Page 76 of Kingdom of Tomorrow
“Let’s do this.” The HP beat his fist into a lever on the wall, and the double doors slid open, revealing a void of darkness.
My world turned upside down, as expected, RVM at play. When everything righted, thanks to my lens, I unsheathed my netter.
“You better come out of this intact, Pink,” Cyrus muttered low enough for my ears alone, tapping buttons on a wall panel.
“Nothing will stop me.” A warning wrapped in agreement.
Pritis stones lit up before us, highlighting a long, winding path. He marched forward. I forgot everything else. With my heart in my throat, I set my finger on the trigger of my netter and followed him.
Chapter Nineteen
The bloodiest battlefield is your mind.
—The Book of Soal2.8.10.5
With my first step outside, a thick blanket of heat and darkness swallowed me whole. Old fears stirred, shooting icy spikes onto my spine. Nausea churned, growing more insistent. But I didn’t freak out and run. No, I plowed ahead. This was life and death, in more ways than one. A test of my mettle, a chance to prove I’d grown stronger, and an opportunity to see more of Theirland. I wouldn’t fail myself or my mission.
While my lens corrected the RVM, it made me feel as though I walked inside a dream. A sensation I hadn’t encountered during practice sessions. The light stands that dictated the direction we traveled didn’t help the illusion. Nor did the sounds of gunfire in the distance, proving other battles were taking place.
From what I could see of our periphery, a wire fence created a domed tunnel, protecting a concrete path that led us into the practice arena. Thanks to the slight glow cast by his armor, I could see beyond Cyrus. No feeders waited within sight, but they were definitely nearby.
My ears twitched as varying noises registered. Grunts, pounding footsteps, and the clang of metal. Hot wind infused with a fetid stench ruined every breath. How was I supposed to clock an enemy’s approachwith the stink of rot clinging to my nostrils? Sweat trickled over my brow and beaded above my upper lip.
“Once we pass the checkpoint, the procession of light ends,” Cyrus called. “Prepare for total darkness.”
Made sense. Glowers, I’d learned, often broke into restricted areas, and stole pritis stones.
We reached the end of the fenced walkway. The checkpoint. A buzz sounded, and the door opened, allowing passage. We continued without a hitch in our steps.
“If you spot a feeder,” Cyrus added, “don’t hesitate to take it down. Chances are good you’re the only one who can see it.”
We traversed a street with buildings on either side. I couldn’t tell their shape or size, but I sensed them, as if the walls themselves beckoned me closer. It was weird. Though I looked for the well-lit castle, I spotted no evidence of it.
Cyrus halted abruptly and shouted, “Incoming from all sides!”
Already? I stopped behind him and braced.
Suddenly, a shrieking feeder lurched from the gloom, breaching my five-foot perimeter. I didn’t take time to think. As I’d been taught, I aimed and fired the netter, launching the expandable metal trap. The impact drove the maddened to the ground. Upon its crash landing, the seams of the filigree adhered to the concrete, locking him in place.
More and more worm-infested feeders arrived. Battle sounds crested. A blend of grunts and groans, curses and yelps mixed with the whiz of nets. I lost track of everyone as I ducked and dodged, working to immobilize my next target.
Sweat trickled over my skin. Maybe blood. Aches and pains registered, only to get lost in spikes of adrenaline. Another feeder joined the fray, making it two against one. I aimed and squeezed. My netter clicked. Empty. Before I remembered to reload with extra ammo, I dropped the weapon and palmed my backup.
Something sharp cut a vulnerable part of my arm, and I stumbled back, tripping over a slain feeder. I dropped the weapon on impact. Aheavy weight smacked into my chest, pinning me down. The scent of rot filled my nose, and I knew. A feeder had fallen on me. Since it wasn’t moving, I assumed it was dead.
Desperate for freedom, I scrambled out from under the bulk. As I leaped to my feet, lights flashed all around, granting glimpses of the other trainees. They remained in a constant flow of motion, continuing to shoot and reload, netting feeder after feeder, and, oh, their ferociousness wowed.
I patted the ground for my netter, resolute. Help or die trying. Big mistake. A feeder appeared in my line of sight, whipping through the air, aimed straight for me, his mouth open and teeth bared.
Boom!The maddened jerked to the side and crashed into the dirt, never making contact with me. Cyrus was at my side a second later, pressing a new netter into my hand before moving off to help others.
I fired. Again. And again. More adrenaline surged, becoming a fire in my veins. Intermittently I caught sight of Roman, who fought with his fists. He was smiling.
Between one blink and the next, ten spears of light split the dark sky. No. Wrong.Glowerssplit the darkness. They wore red robes and hurled closer as if they had wings.
“Glowers,” someone screeched.
The feeders released awful high-pitched noises. I raced for Juniper—who’d gone statue still—intending to stand guard.
