Page 31 of The Song of Sunrise
Leaf guides us through the crowd toward a small group of people huddled together laughing. I recognize Castor’s bulky frame immediately. As if hearing my thoughts, he turns toward us, his face stern and harsh, until his eyes land on mine and a small smile curves up one side of his lips. As we join the group, Castor moves to my side, his large arm accidentally brushing mine, though neither of us move away from the contact.
A short, stocky male professor with light brown hair cut short to his head makes his way to a small wooden platform and claps his hands twice. They are not ordinary claps, but rather, they resonate across the entire field.
The Source!
This is never going to get old.
On the side of his arm, the rising sun patch of the Sun’cher faction glimmers.
“Cadets! Listen up. For those new here, I’m Commander Hogsmith. You will address me as such.” The few students who dare to keep whispering earn a few hard glares from other, more experienced cadets.
“You are probably wondering why I have called all three years to the Pits.” Commander Hogsmith gestures toward the large craters behind him that are carved into the rocky soil. Ramona warned me about the Pits earlier in our rooms. It’s said that cadets are only allowed to climb out after a person yields or a serious injury occurs.
I catch myself subconsciously leaning into Castor’s arm and stop myself, only to lose my footing. Castor quickly places a steadying hand on my back, keeping it there while the Commander speaks.
A third-stone female cadet with caramel skin stares at us, inspecting the point where Castor’s hand meets my back. Shehas pillowy pink lips and would be pretty if not for the slight sneer pulling at her mouth. She must be a friend and classmate of Castor’s. A Moon’cher patch glitters silver on her shoulder.
Commander Hogsmith pulls our attention back with his bellowing voice that seems to be magically amplified to carry across the wind.
“Instead, we will travel down to the Lower Field One where we will share a very special announcement. Follow your Thirds down!”
Castor, the Moon’cher who glared at me, and a few other third-stones raise their hands for others to follow.
“Follow me!” Castor slips into his leadership role with ease, gesturing to our small group and the others around us to follow him. He leads us away from the Pits toward a series of heavy metal hatches that are flipped open on the ground.
One by one, cadets are climbing down the hatches and disappearing beneath the ground. My stomach knots thinking about the hatch closing behind me.
“Where are we going exactly?” I ask Ramona quietly.
“The Lower Fields! These are usually reserved for second and third-stone cadets only,” Castor explains. “They usually wait until cadets master channeling up here before they start putting layers of dirt and rock between the moon and sun.”
“So the Lower Fields are underground?”
“Yeah, crazy right? The further you go underground, the harder it is to channel the Sun and Moon. Though no one really talks about it because they are technically in the Treaty with us, me and my brothers think it’s because they are trying to simulate what it would be like to fend off Underlings.”
My heart pounds out of my chest at the mention of the monsters that attacked my home.
“Oh, I’m sorry Akemi, I forgot. We don't have to go down if you don’t want to. I can wait with you up here.” Ramona blurts in one quick breath.
“No, really, it’s okay. I want to go down.”I have to go down.
Each descending step down the hatch cements my resolve to train below ground.
11
Helios Blessing
I’m not sure what I expected to see when I entered the hatch, but it wasn’t the sprawling training center before me. Cadets are spread throughout the room. The floor is black and cushioned ever so slightly. Large wooden practice targets line the walls. Various carts are stationed with knives, wooden practice swords, staffs, and other weapons.
High above, spherical Sun’cher orbs float like stars in the dark ceiling overhead, lighting the space from above. More orbs are fashioned to the walls, their energy spinning and brightening the space enough for training.
“Wait until you see Levels Two and Three,” Castor whispers into my ear, his warm breath tickling my neck. I jolt at the sudden closeness of his body. He chuckles softly in my ear as Commander Hogsmith positions himself in front of the crowd.
Castor stiffens behind me.
Wondering what made him react this way, I rise on my toes to peer around the surrounding cadets. Castor’s father, theElder Superior, strides toward Hogsmith with two other Elders following close behind.
The first Elder’s balding head shines with grease. His posture is hunched over, somehow managing to balance his large belly over disproportionately skinny legs. The other Elder is a tall, lanky woman with stringy gray hair tailing down her back. One gust of wind could blow her away, though something about her hard-set face tells me she wouldn’t go easily.
