Chapter Thirty-Two

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

The wind shrieked past her ears as she shot through the air. Her hair was forced back, her face felt like peeling off from the gale, and her cloak rippled behind her.

As she shadowed neared the wall, Cadence pushed against it, working against the previous force that sent her forward. The push countered her previous trajectory. She hit the wall just as she plunged both daggers into the stone. Celestium screamed against stone as Cadence slid, clinging onto the hilts for dear life. Her fall came to a stop when the daggers found purchase in the wall, jerking her arms painfully as the momentum halted, and leaving her dangling at least fifty feet off the ground.

Cadence laughed. It worked. It actually worked.

None of the Walker Hunter bothered to look up, their attention focused on the people trying to pass through the gates. They simply did not believe anyone would be foolish enough to climb the Great Wall. The Walls had kept out an entire army before, but Cadence was not an entire army.

She closed her eyes, sensing her surroundings for shadows she could use. The wall was an uneven structure with rocks that jutted out too much and rocks that had caved in from age. The protuberant stones cast their own shadows, visible enough for her pull on. Cadence pulled her way up, then pushed back at the shadows below.

Up and up she ascended, her arms moving like clockwork. One hand on the shadow above and one pushing at the previous shadow.

Push and pull. Push and Pull. Although she had her Affinity to help, her shoulders ached from the effort, especially her injured side.

The wind turned from a gale into a blood-curdling hurricane as she continued to scale the Great Wall. Cadence had to push and pull harder, for the gale beat her down. Twice she almost slipped, but she clung on for dear life.

Stop. Her muscles begged. We can't do it anymore.

The white top broke through her sight.

We have to. We must.

The temperature dropped. Although it was Spring, the tails of winter were still trailing behind, ready to drag down any unfortunate souls brave or stupid enough to taunt it.

So close. With one final push, Cadence soared above the top of the wall and landed on her side. Her cloak cushioned her fall. Her shoulder screamed from the impact, but her body was still intact.

Cadence flopped over on her back and splayed out her limbs. She did it. She had climbed the Great Wall.

She looked up and saw the last of the sun vanish behind the horizon, bringing out the stars and velvety darkness.

The eyes of the Dewas. There were hundreds, no, thousands of them, bearing down on her with their graceful beauty. Cadence lifted her arm and tried to touch one of them.

Papa, papa, are you up there? Can you hear me?

If her father heard her, she didn't know, for the stars only continued to wink and blink.

She was so lost. Her entire goal rotated around training to become a Walker as fast as she could so she could unlock the secrets of raising the dead. Bring her father and Master Orelik back, and she could die in peace. Maybe the Dewas would even allow her to traverse to Syurka. Now, Khazaria was dead, her mentor was dead, the only people capable of teaching her the art of shadows were all gone. She had swept her brother under a shell, barring him from her abilities, her secret training with Ales and ultimately, their father's real cause of death.

The wooden charm on her hand felt heavier than a boulder. Cadence grasped it and brought it up to her lips. She kissed it, feeling the rough wood brush against her lips.

What should I do now?

There was no one she could turn to without fearing for her life. Her dreams of redemption were shattered utterly and completely. She had no reason to live or even train as a Walker anymore. There was no significance of her trying to raise Master Orelik, Khazaria was dead. If she were to raise Khazaria as well, her Soul would be cast into oblivion. The thought of ceasing to exist, not even as a Soul in either Syurka or the Underlands scared her. She can only give up two Aspects, the last Aspect was purely hers.

But what about redemption? You killed all of them, Cadence, the Polong whispered in her ear. You even killed Ales. He was just trying to protect you, even if he did the wrong thing.

Cadence screamed into her fist, so her voice would not thunder through the arcs of the wall and to the Walker Hunters below.

You promised you won't ever leave me alone again. You promised you'll be there for me!

She could still remember Ales' words, he promised.

I will catch you. I won't let you fall.

Ales was dead. Cadence couldn't ask him anything about Taras or whoever this Master was. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to be angry with Ales. He was working with the Hunters, but he only wanted to bring back someone he loved. Wasn't Cadence the same, even if it meant betraying someone close and dear?

