Chapter 9
The early morning streets are peaceful. I think I start to recognize where Bast is taking me, but I can't be sure.
"Where are we going?" I ask. I let out a gasp as we enter the same secluded park I chased the flyer boy into. The flood of dark memories hits me and I feel the touch of the bark of the tree at my back once again.
Bast walks right toward the alley that same boy disappeared into. I quickly follow and try not to glance at the nearby tree. A shiver pours out of me as we enter the alley. The light of the sun dips behind the buildings. We continue to walk with Bast only glancing at me. Augur pads past and flicks his tail around my leg.
Momentarily, all of us enter a much wider space. I'm awed to see dozens of tents scattered around the dots of occasional fires. In the distance, the walls of the Capitol fall to the sides, revealing hills and trees on the horizon. A few miles of cleared land lies all around and farms blanket the landscape.
As I look around, tired faces begin to emerge from their tents. To my surprise they greet Bast warmly, and she follows up in conversation.
"How goes the work, Bernard?" She calls out to a thin man with the brand of a Valeyard slave on his arm. Bernard grins back and waves, "It has been much easier since you came along, Miss Bast." We slide deeper into the camp in between tents of all shapes and sizes. The shantytown only grows more active as we near its center. A pair of children, a small boy and girl, race right up to Augur and land in the dirt beside him. They lavish the cat with attention and it does not go unnoticed. A nearby adult gives a whistle and releases an intricate mechanical bird into the sky. The trio glance up and excitedly chase it around the camp as it flies just within their reach only to flit away.
I soak all of this in and glance at Bast with wonder. "What is this place?"
"The Capitol may be a sanctuary for those pushed aside in this chaotic world. What is not advertised is the lack of opportunities for the refugees. Those who manage to find this place find a new struggle in learning to fit in." She gentures to a crate of supplies. "The Capitol has limited resources and can only do so much. For those living in and around the Corporations their whole lives it can be hard learning a new way of life. That's where I step in. I have found my home in caring for these lost people."
We near a fire and Bast turns to face me. "Recently, my job has gotten a lot harder." She pulls a crumpled piece of paper from her jacket. "Remember this?"
She hands it over. It is easier for me to read this time:
May the common man love his craft,
that he may feel the lift of wings.
May the common woman look to the stars,
that Orion's belt may inspire she.
To all those who seek,
the quickening of the oppressed calls thee.
Take heed.
"What does it mean?" I glance around at the refugees. Are we supposed to find the answer to this riddle here of all places?
"The fighting between the Corporations has been growing over the years. There are those who are bound to be stepped on along the way." Her eyes gaze at me knowingly.
"Me?" I question. "They pulled me off the streets along time ago. Erudite always gathers all the talent they can."
"And since when did they need to rip children away from their parents to do so?" Her eyes seem to stare into the depths of my soul.
My heart beats faster. "What? I been an orphan as long as I can remember. My parents died in a factory explosion."
"Who told you that?" Confusion overwhelms me.
"A woman..." I reply.
"What did she look like?" My mind goes back to that day. "She was my neighbor. She was always kind of mean. I can't remember her name."
"What was her hair and eye color?" Bast's eyes bore into me. Why is that so important? "She was blond. And she always wore dark glasses so I couldn't see her eyes. What does it matter? Erudite didn't do anything to my parents!" I'm almost frantic now. "What are you saying?"
"You may be right. Maybe Erudite didn't kill your parents... but there is a reason the orphanage here is so full. The game has escalated. Each Corporation fights for dominance over the other and full control of the country. What was once minor squabbles and power games has turned into a fight to the death. All three are gathering their enhanced citizens sooner and reaching further than before to wrench them from each others grasp." That's where this comes in. She gestures at the paper in my hands. I'd forgotten about it. I stare into Bast's eyes. "People are fed up." Her hand waves at the tents around us. "More and more are fleeing the places that once provided protection against the monsters of the Fall. The Capitol cannot stay hidden for long with this many people to hide. Things are coming to a head quickly, and many are seeking a power to rise up and give them control of the Corporations. That is why we are here."
The enormity of the issue begins to sink in. I had thought things were just as I had left them in the world ten years before. There has always been petty political struggles between the Corporations. Each was always seeking to gain an edge over the other. This was taking it to a whole new level. Never before had I heard of the Corporations falling to this level. Where had the days gone when people protected each other? When governments created places for their citizens to be mostly safe?
