𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑫𝑬𝑵 𝑺𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑫

CHAPTER 2

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Not really comforting words, but right now, they're the best words of affirmation I can give myself. I repeat them in my head, over and over, the flame of white - hot fear burning through my chest as I take big gulps of air, my legs threatening to give way. Not even the thundering rain pelting my skin can put it out.

I see liams spiky blonde hair a few feet in front. We will see each other on the other side. I know it.
" Name? " The rider at the edge asks as his partner holds a cloak over the scroll in a pointless attempt to keep the paper dry.

" Bel tauri. " I manage to get out through my chattering teeth, thunder crackling above me. With a quick glance, I manage to see Liams name already blurring at the end, where water had met ink.

This scroll will not be the last place my name is written. I look at the rider one more time. An eyebrow is raised at my last name, but nothing is said.

I place my hands on either side of the turret and drag my fingertips across the stone. It's still warm from the morning sun but rapidly cooling from the rain, slick but not slippery from moss grow or anything.

Liams figure is nothing except a blur now, and my heart aches to catch up - he has to be about a quarters way in now.

I force my breathing to calm, my heart beating rapidly in my chest, eyesight darkening - and a crave for salt. If they don't have salt in the riders quadrant, I'm definitely leaving. But if I slip, I die before I get to find out. If I slip-  oh, fuck it. There's nothing more I can do to prepare for this moment.

I take the lone step up onto the parapet and grip the stone wall as another gust of wind hits, knocking me sideways against the opening of the turret.

I manage to adjust myself, clenching my toes together as I finally make a move. There's no going back now . My heart beats so hard that I hear it in my ears like a drum. 

Don't look down. Eyes ahead. Don't. Look. Down.

the echoing voices from my training all scramble at once to tell me what to do, but it's hard to heed it when every step could be my last. I throw out my arms for balance, then take the measured mini strides I've practiced in the Palace so many times.

But with the wind, the rain, and the two hundred feet drop, this is nothing like practising on those luxury carpets. The stones beneath my feet are uneven in places, held together by mortar in the joints that makes it easy to trip, and I concentrate on the path ahead of me to keep my eyes off my boots. My muscles are tight as I lock my center of gravity, keeping my posture upright for once.

My head swims as my pulse skyrockets.

Calm. I have to stay calm. Singing was off the list since birth, so that's that idea gone. Before my dizzy spells, I was bright. I talked to anyone and everyone my father asked me to. Maybe it's not the smartest idea, but socialising is better than death right now.

" liam! " I called out, my voice flying with the wind.

Silence. Then-

" Glad to know you're still alive! " the shout came from infront, and I couldn't help but smile.

" I could say the same thing! "

Up ahead, I could hear someone blabbering about ancient history.

Thunder cracks, the wind slams into me, and i flail my arms.

" SHIT! "

My body swings left with the gale, and I drop to the parapet, holding on to the edges and crouching so I don't lose my footing, making myself as small as possible as the wind howls over and around me. Stomach churning, my eyesight closes in on itself, my lungs threatening to hyperventilate as panic seizes ms at knife point.

I get up, and thankfully, Liam is still ahead of me. Good. He deserves to survive just as much as I do.

I look even more forward, and shit.

Some random dudes grabbed the gangly boy infront of Liam by the straps of his overpacked rucksack and I watch, shock locking me in place as he throws the boy over parapet like a sack of grain. To my relief, He then turns to the front, chasing in strides after his next victim. Poor Sorrengail is gonna die. But not Liam.

I keep moving, gusts of wind slamming into me as water slips off my nose and chin as my legs threaten to give way.

I'm not ready to die just yet.

But still, I'm so, so scared.

Throwing my arms out to the side, I see Liam step to safety. Thank the gods. I start to steady my strides, going faster in a desperate kind of walk. The fortress looms behind those thick battlements, carved into the mountain side in an L - shaped formation of tall stone buildings, built to withstand fire, for obvious reasons. The walls that surround the citadels courtyard are ten feet thick and eight feet tall, with one opening- and I'm just. About. There.

I jump 12 inches from the elevated parapet to the courtyards solace, where two riders await. My legs almost collapse with relief, but I grab onto the rider closest to me. Embarrassing.

" Name? " She drawls, as if im the least - interesting thing she's seen today. I glance in her direction for a millisecond. She pushes the chin - length, fire red strands of her hair behind her ear with one hand and holds the roll out with the other.

" You're almost the same size as the other small one, but you made it aswell, i guess."

" Bel tauri. " I answer.

The rain drips off the lower ridge of her brow. " Like the.... " She trails off

"  oh gosh, no, " I  lie, " just a similar - sounding last name. "

" Not surprised, but I would've been. And your name? " she turns to the person behind me, and they start talking.

I walk through towards the crowd of celebrating cadets. It's still early, only about 9am, but already I see there weren't as many candidates as there was ahead of me in line. Based on the overwhelming presence of leather, both the second - and third - years are here aswell, taking stock of the new cadets.

The rain eases into a drizzle, as if it had only come to make my unsuccessful suicide mission even harder than it already was. But I actually did it.

I'm alive.
I fucking made it.

My body seems to realise at the same time, because the threat of passing out swims across my eyes, and I stumble to sit down against some random cobbled wall in my haste.

" Bel! Guess who's alive? " The only voice I recognise calls out, and before I know it, Liams down next to me on the slick, cold ground.

" You good? " He asks, " or did my charming personality knock you off before the parapet could? " He gives me a goofy grin.

I laugh, " Im alive, you're alive, so yeah, im pretty good. But I'm about to pass out, so make sure my beautiful head isn't hit, Mr charming. "

And before I can see another silly reaction, a wave of dizziness hits, and complete black takes over.