Hall of Shadows [The Celestial Chronicles #2]

Chapter Thirty-Eight: To Avenge is to Annihilate

"And so I love you till I die--

Forgive my love of such brief span,

But fickle is the flesh of man,

And death cold puts the passion out."

- Edwin Sitwell, "Any man to any woman"

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Soundtrack of the chapter: The Dawn Will Come, Dragon Age OST (*points gun at you* PLAY IT)

Media: shhh ;)

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Chapter Thirty-Eight: To Avenge is to Annihilate

Cady stood in front of the army of forty thousand. Forty thousand soldiers stared back. The flags of the Hall of Games waved above their heads, the vibrant colors catching the edge of the morning sunlight.

With their High Priest in lead, they marched toward the Hall of Oracles. Even from afar, Cady could smell the stench of death, tinged with the foul odor of burning flesh and wood. The turrets of the Hall of Spirits, once proud and glorious, were now a charred gray mess. Its gold and white flag was gone, replaced by black and silver, flapping in the wind.

Firaun nodded at Cady--her cue to start her operation. She had her cape rolled in a neat bundle under her arms. With Zoroth's help, she melted into the shadows, coating her entire body in the velvety darkness so that no one could see her. She slipped into the forest, running and dodging through the roots and branches. Meanwhile, battle horns sounded, sending huge moans rolling toward the Hall of Spirits, announcing the arrival of the force of the Hall of Games.

Cady unfurled her wings, drawing the cape over them. It would be a hassle to fly while trying to keep the cape on, but she had to. She vanished from the naked eye.

"Zoroth, get me high up to that window." She pointed at the window of her dorm. It was smashed, from rocks by the looks of it. Or someone had been forced to jump through the windows, glass and all, plunging into the frigid waters of the Savage Seas. She shuddered.

With his help controlling the flying and steering, Cady was able to keep the cape wrapped around her body. She soared through the window and tucked herself into a ball, rolling and landing as silently as she could. She almost collided into a dresser when one of her wings snagged in the cloak, ripping it off her body.

Cursing silently, she ignored the stinging pain in her legs upon impact and shrugged the cape back on. Josh's Celestial Blade was strapped to her back where she could simply reach and free it in one fluid motion. The commotion Firaun's army were going to create would buy her a few moments of precious time.

Around her, the air vibrated as the very first of the bombs landed in the Hall compound. The ground trembled, shaking bits of the ceiling onto her head. Without wasting any more time, she tugged the cloak around her and sprinted forward.

You only have ten to fifteen minutes to reach the Walker. The Tinker's words were still fresh in her mind. Then, you must catch him off guard. I will give you a little device. Once you're inside the room, throw it hard on the ground and turn the other way. Do not look at the disc. The lights emitted from the disc will blind anyone with direct eye contact. Then you must take him out, at once.

"Are you really going to kill him?" Zoroth asked.

"I don't know," she replied.

The little disc, the size of a dime was cold against sweaty palms. She held it tighter, imagining the moment when it went off and leaving Jasper defenseless. Can I kill him? Can I really bring myself to bring down the final blow?