Media: Ales Sanrovo

Music of the chapter: Discovery of Power, Audiomachine

The next class on Cadence's schedule made her regret running out of the infirmary so fast. Perhaps she was feeling good, extremely good, to be exact, but she wasn't prepared for sparring lessons, especially not with the Varya.

Varya. She remembered the disdainful looks the group of Varya recruits had cast her when she approached them and asked a harmless question.

Murka pig. Pig. Vile. Loathsome, Orisha-unwanted creatures.

Why were they the pigs and Varya the swans?

Cadence was distracted from her thoughts by the Swans entering the training hall. There were an estimated twenty of them, far fewer than bunch of Murka recruits. They held their heads high, the contrast of the colored bands on their sleeves and their white robes was blinding, and they walked with grace and class, making them seem more pompous than ever. Elijah, Cadence noticed, kept his distance from the rest of them, his chin titled in a prideful manner.

"Ow," Misha said, picking at her toenail. She was barefooted. All recruits were required to be barefooted when training physically. "There is a thorn in my eye."

The boy who led the Varya pack was the one with the piggy eyes and dark hair. Piggy boy pretended to cough violently, then looked up, eyes watering. "Someone please get the Healers and disinfect this room at once. Too many pigs in here."

Misha stood up and squared shoulders with piggy boy, but Cadence had eyes only for the boy at the back of the pack, the boy with soft, black curls that badly needed a trim.

"Cole."

In that instant, nothing mattered anymore to Cadence. Murka or Varya, Pig or Swan, she dived right into the pack of Varya and threw her arms around her brother.

"Cady."

He hugged her back, tighter than ever. "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you. They wouldn't let me leave, saying that the Murka section is off limits to Varya. Can you believe how badly they speak of you and your friends? They call you-"

"Pigs," Cadence said into her brother's neck. "I know. It doesn't matter."

"Oi, pig," piggy boy drawled. "Get your filthy hands off newbie."

"She's my sister," Cole said angrily. "And her name is Cadence."

Piggy boy opened his mouth to voice his rebuttal, but the Mistress of Arms entered the room at that very instant, silencing him with a flick of her finger.

Cadence stared at bespectacled Mistress with an expression of awe. She must be an Oracle who didn't follow the Healer's path. Normally, Oracles born with gifts of manipulating organs were trained to be Healers like Kashimi, but this Mistress must had chosen the fighter's path.

"I will not tolerate Varya and Murka dissent in this hall. If you want to bicker, you do it out of my earshot. When war comes, it strikes hard and fast, you won't be able to distinguish friend or foe, let alone Varya or Murka. You're in the army as one, so act like it."

"But Mistress Cirina." Piggy boy got his voice back. "She started it." He shot Misha—who had her eyes rolled sky-high—an accusing look.

"Silence, Koba," Mistress Cirina snapped. "I've had enough of your nonsense."

The stern-looking Mistress swept across the room. "We have a new addition to our family today," she announced. "She's a prestigious Varya from a very powerful House. Treat her like your sister, be kind with your words, for she has just lost her family to a most unfortunate disaster."

Cadence's knees gave way. She clutched at her brother for support.

"What's wrong, Cady?" Cole asked, concerned.

She's alive?

Cadence knew she should be more than relieved that Khazaria was alive and well, but the dread and the guilt that came welling up made her sick, and the thought she actually hoped Khazaria was dead made her sicker.

Her former mistress walked into the chamber. Cadence wanted to run and hide behind her brother, or bury herself into the deepest hole ever, somewhere where she would never have to see the stone-cold expression in Khazaria's dark eyes.

"This is Khazaria Orelik," Mistress Cirina said. She turned to Khazaria and smiled a soft smile. "We're honored to have you with us."

Khazaria walked toward the Varya group. The Varya group actually scattered, as if Khazaria's presence had dissolved whatever imperial structure they had built up. For a moment, she sized up Elijah, who appraised her with cold eyes, like two wolves having a stand-off over territory. Khazaria's smile curled up into a grin then turned away, staring right into Cadence's eyes.

