C H A P T E R T H I R T Y- F I V E
hea’s last dawn as a shieldbearer bled into the sky quietly, marred by ominous clouds rolling inT from the north. At last, armed with a sword of steel and a sturdy shield, she locked all thoughts of Wilder away and waited with her cohort by the Plains of Orax, as the Guild Master had instructed.
There, she steeled herself against what was to come.
She didn’t like being out in the open like this, vulnerable and unprepared, but she gathered that was how they were meant to feel: on the precipice of panic before the trial even began. In the distance, she could see the dark seas roiling beyond the scattered islands, and she prayed that whatever chaos loomed there would hold at bay until their test had been completed.
Kipp and Cal shoved their way through the ranks to stand beside her, both trying to catch her eye, but Osiris, joined by King Artos, the masters and commanders, beat a spear on the face of his shield, demanding silence, demanding undivided attention. ‘The initiation test is simple,’ his voice called out across the freezing fields. ‘You are to retrieve a Guardian totem from the Chained Islands.’ Thea felt the tension grow taut around her, felt her own body seize up at the thought. No one had ventured onto the Chained Islands in decades.
Until now, she thought as she turned her focus to the lands just off the coast of Thezmarr. Whoever had named the islands had been literal, for the Chained Islands were exactly that: a small archipelago that had been physically linked by thick chains. There were at least seven that Thea could see, towering high above the crashing waves below, their white cliff faces cold and taunting — ‘There are fifty of you in this initiation test and only thirty totems. Those who fail to retrieve a totem and those who fail to return in the allotted time will be dismissed from our fighting ranks.
Should those poor bastards wish to remain at Thezmarr, they will be no more than staff: cooks, stablehands, launderers and the like. When it comes to this guild, I will make it plain: there is no room here for anything less than a warrior. If you have not learnt our ways by now, you never will.
You have until sundown.’ That was it.
Within seconds, two shieldbearers threw their weapons down on the grass and turned on their heels back to the fortress, apparently deciding then and there that nothing was worth the dangers ahead.
For a moment, the rest of them stood in a daze, letting the reality of the Guild Master’s words sink in, until Esyllt barked, ‘What are you waiting for?’
Thea lurched into action, starting down the hill, following the Bloodwoods towards the sharp drop of the bluffs, two familiar figures falling in step beside her. ‘Thea, please, look at us,’ Kipp said. ‘This is not the time or place,’ she muttered, gripping her sword as the edge of the cliffs came into view, the dark swell of the water surging below. ‘It’s the only time and place,’ Cal countered, resting a hand on her shoulder. ‘I know you heard me. I said things I didn’t mean, some stupid things in the aftermath of what happened.’ ‘I’m aware,’ Thea replied, still charging forward, the rest of the shieldbearers jostling alongside
them. ‘But I didn’t mean them!’ Cal argued. ‘You did,’ Thea snapped. ‘And to be honest, I don’t blame you. What you went through that night… It was horrific. I saw you there, both of you, strung up to die —’ Cal took both her shoulders and stopped her mid-stride. ‘It wasn’t your fault. I know that now.’ ‘I always knew it,’ Kipp offered. ‘I was being a fool. The shock got to me. Please, Thea,’ Cal said, ignoring him. ‘I cannot go into this test without you by my side. The three of us, we are stronger together. We’re a team, a unit of our own, remember?’ Thea did remember. She remembered them working as a single force throughout the mock battle, she remembered how they’d had each other’s backs during the battle amidst the ruins of Delmira. ‘Holy gods,’ someone shouted ahead of them.
Their conversation forgotten, Thea, Cal and Kipp craned their necks to see what was happening.
Thea’s breath whistled between her teeth as she saw it with her own eyes.
There was no bridge to the closest isle of the Chained Islands; no rope; no path down… Only a death drop into the sea and jagged rocks below. ‘Shit…’ Cal murmured from beside her.
