Hall of Games [ REWRITE ] | The Varya Chronicles #1

Chapter Eighteen

Media: Animated character banner of Cadence

Music: When It All Falls Down, Audiomachine

Kashimi discharged Cadence after four days. Every night before she fell asleep, she asked the female Healer, Healer Omin, for milk of moonflowers. The wound on her cheek had closed into a thin scar, but she could still feel it burn.

"Ales would like to see you in his office, Cadence," Kashimi had said before Cadence went off. "There are many things you need to know since you are now Varya."

Cadence kept her head low as she darted through the corridor to Ales' office. The twin snakes on the door stared at her out of their ruby-red eyes. She ignored them and knocked. "Ales?"

"Come in." Ales' deep voice rang out.

She entered the office to find Ales waiting for her with a small jeweled chest and several curios on his desk.

"Take a seat." He gestured at the armchair in front of his desk.

"What is all this?" she asked. "I thought you're going to brief me about the Varya division?"

"Everything in a good time, Cadence. I want to perform a little test on you, it won't hurt, I promise."

"What test?"

"An Affinity test." Ales leaned forward, locking his fingers together before his face before resting his chin on them.

"There's no need. I'm a Warrior."

"I have my doubts, Cadence. If you have nothing to hide, you have no need to fear."

Ales gestured at the table. Cadence stared at the displayed items—a silver dagger, a clay bowl filled to the brim with water, a lighted candle, a piece of rock, a sprig of sage and a bead of obsidian.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I want you to hold these items. They've been enchanted by their previous owners of their own particular Affinity. If you share any similarity with their traces of energy, they should resonate with you."

"What exactly do you mean by resonate?"

"You'll feel this tingle, like ants crawling up your arm, and the object will glow."

Seeing that Cadence was still motionless, he gave the silver dagger an encouraging signal.

"I don't see why this is necessary." She picked up the dagger, feeling stupid. She gave it a shake, but nothing happened.

"You don't, I do," Ales said.

"Am I supposed to feel something?" Cadence fidgeted with the dagger, trying her best to feel perhaps a spark, or maybe the crawling ant sensation Ales had described. "It's been awhile. Or maybe this dagger isn't working."