Yet, Ales chose to turn his back on the Hunters for her, he killed the Walker Hunters and took her to safety, even when his stomach was slashed open and he was holding his guts in. He chose the right thing, and it cost him his life.

What about her? Was she doing the right thing?

The stars suddenly seemed to burn—bright, angry torches in the sky.

She was still a Walker. Her three Aspects were still intact but she was only willing to part with two. There were so many dead, who should she resurrect?

Cadence turned her tear-stained face to the sky and screamed until her teeth drew blood on her fist. She wanted to lie there on the wall and just...close her eyes and try to forget about everything just for a moment.

You should bring Khazaria and her father back, her inner voice whispered. They owed you nothing.

What about Papa? He owed me nothing too.

You can see him when you right your wrong. He is your kin, but the Oreliks weren't. Right the wrong, Cadence. Right the wrong.

But I am so tired...

She crawled to her feet and stared down five-hundred feet below. Everything, from the Hall of Games to the town, from the mountains to the immerse stretch of forest below, was insignificant and minuscule. The legends were true, she could see everything from the top of the Great Wall, but Cadence's heart was too heavy to even admire the beauty of Moskava.

Go to Eyria, her inner-voice said. Find the living Walkers. Learn the craft of the dead.

I don't think I have the energy to do so.

Cadence closed her eyes and summoned the faces of the people she loved—her father, Cole, Ales, even the imaginary face of the mother she never knew.

I love you, all of you.

She threw out her arms, feeling the winds press back against her body. Her cloak fluttered behind her. She pictured Cole's laughter, her father's smile, the mad glint in Ales' eyes, and pitched forward.

The fall reminded Cadence of the time when Ales had shoved her off the top of the Hall of Games, yet it lacked the panic and fear she had felt. It felt natural, the rushing wind soothed her as she soared closer and closer toward the ground. Cadence still remembered the first time she went shadowrunning, it was her first taste of freedom where no power in the world could stop her.

As she continued to fall, she saw Ales—a fleeting ghost running with her—just like before; the two of them conquering the night sky.

She didn't want to break her fall. Let this continue, and when the final moment came, she would be liberated. But the Polong destroyed every single barrier Cadence had enclosed it. It shrieked in a voice so shrill and powerful, Cadence's head rang.

ARE YOU BLOODY INSANE?

As if controlled by an internal force, her hands shot out of their own accord and pushed against her nearing shadow. The moonlight was dim, but it was enough for her to push against. Her Core was drained utterly as every single bit of her Energy was channeled into slowing her momentum. It was a tremendous push, a push so powerful Cadence never knew she had the ability to summon. Her fall slowed, and she fell onto a patch of grass, unhurt.

What the hell was that?

Cadence heard the clinks of an exiting carriage. She hurriedly picked herself up and flattened her body against the wall. Torches emerged, their lights flicking as Taras yelled at his men to search more thoroughly.

"There are only so many places a Walker can hide in this damn city," he bellowed. "We have hundreds of men, scour every hook and cranny, I want that Walker captured."

Cadence used the darkness to her advantage and sneaked into the dense forest outside the gates, far away from the main road. If they could lay siege to an entire city just to find a Walker, they no doubt have other people stationed all around the area. She could trek through the forest, it would be just like the forest in Azrapol. Woods and animals didn't scare her now that she could protect herself. Even if she came across Rakasha, she had Celestium blades. Perhaps, if she could reach the next city, she could find a way to get back to Azrapol and then think of her next move.

As she wandered deeper into the forest, the lights of civilization dimmed and then vanished. Cadence couldn't risk lighting a torch until she was concealed enough by the surrounding trees.

Using only the moonlight as her guide, she navigated her way through tangles of roots, almost walked into holes twice, and was scared out of her wits when bats fluttered past her. The wet smell of tree sap was everywhere. It clogged Cadence's nose as she continued trudging through the woods.

She drew Samudra. The blade gave her reassurance and a little spurt of courage, although she had no idea where she was going.

Cadence stopped to catch her breath. Her Affinity did little to help her now. The Polong for once, was out of snarky ideas. It had saved her from going splat on the ground. She didn't want to believe the Polong was somewhat a part of her ever since she had released it from its prison.

I gave you so much more. So much more...