Cadence bowed her head at once, suddenly very interested in a speck of dirt on her thumb. She fought to remain calm, although her heart was fluttering like a bird caught in a cage, and the cage was on fire. Breathing became hard, sweat started to form on her forehead. She was such a coward. If it was Cole, he would have faced Khazaria and apologized to her. Cole had always taught her to be honest, to become a decent human being, Varya or no. She felt ashamed to be standing next to her brother, ashamed of even being alive.

"Today we'll be learning to go on the defensive." Mistress Cirina swept toward the front of the training hall. The training hall was quite spacious, larger than classrooms with an impressive range of weapons displayed at the end of the hall. "Pair up as usual, and I shall demonstrate."

Khazaria's hand shot into the air.

"Yes, Khazaria?" Mistress Cirina said.

"I'm new," she said, her voice ringing like clear bells of a temple. "I don't have a partner."

"We have two new recruits who came in a few days earlier than you." Mistress Cirina peered at the crowd. "The Noviks. You can pick either one to be your partner."

"Can I have the girl?" Khazaria continued to pipe up with her sickly sweet voice. "I'd love to make new friends."

"Certainly." The Mistress of Arms nodded. "Now, hurry and pair up. We don't have all day."

"Isn't she your former mistress?" Cole said quietly in Cadence's ear.

Cadence nodded, terrified. She tightened her grip on Cole's wrist, not wanting to let go. Letting go meant meeting Khazaria, and meeting Khazaria meant an inevitable doom.

"Oh, Cadence!" Khazaria said in a sing-song voice as she skipped toward Cadence and Cole. "It's been a while! Funny how much can happen in just a few days, am I right?"

Cadence laughed weakly. "I suppose so."

"This must be your brother!" Khazaria appraised Cole. "My, isn't he handsome."

"Thank you for the compliment, Khazaria," Cole said politely. "I've heard so much about you."

"Good things, I hope? Khazaria's line of sight shifted to Cadence. "Cadence and I practically grew up together, we're best friends!"

"Welcome to the Hall of Games," Cole changed the topic. Cadence could sense he was getting tired of small talk. "I hope you find this place likeable, like we did."

Khazaria made a sound which sounded like a mixture of "pfft" and "gah".

"My old home was far fancier and glamorous. If only someone hadn't gone and destroyed it."

"I offer you my deepest condolences on what happened to your home and your family," Cole said. "Whoever who did it will suffer the consequences."

Cadence wanted nothing more than to melt into a puddle and then evaporate.

Khazaria gave Cadence a simmering smile of poison. "Oh, definitely."

Cole squeezed Cadence's hand one more time before he had to pry open her fingers. "She won't harm you," he whispered into Cadence's ear before he left to search for a sparring partner. "She no longer has any power over you."

He was wrong. Khazaria had more power over Cadence now than she ever had been, and she was entitled to it. Cadence had to restrain herself from running out of the hall as she and Khazaria took off their shoes and stepped onto the training mat.

"I wonder," Khazaria said. "What will Orisha Valador do to murderers once they enter the Underlands."

"Please, Khazaria." Cadence didn't know what she was pleading for. Was it for Khazaria not to hurt her? To forgive her? Both?

Khazaria rolled her eyes. "I expect so much more from you, Cadence dear. We've shared our childhoods together, I'm practically your sister. Surely you've learned something off the superior sibling? Father actually doted on you, called you the most handmaiden ever. Then ungrateful little Cadence killed him..."

Mistress Cirina was demonstrating the correct way to deflect blows from the enemy.

"If you should be punched, always remember to duck, grip, slide, clutch and overpower." Arik had volunteered to be Mistress Cirina's partner. He now stood in front of the older woman with his fists held before his face, ready to attack at the given signal. The Mistress of Arms nodded. Arik darted forward with movements so swift, he was a blur. His right fist was aimed at Mistress Cirina's face. The Mistress calmly stepped aside. The punch hit the air where her had was seconds ago. She stepped forward, grabbed him by the wrist, pulled him close, kicked his legs from underneath, twisted his arm behind and soon had her foot on his back. Arik grunted.

"Remember, duck, grip, slide, clutch and overpower. I call it the deflection. Take turns on going offensive."

"Shall we?" Khazaria clapped her hands together, then rubbed them slowly and deliberately.

