Chapter 16

THE CLIMB

ARIEI

I take one last look at the dining hall. I remember when I was first brought here as a child. I remember sitting amongst the heroes of our city, Braham and Elias and my father telling me tall tales about their journeys topside. I remember Liet teaching me to hold a sword for the first time, the hours spent sitting alone, being lectured on the plant life and environments I would encounter. I remember getting adjusted to the barracks spaces, learning to sleep on a hard raised bed. I remember Marit giving me the honor of going on my first expedition.

I remember it all falling to nothing.

I close the door behind me one last time, taking in the quaint world that was once ours. Aaro is careful not to let the children wander too far into the city lest they come across a corpse. When Tira comments on the rotting smell Aaro convinces him to ignore it. We move quickly past the crumbled chamber of council and make our way to the residential area. The scaffolding is a wreck- beams have been knocked aside, colliding with each other and shifting the weight dramatically in a range from the base to the midsection. The living spaces are destroyed. A pod still juts out of the side on one of the lower rooms, the door open like a hungry mouth.

Varia steps towards it. Bryatt notices and calls to him.

“Varia, careful.”

He ignores him, standing directly underneath it. Shortly after gazing into the tiny opening he slips inside, disappearing into it. Emetia jumps.

“Gods, of course he would.”

I follow her as she moves. We reach the pod. It’s much larger than I remember, even being just a few days removed from the attack. I peek inside.

The cylindrical vehicle is a fairly hollow rotunda. The seats are arranged in a small equidistant set, thick padded harnesses attached to a gear-based mechanism with a tension cable. There are slots in the walls for weaponry and equipment. There are several blinking objects that glow softly in colors I’ve never thought possible; this certainly doesn’t run on esperstone. Varia is investigating a few of them, when he finds a small, strange object connected to some sort of cord. He reaches for it.

“VARIA, WAIT!”

He pauses, his hand outstretched.

“Got it. Why?”

I point for emphasis.

“Because. We don’t know how any of this works. What if it’s dangerous? Come out.”

He nods, turning his body and moving to climb out. As he turns his foot brushes against a safety lock on one of the seats. The harness releases and shoots upwards along its affixed track, causing the pod to shake a small amount. He lands on his feet as we all take several steps back. Gaevan makes a frustrated motion.

“Great. Now, can we stop interfering with the integrity of this thing? We have to climb this damned building, remember?”

Emetia sighs to herself, moving towards him.

“Alright. Let’s get started.”

Gaevan moves to the side of the structure, grabbing one of several ladders he’s gathered here.

“First step: we see how far up we can go safely.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“And if one of us falls?”

He shrugs.

“We catch them. Or at least try to.”

CEREN

Feia and I have moved into a bustling drinkhouse further into the city. We sit in a dark back corner at an empty table. I’d have argued against it, but I was the one who originally made the plans, and she was suddenly much more inclined to the activity after our discussion. She lifts the glass mug and takes a massive swig of the foaming brew, setting it down on the table and leaning forward on her elbows. I take a swig of mine, as well. She looks at me.

“I’m sorry, Ceren. I’m sorry all of this happened.”

I try to say something, but take another drink instead.

“But your father had to have something in mind. He didn’t mention any direct motives? Any advantage-”

“No, Feia. Just his usual high speeches.”

“I’m sorry.”

I sigh, taking another sip. I hadn’t realized how aggressively I’d said it.

“No, you don’t have to apologize. I’m just- I can’t stop thinking about it. There was this girl. My father ordered her restrained. She cut her own hand off and charged at me.”

Feia’s eyes go wide.

“Shit. Wha-”

“I executed her father.”

She stops there. I must have answered her question before she asked it.

“What happened? Did they kill her?”

I nod.

“You mentioned that this will bring ruin. What do you mean by that?”

I search the drinkhouse for anybody listening in. All I see are a few couples and singles in the immediate area. The brewmaster on this floor is turning several valves on the machinery behind him, sending multi-colored liquid through the brass tubes to mingle together in the drinking glass below. The nearest is a man in his mid thirties, with a short haircut and multi-paneled glasses, distracted and working idly on a microgranite scroll. I consider moving back outside- what if he’s a governing spy? I throw the notion out.

“I know. My father’s become a controversial archion amongst the pillars. I hadn’t noticed until a few years ago, and it’s not just because of him not being an empath. He follows the order of the Great Burden, just as the rest of us do. But, Feia, he’s gone mad. He’s executed an entire civilization just to appease the doctrine. He intentionally killed Geirant, right in front of his men. He was crying at the end of it all. I’m not even sure if he wanted to do it in the first place- he feels like he had to. If the great burden is our doctrine to support the furthering of humanity at any cost, to appease the Overseer, I can’t see the reason to do this. Why not embrace another culture? We may have something to learn from them. They had some of our technology, after all- perhaps there’s more going on there.”