She did not appreciate whatever the Polong had done to her. If she ever got the chance to visit the Silverbird, Cadence would ask him to remove the vile creature from tainting her mind any further.

But I saved your life, foolish girl. If you would collaborate with me, I could shower you with gifts so powerful, you couldn't even imagine it.

Shut up. Cadence slammed a mental door right in its bony face.

She looked up and saw a small flicker of light. It was very brief, but Cadence was certain it was there. She angled her head to the side, catching a small branch in her hair, but she saw it again—a lamp light.

Exhausted, cold, and aching all over, Cadence approached the light. She would scout the area first, then only seek shelter when she was certain there were no Walker Hunters lurking around.

She walked with caution. Even the slightest snap of twigs, the slightest crunch of leaves would give away her position. The woods cleared into a small area with a log hut in the middle. It resembled the huts lumberjacks took shelter in Azrapol—roofs made from split wood and hay, and walls made from wood held together by mud. She had visited Cole's working site once. Log huts might not look much from the outside, but they were great places to hide from the cold.

There was a fire pit outside the log hot where ashes lay cold within a stone ring. Cadence estimated that the owner of the log hut must have left for quite a while, but then again, who lit the lamp?

She couldn't understand why anyone would want to live in an ominous forest which looked as if it wanted to consume any living creature. The woods were unmarked, unexplored, not even the Kesatria would go attempt to encroach. These were undisturbed lands, at least, until Cadence came crashing into it like a bull.

She waited for a while, counting down the minutes in her head. The lamp continued to flicker on the windowsill, causing shadows to erupt into a rhapsody.

There was no other movement, not even the slightest bit of disturbance. She inched toward the door and pushed it open. The wooden door creaked as it swung inward, making her cringe. She poked her head in to find an enclosed space of two rooms—a small common space and a bedroom.

"Anyone home?" she whispered.

Nobody answered her. Cadence entered the hut and shrugged off her cloak. She hung it up on the pegs behind the door and proceeded to find some firewood.

"I'm going to borrow this place for a night," she announced. "I'll be gone tomorrow morning, you have my word."

Even though Cadence felt stupid addressing someone who wasn't even present, she needed to respect the owner. She was trespassing. If anything happens, she was at fault.

She found a small pile of dried wood at the back of the hut. She dragged it out and was rewarded by a handful of spiders and a face full of dust. Coughing and spluttering, she grabbed a hasty armful and exited the hut. She arranged the firewood neatly in the pit and extracted her flint.

It took a few tries to get the fire going. Cadence sat beside it, rubbing her hands and then holding it out in front of the flames. She sighed, trying to plan her journey tomorrow.

She needed to do something about her cloak. It was far too recognizable. Her recruit robes screamed treason, she needed to get rid of that as well. Cadence recalled seeing a small rattan chest in the bedroom. Perhaps the owner placed their clothes there. She could leave them some coins as payment for her lodging and the clothes.

When she no longer felt like a frozen nugget of meat, she snuffed out the fire and headed back to the hut. The first thing she did was to turn out the rattan chest, where she found several white tunics and faded breeches inside. Cadence pulled them out, then frowned when she realized they were far larger than she had expected.

The owner of the hut must be an enormous person. The tunic could easily pass as a dress if Cadence slid it on, but she wasn't going to complain. She could cut off the lower part of the tunic and tie up the breeches. As for her hair, she could cover it up with the leftover cloth. She would resemble a normal peasant girl. That would throw the Walker Hunters off her scent for a while.

After setting aside a tunic and a pair of breeches, she unrolled the thin blanket and climbed onto the bed.

She frowned. There was a large scorch mark on the bed. What was queerer was that the scorch mark was shaped suspiciously like an enormous man. It was as though someone was burned on the bed and was removed only after a long while, or the owner didn't have the money to change the sheets.

Cadence preferred to think of the latter. Tired and burned out, she closed her eyes and slept. She didn't dream at all. For once, the dead Khavarosks and the Polong kept silent throughout the night, but it wasn't her dreams that woke her up this time.

Her quiet sleep lasted until the front door was blasted open with a force so powerful, it splintered apart. Cadence leaped to her feet, reaching for her daggers as a tall shadow loomed in the doorway.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net