Page 14 of One Last Promise
“We have to climb awall?”My friends didn’t mention anything about a wall.
“I’ll be able to carry you on my back if you struggle.I’m an excellent climber.”It appeared there wasn’t much this soldier couldn’t do, but there was no way I was going to let him take all the load.“The wall is fairly new.Like I said, these lands change very quickly.You have to know your bearings.”Raiden grabbed my arm as I slipped on the rock again.“Focus on your footing.Some of these rocks will burn you if you get your foot stuck.Watch yourself.”His tone was sharp as he glared at me.
Raiden thought I was a hindrance; it was there in his eyes.Since my mother had died, all I seemed to do was cause problems.
This adventure was meant to be about finding my inner strength, and here I was, failing the simplest part of this pilgrimage.It was only going to get harder from here.I had to pull all the power from deep inside me and complete this task so I could train as a warrior and finally come into my power.
Focusing on my balance and footing, I became a lot more agile and started to glide across the stones faster than Raiden.
“Now you’re showing off,” he laughed, trying to keep up.
“Tell me if I’m going in the wrong direction,” I called back, running and jumping onto a large boulder.
“You are doing great.Keep to your right and it will be fine.Mind the steam, though.It means the rocks haven’t cooled off.”
Looking ahead, I could make out a clear path that led towards a flatter patch of ground.With graceful speed, I danced across the stones, turning to grin at Raiden as he finally caught up with me.
“I hope your climbing is as good as your stone hopping.”Setting his bag down, he pulled some of our food rations out.“We’ll rest and eat here.It will give us the energy for our climb tomorrow.At least it’s warm enough here without a fire.”
“Aren’t we too out in the open?”
“You want to be in the open here.Anything could sneak up on us.I need to be able to see any danger heading our way.”
“Does that mean you won’t be sleeping again?”
“Sleep isn’t something I require much of.”
“What is the longest you’ve gone without sleep?”I asked, putting my bag down.My mat was tied to the bottom of it.
“Two weeks.”
“Two weeks!What was that for?”My mouth fell open.Dylin warriors really were incredible.
“The Battle of Cataha.”His voice was just a whisper as he watched me intently.“I fought so hard to save her.We all did.I’m sorry we failed you.Xavier and I fought as hard as we could, but the black mist...it came from nowhere.It killed so many of our kind in a matter ofseconds.Your mother fought back with every ounce of power she had so the rest of us could retreat, but even her powers weren’t enough in the end.The general and I tried to hold onto her, but she ordered us to leave.”Tears stung my eyes.I had never been given an account of my mother on the battlefield that day.All I had known was that she had fallen into darkness.“Taking Cataha came at a great risk to us.All we were seeking was the power from Silverlight that had been stolen.If we hadn’t destroyed their city in the process, your mother might still be alive.”
“Who gave the order to destroy the city that day?My father or my mother?”After all these years, I had never been told.
Raiden was quiet for a few short moments, looking out towards the dark, red sky.“Your father.He became obsessed with taking the city down piece by piece.He dealt the first blow on the city, which is why he became separated from your mother.She was busy trying to save our kind while your father was tearing Cataha down.Xavier had never seen him so crazed with his power.”Big, thick tears fell down my face.“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No,” I sighed, wiping my eyes.“Thank you.This is the most honesty I’ve been allowed in over a thousand years.”Raiden passed me some food from his bag.“I’ve spent so much of my life being shielded.Zohar might be a good king, but he’s lacking as a father.Since my mother’s death, Noor and I have both felt his absence.”
“It’s the guilt he carries.He wasn’t there when Duska needed him.That has got to eat away at your soul.Even kings are allowed to make mistakes, Alora.Zohar isn’t the first to fail and he won’t be the last.The Noxlin are a cunning, powerful race that are difficult to defeat.I’ve been fighting them for over four thousand years, and still don’t know all their tricks.”
“What was the strongest Noxlin like that you had to fight?”
“He was deadly.We were matched in strength, but his thirst for blood was greater than mine.He didn’t stop coming for me, even when I had shattered his sword arm.I barely escaped with my life.”Raiden rolled his sleeve up, revealing a scar that ran up the entire inside of his arm.“This was after Nell healed me.My entire arm was slashed open from torso to wrist.He made this strike with hisweakarm.”
“Are they as formidable as the stories that have been told?”
“They control the darkness, Alora.It makes them pretty hard to see.They are usually upon you before you even notice their attack.”
“We can chase away darkness with our light.We have always been the more superior race.”All my textbooks told me this.
“Are we, though?”My eyes widened.What was he saying?That he thought the Noxlin were stronger than us?
“Don’t say something you’ll regret.I don’t want to have you executed for speaking badly of our race.You areDylin.Your loyalty lies with my father.”
“Alora, I’m here withyouon this pilgrimage.You don’t need to question my loyalty.I have gone to war for your parents on many occasions.There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my race.I bled for them, for a start!”
