ShadowSong [Book 1 & 2: Complete] [NaNoWriMo16/17]

Chapter 85 - A Broken Spirit

Week 2 Vote Goal #3: 210

Jason ran after Ella while desperately wishing for Cryophoenix's wings.

The entirety of the crowds that had gathered on temple grounds for the festival today had been corralled into the inner courtyards by the Pillar guards. The closer he got to the Core Chamber at the centre, the more tightly packed people became, all confused and terrified by the Pillars ushering them in closer, telling them not to worry even as the skyshrine bells continued to chime.

It was chaos.

Ella barely seemed to notice anyone around her. She charged through the crowd with a reckless abandon, never veering from her course straight to the centre. Jason kept up with her for the most part, following through the channel she carved through the crowd.

"Ella!" he called after her, but still, she didn't slow.

She barged past a Speaker attempting to calm a group of worried parents. The Speaker stumbled and fell into the same parents, who saw Ella's frenzy and let it feed their own.

Jason caught a few of their words as he passed.

"Is this normal? There's been so many Manifested but the other Speakers assured us that--"

"I can't believe I thought it was safe to bring my children! This whole city has gone mad without Harpy and Wyvern!"

He didn't stop. He didn't have time.

Twenty metres from the wall of the Core Chamber, Ella finally slowed down. Her chest was heaving as Jason caught up to her, blessing the fact that Cryo's fitness carried over to Jason. Her Pillar guards were nowhere in sight, but there was more than one person giving Ella cautious looks.

"Ella," said Jason quietly. "Why did you--"

"I had to," said Ella, her fists clenched over her sternum. "I had to get to the centre. I just knew that if I were here it'd be okay. That I'd feel okay."

"Okay?" asked Jason. "What do you mean 'feel okay'?"

"I don't know," said Ella, looking around, almost like she'd woken up from a dream. "But--but I can't let the Serpent near me. I can't. I have to stay away. I can't let him get me. Not again."

Jason was suddenly reminded of the Manifested that he and Banshee had saved. The artist, who had claimed the Serpent was hunting him down. Cryo had helped the man move onto golden starstone. Was he here among the crowd, thinking the Serpent was still after him?

"It's okay, Ella," said Jason, trying to catch her gaze. "I need you to breathe. I need you to just stop for a minute and breathe. The Serpent can't get onto golden starstone."

"But his minions can," breathed Ella. "I got onto it before, to get my fragment back. I attacked a High Speaker to get it back, and I had help. And Adande, and Aya and Alma--"

"I know," said Jason. "But you want to stay away from the Serpent. And the Serpent cannot get you here."

Ella took a shaky breath and nodded. "You're right. Golden starstone burns the Other. Manifested go crazy when they're on it because of the pain. That's why the Serpent doesn't just march straight in."

Jason filed that piece of information away for the future and focused on the task at hand. Ella seemed calm enough now, which meant he had a few seconds to himself.

"I'm going to speak with a Pillar for a moment to see if I can't get additional information on the situation, okay?" said Jason. Ella gave him a hesitant nod in reply. "You stay here, I'll be back in a moment. If you need me, I won't be far. Okay?"