“What are you implying?”

“He has ulterior plans. I’m not sure what, but I can feel it. He knows he’s in danger- he appointed me as a knight. He moved me right past the military academy to the highest of honors. He’s making himself a safety net. As soon as what he’s done comes out, as soon as the public knows, Centralis is in danger. We’re not a hivemind. If it’s not a civilian rebellion, it's a civil war amongst the Pillars.”

Feia looks down to the table, deep in thought, before leaning back in her seat. She gulps down the remainder of the glass.

“I need another drink. What do we do?”

“The roundtable will be held tomorrow night. I’ll be attending for my first appointing as a knight. I’m sure there will be a strategic discussion for how the matter is to be handled amidst the public. I’ll report back on anything I hear.”

“I was talking about how many more drinks we need to order.”

“Feia.”

“I know, I know. Are you sure you’re alright sharing this with me? I don’t want to compromise your position.”

I pace my hand firmly on her shoulder.

“Of course. I have to do what’s best for Centralis, what’s best for us. Are you alright with learning this information? I don’t want to throw such a burden onto your shoulders. It’s dangerous to know the secrets of the Archion, even for a highborn.”

She brushes my hand aside.

“Of course I am. We’re going to handle this the same way we have since we were children. Together.”

I smile.

“Thank you, Feia. Sincerely. All right then. Together.”

I ruffle around the interior of my jacket for my coin pouch, procuring seven small, silver hexagonal discs.

“Three more.”

“Three?”

“I’m going to need two more before I can sleep tonight.”

ARIEI

Gaevan and Bryatt have positioned a ladder directly against a square segment of the scaffolding in an attempt to give it the necessary support to cushion any pressure placed upon it. Gaevan tests it, climbing slowly. Aaro calls up.

“Careful, Gaevan. If you feel any give come right back down.”

He replies annoyedly.

“Aaro, please. I’m only halfway up.”

“You can’t be too careful!”

Emetia adjusts her cloak, taking the wide bottom and looping the ends through her belt to keep it firmly at her side.

“How do you deal with these? They’re heavy and annoying.”

I shrug.

“You get used to it over time. There was a period where Braham attempted to redesign them, but the public hated the change.”

She chuckles.

“You know, looking back, there were a lot of things our people hated. Change was one of the worst.”

I smirk.

“Oh, you mean you weren’t surprised when Cain’s proposed medicine distribution plan was knocked down in favor of the old first-dying-gets-served method?”

She laughs.

“I couldn’t believe he tried.”

Gaevan’s made his way to the top, placing him halfway up the side of the complex. He calls down.

“It’s safe! Bryatt, Ariei, care to help me move another ladder?”

I nod. Bryatt approaches.

“Alright, ranger. You or me on the bottom?”

I grab the ladder by its side rail and start climbing the already placed one with my left hand. Bryatt immediately reacts and takes the bottom, holding it steady as I move. I start sweating with effort, but eventually I make it to the top. I step off, landing on the hard metal beneath my feet. Gaevan, with a grin far too eager, takes the top and helps me pull it upwards. Eventually we manage to lift it, setting it on its side with heavy breaths. I can hear Aaro a fair distance below.

“Should we come up?”

Gaevan leans precariously far over the side, his foot nearly hanging over.

“Nah. No need for that. I’ll test it out first.”

As he turns back around his foot goes over the edge and, for a split second, I consider running and pulling him back- but, of course, it was a casual motion. He moves back to the ladder. We move up the scaffolding. As we ascend each level I begin to feel the stress building. Eventually we near the exit. Gaevan returns to the ladder.

“All right, kid. We have two ways up. Either we place the ladder on an unstable block that leads directly out of the hole, or we position it on a stable piece adjacent- of course, we’d have to cross the beam to get out.”

“This couldn’t have been easy, could it?”

He gives me a toothy grin.

“Of course not. We’re the people of Ios, after all- it’s never easy for us.”

I look above. One is a narrow, broken, jagged construction presenting a curved membrane extending towards our exit. The other is thick, substantial, with a beam much thinner than I was expecting. One would have to lie and hug it to cross with even a chance of success.

“We’re going across.”

He claps his hands.

“Perfect!”

He picks up the ladder, moving it slowly. I help him keep it steady, the two of us calmly crawling across the surface before setting it adjacent to the block. I turn to Gaevan.

