hearth in sight, but the Hall was warm. The inside of the Hall reminded Cadence of the Orelik mansion, only bigger and more elaborate. The Hall of Games was an aficionado of draperies: a multitude of embroidered tapestries ranging from long to short decorated the smooth white walls, each one boasting the sigil of the six Halls. Even after the Great War, they hadn't discarded the black and silver banners of the Hall of Shadows.

As Ales led her down a corridor, she ran her hands along the walls, feeling the bumps and ridges, the warm steel that held torches along the hallway.

People hurried past them in different directions. Some Kesatria, some soldiers. Most ignored them, others nodded respectfully at Ales who smiled in return. Cadence soon lost count of how many turns and curves they had taken, and she gave up trying.

Like most of the people in the Hall, Ales walked fast, leading them into a corridor where carved faces leered at them from the walls. Every face was different. Cadence recognized the face with three eyes and a long protruding tongue from the left—she was the Dewa of Prophecies.

"Don't let the faces get to you," Ales said. "My friends think they're creepy, but these serve as the Dewas' eyes. They don't have direct contact with us, so they can only see and hear us through these statues made in their image, or through the stars in the skies."

Or faces carved into stones, trees and even drawn on the ground. That was what the Predikar said. All were held to light in the eyes of the Dewas.

"Where are we going?" Cadence asked.

"First," Ales said. "We're going to get you fed. Then, we're going to get you acquainted with your division."

"But I only got here. I don't know how to stab, or shoot, or even hold a sword."

"There's a general division," Ales explained. "All the new Murka recruits belong to the general division. After a year of training, we'll judge you based on your strengths and assign you accordingly. We have various Murka units. There's tracking, smithing, combat, scholars, medicine, archery and believe it or not, a kitchen division. The army isn't all about brute force, there needs to be a balance in the workforce. A soldier needs strategy, a leader, nutrition, and weapons in order to be efficient."

"What about my brother? Is the Varya system similar to the Murka system?"

"Pretty much." Ales directed her into yet another corridor. "They have Affinity training, which is something Murka soldiers don't have. On the other hand, Murka soldiers are taught how to block a Varya's power if they ever come into a one-on-one situation."

"You can do that?" Cadence's eyes widened. All her life, she thought that Varya were invincible. They could cure mysterious ailments normal Physicians couldn't. They could read minds, levitate, move objects with nothing but the sheer power of their will, manipulate the elements, create reinforced items that no human hands could, shapeshift, and so many other outstanding feats.

"Although Varya might appear powerful, we have weaknesses too. Our powers aren't abundant. We have limitations, and we get tired just like any other person. We're human, after all."

"This means that after I finish my training, I can defeat a Varya?"

"Like I said, we're not invincible. Think of Affinities like an extra limb, or an extra to the five senses. If you equip yourself with information that Varya are too conceited to learn, you're already ten steps ahead of them. My mentor used to say, I quote, 'read every damn thing. You never know if you're gonna need it one day.'"

Ales' words slapped Cadence in the face. The Kesatria must have noticed her sudden drop in mood, for he stopped walking.

"Was it something I said?"

"N-no." Cadence shook her head. "Nothing. We are required to read?"

"Of course!" Ales was baffled. "Reading is the most fundamental thing during training!"

"Ales, I can't read."

"Sure you can." Ales huffed. "We'll teach you. The letters are easy to pick up once you grasp the basics."

"Not that. I mean, I can read, but words walk off the pages. No matter how hard I try to focus, the words wouldn't sit still."

"Ah." Ales scratched his chin. "You're not the first person I have met with kheliruan."

"What?"

"Kheliruan," Ales repeated. "It's a condition that affects your ability to read. One of our Masters have kheliruan but he is the most skillful swordsman I have ever known."

"Can it be treated?"

"I'm afraid it is more of a mental condition than it is to the physical eye. There is no known cure, I apologize, but don't let it dampen your feelings," he added in hurriedly, seeing how forlorn Cadence looked. "I'm certain you have other gifts and talents you can put into use."

"I suppose," Cadence mumbled. What else could she do? Knit the Kesatria socks?

