The Rise Of The Morningstar (Eng. Version)

Chapter 86 - Collision Course

Chapter 86 – Collision Course

--- Less than 1 day before the start of the war. ---

I would have stepped back if I had expected this turn of events. But the genuine shock on Adam's face made my muscles freeze. For a split second, I just stood there, watching as he flailed his arms in vain, trying to regain his balance. Stumbling, his tall frame leaned toward me, suddenly towering over me like a skyscraper beside a house.

From somewhere far off, I heard Jace call my name. I couldn't tell if it was in warning, irritation, or fear. The adrenaline now rushing through me was entirely focused on Adam. He crashed into me with full force, and we both instinctively reached for each other — him to prevent a harder fall, me to catch his weight. My fingers opened, and I heard more than saw my sword fall into the depths below. The sharp metallic clang as it hit the terrace below rang in my ears.

As soon as the rumble of our collision vibrated through my body, I knew he was going to pull me down. Adam was much bigger and heavier than me, so using my strength here was already a losing battle.

Pure instinct made my foot step back. Then another metallic sound slid through the night. Deeper and more piercing – like a wall of adamas being torn apart in the solid state. And as the ground suddenly gave way beneath me, I was the one who let out a shrill scream. Not calculated, this was definitely not part of my plan.

I hit the roof, back first, and the recoil hurled my head against the last row of tiles. For a moment I saw stars, so bright it was as if the earth were on fire. Then, without warning, our bodies slid toward the edge, set in motion once again by the slope and gravity. I waited for the gutter that should have caught us; that would have given us at least a few inches of room. But there was no gutter. At the edge of the tiles was ... nothing. And even as we slid across the roof, I suddenly identified the metallic thunder: the gutter had given way under the weight and force of our impact.

"Fucking hell," I blurted out, letting go of Adam as if I had been burned. "Hold on tight!"

Adam, practically on top of me, did just that. The others were screaming so wildly that I couldn't understand a word. Our bodies left the roof, and I reached out desperately for the tiles. My fingernails scratched at the clay, and I shuddered as a wave of goosebumps shot through me. I managed to close my hands around the end of the tiles before gravity had a complete hold on us.

We plummeted downward, and Adam let out a roar as he began flailing around me. We hadn't fallen far when my shoulders suddenly collided with something solid, pressing harshly into my upper back. Definitely not the roof anymore.

"The gutter," Adam gasped with relief, his breath smelling of scotch. I wrinkled my nose.

"Climb up," I ordered, a few octaves too panicked. "Climb up, now!"

Adam craned his neck upwards, as we were now half hanging from the roof and half hanging on the swaying, dislocated gutter. Who knew how much longer it would hold.

A strained sound escaped me. Carrying his weight in addition to my own was pure torture, though the stupid gutter took some of it. My fingers trembled with tension and the burgeoning sweat made them increasingly wetter.

Adam stumbled for air and released one of his arms from my shoulders. At least the alcohol made him not think too much, because he immediately fumbled for the bricks. As soon as he got a hold of them, he swung his right leg up and onto the gutter. In a contorted maneuver that made the gutter shake, he heaved himself up.

Murmurs from the roof told me that at least one person had climbed up in the short time. Oh, please don't let it be Jace, was all I could think. Finally, fingers closed around my wrists, and I was pulled up.