If Thea wasn’t so terrified, she would have laughed. ‘Perhaps it’s best we stick together, just for this round…’ Kipp’s mouth was hanging open as he stared at the death-defying leap they were expected to make. ‘I’ll take all the help I can get.’ For a moment, they watched as some of their peers tried to foolishly tackle the jump. The isle was slightly lower than the cliff upon which they stood, but that gave Thea little comfort. She didn’t know the first to fall, nor the second, but the third she recognised from the countless meals they’d eaten together. All three lives now at the mercy of the waves and rocks below.
Thea looked around desperately, anxious that they’d encountered an obstacle of this magnitude before they had truly started. She eyed the bow and quiver at Cal’s back. ‘You could shoot a rope across?’ she ventured. ‘Secure it on the isle, and secure it to one of the trees in the Bloodwoods…? We could climb across that way?’ ‘I don’t trust those on either end…’ he said slowly. ‘Not after everything. There are some who would cut the rope and let us fall to our deaths.’ Thea’s heart sank. He was right. Of the three of them, it was possible that Kipp, with his long limbs, could make the jump without aid, but Thea was too short and though Cal was lean and tall, she wasn’t sure it would be enough for him either.
Kipp, however, had not for a moment considered leaving them behind. ‘Remember on the way to Harenth…’ he started, the crease between his brows deep as he looked from the Isle to the Bloodwoods.
‘You’ll have to be more specific, Kristopher,’ Cal said. ‘Remember when we crossed that river? Using those branches as aids to vault ourselves across?’ Thea groaned. ‘I don’t like where this is going…’ ‘Nor do I,’ Kipp admitted. ‘Especially considering I was the one who ended up in the river. But I don’t see another way.’ He paused, something grabbing his attention before he pointed. ‘Look! There are already some trying the technique you suggested, Thea. And there! A handful who are scaling down the cliffs trying to find a safer path…’ Thea felt sick to the stomach. Was this truly their best option? Some evolution of a stupid game they’d made up on the road to get to a better fishing spot?
Apparently it was. Kipp was already heading into the Bloodwoods.
Her heart in her throat, Thea followed, scouring the forest floor for a decent branch. It had to be strong, but pliable, one that could launch her across.
Gods, was she really going to do this? She had her fate stone; she knew she would not be greeted by Enovius today – but she couldn’t say the same of her friends.
Far sooner than she would have liked, each of them held a long branch in their hands, their weapons firmly secured to their bodies. ‘I can’t watch you go,’ Thea croaked, her heart hammering in her throat. ‘Ladies first then,’ Kipp gave a mock bow, though he looked as terrified as she felt. ‘You’ve got this, Thea,’ Cal said. ‘Think of it as just a really big river.’ ‘Thanks,’ she muttered, taking a few steps back and lining herself up with the target on the other side. She secured the satchel Wren had refilled over her shoulder, so it rested against her back.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, pushing aside the fear, pushing aside the urgency and the image of the waves breaking upon the jagged rocks below. ‘I do not die today,’ she muttered to herself, tensing in anticipation. Another minute and she’d lose her nerve. Thea opened her eyes, and gripping her branch in both hands, she sprinted for the edge of the cliff.
Planting her branch in the earth, Althea Nine Lives launched herself up and suddenly, she was soaring through the air — For the briefest of seconds, time stopped and Thea was weightless above the roaring sea. Then, she felt the kiss of the wind on her back and the icy salt spray of the waves as they broke upon the rocks below.
She braced her whole body as she carved through the wind, the other side of the isle drawing closer and closer as she leapt – as she fell.
Thea released the branch from her grasp. It had served its purpose. Heart still in her throat, she landed deftly on solid ground, gravel crunching comfortingly beneath her boots, and when she looked up, she saw chaos.
She hadn’t realised how many other shieldbearers had actually made it across. Drawing her sword, Thea crouched behind a boulder and motioned to the others, who were still on Thezmarrian soil, to hurry.