"Good." Ales climbed up the final step of the stairs and pointed her toward a set of doors marked with a golden feather on each side. "This will be your temporary room until we can get you sorted out. Your name has yet to be added to the list of recruits and I still need to notify the Master in charge about your sudden arrival."

He pushed open the doors to reveal a quaint little chamber.

It wasn't as large as Khazaria's room, but it held an air of nobility sophistication to it. Teal curtains were drawn, letting the winter sunlight filter through the frosted glass and into the chamber. In the middle of the room was a large bed, completed with fluffy pillows and a pearl colored quilt. There was even a dressing table, an ornate wardrobe, and her own bathtub half concealed behind a curtain. It smelled of sweet, flowery perfume, the kind that swathed the air during parties. Cadence hated it when it overpowered everything else, but when sprayed in adequate quantities, the gesture was appreciated.

"Surprised?"

"Overwhelmed." Cadence was having trouble processing the sight before her. It was too grand, too much for a someone like her. "I-I thought Murka soldiers wouldn't have this kind of luxury. I was expecting-"

"Barracks, dirty beds, filthy people?" Ales finished her sentence. "Sweet Dewas, we're civilized people. Varya or Murka, you're soldiers of the nation. You are willing to lay down your lives for us. The least we could do is to provide you with adequate provisions and lodging. This is actually one of the guest chambers. The recruits' quarters are on the lower ground. Although it isn't as grand as the guest room, I promise you that it is livable."

He walked into the room with long strides. Cadence was under the impression that if he had his cloak on, it would flutter behind him like a cape of darkness.

"Do you do this for every Murka who draft?" Cadence touched a beautifully painted swan ornament by the bed stand. That had to be porcelain.

"Well, as a matter of fact, no," Ales replied. "We found you and your brother under unique circumstances. We obtain our recruits when they sign up, and then they are admitted in batches at selected dates so we could cover their briefing. You, on the other hand, are a whole month behind the last brief. The next batch is not due until next year. So until we decide what to do with you, you're staying here."

Ales pressed a hand on the door.

"This is where I leave you. A Kesatria will greet you in the morning and guide you through all you need to know about being a new recruit of the Left Order."

"Wait!" Cadence called out as Ales turned to leave.

"Yes?"

"Um." She tried to find the words. "Will I see you again?"

Sure, the Kesatria wasn't exactly who she would call a friend, but at least it was a familiar face in this sea of strangers.

Ales smiled. "If the Dewas will it, we will meet again. Until then, I suggest that you sleep. Someone will come along and deliver you supper shortly. You've had a long journey."

The whiteness of his mask vanish as the door closed, leaving her alone in a large, empty bedroom.

She wandered around the room, touching the ornaments, the brushes on the dressing table, and finally resolved to stare at the window. From her height, everything seemed like a sprawl of twisted darkness spotted with lights. Here she was, in the heart of Moskava, staring down at the people she had spent her entire life admiring and envying.

She rubbed the porcelain swan she held in her hand with her fingers, feeling its cold, smooth surface. Was this what being a noble felt like? Was it even close to the feeling of acceptance and importance? Was this what Khazaria felt, holding an expensive brush in her hands and combing her lush hair with it?

Something hot and foul bubbled up in Cadence's stomach. She lurched, lunging blindly for the basin by the bathtub and emptied her stomach into it. Cadence heaved and vomited until there was nothing left but sour bile.

Shivering, Cadence curled up into a ball, hugging her knees and buried her head in her arms. How dare she lavish in the luxuries of the room when she had single-handedly killed the Orelik family, the innocent servants, butlers, footmen, and her own Mistress. Although Khazaria was a mean-spirited girl, she did not deserve such a horrible death.

She looked up at the tapestries in the room. The embroidered images seemed to move, the animals within twisting and stretching to take the form of a Rakasha.

Cadence squeezed her eyes tight, praying so hard her head hurt.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

She wished her brother was there with her right now, to put his arms around her and pull her into a tight embrace. He wouldn't need to say anything, his presence was enough to tell her that everything was alright, even when the world was crumbling around her.

She had never felt so alone.