Chapter Fifty-Two
“Stop right there!” A soldier escapes the rubble and aims his arrow at us through the smoke of the building.
My body stiffens, and my heart begins to pound again.
You have got to be kidding me. We shuffle back on the dusty pebbles, nearing the edge of the cliff.
Something tells me we will not escape this one.
My head is still fuzzy from the explosion, River’s exhausted from the journey up the stairs, and Ryder is barely lucid.
“We don’t want any trouble.” I plead with the soldier to stand down.
“Good, cos I’m hauling you in,” he says whilst unclipping a pair of handcuffs from his belt and walking towards us.
But he barely gets any closer before he is swiped off his feet and gripped by deadly claws.
He screams as he is carried high into the sky and dropped to the forest below.
His cries dwindle through the air until a thud renders them silent.
The creature loops back around. It’s Craize.
My eyes catch his as he ripples a thought through my mind.
‘Brave soul.’
His words cause me to smile as I look back at him, shouting out a ‘thank you’. He flies gracefully through the sky and back towards Sun Sovereign.
The ground begins to quake around us as we make our way down the mountain.
My body involuntarily tenses but eases when I see two figures forming in front of me.
A kaleidoscope of scales gradient into life as Versivius and Skypharoh drop their invisible shields.
Ryder and River stand by my side watching them morph into three-dimensional beings.
‘We are indebted to you, Starchild.’ Versivius speaks with Skypharoh nestled under his arm. ‘You brought my son back to me.’ His voice rumbles with gratitude as they nuzzle their cheeks into one another.
I smile back at them, my heart thumping with happiness.
‘And for that we will serve you.’
They rest themselves on the ground before me and bow their heads. These are creatures of immense power, beings of venom and legend, yet they kneel before me. I stare back in a state of shock. I can feel River and Ryder’s eyes burning into the side of my head as they stand by my side in disbelief.
“Please do not bow to me,” I say, making my way over to them. “I am grateful to see you both reunited.” I smile, my hand resting on the space between Skypharoh’s eyes. “But I do not want anything in return, you cannot serve me,” I speak quietly into their scales, but their heads remain bowed.
‘You are our saviour,’ Skypharoh hisses. ‘We will be your sword, your shield and your wings, command us and we shall obey without question.’ He echoes his father’s sentiment. ‘We will not accept your rejection.’
My eyes are fixed on them, my heart pounding in my chest. I am not worthy of their devotion. “I…I don’t understand,” I stammer. “I just did what anyone else would have done. I don’t deserve this.”
Versivius raises his massive head, his golden eyes burning with conviction.
‘You underestimate yourself, Starchild. You possess a courage that burns brighter than any flame, a compassion that can mend even the deepest wounds. We see the fire in your heart, the strength in your spirit. We will follow you wherever you shall take us.’
Skypharoh nods in agreement, his gaze unwavering.
‘We have seen the darkness that plagues the world, the corruption that festers in the hearts of men. You are the light that can banish it, the bridge between the darkness. We will trust your judgment even when you doubt yourself. We will be your unwavering support, your loyal companions, until our last breath.’
These two magnificent creatures still bow before me, their eyes filled with a resolute faith. A lump forms in my throat as I see the reflection of myself in the mirror of their eyes, a potential I didn’t know I possessed, a strength I didn’t know I had.
‘We will follow you not because we have to but because we want to.’
Versivias’ words shatter any resistance in my brain. They are clearly not going to take no for an answer. I stroke their scales and smile at them both.
“Take me to my friends,” I ask them, my first request, and they nod in unison, allowing River, Ryder, and I to climb onto Versivias’ back.
He holds us with an invisible tether and glides further down the mountain until I can see the group congregating at the bottom. They all look up, their faces a picture of shock and fear as Versivias lands ahead of them. We dismount, and I don’t waste any time searching for Nala.
She runs to me.
“Thank the Gods.” I shriek in relief as I throw my hands around her neck. “Words can’t explain how happy I am to see you.”
Her arms rejoice around mine as she squeals into me.
“I’m really sorry about Charlie, I had no idea,” Nala says into the fabric of my shirt.
“It’s okay. He fooled us all,” I reply, but her eyes are transfixed on Versivius and Skypharoh.
“Oh,” I chuckle. “This is Versivius and Skypharoh, they’re-”
“Sky serpents. I know,” she interrupts, her mouth open in the shape of a zero. “Wow!”
I look up to them both as they drop their heads and nuzzle into the palms of my hands; they rest behind me like guards. A reminder of their newfound devotion to me.
Ryder’s heavy hand makes an imprint on my back as he stands next to me. I turn into his touch, unaware that everyone is staring at me. They whisper to each other with wide eyes.
“What are they looking at?” I ask, confused by the eyes on me.
“You.” He smiles as I realise they look at me with the same devotion as Versivius and Skypharoh.
‘Speak, child. This is your time.’
Oriah’s words encourage me as I stand daunted by the eyes of the crowd in front of me, but I feel the hands of a million Stars guiding me in this moment.
“This divide has gone on for far too long,” I say, holding the attention of the crowd. “We are stronger together… I am living proof.”
The group’s eyes fix on me with awe and admiration as Ryder and River stand on either side of me. River nods his head reassuringly at me. “So, no more babies ripped from their mother’s arms because they serve different Gods. No more segregation. No more rules separating our people.”
My words linger in the air for a moment.
“We are better than that,” I continue, fuelled by passion. “Change is coming, and it has to start with us.”
A silence follows my words, and I look at the sea of faces in front of me, wondering if my words have made an impact. Then, all at once, they begin to cheer.
A crowd of hopeful expressions and undying passions stares back at me.
They look at me with hope, something I have not seen in the eyes of another for so long.
I feel the weight of their faith clinging to me, a blanket of responsibility I cannot ignore.
And suddenly I am terrified of letting them down.
I shudder as Darryn’s words refresh my brain.
‘You will watch the world burn, knowing you could’ve stopped it.’
My muscles tense as I bury his words deep within the depths of my mind.
Ryder turns to me, sensing my trepidation.
“Hey… you’ll be okay.” He smiles genuinely, easing my fears, placing his hands on the small of my waist. I sink into his touch. His face turns more serious, his eyes tracing mine in a declaration of honesty and commitment. “No challenge is too big for Asha Calloway.”
His words should motivate me or bless me with relief, but instead, they fill me with dread.
Because in that moment.
Just then.
Only for a second.
I could have sworn I saw the rings of his eyes flash purple in the sunlight.