Hall of Shadows [The Celestial Chronicles #2]

Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Plan

"Soon gone is the sun,

The fringed heart feels death's wind only."

- David Gascoyne, " Light of the Sun over Artic regions"

*****

Soundtrack of the chapter: Assassination of Kings, original Witcher III soundtrack

Media: Cady's armor

*****

Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Plan

When Cady walked out of her tent, the crowd scattered. Healers whispered among themselves whilst Warriors stopped polishing their Celestial Blades. All their eyes were trained on her bare arms. Or more specifically, the beautiful tattoo adorning her right forearm, a shape that none had seen for the past sixteen years.

She held her head high. Let them see, let them see the pride of one of the last Walkers. She would not cower before them, she did nothing wrong. She would not bow to their prejudices. For far too long she had hid in their shadows, she now walked free. Cady didn't care that her robes were tattered and bloodied. All that mattered right now was that she must talk to Firaun. She had a Hall to take back from Jasper.

"Where is Firaun?" she asked, her voice rang out, clean and clear over the stunned silence. "I need to speak with him."

"You will speak with no one, Walker scum," Master Calaeno snarled. "You are not invited here."

At his words, Josh scowled, his hand flying to his scabbard. Cady held him back with a terse wave of her hand.

"I don't remember ever asking your opinion, Master Calaeno," she regarded him coldly. She had no more patience for their anti-Walker crap.

The High Priest's face swelled, blood gushed to his face so fast he looked like a bullfrog. "How dare you insult a High Priest, I will have you burned-"

She finished his sentence. "At a stake? Last time I checked, death by pyre is outlawed. We have a war to win, and we need every hand and mind we can get."

"She's right." Firaun stepped out of a tent, his crown glittering on his fair head. "Enough of this Walker-Oracle hate. The Great War has been done with for sixteen years. Wake up, Calaeno."

"But-but-but," he spluttered, struggling to come up with words.

Firaun raised a gloved hand. "I said, enough. Leave us." He nodded to several Starlets, all in full armor by the sides. From their crests, Cady could tell that they were high officers-three Warriors, a Tinker, two Naturams and an Oracle. One of them, a Naturam gave her a friendly nod.

He entered the large tent, signaling at them to follow him. Cady obliged, entering after Josh did. A rectangular table was spread out before them, heavy with a map holding information regarding the structure of the Hall of Oracles as well as war strategies, meticulously planned and drawn out on many pieces of fresh paper.

Firaun tapped a black splotch on the map. "Right now, we're very close to the Hall of Spirits. We'll just need to cross the Darkling Woods and we would be at the Hall's border. Cady, what can you tell us of the Hall's defense system after its fall?"

Cady walked forward. None of the officers flinched as she neared them. Instead, they looked at her with a keen interest, like a rare animal had just materialized before their very eyes. "A Decanate has destroyed the Hall's portcullis, all guard towers were demolished as well as the battlements."