The clang of steel and angry shouts sounded from nearby and Thea peered from behind her cover to see that fighting had broken out… ‘There are fifty of you and only thirty totems…’ It appeared that some had felt the call, and those who had not were sabotaging their peers.
Kipp landed a few feet away from her with a grunt, dropping his branch alongside him. ‘Over here.’
He darted towards her, his face horror-stricken at what he, too, now saw. ‘Gods, it’s chaos.’ He crouched beside her, unsheathing his own blade.
But Thea was watching Cal size up the gap between the cliff and the isle on the other side. ‘Come on, Cal…’ she muttered, gripping the hilt of her sword so tightly that her hand ached.
He took a run-up, just as she and Kipp had done, his long legs pounding the grassy earth. Burying his branch in place just shy of the edge, he leapt, suddenly soaring towards them — The branch snapped.
Cal’s arms and legs flailed, his scream silent as his body pitched through the air.
His momentum faltered, and Thea’s cry lodged in her throat.
Dropping her sword, she snatched the bough that Kipp had dropped and sprinted for the edge of the isle. Barely registering Kipp latching onto her legs, she slid it out into the gap between their isle and the Thezmarrian cliffs, praying that it would hold, that it would take his weight and the sudden impact.
Cal fell towards them, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the branch and — He caught it, right under the arms with a groan.
The timber bowed beneath his weight, springing up and down, Cal’s legs dangling uselessly beneath him.
Together, Thea and Kipp dragged the branch inward, towards safety, and as soon as Cal was close enough, he scrambled for the ledge. He reached for them and they hauled him up, all three of them panting.
Thea’s chest was so tight she thought it might implode. She didn’t let go of Cal, worried that if she did, he’d tumble right back over into the seas below.
His hand gripped hers back, solid and safe. ‘Holy Furies,’ he croaked. ‘I’m never doing that again.’ ‘Just as well,’ Kipp said between ragged gasps, resting his hands on his knees. ‘You’re awful at it.’ Cal gave a strained laugh, and Thea felt her own face split into a manic grin, but the shouts from nearby snatched the moment of victory from them. Thea yanked both her friends behind cover to survey the situation at hand. ‘From what I can tell, there were a handful of totems left in plain sight, which Seb and his lackeys are scrapping for.’ She watched as Seb struck down a fellow shieldbearer and reached for something on the ground. ‘That bastard hasn’t got a fucking drop of honour, has he…?’ Kipp murmured, watching their common adversary dish out orders to his comrades. ‘So much for being worthy.’ ‘We knew that already,’ Cal replied quietly.
Thea heard Kipp swallow beside her. ‘This…’ he started. ‘This isn’t what I thought it would be… How does this make us better protectors of the realm? Stealing totems from one another? Turning on each other like this?’ ‘I suppose they think it makes us stronger,’ Thea said, not taking her eyes off Seb and one of his companions who had discovered another totem. ‘It’s supposed to weed out the weak, show people’s true colours.’ ‘All it does is make people desperate and unpredictable,’ Cal muttered. ‘All the shieldbearers should be working as a team. Surely that’s the point?’ ‘Not if there are only thirty totems and fifty shieldbearers.’ Thea countered. ‘Come on, we need to make a move.’
Kipp’s brows shot up. ‘You want to fight Seb?’ Thea watched the way the bastard strode about the clifftop, like he had nothing to fear, like he had a right to be there. ‘I do,’ she said at last. ‘But not today…’ She turned away from the carnage at Seb’s feet and pointed to the other isles. ‘We should head to the other islands, where the others haven’t been. There are bound to be totems hidden all around.’ ‘Would have been nice just to pick the first ones up we saw…’ Kipp muttered.
The islands were scattered down the coast of Thezmarr, the howling winter winds whipping between them. Thick chains linked them, allowing her and her friends to climb across to the next island. They were keen to put as much distance between them and Seb as possible. No good came from having that bastard on their heels.
The second island was far larger than the first, more than just a column of rock amidst the waves.
