Status: next few chapters being written
City of Stones
Chapter Four
Chapter Four
My heart pounded wildly in my chest. If someone had truly found the city, it meant that there was a risk to every single live inside the City of Stones. I felt a calming hand on my shoulder and glanced back to see Niko giving me a comforting smile. We were following Zane and Jonah to the watch tower at the top of the city. The watch tower wasn’t actually a tower, it was actually just a small tunnel cut through the rock with a telescope installed in there somehow. I didn’t understand how it had been set up, but I knew that it worked, and that’s all I cared about really.
“Savion!” Zane called as we reached the top of the small tunnel. “What’s going on?”
The tunnel was so short in height that even I had to bend slightly to avoid banging my head on the ceiling. Savion was standing hunched over the telescope as Zane, Niko and I tried to cram into the already too tight space.
“As far as I can see it’s just the boy, he collapsed a few minutes ago and doesn’t seem to be armed, it’s only his boat that was docked and there haven’t been any since. My guess is it’s a mutt who heard of a sanctuary and decided to risk it or it’s someone just trying to pass the mountains.” Savion replied without even looking up.
“Aleah, you and Niko go out and take a closer look. Bring the powder in case he’s not completely unconscious.” Zane told me.
I nodded before turning hurriedly to leave the cramped tunnel. Niko followed close behind, just as eager as I to be out of the claustrophobic space. The powder that Zane had referred to was just that, a powder. One of the mutts and councilwomen, Cerdwin, had been the one to discover it and figure out how to produce it. It was a soft white powder made from the crushed petals of a flower that grew in the caves. When thrown on a person it took away their elemental powders.
Most mutts in the city didn’t really feel the need to use the powder because every mutt was the equivalent of ten normal elemental people. I used it constantly however, because in a fight against an elemental person I would be at a disadvantage.
“Do you have the powder on you?” Niko asked as we rushed back through the city.
“Yeah,” I said, nodding even though he had his back to me.
“Good, I don’t want to stop.” he replied.
“Do you have your knife?” I asked him.
I saw Niko’s head nod.
Before long we had reached the tunnel that held the rope that would take us up to the outside world. Niko reached it first and nimbly climbed up. I followed close behind and together we shoved the boulders out of our way. I blinked as the bright sunlight hit my eyes before glancing around.
“The kid was over on that ridge I think.” Niko said, pointing out to the east.
I followed his finger, gazing out at the spot that could reveal our doom if the boy turned out to be one of the Water or Fire Tribes.
My heart pounded wildly in my chest. If someone had truly found the city, it meant that there was a risk to every single live inside the City of Stones. I felt a calming hand on my shoulder and glanced back to see Niko giving me a comforting smile. We were following Zane and Jonah to the watch tower at the top of the city. The watch tower wasn’t actually a tower, it was actually just a small tunnel cut through the rock with a telescope installed in there somehow. I didn’t understand how it had been set up, but I knew that it worked, and that’s all I cared about really.
“Savion!” Zane called as we reached the top of the small tunnel. “What’s going on?”
The tunnel was so short in height that even I had to bend slightly to avoid banging my head on the ceiling. Savion was standing hunched over the telescope as Zane, Niko and I tried to cram into the already too tight space.
“As far as I can see it’s just the boy, he collapsed a few minutes ago and doesn’t seem to be armed, it’s only his boat that was docked and there haven’t been any since. My guess is it’s a mutt who heard of a sanctuary and decided to risk it or it’s someone just trying to pass the mountains.” Savion replied without even looking up.
“Aleah, you and Niko go out and take a closer look. Bring the powder in case he’s not completely unconscious.” Zane told me.
I nodded before turning hurriedly to leave the cramped tunnel. Niko followed close behind, just as eager as I to be out of the claustrophobic space. The powder that Zane had referred to was just that, a powder. One of the mutts and councilwomen, Cerdwin, had been the one to discover it and figure out how to produce it. It was a soft white powder made from the crushed petals of a flower that grew in the caves. When thrown on a person it took away their elemental powders.
Most mutts in the city didn’t really feel the need to use the powder because every mutt was the equivalent of ten normal elemental people. I used it constantly however, because in a fight against an elemental person I would be at a disadvantage.
“Do you have the powder on you?” Niko asked as we rushed back through the city.
“Yeah,” I said, nodding even though he had his back to me.
“Good, I don’t want to stop.” he replied.
“Do you have your knife?” I asked him.
I saw Niko’s head nod.
Before long we had reached the tunnel that held the rope that would take us up to the outside world. Niko reached it first and nimbly climbed up. I followed close behind and together we shoved the boulders out of our way. I blinked as the bright sunlight hit my eyes before glancing around.
“The kid was over on that ridge I think.” Niko said, pointing out to the east.
I followed his finger, gazing out at the spot that could reveal our doom if the boy turned out to be one of the Water or Fire Tribes.