Revenant Slaves Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Ash's desperate search

Read chapter 6 of Revenant Slaves by Zee on NovelPedia.

Chapter 5: Ash's desperate search Ash tried to lose himself in the sound of the rain. It no longer stung him as sharply, which meant his robes hadn’t been too badly torn in the fight. He would have an unbearable itch for the next few days, his face would remain marred, and dark blotches would serve as fresh proof of the struggle. Martin’s face had been exposed for far longer. The skin had begun blistering, second-degree burns spreading across his features. He looked like an ugly, lifeless mess no different from a slave left to die, forgotten in the rain. None of the other guards had come looking for them. Ash wondered how long it would take before someone did. Would they arrive while Martin’s face was still recognizable? Or would they wait until the rain had done its work, scraping him clean? This was a city that did not tolerate reminders of mortality left to rot in the street. Ash had killed a man. It had… felt good. But now? What came next? Would he be hunted? Persecuted? Would his family and friends suffer for what he had done? Would everything he fought to protect be taken from him simply for defending himself? It was the system itself that was cruel, and the system did not care for Martin. It cared only for what he represented. Ash remembered he represented something more tyrannical than the Sovereigns: the temple. They would protect their own, wouldn’t they? Once he became a full member, he would no longer be bound to the Sovereigns of Mortrum. He didn’t have much hope, but even a little would help. First things first: he needed to get away from this scene. The sun had nearly set, and the two massive moons of Mortrum would have been visible if not for the rain. Miru had fled deeper into the city as well. He needed to find her. Knowing the clever little girl, Ash suspected she might have gone to the temple to get help. He needed to hurry to the temple himself. As he retraced his steps, he replayed the fight with Martin in his mind, especially the final moments. He remembered the rare, intoxicating power of controlling someone else’s fate, the way so many had controlled his. Recalling what he had done made him feel sick. He focused on the timing of the fight, the moments afterward, that he had spent sitting beside Martin. There had been enough time for help or investigators to arrive, yet no one had come. Ash’s mind jumped to the worst possibilities. The world was cruel to his kind, and coincidences weren’t happy affairs. He quickened his pace. The familiar dark outline of the temple rose through the rain, a black monument cutting against the murky sky. He crossed the boundary walls and made for the main entrance. There were no guards here; that was how absolute the authority and fear were in the Empire regarding the sanctity of the temples. The temple was closed. All apprentices had been sent home, and only initiates and above remained. It was forbidden for the uninitiated to remain after dark. Ash worried about the consequences Miru might face if she had tried to enter. The front doors of the main building were shut tight. He pushed, banged, and searched for an intercom, any opening to make his case. There was no response, only the relentless patter of rain. Miru would have encountered the same obstacle. There was only one other place she might have gone: the Knight drill grounds. Ash quickly circled the main temple building toward the training compound. During his apprenticeship with the Knights, he had learned that many of them stayed behind after hours in the housing and equipment areas. ‘Please be alright.’ Ash was running now; he could barely see in front of him. He circled around the massive central temple building to the rear temple grounds, and he saw the Knight’s buildings and training grounds. Ash was so focused on spotting signs of movement that he tripped over something and fell to the ground. He fell hard, acidic water splashing onto his face and trickling down his neck. Several wounds on his body flared wi