Chapter 8
Yin
When the cart stops, my nerves start. In fact, who am I kidding? My nerves have been building ever since we entered this monstrous, golden city.
In all my years, I’ve never seen anything like it. For in all my years, I’ve barely traveled from my mountain village. My life to date has been about training, not traveling. I don’t have time to be awed by great golden arches and walls as tall as mountains and just as imposing.
I watch Yang stand, and though he’s too tall, and has to stoop, that doesn’t stop him from compulsively neatening his armor once more. Then, with a slight breath, he unlocks the door and steps out.
I catch a glimpse of an empty square beyond. It’s enormous, absolutely enormous.
“Castor,” I begin. I don’t know what I want to say, but I can’t stop myself from whispering his name.
“Just trust me,” he says quietly, his voice barely carrying beyond his lips.
I turn to look at him.
With a complicated expression, he doesn’t face me, and instead stares at the opposite wall.
“What’s going on? Why aren’t we escaping?” I hiss back, trying to ensure my voice does not carry outside the cart and to Yang’s waiting ears.
“Just trust me,” Castor says once more.
“Castor,” I begin, one million questions bursting through my mind. Trust him? How can I trust him when I don’t know what’s going on? The one lesson he drummed into my mind more than any other is that I must never allow myself to be captured. But now, well, I’ve clearly been captured, and he is doing nothing about it.
I don’t understand, and that fact unsettles me more than Castor’s complicated expression.
Before I can question him further, I see two soldiers pop their heads through the open door.
They are dressed in armor that is somehow even fancier than Yang’s. Brilliant blue and gold, they look as if they’ve trapped the very sea and sky in their breastplates and helmets.
“Please exit this cart,” one says in a professional but curt tone.
Without a word, Castor stands and follows their heed.
I don’t move, though. I sit there, staring in open-mouthed shock as my guardian follows the orders of these soldiers.
What is he doing?
When he steps down from the cart, he turns and nods at me. “Come, Yin,” he says.
I begin to shake my head, but he shakes his head harder. “Please,” he adds.
Feeling more confused than I’ve ever felt, I stand and make my way out of the cart. As soon as I jump down, I gasp. I can see the enormous square in full. It’s even bigger than I imagined, and as I stand there and spin on the spot, taking in the glorious buildings beyond, I realize just how far out of my depth I am.
The mountains I understand. The trees, the crags, the snow, the birds. They sing to me. These buildings, however, are nothing but imposing. They represent a world I know nothing about.
As I stare at the buildings, I notice that Yang stands several meters away talking to an old man with a gray beard and jet-black armor.
Then I notice the man saluting. He places a hand close to his stomach, then secures his other hand on top, and bends forward in a bow. At first, I have no idea who he’s directing it toward, then I realize it’s Castor.
In fact, all of the assembled soldiers repeat the move, and bow one by one.
I like to think I know everything there is to know about my guardian. After all, I’ve lived with him my whole life, and it’s by his side that I will complete my task as the Savior. Still, while I know that once upon a time he had served in the army, I’m starting to realize he might have left some very important details out. From the things Yang mentioned and the way these soldiers are treating him, it appears Castor had a far more illustrious career than he’s told me about.
Still, now isn’t exactly the time to bring that up.
Now is the time to run.
Once that old man in black armor stops saluting Castor, Yang mutters something to him, and he looks directly at me.
That look… is terrifying. The old man’s eyebrows descend low, and his thin lips spread over his teeth in a crooked smile.
I actually take a step back, and inadvertently knock the cart door, sending it swinging back on its hinges.
“Watch yourself,” one of the soldiers snaps.
Castor has asked me to trust him, but how exactly am I to do that when I’m surrounded by snide soldiers that stare at me like I’m little more than meat with unruly hair?
Still, it’s only my loyalty to him that keeps me standing there. That, and the realization that even if I try to take on these soldiers, there’s no way I can win. There’s too many of them, and the walls of this army base are far too high. Plus, what would happen if I escaped? Where would I go? I know nothing about this city. If Castor is unwilling to flee with me, then for the first time in my life, I will be on my own.
That prospect terrifies me just as much as the old man’s stare.
As Yang and the old man talk, Castor takes a step back, getting as close to me as he can. “I need you to trust me,” he repeats.
I don’t say anything.
“We will be separated, you will be fine. Trust me,” he says once more.
Separated?
I snap my head around, my hair flattening against my cheeks and forehead. “I’m not going to let them,” I begin.
He raises a hand quickly. Staring into my eyes, he shakes his head. “Trust me,” he mouths.
Then he walks away. Without looking back, he marches up to the old man and bows.
They have a conversation, but it’s too quiet for me to overhear, then Castor walks away with him.
I’m left there standing with those soldiers, and I have no idea what’s going on.
My whole life I’ve been taught to be strong; my whole life I’ve been taught that I’m the only person who can save this age.
But I’ve never been lonely, because Castor has always been there.
Now, however, he walks away from me. There’s something final about it. As I stare at him, I feel as though he’s leaving me for good.
Perhaps he’s finally growing tired of my lack of discipline, and he’s realized I’m untrainable. Maybe I’ve insulted him, or maybe he realizes there’s no chance I can win, and it’s better to give up now.
But all I really know is that my sworn guardian has turned his back on me, and it’s left me feeling more alone than I ever have in my life.