I hurriedly follow when Bast enters the blue tent directly behind the fire. A small table lies in the center next to a tiny kitchen. Two beds lay against the far wall allowing enough space for a rug and a bookshelf with three tattered books.
A woman and a boy sit at the table eating breakfast. Only then am I reminded of my own hunger. They both look up as we enter. I'm surprised to see flyer boy sitting there, and I can see he is just as surprised to see me. The mother has greying hair and a furrowed brow. One of her eyes is clearly blind and I can see she is definitely not surprised to see us walk in.
"It's about time you finished your conversation." Her voice is warm though firm. "I am glad my ears have not failed me yet. You have not come to me in ages, devushka."
Bast's face shows her chagrin. "I apologize. I do not have as much time as I used to."
"Sit! Sit!" The woman's hand flutters. Both of us sit just as Augur flies in to land on the boy's lap. "Ah there is my baby!" The woman makes a cooing sound and gives a hearty laugh.
Her eyes turn to me and my heart freezes at the coolness behind them. "I do not believe we have met."
"I'm Cassandra." I offer.
"I heard you had met my boy." The child waves shyly from his seat. "Speak up, boy!"
He jumps at her voice. "I am Alexander." He says quietly.
"You may call me Yulia, Cassandra. Why don't you have something to eat and we can discuss why you came here." Yulia's tone is commanding and I daren't protest at eating from her table even though it feels rude. My hunger spurs me not to refuse her hospitality. I pick and choose biscuits, jam, and orange juice.
The table is silent for a time while we all eat. Even Augur munches on some ham. "Cassandra is curious about your organization, Yulia. That is why she followed Alexander." My eyes glance at the boy then back to Yulia's stare.
"What do you do, exactly?" I inquire. What is this?
"I told you." Bast explains. "There are those who are fed up with the current situation. They seek an alternative. Please." She leans in toward the woman. "Where is this weeks meeting?"
Yulia looks offended. Her arms go up in exasperation. "You have said too much, devushka! I will not tell you!" She insists stubbornly. "That riddle is mean't for the worthy to find out. Not merely the curious."
Bast makes an annoyed noise in the back of her throat. "Please, I used the wrong word, it is vital Cassandra attends this meeting." What? I'm getting tired of following Bast wherever she thinks I need to go.
"You have been good to me, Bast." I can hear the emotion in her voice. Yulia stands quickly and Bast and I follow suit. "But this I cannot do. I will not have our cause dishonored by spies."
A tense silence follows her declaration. Bast's face is stiff. She bends slightly and lowers be head. "Thank you for your hospitality, Yulia. I-"
"Shhhhh-" Yulia holds up a hand. Bast looks stunned and then looks sharply behind her at the tent opening. "Something is coming." Bast explains worriedly. One look at Alexander reveals he also has no clue what is going on. Those of us without advanced hearing are clearly at a disadvantage.
A moment later I hear why. At first I couldn't quite make it out. Each sound was distinct and varying in pitch and volume. What- voices... the sound of screaming and shouting.
I shove open the tent door and hold my hand up at the morning sunshine. Chaos rampages right toward me. People of all types crash through the camp. I only manage to take two steps before a nearby fire slams to the ground. The crash scatters embers twenty feet in the air and the large brown creature who knocked it over clambers up and runs away. The others break through the tent opening behind me.
"Mama!" Alexander shouts in fear. I hear her shush the child. Augur lets out a hideous yowl, and Bast screams loudly in what sounds like pain. I whip around to see her clutching her ears. Her eyes open wide at me. "Look out!" She shouts.
I turn back around, but all I see are fleeing people. No one even spares me a look.
Then I see the creature. I take an involuntary step back. Its huge form towers over everything in sight, blocking out the sun, and shedding darkness over the shantytown. It has the shape of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. The ethereal light of its purple eyes seems to rake through me where I stand. Like a cat, it prowls forward, leaping to extraordinary lengths to pin its prey. Shadows shed from its body like water, and its maw glitters with serrated teeth.
A glint of metal flies into my view and the mechanical bird from earlier flutters to land some feet in front of the monster. Its flinty eyes are suddenly enamored by the small winged beast. I hear a cry behind me and a tiny form sprints into the fray. I recognize Alexander just as he reaches his prizes. His hands grasp the intricate work of art and lift it to his chest. The monster is not one to waste an opportunity and a menacing growl lifts out of its chest. A paw swings back and a yell blasts out of me. "NO!"