Thea found herself taking the lead as they took in their surroundings. Jagged white boulders lined the ground, but as they moved further inland, the terrain opened up, revealing a descending valley, framed by unusual thin trees with an array of large emerald green leaves shooting from their tops. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this…’ Thea murmured.
But Kipp was already moving towards the strange gorge, his boots sliding over loose scree. ‘There’s a totem down there.’ Kipp said. ‘I can feel it.’ A thrill raced through Thea. While they had been told about the magic of the totems, she wasn’t sure what to expect, or how much to believe from the stories. But the excited gleam in her friend’s eyes told her that it was true, that the totems had a presence, that they had power enough to call to a worthy warrior of Thezmarr. ‘It’s like… It’s like a cyren song,’ Kipp murmured, fascinated.
Soon, Thea felt it too: a soft melody, beckoning them towards it. Cal’s expression revealed he was experiencing the same pull.
Icy wind whipped through the gorge, cold enough to sting Thea’s face and hands, but she gritted her teeth and forged on, desperate to obtain a totem for each of them. Then, they could celebrate in the Great Hall. ‘There!’ Kipp shouted, darting forward to a plinth-like rockform where the chasm opened up.
Thea spotted the gleam of iron atop its craggy ledge.
Thea’s scalp prickled. It couldn’t be that easy.
The sound of something snapping, the twang echoing through the canyon. Thea whirled around.
Was it an arrow being loosed? Was it a — Something nearby gave a loud groan.
A huge boulder at the top of the valley was suddenly moving, rolling towards them and gaining speed. It took up the entire breadth of the gorge, designed to flatten everything in its path.
Thea’s gaze darted to Kipp, where at his feet lay a broken cord. ‘It was a trip wire!’ she shouted. ‘Grab the totem and run!’ The boulder hurtled right for them, demolishing everything at a terrifying speed. There was no way they would be fast enough to outrun it. ‘Kipp, move!’ Kipp snatched the totem from the plinth and looked to Thea and Cal in panic. Thea was already scrambling towards the side of the valley, which rose up from the ground into a rocky overhang. ‘Up there!’ She grabbed Kipp’s arm and shoved him to the face of the gorge. ‘Climb!’ The three of them clambered up the rock, struggling to find purchase.
‘It’ll crush us!’ Cal yelled. ‘Get to the overhang,’ Thea cried, her muscles trembling with the effort. If they could reach it, the boulder would pass beneath them. ‘Hurry!’ Thea was first and she swung herself out across the valley, her legs dangling below as she watched the rounded mass of stone pelt towards them, her friends still in its path. She hung there uselessly, biting down on her shouts of panic – they would not help Cal and Kipp now.
Cal was suddenly hanging by her side, his cheeks red, sweat running down the side of his face.
‘Now, Kipp!’ he bellowed.
Kipp jumped — Long limbs flailing, Kipp latched onto the overhang with a yelp.
A roar below sounded as the boulder crashed through the gorge beneath them, crushing the strange trees and grass, scraping the sides of the valley, causing rock to crumble.
Thea watched in horror, imagining the bloody pulp they would have become if they had remained in its path. The three of them dangled there in shock for a moment, as the boulder at last collided with the end of the gorge, splintering to pieces upon impact.
When Thea was sure there wasn’t another boulder to follow, she let go, swinging down from the overhang and landing deftly on the ground below. ‘Holy gods…’ Kipp muttered as he landed less gracefully beside her.
Cal followed. ‘We would have been dead without you, Thea,’ he said, clapping her on the shoulder.
But Thea’s attention was on the totem in Kipp’s hands. ‘Let’s see it then.’ Kipp held it out on his palm. Secured to a black band of fabric, there it was: a pair of crossed swords, a true Guardian’s totem. ‘How do we decide whose it is?’ he asked quietly. ‘We all felt it.
