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

Chapter Twenty-Five

Media: Shadowrunning. Artwork courtesy of Clary <3

Music: Festivals of Light, Audiomachine

Once she was free from the infirmary, Cadence charged through the weeks like a wild bull released from captivity. Her main focus was training hard with everything that had to do with her shadow-weaving abilities. She could move the second largest discs without breaking a sweat, tear out shadows from walls and turn them into needles of shadows. Ales had erected a target in the training hall where she could practice throwing needle after needle. Although her accuracy still needed a lot of work, Cadence could tell that her mentor was impressed with the ferocity of her throws.

Today however, Ales didn't use the training hall. He had sent her a hastily scribbled note with one word one it.

Clock tower. Midnight.

Cadence couldn't understand his motives. All their lessons either took place in his office where he would lecture her about the three blockage points of a Varya and the three Aspects, or they would be training physically and Affinity-wise at a training hall.

Nevertheless, at the appointed hour, Cadence rose from her bed. Grasping the metal railings, she crept down the ladder of the double-decker and landed silently onto the carpet. She slid on her Varya robes, unhinged her cloak from a peg, double-checked her pocket for her obsidian bead, and sneaked out of the room.

The moonlight paled against the walls as Cadence made her way toward the clock tower. As winter drew slowly towards its closure, the snow fell like feathers from the sky, no longer trying to tear apart heaven with its wrath. Sorokin had finally met its savior and was no longer in pain.

She pulled the cloak against her shoulders. It was the one Arik had given her on her first ever Murka tradition. Although it was sewn to resemble a Patrol's cloak, it lacked the velvet and softness of a real Patrol's cloak. Cadence would never forget how warm a Patrol's cloak was when Ales gave her his on during their journey to the Hall of Games.

The cloak protected her from gaining suspicion. Cadence was able to make her way toward the other side of the Hall where the clock tower was, then commenced climbing the narrow, stone stairs.

Every step up the tower, Cadence cursed Ales' name. Of all the places he could have chosen, he just had to pick the highest building in the entire Hall which wasn't even wide enough for three people. Right foot first, followed by the left foot, it was a painful and monotonous exercise. By the time she reached the top of the tower, she collapsed onto the dusty floor. She coughed violently, having inhaled a lungful of dust and dirt.

"You're going to have to build up your stamina." Ales walked out from behind the bell. The bell was gigantic, almost to Ales' height and it easily required more than six people to be able to join hands and circle the bell. Whoever was in charge of tolling the bell had to be an insanely strong Murka or a Warrior. "In battle, people like you will perish in the first sixty seconds."