Cadence held up her hands before her face just like how Mistress Cirina had.

Pain suddenly exploded in her face, and she was lying on her back.

"Oops," Khazaria said. "Should have said I was going on the offensive first."

Cadence painfully crawled back into a standing position. She rubbed her nose, and her hand came off red.

Khazaria cracked the joints in her neck by jerking it from side to side, then squared her shoulders and flexed her fingers. "This is going to be fun."

No one had noticed Khazaria sock Cadence in the face, everyone was too busy trying out the deflection.

Wham.

This time, Khazaria's feet connected with Cadence's stomach. Cadence doubled over, feeling everything she had eaten from three days ago regurgitate.

Cadence had never fought anyone in her entire life. Khazaria was the daughter of Beran Orelik, one of the war masters during the Great War who allied with House Khavarosk, she was trained to stab with a dagger earlier than to drink from a cup. Other girls slept with dolls and pillows, Khazaria slept with a dagger under her pillow with the notion of being able to defend herself if she was ever ambushed during the night. Cadence could never ever defeat her.

Her face felt like peeling off. Again and again, she was hammered and punched, kicked and thrown mercilessly against the ground. She did not fight back. Let Khazaria take out her anger, she deserved it.

A small part of Cadence wanted to fight back. There was a little voice at the back of her brain that told her to stand up and regain ground, to stop herself from being hit over and over again, but another part of her wanted her to lie down and surrender herself completely to Khazaria.

I can't. I'm sorry.

Wham. Punch. Wham.

Pain.

Another hit.

Cadence opened her swollen eyes, seeing the world around her turn into a whorl of colors, getting darker and darker. It rose up in a storm.

Wham. Khazaria's foot connected with Cadence's face, kicking her out of the mat and sprawling onto the ground.

The little voice at the back of her head got louder and louder until it was screaming in her head. The burning sensation in her stomach returned. The pain inflicted by the kick was nothing compared to the pain in her abdomen. Something was inside her, clawing and tearing its way out, screaming 'let us free!', 'let us free!'

Whatever that was inside of her burst forth in one explosion of intense, burning pain. Tendrils of darkness shot up toward the ceiling where it coalesced. The darkness hovered above her, seeming to judge her from afar. It extended a small tendril, as if inviting Cadence to grasp it and whisk her away into a place where there was no pain.

What are you? Cadence whispered. What are you doing inside me?

We are a part of you, the darkness whispered back. Before, now, and always.

Whatever the darkness was, it wasn't foreboding, nothing like the malice in the Polong's calculative voice. This was something innate, raw, powerful, and Cadence could feel its pull, proving that it was a part of her.

She reached out and grasped the tendril, allowing it to pull her into the air and into its swirling mass of blackness.

Power, power she had never experienced before shot through her body, filling every cell and every valve. It pumped through her blood, zipped through her fingers. It was as if she had swallowed a bolt of lightning and absorbed its energy.

From far away, she heard Khazaria scream. Along with the darkness, she surged back into reality.

Khazaria was screaming, scrambling away from Cadence.

Cadence realized that her hands were thrust out, humming with the same energy she had felt inside her head. Swords hovered by her side with their sharp tips pointing at Khazaria. Somehow, she had managed to bring out the swords in the hall, rattled them from their racks and brought them to her side, all with her mind.

"Impossible!" Khazaria continued yelling. "Y-you're not Varya, who did you steal your powers from?"

The fear in Khazaria's voice dropped the trigger within her. She twitched a finger, and the swords dipped. Khazaria threw out her arms, blasting forth a powerful gust of wind that blew all the swords from the air. The swords swirled and clattered around Cadence.

Whatever connection she had with the darkness had been severed. The thrum of power died down, and the energy that powered her vanished.

Without the support of the energy, the pain crashed back onto her like a pile of bricks. Khazaria swam before her sight. She tried to remain standing, but her knees gave way. Her head found the floor and the lights winked out.

*****

A/N

Huehue. Sorry not sorry for the cliffie? :P Also, Ales is pronounced as "Eh-lez" (like Alex, but with a 'z' at the back), not "Ey-liss". I initially wanted his name to sound like "Alice", but then changed my mind (damn it phonetics).