We’re all worthy.’ Thea tore her gaze away from the totem and dusted her hands off on her pants. ‘You take that one, Kipp,’ she said. ‘You felt it first, you got to it first.’ ‘But without you —’ Cal waved him off. ‘One down. Two to go.’ Relief bloomed in Thea’s chest. ‘Let’s get out of here, then. I’d rather not risk getting crushed to death again.’ ‘Can’t say I fancy it much either,’ Cal replied, eyeing the gorge. ‘Up or down?’ ‘Up,’ Thea decided. ‘We keep an eye on the Thezmarrian coast, we can see the lay of the islands better. Agreed?’ ‘Agreed,’ Kipp said, securing his totem to his arm. ‘Who would have thought useless little old me would be the first?’ ‘Oh fuck off, Kipp, without Thea you would have been a splat on the rocks beside that thing.’ Thea laughed shakily as they started back up the valley. ‘One down. Two to go.’
By the time the trio reached the top of the gorge once more, the midday sun was surprisingly harsh despite the chill of winter. There was no sign of the other shieldbearers, which made Thea uneasy.
Either everyone was leagues ahead of them and totems were sparse, or a terrifying number of her peers had succumbed to the cliffs or their fellow shieldbearers. She didn’t know which was worse.
Keeping the coastline of Thezmarr in sight, they made their way to the next island. It was a wider gap than the previous, but they used the thick, rusted chain to climb across with relative ease. From
the other side, Kipp gripped Thea’s arms firmly and helped her with the final few links, Cal following close behind.
It was little more than a spit of land and in only moments, they were crossing a small chained bridge onto another. This next island was larger, the trees and bushes here denser than before, blocking the sun from view as the canopy closed in around them.
Thea’s skin prickled. At first, she thought it might be a totem calling out to her, the beginnings of that cyren song as Kipp had described it. But no – it wasn’t that. It was the sensation of the hair on the back of her neck standing up, the sensation that usually occurred when someone was watching. ‘Kipp, Cal,’ she called.
Both young men paused, turning back to her, their brows furrowed in concern. ‘Can you feel something?’ Cal asked.
Thea shook her head. ‘I think someone’s following us,’ she told them as quietly as she could, unsheathing her sword once more. ‘Be on your guard.’ Cal clenched his jaw and nodded, adjusting his grip on his own blade.
Together, they crept through the strange, jungle-like foliage of the third island, poised for attack, but no one announced themselves, no one leapt from the bushes. And yet Thea’s skin still prickled.
She didn’t lower her guard; she had learned long ago to trust her instincts.
They kept to the edge of the undergrowth, careful to keep Thezmarr in sight at all times. They had already faced a death-defying leap, the backstabbing nature of their own kind and a giant pulverising boulder… Who knew what else was out here to jeopardise their mission, their lives? ‘Wait,’ Cal whispered suddenly, holding up a closed fist, signalling for them to stop. His head lifted to the canopy, his whole body was taut and leaning forward.
Then Thea felt it, too. That same pulling sensation from before.
Cal pointed to the leaves above. ‘It’s up there.’ Thea followed the line of his finger to what looked to be a bird’s nest in the fork of a tree. The tugging sensation grew stronger. He was right.
Kipp groaned. ‘Not more climbing…’ ‘No one asked you to climb,’ Cal replied. ‘Flip you for it?’ he said to Thea.
But Thea shook her head. ‘You take it. I’ll get the next one.’ Cal hesitated for a moment before shucking off his shield and passing his bow and quiver to her.
There was nothing for Thea and Kipp to do except watch as their friend started up the tree. Thea bit back the urge to tell him to be careful, assuming that would be the default for all of them from here on out. The hair on the back of her neck still prickled, and she couldn’t shake the feeling… Unease churned low in her gut as she watched Cal scale the trunk, nearly at the top — ‘Is it there?’ Kipp shouted from beside her. ‘It has to be, I can feel it,’ came the reply as he neared the nest.
The silence that followed made Thea’s skin crawl. She could see Cal’s lower body, but not what
he was doing in the fork of the tree. ‘Got it!’ he called triumphantly.
But that triumph was chased by a scream.
