The Mountain Dancer

Chapter 54: Shaynike & Ellawek

The lights came back on. A collective cry of relief came from the Dance Hall as the downcycle finally stopped. Eyelight and crystal light alike shimmered and flickered everywhere as people synced back in, followed by pandemonium as the panicked crowd rushed to the emergency flashstep.

Several of the people on the Tether Stone bolted as soon as they realized the way was open once again. The boreway was still shone white.

Shaynike lay clutching the bright blue Stone, shielding her eyes from its glare. A river of people boiled around her. Krickgree and Affsol were acting like rocks, shoving people and shouting so that few remaining around the Stone didn’t get trampled. WeeSeu had received a nasty gash to her forehead, and was tugging at Shay, trying to get her to get up so they could go.

Oh no, Rekness. No, what did you do? His last two shards gripped her heart and twisted it.

“Let’s go!” bellowed a Stateguard from somewhere. “Get Northridge!”

The lights seemed like they were getting even brighter.

‘Rekness?’ she tried. Nothing.

‘Please, Rek? Rek?’ She knew he wasn’t ignoring her.

“Rek!” she screamed.

“We gotta go, Shay, get up!”

She didn’t even know who said it. She closed her eyes and snugged closer to the Stone. There was still a lot of cycling going through it, but she didn’t care. Where was Rek?

“We can’t leave her!” someone was shouting now.

A strange chocolate touched her tongue.

‘Shaynike, you’re still there?’ It was the woman, connecting directly through the Tether Stone.

‘What did you do?!’ she fired back. People were trying to pry her off the Stone.

‘Listen to me! The Artwork is overcycling. I can’t stop it. You need to help me stabilize it so I can try to break the loop.’

‘Screw you!’ was all Shay could think to send.

There was a fizzling noise, and she looked up. A shower of sparks rained down from above. Some of the drapery was on fire.

“Was that a Softshadow?” Ella asked.

“Let’s go, I say!” Affsol said, managing to free one of her arms.

‘Shay, help!’ Sila sent.

She pulled away from Affsol and felt for the mindtether. There was something wrong in it, some kind of jittering pulse that she could feel in her crystal if she tried hard enough. She let it flow into Affsol and WeeSeu, who were clinging to her.

“Feel it?” Shay said. Another Softshadow burst.

“Wha- Whatnow? The, what?” Affsol froze, confused.

“It’s turning too fast,” WeeSeu said.

“Oh, shit. Overcycle.” Ella bit down on her finger.

“What?” Krickgree pressed his hand to the Stone and closed his eyes for a second. The colour fell out of his face.

“Try to reach a Stateguard, or the Luminary!” WeeSeu said.

“They’re gone!”

“Send a broadshard?”

“Shardtrade is out of control, I can’t even make sense of it!”