Sunrise Gate

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“What is that?” Demi asks right away as the room clusters around me.

I grab hold of the key, holding onto it tightly. I speak quietly, gawking at it. “I forgot all about it… it was given to me before I was taken away.”

The Shaman interrupts, “Be specific weakling!”  Demi furiously examines the key in the meanwhile, looking over every ridge, feeling its edge against her thumb as she twists it about in her hands trying make sense of it.

“As I was -” Demi cuts me off before I could answer the Shaman, “This key is a master to the prison!” Her voice grows excited as the crowd starts to speculate to one another the possibilities. The Shaman refuses to speak, rushing towards Demi, dragging her and I away from the crowd.

He speaks furiously, “Do you realize the false hope you have just given them!” He shoots his finger at Demi. “And you, weakling! What kind of sick trick is that!”

“What do you mean trick!” I shoot back at him.

“My people have suffered enough of your kind’s torture. We do not have the capacity to handle any more of your mockery. We have been locked down here for nearly a decade and yet you hold no sympathy - even after we allowed you to mingle within our ranks! This is an outrage.” He grunts, angered beyond expression.

Demi takes him by the arm, however, diverting his attention away from me and back to her. “By the Raven, Shaman. Where is your cunning?”

“Where it belongs Halfbreed! Now release me!” He yanks his arm away, Demi taken aback by his sudden change of tone towards her, “How dare you incite such hope among them, you know just as much as any of them the torment this brings to them!”

“But it’s not false fool!” Demi shouts to the Shaman, but quickly pulls herself back realizing the disrespect she has committed. She turns her head from him, looking to me. “How did you get this Lyra, high ranks are only suppose to have a copy.”

“That’s just it,” I answer looking at the Shaman, “My commander gave it to me as the cart was pulling away. My hands were bound when he put it around my neck. He told me to find you and that you would know what to do with this key.”

“Bear have mercy!” the Shaman shouts to the sky as his body shakes, violently withholding himself,  “And how do you know this wasn’t some sick trick he is playing on us bug! How do you know this is a legitimate key!”

“Because I trust my commander as your people trust you!” I shout at him, the words sending a look of disgust over his face.

“How dare you mock our kind,” his voice growls as he speaks in a low hum. “I held faith in you… I believed you were different than the rest of them. But I was wrong. You are just as sick as the next.”

“And what if she is right Shaman?” Demi asks him, holding his arm once more, cautious of him.

“Why do you defend her! She is not one of our kind, she cannot be trusted. If you are a true Nord then you will act as one and be one with your brothers and sisters!”

Demi gives him a sick look, “I am a true Nord. But I also am not an ignorant one. That’s what set my father apart from the rest of you and the Spirits saw that in him. He was willing to take a risk.”

The Shaman clenches his fists tight, grinding his jaw as he works his anger. “What are you proposing then?” he asks me, holding tense.

Demi responds, “I am proposing that this key will get the gate above us open. If we can secure some weapons then perhaps we can fight our way out.”