I make a move to rush forward only to be tackled to the ground. A fierce voice hisses at me. "You can't save him!"
I turn and shove at Bast. Her face is twisted unlike I had seen before. The intensity in her gaze and grasp only makes me struggle harder. The heavy paw descends. "What are you doing?!" I choke out.
Alexander cowers under the thing's stare. A figure flies from the shadows and crashes into the boy. The metal bird flies from his hands only to be crushed a moment later under an uncaring paw. Jane's face raises to meet mine as she spins up gracefully from the ground with Alexander safely in her hands.
The horrid wrongness of it all clenches my heart, and a scream rips out of me. I slam my fist into Bast's face. More stunned than hurt, she instantly releases me. "He could have been killed!" I shout, stumbling back away from her. "How dare you stop me!" My eyes flow to Yulia, and the look of betrayal on her face as she stares at Bast is all I need to see.
The nearby camp is almost clear of people. Very few have stuck around, and all who remain stand at the edge of an invisible circle. The eyes of everyone are staring straight at me. My blood runs cold as I feel the chill of fetid breath at the back of my neck.
"Seer." The creatures voice is decidedly masculine. The sound of it freezes my bones. I turn slowly to glare into its glowing purple eyes. "You are the Seer."
"Yes." My voice wavers as I reply.
"It was not a question." A pause. "Prepare to meet the gods."
Fast as lightning its tail whips around to spear straight into my heart. I barely have time to flinch before a crunching sound brings my eyes open again. I let out a gasp as I see the tip of the tail a mere inch from my chest. A hand is wrapped around the majority of the barb. I follow it up to a familiar face. Quen's clenched teeth remain bared at the monster. There is something odd about his body. I stare for a second and see an orange glow surrounding him. It wavers like a flame.
A force crashes into me, whisking me away to land with a surprised plop on a broken tent. Pythia's arms wraps around me and reality begins to sink in. A pitiful noise tears out of me at the sight of her face. The sound of battle brings my eyes back to the present. Jim stands on the sidelines, the same orange glow as Quen surrounding him, and mutters words under his breath in concentration.
Jane and Richard, unbelievably, have each drawn swords and dance around the creature while Quen boxes with its teeth and claws.
I almost died. The thought makes me feel sick and a lightheaded feeling rises. "You're going to be okay, Cassandra." Pythia rocks me back and forth.
The scene plays before me like a video. The sun rises slowly in the sky, and the sounds of steel on stone grates through the air. The darkness of the creature seems to swallow me and dance across my vision. Between one moment and the next the earth enfolds me like a book and I quietly enter its embrace.
My eyes slide open. The entire Old Country lies before me in the breadth of space, and I know this to me a dream. My silky hair floats up around me like I am underwater, and as I stare at the expanse of land stretching from sea to shining sea I can only take in the magnificent vastness that a globe simply could not hope to replicate.575Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3ZJIx9tuu
Wisps of clouds stretch across the land like cobwebs and as I watch they are pushed away by an invisible hand. My gaze is drawn to a location in the east. As my eyes settle there a glowing pin of light spreads across a forest. My body begins its decent toward the Earth and my breath is taken away in excitement as I start to freefall. Involuntarily I start to tumble through the atmosphere falling head over heels and entering dizzying spins. A laugh is ripped away by the wind and I let out the joy I feel that I so rarely get to display.
The thought causes me to think of familiar faces, and one in particular clouds my view. Pythia. I shout as my fall collapses and for a moment my head faces toward one particular place. A glimpse of something dark and fleeting catches my eye.
And then I am falling again. The forest looms into view, all at once new and hundreds of years old. A cold voice chills me and I hold my hands in front of me as if I could stop it.
"I have heard word that my creature has failed." A pause. "It is a disappointment." My heart stills. It is the same voice that tried to kill me!
"What will you do now?" An older female voice asks.
The cold male voice does not falter. "It is not what I will do. You must send her to me. I trust you will do whatever is necessary."
"But-" The female protests then catches herself. "We need her for our cause. You don't understand!"575Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡop1d2poPR5
"Oh, I understand fully." The male voice holds all the gravity of a king talking to a pawn. "You will do as I say."
The next words are flippant. "I will find you a new object to use."
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