Legacy

Chapter 5: Shooting Stars of Silver

I could inhale the silvery threads of magic spiralling through the air. It tasted acrid and floral all at the same time: both addictive and dangerous. Ashes covered the ground, silver remnants covering every possible surface. It crunched underfoot and released a hiss of smoke. 

Just breathing in the trails of magic made me feel more alive.

"You checked one of the patrol didn't follow us?" I asked Valeryan. Though the patrols weren't human, they were to be reckoned. Small, round machines that flew around as Solace's spies - most of the time, you didn't even see them until they registered your magic and eye signature. And we were far out of bounds of the city - far enough that the patrols might be very interested as to why we were here.

After all, it wasn't technically legal to be shooting up on other people's magic. 

Out here, it was less steel and glass structures: it was ashes and broken buildings. Every so often, the Shadow attacked us - but they only ever got to the outskirts. Over time, they bit at the edges of Solace, straining to sink their teeth deeper into the metropolis. 

"There it is," Alaysa noted in satisfaction, striding over to a handful of ashes. Just through the silvery remains, I saw the familiar strip of metal: evidence of an eye signature unit. Alaysa bent down, falling to her knees so that she could hold her eye above the ground. 

Valeryan let his eyes wander down her body and I rolled my eyes. Val wasn't known for his discreetness. There was a flash of white light as it recognised her signature and Alaysa shifted upwards. She struck out, her leg swiping his so that he fell to the ground with a thump.

"Stop looking at my ass," she told him, fluidly getting to her feet.

"Ow," Valeryan said grumpily, stretching out his back as he struggled to a sitting position. "I think I've broken my back. It's possible that every single bone in my body has been broken. I repeat: I have no bones left in my body." 

Alaysa and I laughed as the entry hatch slid open, revealing a shadowed ladder, leading into questionable darkness. First time I had been here, I'd been suitably wary. So I'd pushed Valeryan down it to see if there was an ambush set up. He'd yelled in pain as he met the bottom - but I think that was more because I pushed him.

"Why don't you use those healing powers of yours you keep boasting about?" Alaysa suggested cheerfully, as she positioned her feet on the ladder. "The number of times I've heard about you being a healer would be... too many times."

"None of us get our full fighting powers until eighteen," Valeryan pointed out with a snarky smile. He rolled to his knees and managed to stagger to his feet, silver smoke rising around him as the magic ash was disturbed. "That means Katarina here won't get her leader powers until eighteen, you won't get your soldier powers - or whatever you're getting - until eighteen and the same applies to me."

Alaysa was already steadily making her way down the ladder, the sounds of her foot greeting the steel of the contraption like a constant beat. I retreated down, following the familiar sounds. "Thanks for the history lesson, Val. Now, if you manage to recover your walking capabilities, you'll be able to get to the entry hatch about a decade after it's closed."

He scowled and swiped some of the ashes from the ground, scattering it down after us. I smiled, inhaling in the ashes as I descended. I could feel the magic thrumming inside me, a creature that was being fed with scraps. Soon enough, it'll be more than just scavenging - it'll be gorging on magic.

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As we entered the underground facility, the trails of silver wreathed the room. There were flashes of coloured light and the smell of burning all around me. One girl sat against the wall, her blond hair framing her face and her eyes silver as she smoked a cigarette. She almost made it an art as she exhaled the silver smoke, just drinking in more power.