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

Chapter Twenty-Six

Media: Ales

Nighttime turned into Cadence's best friend. She would go shadowrunning every night. Sometimes alone, mostly with Ales. When they went shadowrunning, they let the wind do the communication for them. Just follow wherever the wind leads you, Ales had said. The wind is never wrong.

Cadence touched the glass panes of the training hall window. She found it surreal that she had spent more than two months in the Hall of Games. Winter had peeled away, the strangling frost replaced by Spring with her merry lute. Luminescent white lilies bloomed all over the gardens of the Hall, their petals shining like the full moon.

She found herself worrying that she might never discover how to use her necromantic abilities. She couldn't see the connection—shadows were just shadows, pieces of darkness caused by a blockage of light and nothing more—how was she supposed to use it in another way other than pushing and pulling on it?

Her stupor was broken when Mistress Cirina entered the hall and ordered them to get onto their mats. After the initial week, the Mistress had broken up all current pairs after she caught Varya recruits paying other lower-ranking noble recruits to be defeated on purpose. Today, she was paired with Eli. Cadence had never partnered up with him before, but was certain the heir of a House of War would be ferocious.

The other pairs had commenced training while Eli was nowhere to be seen. Cadence sat down and played with her obsidian bead, rolling it between her palms and tossing it into the air before catching it. It had become a habit of hers. The little rock eased her mind.

"Cadence Novik?" Mistress Cirina approached her. Cadence jumped up at once.

"Yes, Mistress Cirina?"

"I'm afraid Eliah is unable to attend class today. Can you train on your own?"

"Is he alright?" Cadence asked. The last time she was Eli was during Affinity training class. He had wished her good luck as she tried lifting the very last of the discs.

"I cannot say, Eliah's condition fluctuates too much. Only the Mujarabs can tell. I shall leave you be. You can practice with the dummies over there." Mistress Cirina pointed at the row of dummies at the back before walking off with a swish of her robes.

Cadence rolled up her mat and dumped it into the basket.

Eliah's condition?

She chose the first dummy. It stared at her with its mismatched button eyes. Ales had used the same dummy to demonstrate Rakasha-killing.

Aim for the head, it's a surefire way to end a Rakasha's life. The chest was the second best place.

She could either slash it with a Celestium blade or find the opening to ram the sword through its heart. Normal blades would wound the creature but it would heal so fast, it wouldn't make a difference. If she had no weapon of Celestium, she would have to behead the Rakasha. Beheading made sure it remained dead for good since it would not be able to generate enough sinew and muscles for a new head.