“Do you want me t-”

He moves before I can finish, happily striding up to it and placing his foot on the bottom rung. With nary a complaint he makes his way to the top. He playfully places his foot on the steel, feeling it out.

“Nope. Can’t walk this one. Ah well.”

He gets on his stomach, moves his way over, and wraps his hands around it, sliding to hand under and support himself with his crossed feet.

I can’t even look.

“BE CAREFUL, GAEVAN!”

He calmly worms his way over.

“Ah, please. You already know I’m invincible. We all are.”

With bated breath I watch as, finally, he completes the journey. He looks up to the light burning from above.

“All right! All we need is to move the ladder over and we’re off!”

I nod.

“Should I call everyone up?”

“Absolutely! Go ahead.”

I tilt my head over the edge and immediately get vertigo. I’d forgotten how high up we are.

“Alright, everyone come up.”

The others are specks on the ground- save for Luciaphon, himself a slightly larger lump. Still, I can see them start to move. Gaevan kneels down, grinning, as the first person to reach the top arrives- Aaro, soon followed by Tira. The child immediately gets a worried look on his face. Aaro looks down at him.

“It’s alright, Tira. Gaevan made it across. See?”

He waves from across the pillar, a kind smile on his face.

“Hello there!”

Aaro looks at me.

“How did he make it over?”

“Hands and knees clasped, sliding across.”

“What?”.”

“I know.”

She looks ahead. I can see her take a few deep breaths. She’s readying herself. Just as Gaevan does she gets down, slides over the beam, and slowly turns over the edge. She stops, closes her eyes, and tries to stifle a scream. She can’t quite do it, instead emitting a slight yell before steadying. She slowly starts to slide across, taking deep breaths as she does so. Tira looks at the process, clearly frightened. I kneel down.

“Tira. You have to be brave.”

“I- I’m sc-”

“We all are. But look at Aaro. She hasn’t done this before, just like you haven’t . Can you be brave like her?”

He looks as she finishes crossing, Gaevan pulling her up. She turns and waves.

“Y- ok. Ok.”

I help him move over, grabbing his feet and crossing them so he’s locked to the rail tight enough. With a small amount of effort and closed eyes he starts moving across. Wyen and Varia follow suit, the former requiring similar coaching while the latter does it without a word. Bryatt and Emetia follow them. Bryatt playfully punches me in the arm.

“So, how’s the beast going to cross?”

Luciaphon, having effortlessly climbed his way up the side of the scaffolding with his massive claws, lands directly behind him. Bryatt turns, locks eyes with Luciaphon, and smirks.

“Can you jump across the way, hmm, eidelion?”

“Let me show him, Empath.”

“Wait. You’ll be landing on somebody if you try before they can climb out.”

“Fine. But he’ll see.”

“I’m sure he will.”

Emetia safely makes her way across. It comes naturally to her, having grown up in an environment built out of similar conditions. Bryatt takes a different approach. He steps out on his left foot. I level my hand out.

“Bryatt, wait-”

He ignores me, taking slow, even steps. His body tilts, swaying softly, each breath another potential catastrophe in wait. His every footstep threatens to dislodge him. Emerita’s foot bounces on the ground, anticipating the death of one of us, before, with a single lucky jump, he lands on the edge. He turns around victorious.

“Come on then, ranger. Show us your training.”

I smirk.

I have to prove my leadership.

“Very well.”

I am terrified.

I step out, my boot balanced on the edge. I place all of my weight on that foot, leveling my right out to bring it to the front. I repeat the motion, my arms outstretched. Again. And again. And again. And again.

I’m nearly halfway there.

Each

passing

moment

fills me

with dread.

I slip.

It’s a gradual realization, but my stomach drops with panic all the same. I can feel the wind whizzing past my ears as it happens.

How fucking stupid am I?

Bryatt levels of idiotic.

That’s what.

I can feel the ground nearing me.

Head-first.

React.

The voice comes to me. I can’t tell who- or what- it is. Maybe it’s an instinct.

That’s it.

React.

I do what comes naturally.

I clench both fists and think.

“Come on, ranger. Show us your training.”

I’m back on the ledge.

I’m not dead.

Nobody knows anything has happened. I’m back- from five seconds ago.

My right arm aches. I turn it over to find a colossal set of marks, dotting the entirety of the limb like fresh shallow wounds. I can’t count them in time. Luciaphon is breathing heavily. He rushes to my side.

“Your arm. Show me your arm, girl.”:

I show him. I can hear a soft growl.

“Your gift. It is here.”